Cody Christie

Whenever Joe Mauer decides to hang up his cleats, he will go down as one of the best players in Twins history. That part is undeniable, but his larger legacy is still in question. As recently as 2013, Mauer seemed destined for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Concussions and a forced position switch have put his Hall of Fame resume into question. Mauer is coming off his best season at first base and he’s been on a hot streak to start 2018. Will Mauer get the call? Let’s examine his Cooperstown Case…JAWS For those unfamiliar with JAWS or Jaffe WAR Score system, it was developed by Jay Jaffe as “a means to measure a player’s Hall of Fame worthiness by comparing him to players at his position who are already enshrined, using advanced metrics to account for the wide variations in offensive levels that have occurred throughout the game’s history.” Players' JAWS score takes their career WAR and averages it with their 7-year peak WAR. When the 2018 Hall of Fame voting started, there were 15 elected catchers and 20 elected first baseman. Mauer scores very well when compared to Hall of Fame catchers. Catchers' weighted career WAR is 53.4, WARpeak is 34.4, and JAWS is 43.9. Mauer currently has a 54.5 career WAR, a 39.0 WARpeak, and a 46.7 JAWS. This would rank him as the seventh best catcher all time. First base is a different story but Mauer has only played 36% of his games at first base. Hall of Fame first basemen have a 66.1 career WAR, a 42.6 WARpeak, and a 54.3 JAWS. Obviously, Mauer doesn’t fit the prototypical mold of a first baseman at the plate. However, he has developed into one of the best defensive first basemen in the game. Last season, Mauer ranked as the third best first baseman according to SABR’s Defensive Index. JAWS isn’t the be all and end all when it comes to the Hall of Fame so let’s look at some other parts of Mauer’s Cooperstown Case. Mauer’s Statistical Legacy Counting statistics like hits, home runs, and stolen bases go a long way toward improving a player’s Cooperstown Case. Mauer is never going to be remembered for his power but other statistical areas paint him in a favorable light. With his 2,000th hit last week, Mauer is approaching other top catchers on the all-time hit list. Johnny Bench finished his career with 2,048 hits, while Gary Carter (2,092) and Mike Piazza (2,127) could also be in Mauer’s reach this season. As the voting bloc for the Hall of Fame gets younger, other statistics are going to improve Mauer’s chances at making the Hall. He is currently in some very elite company when it comes to his hit total, batting titles and career slash line. The hitters on that list are basically a who’s who of all-time best hitters. At this season’s early stage, Mauer is currently near the top of the AL in hitting. A fourth batting title would place him in even more elite company. He is already the only catcher to win the batting crown in the American League and he has the most batting titles for a catcher all-time. Mauer gets a lot of negative publicity for his lack of power. However, Mauer ranks 14th among all catchers in OPS. This puts him in front of all-time catching greats like Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, and Ivan Rodriguez. All three of those players were elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. On the bases, Mauer also separated himself from other catchers. In fact, he might have been one of the best base-running catchers of all-time. Up to the 2013 season, Mauer’s last as a catcher, he ranked fifth all-time according to FanGraph’s BsR calculation. BsR combines Weighted Stolen Base Runs, Weighted Grounded Into Double Play Runs (wGDP), and Ultimate Base Running (UBR). Historical Perspective Ernie Banks and Don Mattingly provide some historical perspective for Mauer’s Hall of Fame case. Banks hit .290/.353/.552 with 296 home runs in his first eight seasons. As part of that stretch, he won back-to-back MVP awards. Knee problems forced Banks to move off shortstop in 1962. He finished his career as a first baseman, where he hit .260/.308/.450 and posted a 104 wRC+. Banks ended up playing 200 more games at first base than shortstop. Like Banks, Mauer was forced to move from an up-the-middle position to first base. Mauer is 400 games away from having more starts at first base than at catcher. As a first baseman, Mauer has hit .282/.362/.397 so his numbers are a little higher than Banks'. However, the baseball environment has been very home run happy in recent years so one could expect Mauer’s number to be even higher. Mattingly, like Mauer, was one of the best hitters in the game for a stretch of time. From 1982-89, Mattingly won an MVP and a batting title, while hitting .323/.368/.521. At the end of that run, Mattingly suffered a back injury and was never quite the same player. Baseball in the early 1990s was becoming a slugger’s paradise and Mattingly hit .286/.345/405 over his last five seasons. For 15 years, Mattingly went through the Hall of Fame voting process. His highest season was his initial year on the ballot, 2001, when he had a 28.2% of the vote. His voting totals dropped from there and ranged from 20.3% to 8.2% before his time on the ballot expired in 2015. Mattingly never played a premier defensive position like Mauer so this could help Mauer’s overall case. So, is Mauer a Hall of Fame player? There is plenty left to be decided. How much longer will he play? Can he earn another batting title? Could he win a Gold Glove at first base? Mauer’s case is up in the air and a lot will depend on what he does with the rest of his career. Click here to view the article

Weather continues to be the story for the Twins and for their affiliates. With the Twin Cities digging out of a blizzard, three minor league games were impacted by weather in some capacity. Even with the rough weather, there were some strong performances in the farm system. Kohl Stewart started on a roll for Chattanooga but first there were multiple roster moves throughout the system.ROSTER MOVES RHP Alan Busenitz was recalled by Minnesota. OF James Ramsey was added to Rochester from Elizabethton. C Mitchell Kranson placed on the 7-day DL with Fort Myers INF Joe Cronin was reinstated from the 7-day DL at Cedar Rapids and promoted to Fort Myers. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester --, Gwinnett -- Box Score Fernando Romero, Twins Daily’s number two prospect, was scheduled to take the mound for Rochester on Sunday but the weather didn’t cooperate. Rain started falling early in the day and the field got too wet before the teams could get this one started. The teams will play a single-admission doubleheader in Rochester on Monday, April 23 starting at 4:05 pm CST. Rochester is scheduled to start a series in Charlotte on Monday night. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Pensacola 4 Box Score Former first-round pick Kohl Stewart was firing on all cylinders to start this game. He was perfect into the fifth inning before a walk on a 3-2 pitch. As you can see below, the 3-2 pitch was very close. One batter later, the no-hitter was gone and a batter after that the shutout was gone. Stewart came back out for the sixth frame but things got a little dicey. He allowed a one-out single before he committed a throwing error on a pick-off throw. During the same at-bat, he gave up a two-run home run and he was pulled from the game. Overall, he pitched 5.1 innings and was charged with three earned runs. He struck out five and walked one. Zack Jones took over for Stewart and pitched 1.2 scoreless frames. He allowed three walks and struck out one. Ryne Harper pitched a scoreless eighth but ran into some trouble in the ninth. He allowed a run to score to cut the lead to one. Williams Ramirez was called on for one out, a strikeout, as he earned his second save. Chattanooga got things started early. Zander Wiel doubled in the first and came around on a T.J. White single to put the club up 1-0. Wiel and White added to the scoring in the third. With two outs, Wiel singled before White launched a two-run bomb. In the fifth, Ryan Walker smacked a solo home run to put the club up 4-0. With things getting close in the eighth, Wynston Sawyer hit his first home run of the season and it turned out to be the game winner. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Tampa 6 (7 Innings) Box Score Rain was about the only thing that could slow down the Tarpons on this day. Clark Beeker got knocked around for three runs on four hits in two innings of work. Logan Lombana took over for Beeker but didn’t fare much better. Across three innings, he gave up two runs on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Max Cordy finished the game by surrendering one run on two hits. He struck out two and walked one. At the plate, the Miracle were limited to three hits and none of their hits were for extra bases. Caleb Hamilton reached base twice in three plate appearances. Jimmy Kerrigan scored the team’s only run after a pair of wild pitches moved him around the bases. Aaron Whitefield went 1-for-3 with a strikeout. As a team, the club went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. Fort Myers has an off-day on Monday before beginning a nine-game road trip on Tuesday. Up first on their road trip is a three game series against the Dunedin Blue Jays. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids --, Clinton -- Box Score For the second Sunday in a row, the Kernels saw snow get in the way of their Sunday baseball plan. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on May 26. Game one is scheduled to start at 5:05 pm that night and game two will follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Monday is a scheduled off-day for Cedar Rapids and they hope to be able to start a three game series with Beloit on Tuesday. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: T.J. White, Chattanooga (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Kohl Stewart, Chattanooga (5.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 K) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here is a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 1-4, K #14 - LaMonte Wade (Chattanooga) – 0-5, K #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 0-2, BB, 2 K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Charlotte (6:04 CST) - RHP Fernando Romero (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Jacksonville @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions about Sunday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

When the Twins head to Puerto Rico at the beginning of this week, there will be added importance for players like Eddie Rosario and Jose Berrios. Not only will they be able to play in front of friends and family, but they will be able to bring something to a country still trying to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Maria last September. It will be the first official game in Puerto Rico since the Mets and Marlins played in 2010. Two baseball games will be played but turning the spotlight to this small island country is much more important.Work To Be Done For many, it’s hard to believe that Puerto Rico is still trying to dig out from Hurricane Maria. Most major cities are closer to being back to normal but the mountainous regions are still dealing with the long-term effects. Players and coaches with connections to Puerto Rico are hoping the mountain regions get more focus during this two game series. “We still have work to do,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “People don’t realize there are people in the mountains that have no water, no power. It’s been six or seven months. That’s tough. We complain we don’t have power for three days and we’re going nuts, so imagine not having that. Our population is an older one. There are a lot of people in need in the mountains. It’s a struggle for them.” Eddie Rosario and Francisco Lindor will be looking to help out the community in other ways. As part of the “Players Going Home” program, both players will welcome roughly 250 youth to a special baseball clinic. The students will come from the elementary school Lindor attended as a child. Other fundraising events will be happening throughout the coming days. According to MLB.com, there will be a charity golf event to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico and Habitat for Humanity, a PLAY BALL event and a Puerto Rico R.B.I. (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) game. Ceremonial Events The importance of this event hasn’t been lost on Rosario. “I’m happy because we will be able to bring happiness to my island after Hurricane Maria. These two days will be unforgettable for me and the island of Puerto Rico. People are extremely excited and happy to be able to witness Major League Baseball.” Some of the excitement will be built on the field before the games, where there will be other important Puero Ricans in attendance. Former big leaguer Bernie Williams will sing the Star-Spangled Banner and recently retired Carlos Beltran will throw out the first pitch. Before the first game, there will also be a ceremony honoring residents who helped in the wake of Hurricane Maria. “These two regular season games will show the world that we are open for business,” said Anaymir Munoz Grajales, Vice President of MB Sports. “Puerto Rico is ready to receive fans from all over to enjoy our hospitality and all that the island has to offer.” What Can You Do? As events get underway, you might be asking how you can help the situation in Puerto Rico. There are plenty of opportunities this week. Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr. and Roberto Alomar are hosting an online auction with proceeds going to the Habitat for Humanity and Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico. The auction items include autographs and experiences from multiple sports. Auction items will end on Thursday, April 19 at 7 pm. Here are some other options for assisting those in need (some of the list compiled by PBS.org): Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico is one of the organizations that MLB has identified for multiple events this week. Before hurricanes Irma and Maria, 58% of Puerto Rican children lived in poverty. One has to believe that number increased with the devastation caused by the storm.Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico is another organization supported by Major League Baseball as part of their relief efforts. Habitat is responding to the hurricane by preparing to help families to rebuild and repair their homes.ConPRmetidos, a nonprofit based in San Juan, and Foundation for Puerto Rico are trying to raise $10 million to finance long-term relief efforts. Donations to their Puerto Rico Real-Time Recovery Fund will be used to help restore power, fund structural repairs in the most marginalized communities and improve needs assessment efforts to identify and support unattended areas.Unidos Por Puerto Rico was created through a partnership between the First Lady of Puerto Rico, Beatriz Rosselló, and the private sector. The initiative is focused on helping individuals and small businesses on the island recover by offering support for housing, food and health needs.The Hurricane Maria Community Relief & Recovery Fund is supporting immediate and long-term rebuilding of Puerto Rico by awarding grants to local initiatives and low-income communities hardest hit by the hurricane.The Center for Disaster Philanthropy is addressing medium and long-term recovery needs, including mental health treatment and the rebuilding of infrastructure, homes and businesses. Along with helping Puerto Rico, donations to the fund will provide relief to other areas in the U.S. mainland and the Caribbean ravaged by the 2017 hurricane season.Other national and global humanitarian organizations, such as Oxfam, American Red Cross, International Medical Corps, Americares, Save the Children and The Salvation Army are collecting donations to mobilize supplies and volunteers on the island. Click here to view the article

Ervin Santana was supposed to be the rock at the top of the Twins rotation this season. Two months ago, the Twins found out their All-Star pitcher would be forced to have surgery on the middle finger of his throwing hand. Santana had calcium deposits in his right middle finger removed in early February. At the time of the surgery, the team estimated he would miss the season’s first 4-6 weeks. There is still a lot of unknown circling Santana and his injury. Is it time for fans to start worrying about his return to the mound?Doctor, Doctor, Gimme The News Last week when the Twins returned home, Derek Falvey told media members that the team was considering sending Santana to New York City. Dr. Charles Melone, the man who operated on Santana, could perform a follow-up examination to make sure the pitcher was progressing appropriately. “I think having the surgeon review (his recovery) is critical to assessing where he is in that timeline,” Falvey told the Pinoeer Press. “No setbacks. He’s in a good place. He feels good. We just want to make sure the timeline is right.” The Twins have shifted course over the weekend and Santana will head to the Twin Cities to be examined by the team’s doctors. He is scheduled to be in Minneapolis on Tuesday before returning to Fort Myers to continue his rehab. Changing Timeline A few weeks ago, fans were worried on hearing that Santana was unable to grip a baseball. Since then, he has been able to grip a baseball and do some very light throwing. A return in May seems more likely with him now being able to play some light catch. Minnesota’s rotation got off to a good start during the season’s opening week and the team won’t need to fill Santana’s rotation spot until later this week. When Jake Odorizzi was announced as the starter, I projected the starters out through the middle of April. With Minnesota missing a game on Sunday, the projected rotation got pushed back. Friday will be the first time Minnesota will need to utilize a fifth starter. Phil Hughes is working his way back to the mound so the club could use him on April 13th against Chicago. If Hughes isn’t ready to go, another pitcher might have to fill in as the fifth starter. Eye To The Future Santana has some money on the line as well this season. If he pitched over 200 innings, his $14 million option would vest for 2019. He’s only pitched 200 innings once over the last four seasons and that was last year when he tossed 211.1 innings. He likely won’t make enough starts the rest of 2018 to reach the 200 inning mark. Minnesota could still pick up Santana’s option for $14 million or the club would be forced to pay a $1 million buy-out. It’s hard to know what Minnesota’s rotation could look like next season. Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi and Kyle Gibson are all under team control. Other top prospects like Fernando Romero and Stephen Gonsalves should be knocking on the door. There might not be room for Santana. Is it time to start worrying about Santana? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Around Twins Daily Week In Review: We Have Lift-Off Twins Minor League Report (4/8): Cold Weather, Colder Offenses The Twins Almanac for April 8-14 Click here to view the article

Weather continues to impact baseball across most of the northern regions of the country. The Twins had seen snow fall during a game in Pittsburgh and played in some cold temperatures on Saturday but Sunday marked their first postponement in 2018. Rochester has yet to play a game and that streak continued on Sunday. Cedar Rapids also saw the weather get in the way. With other teams waiting out the cold, let’s turn our attention to Chattanooga and Fort Myers. Would any performances stand out above the crowd?RED WINGS REPORT Rochester --, Buffalo -- Box Score Rochester’s game was postponed on Sunday due to snow and cold. All three of the games from this weekend will need to be made up later in the season with the dates still yet to be determined. Rochester will attempt to get their first game in on Monday against the Syracuse Chiefs. Monday and Tuesday’s game start times have been moved up an hour to try to avoid some cold. With three postponements to start the season, Rochester already has as many postponements at home as last year. It is the first time since 1983 that the first three home games have been postponed. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Birmingham 4 (Game 1) Box Score Birmingham got out to an early lead in this one with Randy LeBlanc on the mound. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases before LeBlanc could record an out. He’d settle in from there as he didn’t allow another run and struck out five batters over five innings. Sam Clay took over for LeBlanc and allowed two runs without giving up a hit. His three walks over two innings didn’t help the situation. Last season at Double-A, Clay struggled with 13 walks and four strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Offensively, the hits were few and far between. LaMonte Wade reached base three times including a pair of walks. Nick Gordon and Brent Rooker each went 1-for-3. For Rooker, it was his first hit of the season. Zander Wiel finished 1-for-2. Overall, the team went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. Chattanooga 2, Birmingham 4 (Game 2) Box Score Lewis Thorpe made his Double-A debut in this one and struggled to keep the ball in the park. In 4.1 innings, he allowed four runs on seven hits including two home runs. He struck out five, walked one, and unleashed a couple of wild pitches. Overall, Thorpe threw 70 pitches and 44 were for strikes. Omar Bencomo pitched 2.2 scoreless innings to end the game. He walked three and struck out one. After trailing 4-0, Chattanooga tried to mount a comeback in the sixth inning. Tanner English tripled to start the frame. Sean Miller drove in English with an infield single and moved to second on a throwing error by the shortstop. Nick Gordon kept the hit parade going with a single to move Miller to third. With one out in the inning, LaMonte Wade drove in the second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly. Unfortunately, that’s where the scoring stopped. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Charlotte 4 Box Score Jaylin Davis helped Fort Myers get out to an early lead with a solo home run in the fourth inning. From there, the offense went cold as the team wasn’t able to scrape together another run. Only three batters came to the plate with a runner in scoring position and the team left eight runners on base. Davis and Jimmy Kerrigan each finished with a pair of hits in four trips to the plate. Kerrigan also stole his first base Nelson Molina and Brandon Lopez each went 1-for-4. Brady Anderson started for Fort Myers and was charged with his first loss of the season. He pitched six innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits. He struck out three and didn’t allow a walk. Anderson threw 62 pitches with 42 being strikes. Hector Lujan pitched the final two innings. He allowed a pair of runs on three hits with a strikeout. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids --, Quad Cities -- Box Score Much like in Rochester and the Twin Cities, the winter weather wasn’t cooperating enough for baseball. Sunday’s game between Cedar Rapids and Quad Cities will be made up later this season with the date still yet to be determined. The Kernels ship out to Peoria for a four-game series to start this week before returning home next weekend. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Jaylin Davis, Fort Myers (2-for-4, HR) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Omar Bencomo, Chattanooga (2.2 IP, 0 ER, K) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here is a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #3 - Nick Gordon (Chattanooga) - 2-6 #7 - Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 1-6, 2 K #12 – Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga)- 4.1 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 5 K, 1 BB #14 - LaMonte Wade (Chattanooga) - 1-3, 2 BB, RBI #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 0-3, BB, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (4:35 CST) - RHP Aaron Slegers Birmingham @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart Florida @ Ft. Myers (6:00 CST) - RHP Clark Beeker Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:30 CST) – RHP Blayne Enlow Please feel free to ask any questions about Sunday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier are both playing in the last year of their contracts. If 2018 is their last season in a Twins uniform, there are still plenty of records in sight for each of them. Both players are two of the longest tenured members of the organization, so it make sense that some records could fall throughout the course of 2018. What milestones are in reach? Let’s dive in…Mr. 2000 Mauer entered play on Saturday needing eight hits to reach the 2,000 hit mark for his career. He’s hit safely in 17 straight contests against Seattle so there is a good chance that number will shrink before the weekend is done. Kirby Puckett and Rod Carew are the only players in team history to reach the 2,000 hit mark. Puckett holds the franchise record with 2,304 hits, while Carew totaled 2,085 hits before heading to the Angels. Eleven active players have surpassed 2,000 hits with Adrian Gonzalez being the last player to accomplish the feat in August of 2017. Double Trouble Mauer would need to play a couple more seasons to pass Puckett on the franchise’s hit list. However, Mauer does have a chance to set the team record for doubles. Puckett finished his career with a franchise record 414 doubles over 12 seasons. Mauer is in the midst of his 15th season and has 403 doubles. Over the last six seasons, Mauer has averaged 31 doubles so it seems likely for him to pass Puckett at some point during 2018. Solo Homers Mauer and Dozier are both moving up the ladder on the team’s all-time home run list. With 155 career home runs, Dozier needs eight to tie Tom Brunansky (163) for 9th on the Twins all-time list. Mauer has 137 career long-balls and sits four behind Michael Cuddyer for 11th in franchise history. Next in Dozier’s sights would be Gary Gaetti but he knocked 201 home runs during his Twins tenure. Dozier might be a man on a mission this season but 46 more home runs seems like a tough endeavor. Speed, I Am Speed Bryon Buxton has the kind of elite speed that could put him at the top of the team’s record books when it comes to stolen bases. For now, Dozier has made his way into the franchises top-10 list. His 91 career steals are one better than Denard Span for 10th on the team’s all-time list. With his next steal, Dozier will tie Larry Hisle for ninth. Other players in his sights this year include Matt Lawton (96), Christian Guzman (102), and possibly Dan Gladden (116). To pass Gladden, he’d have to break his career best steal total of 21 from 2014. Which record will drop first? How much longer would Mauer have to play to get to 3000 hits? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Around Twins Daily Jason Castro and a Cup of Coffee Proven Leadership Will Set Tone For 2018 Red Wings Blackmon’s Deal With Rockies Sets Precedent For Dozier Click here to view the article

A year after earning a second half playoff berth, many important pieces will be making a return trip to the Florida State League. In fact over half the roster, 13 out of 25 players, spent time in Fort Myers during the 2017 campaign. With a new manager and some new faces, the Miracle will continue to be an exciting team to follow this season. What can the new manager bring to the table? Which top prospects will start the year in the FSL? What else is in store from the Miracle?New Skipper At The Helm Manager Ramon Borrego is making the jump from the GCL Twins. He doesn’t have to move towns but his new gig will certainly come with some high expectations. The native Venezuelan briefly reached Triple-A as a player before becoming a manager. His playing career started in 1996 with the GCL Twins and he finished in 2002. His coaching career started in the Venezuelan Summer league, where he worked from 2005-2008. In 2009, he took the DSL Twins to the Dominican Summer League Finals before losing. He took over the GCL managing duties from Chris Heintz during the 2010 campaign. His team’s best finish was last season with first place finish in the South Division before losing in the first round of the playoffs. His career record with the GCL Twins was 236-235. Borrego will be joined on his coaching staff by some familiar faces. Henry Bonilla will return for his third season as the Miracle pitching coach. Steve Singleton will begin his second season as the hitting coach in Fort Myers and his third as a hitting coach in the Twins organization. Top Prospects To Watch Two of Twins Daily’s Top 20 Prospects and three of Baseball America’s Top 30 Prospects populate the Miracle Opening Day roster. The biggest name might be first baseman Lewin Diaz, who finished 13th on the Twins Daily Top 20 and Baseball America ranks him 26th. Diaz led the Midwest League with 33 doubles last year and added 12 home runs. Infielder Travis Blankenhorn is another familiar name to those who follow Twins prospects. At Twins Daily, we ranked him as the organization’s 17th best prospect entering the season. He’s stock is down a little after hitting .251 with 13 home runs in 117 games for Cedar Rapids last season. Baseball America squeezed him into their top-30 list at number 29. A name less known to Twins fans might be outfielder Aaron Whitefield. Twins Daily didn’t include him in our top-20 prospect list but Baseball America thought highly enough of him to rank him 19th. He was dangerous on the base-paths last season with Cedar Rapids by swiping 32 bases. He added 11 home runs to show some signs of power as well. Returning Core Three important pieces of last year’s playoff starting rotation will return to Fort Myers. Right-handed pitcher Brady Anderson led the Miracle in innings pitched (113.0) and games started (18). In college he pitched at Florida Gulf Coast University so he is getting accustomed to pitching in the Florida sun. Right-handed hurler Cody Stashak pitched at three different levels last season (Rookie, High-A, Double-A) but he was still able to finish second on the Miracle in innings pitched. His 1.10 WHIP was tops among Miracle pitchers with a minimum of 15 starts. He also finished second among starters with 72 strikeouts in 83.1 innings. Sean Poppen, a right-handed pitcher, made 11 starts for Fort Myers last season. Lefty Andrew Vasquez will return to the bullpen where he posted a 1.51 ERA in 23 relief appearances (35.2 IP) with 52 strikeouts. Righty Tom Hackimer posted a 1.93 ERA in 27 relief appearances. 2018 MIRACLE OPENING DAY ROSTER (Returners in bold) Pitchers (13): RHP Brady Anderson, LHP Charlie Barnes, RHP Clark Beeker, RHP Adam Bray, RHP Colton Davis, RHP Tom Hackimer, RHP Hector Lujan, LHP Anthony Marzi, RHP Sean Poppen, LHP Alex Robinson, RHP Cody Stashak, LHP Andrew Vasquez, RHP Tyler Wells Catchers (3): Taylor Grzelakowski, Caleb Hamilton, Mitchell Kranson Infielders (5): Travis Blankenhorn, Lewin Diaz, Brandon Lopez, Nelson Molina, Alex Perez Outfielders (4): Jaylin Davis, Jared Foster, Jimmy Kerrigan, Aaron Whitefield More From Twins Daily Kernels Class of 2018 "Should Be Pretty Entertaining" Man On A Mission Target Field Features New Spaces, Beers And Eats Click here to view the article

There are different expectations surrounding the Twins this season. A year removed from a loss in the AL Wild Card Game, the Twins are looking to make a deeper run into October. Fans even saw manager Paul Molitor utilize a five man infield during a late game situation. Every game is important and for one player the stakes might be even higher. Brian Dozier seems like a man on a mission. His mission, should he choose to accept it, is to guide this Twins franchise to somewhere they haven’t been in quite a while.Mission 1: Playoffs or Bust When the Twins traded away multiple pieces before last year’s trade deadline, Dozier was vocal about his unhappiness with the moves. One year later and the Twins are poised to be in the playoff hunt once again. With the Indians expected to lead the AL Central, Minnesota will be forced to battle multiple teams for a Wild Card spot. There have been ups and downs for Dozier over the last couple of seasons but there have been stretches where he has been able to carry the Twins offensively. If he can do that for an entire season, the rest of the American League better get out of the way. Mission 2: Gold Glove Repeat I’ve been very critical of Brian Dozier’s defense in the past. As recently as last April, I called him out for not being able to get to plays that are routine for other second basemen. In his age-30 season, Dozier made some tremendous defensive improvements. He finished the 2015 campaign as the third-worst AL second baseman according to SABR’s Defensive Index. The 2016 season was a little better as he finished in the middle of the pack. Dozier ranked second in the AL last season and finished with a positive SDI for the first time in his career. Now he needs to prove that his defense wasn’t a fluke in 2017. Mission 3: MLB’s Best Power Hitting Second Baseman Since the start of the 2013 season, Brian Dozier leads all MLB second basemen with 145 home runs. He’s also been a terror for teams out from of the leadoff spot. His 21 lead-off home runs since 2015 are the second most in baseball beyond Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon (22). Because of his placement as the leadoff hitter, he has been able to produce four straight 100-plus run seasons. There are two Jose’s who might be battling for the title of best hitting second baseman. Jose Altuve is coming off an MVP season on the way to leading Houston to the World Series. Jose Ramirez spends time at third and second and led the AL in doubles last season. Final Mission: New Contract Contract talks between Dozier and the Twins dried up last week. He and the club don’t want on-going negotiations to be a distraction during the season. That being said, Dozier is playing for what could be the only big payday of his career. Some players get overwhelmed during a contract year and can’t perform up to their previous level. Other players thrive under this pressure and put together one of the best seasons of their careers. It feels like Dozier is in the latter group and he could be on his way to a record-breaking season. Those are his missions and he certainly has chosen to accept them. Any questions? More from Twins Daily Kernels Class of 2018 “Should Be Pretty Entertaining” Twins Rotation Is Starting Strong Twins at Pirates Series Preview Click here to view the article

Minnesota finished up their series with Baltimore on Sunday and the club is off to a strong start. After faltering on Opening Day with Dylan Bundy pitching, the Twins came back and took two of three to win the series. Now the team’s focus turns to Pittsburgh before the Home Opener on Thursday against Seattle. So how does Minnesota’s early season schedule stack up? Can the Twins get off to a hot start?Pirates (4/2 & 4/4) 2018 Projected Record: 77-85 In a quick two game series, the Twins will face Jameson Taillon and Ivan Nova. Taillon will be making his season debut after returning to the mound last season following a battle with testicular cancer. Nova held the Tigers to two runs on Opening Day, as he fought through six hits and three walks. Lance Lynn is scheduled to make his Twins debut on Monday and Jake Odorizzi will look to build off his six scoreless innings from Opening Day. Prediction: Twins Split Series 1-1 Seattle (4/5, 4/7-8) 2018 Projected Record: 80-82 Kyle Gibson should get quite the rousing ovation when he takes the mound on Thursday. Gibson threw six hitless innings to earn the team’s first victory of the season. He’s looking to build off of his strong second half. Minnesota might miss out on Felix Hernandez so this could leave them facing James Paxton, Marco Gonzales, and Mike Leake. It’s also important to remember Minnesota was only one game over .500 at home last season while being seven games over .500 on the road. Prediction: Twins Win Series 2-1 Houston (4/9-4/11) 2018 Projected Record: 99-63 Houston, the defending World Series champions, look like a team destined for greatness again. Having Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole for an entire season is only going to strengthen a rotation which already includes Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. There also isn’t much of a weakness at any point in their line-up. If things break like they should, this might be Minnesota’s first series loss of the year. Prediction: Twins Lose Series 1-2 Chicago (4/12-4/15) 2018 Projected Record: 68-94 In the midst of a rebuild, the White Sox shouldn’t be taken for granted if the Twins want to be in playoff contention. Young pitchers like Lucas Giolito and Carson Fulmer are looking to make their mark at the big league level. Chicago’s bullpen has a lot of unknowns so the Twins could do some damage in the later innings. Yoan Moncada is only 22 years old and he’s looking to prove he is one of the best young players in the game. Prediction: Twins Win Series 3-1 Cleveland (4/17-18) 2018 Projected Record: 93-69 The Indians are the kings of the AL Central but this two game series in Puerto Rico will come with a lot of emotions for both teams. Minnesota has Jose Berrios line-up to pitch Game 1 so he will have to keep his emotions in check. Minnesota’s Eddie Rosario and Cleveland’s Francisco Lindor will also want to put on a showcase in their home country. For Minnesota to stay in the AL Central race, they are going to need to take games away from Cleveland. Prediction: Twins Split Series 1-1 Tampa Bay (4/20-22) 2018 Projected Record: 78-84 Tampa Bay traded away multiple starting pieces this off-season including dealing Odorizzi to the Twins. Chris Archer and Blake Snell are still a solid one-two punch at the top of their rotation but beyond that there are some question marks. Three former Twins (Denard Span, Carlos Gomez, and Wilson Ramos) will face their old squad. Logan Morrison will also get his first shot back in Tampa Bay. However, 27 of his 38 home runs in 2017 came away from Tropicana Field. Prediction: Twins Win Series 2-1 New York (4/23-26) 2018 Projected Record: 95-67 Minnesota will be looking to get a little revenge after falling to New York in last year’s AL Wild Card Game. Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Gary Sanchez make-up a formidable middle of the line-up that can hit the ball out of the park at any point in the game. New York’s bullpen continues to be a strength so the Twins are going to need to get out to early leads because mounting a comeback would be tough. Prediction: Twins Split Series 2-2 Cincinnati (4/27-29) 2018 Projected Record: 71-91 In a battle of two of the fastest players in baseball, Byron Buxton and Billy Hamilton could make this an exciting series to watch. Last season, MLB’s Statcast ranked Buxton and Hamilton as the two fastest players in relation to sprint speed. The Reds are going to struggle to keep pace with the Cubs, Cardinals, and Brewers at the top of the NL Central. Joey Votto is still a force in the middle of the line-up but there isn’t much help around him. Prediction: Twins Sweep Series 3-0 If all of my predictions come true, the Twins would have a 17-10 record entering their first series of May with Toronto. Is this a realistic expectation? Is the early season schedule in favor of the Twins? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. More from Twins Daily MIN 6, BAL 2: Good Gibby Rides Again As Rosario Shows, Raw Power Comes In Many Forms The Twins Almanac For April 1-7 Click here to view the article

There is plenty of hope at the dawning of a new season. Every team starts with an equal playing field. No batters have struck out. Pitchers have a perfect ERA. There are 162 games to separate the contenders from the pretenders. It’s an exciting time for every fan. The beginning of a new season also means players want to focus on the season. A lot of players and agents don’t want to be bogged down in contract negotiations. For Brian Dozier and the Minnesota Twins, this seems like the situation they are facing.Jerry Crasnick, one of ESPN’s national baseball writers, is reporting that contract talks between Brian Dozier and the Minnesota Twins have come to a halt. For those following the Twins this spring, it seemed like Dozier was destined for free agency. When he signed his current contract with Minnesota, the deal only bought out his remaining arbitration eligible seasons. For Dozier, it provided him some financial stability. At the same time, it allowed the Twins to have some cost certainty. Dozier and his agency took a gamble on Dozier being able to produce in his late 20s to set him up for free agency for his age-32 season. This is typically the time when players start to decline but Dozier has been one of the best hitting second basemen over the last two seasons. Barring an injury, Dozier might be headed for a big pay day. Next year’s free agent class looks stacked. Dozier will join a free agent class including Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Dallas Keuchel, Craig Kimbrel, Charlie Blackmon, Andrew Miller, Daniel Murphy, Cody Allen, Adam Jones, and Andrew McCutchen. Other players like Clayton Kershaw and David Price could be free agents if they opt out of their current contracts. After this year’s cool free agent market, it will be interesting to see how much money will be thrown around next season. Bryce Harper and Manny Machado could get record-breaking deals. Heck, Harper could be headed for the richest contract of all time. For teams that miss out on the top tier free agents, there will be other options like Dozier waiting in the wings. As I wrote about this spring, Minnesota has a multiple top prospects in the middle infield. Nick Gordon will be knocking on the door of the big leagues this season. Other top prospects like Royce Lewis and Wander Javier also play up the middle. If Dozier signs with another organization, one of these players could take over at second base next year. What are your thoughts on a possible Dozier extension? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Expectations for the Twins this season might be higher than they have been at the beginning of any campaign during the Target Field era. However, there is likely to be quite the roster turnover before the beginning of the 2019 season. Does that mean the Twins are in win now mode?It seems weird to contemplate the Twins as a win now team. A young core of under-25 players like Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, and Jose Berrios should solidify the roster for the next decade. There are plenty of roster pieces that will be shifting by the time the calendar shifts to Opening Day 2019. Team leaders like Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer are set to be free agents for the first time in their career. Other veteran pieces like Eduardo Escobar can test the free agent waters as well. Heck, even Ervin Santana could end up on the market if the team declines his $14 million option for his age-36 season. Brian Dozier might provide the team with the most difficult decision. He’s clearly become the vocal leader in the clubhouse but he’s also made it clear that he will be a free agent at season’s end. It’s tough to think of Joe Mauer in any uniform besides the Twins but there are no guarantees about him playing beyond 2018 either. In fact, there are no guarantees about any of these players returning and Minnesota has given themselves some flexibility when it comes to this year’s free agent additions. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine struck out landing Yu Darvish but this left more money to add multiple other pieces. Lance Lynn, Logan Morrison, Zach Duke and Fernando Rodney were all added on one year contracts. Lynn was considered one of the top starting pitchers on the market but it was a strange off-season with few free agents signing for large contracts. Morrison would have led the Twins in home runs last season and the club inked him to a team friendly $6.5 million deal. Rodney and Duke were signed early to help bolster one of the worst bullpens in the American League. Duke might have had an even more important role before the club signed Addison Reed. Reed seemed to fall into the Twins’ lap and he could be a deadly bullpen weapon over the next two years. So here we are, Twins Territory, on the cusp of a new season with a strangely different feeling. Minnesota should win. Minnesota needs to win. It might be the closest feeling to World Series-or-bust this organization has felt in a long time. Are the Twins in win now mode? It certainly seems so… Click here to view the article

Opening Day is less than 48 hours away and Minnesota made their final roster moves of the spring on Tuesday. There were multiple questions still to be answered at the back of the 25-man roster with a couple of surprises mixed in. Either way, the Twins will head to Baltimore on Tuesday night with multiple new faces joining the squad.The first moves of the day finalized the final battle for position players. With Granite heading to Rochester, it meant Ryan LaMarre would be joining the Twins outfield for the season’s beginning. LaMarre was crowned the 2018 Sire of Fort Myers. Earlier this week, Seth speculated that LaMarre could break camp with the club. Kennys Vargas also saw his crazy week continue. It looked like he might be heading to the National League with the Reds but they figured out they don’t need a DH. Over the weekend, the Twins claimed him back from Cincinnati. Today, they were able to pass him through waivers and outright him to Triple-A Rochester. This move leaves the Twins with one open spot on the 40-man roster. Phil Hughes also provided an interesting situation for the club. Hughes looked like an option for a long-relief role. During his last spring start, Hughes was pulled with a mild oblique strain. This means he will start the year on the DL. This seemed like a convenient solution to the Twins roster crunch. With all of the moves above, here’s how the Twins 25-man roster will look on Opening Day. C: Jason Castro, Mitch Garver 1B: Joe Mauer, Logan Morrison 2B: Brian Dozier SS: Eduardo Escobar, Ehire Adrianza 3B: Miguel Sano OF: Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Eddie Rosario, Ryan LaMarre, Robbie Grossman SP: Jose Berrios, Kyle Gibson, Jake Odorizzi, Lance Lynn RP: Fernando Rodney, Addison Reed, Zach Duke, Ryan Pressly, Trevor Hildenberger, Taylor Rogers, Gabriel Moya, Tyler Kinley DL: Ervin Santana, Phil Hughes With a four man starting rotation, the Twins won’t need a fifth starter until April 11th. Last week, I thought that spot start might be filled by Hughes. His injury puts that start into question. Tyler Kinley’s impressive winter in the Dominican and his electric fastball made it easier to keep him around. How do you feel about the final 25-man roster? Obviously, there will be plenty of other players who impact the roster this season. Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article