Cody Christie

The beginning of the minor league season can be full of plenty of ups and downs. Weather has impacted games for multiple weeks, especially for Twins affiliates in Cedar Rapids and Rochester. As the calendar turns to May, there is hope for warmer weather and the possibility of top prospects hitting their stride. For Minnesota’s top prospect, Royce Lewis, the season’s beginning has been anything but cold. Last year’s number one overall pick is starting the year at Cedar Rapids but he could be fighting for a promotion in the coming weeks. What’s gone right so far this year for Mr. Lewis?Hot Hitting Entering play on Tuesday night, Lewis is hitting .316/.361/.386 with two extra-base hits. In his 14 games, he has an eight to four strikeout to walk ratio while adding in five stolen bases. Lewis was named the Twins Minor League Player of the Week for his performance at the plate last week. During those four games, he went 7-for-23 with four runs and four RBI. This was following on the heels of a four-hit game the week before. Lewis has hit safely in 10 of his 14 games this season including multiple hits in five contests. On April 21, he went 4-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base. Less than a week later on April 27, he finished with three hits while adding a pair of runs, a stolen base and a RBI. He has only failed to reach base in three games this season. Meanwhile, he is doing this while being almost 2.5 years younger than the competition in the Midwest League. He won’t turn 19 until June 5th and he could be in Fort Myers before he blows out the candles on his birthday cake. Extra Rest Days Minnesota has been cautious with Lewis to start the season by allowing him multiple rest days. He has yet to play three days in a row. Weather has obviously impacted some of the team’s early schedule. However, the team has specifically not had him in the lineup on multiple occasions. The 2018 campaign will mark be his first opportunity to play a full professional season. Last year after being drafted, Lewis played in 54 games to end the season. He had also played in his high school season last spring which would bump up his total slightly. Lewis will likely pass 100 games played this season and it makes more sense for him to be getting the bulk of his action when the weather is nicer. Promotion Prediction Baseball fans have seen top prospects burst onto the scene over the last week. Atlanta’s budding star is only 20 years old but he has been playing professionally since age 17. Lewis could follow in Acuna’s footsteps but it seems more likely for Minnesota to pump the brakes a little. Acuna only played one minor league season with more than 100 games and that was last year. During the 2017 season, he played at all three of the highest levels in the Braves system. Lewis is starting 2018 at Low-A so his first step will be a promotion to Fort Myers. He will need to continue to hit well but as I said before, I believe he can be in Florida before his birthday in early June. If he continues on the fast track, Lewis could be in Minnesota as early as next summer. A more likely timeline would make him a September call-up in 2019 and a starter in 2020. What are your early impressions of Lewis? Can he make it to Target Field by next season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Around Twins Daily Twins Tied to Misael Urbina, Expected to be “Aggressive” Internationally Week in Review: Down in the Dumps Click here to view the article

Finding the next international star is a goal of a lot of clubs in the coming months. Teenage players start building relationships with different scouts from a variety of clubs. From those relationship, young players sign for money that can change their familys' lives. Current Twins regulars like Miguel Sano and Max Kepler were originally signed as international players. With the international signing period approaching later this summer, Twins fans can expect the club to aggressively go after one of the top-ranked prospects.Who is Misael Urbina? Minnesota is considered the favorites to sign Misael Urbina. To give a brief answer to the question above, he is a 15-year old outfielder from Venezuela. Scouts have called him an advanced hitter with an above-average hit tool and plus speed. MLB.com ranks him as the third overall prospect in their international class and they have plenty of positive things to say about him. He is a “line-drive hitter with a high baseball IQ.” They went on to say, “he’s already an advanced defender for his age.” They praised his instincts and makeup. One of the reasons he has been able to vault to the top of the class is because of his international experience. He has been taking part in the Venezuelan Winter League’s parallel program. This allows the young outfielder to to compete against professional players with more experience than he has. Baseball America has been following Urbina for some time. In February, MLB held a Venezuelan Showcase and Urbina was the only player to hit the ball over the fence during batting practice. At 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, there is room for him to grow into his frame. However, BA said “his swing gets in and out of the hitting zone quickly, but he has good bat speed.” In one of the games being scouted, Urbina beat out an infield single in 4.20 seconds. Other Baseball America scouts said, his “athleticism sticks out in center field. A plus runner, Urbina showed a quick first step, gliding around the outfield with good instincts.” The same person went on to say, he “isn’t a pure hitter, but he has good bat speed and drove the ball for hard contact to all fields during BP.” Baseball America has video of him hitting at an Expected to Be Aggressive MLB.com believes the Twins are one of a handful of teams that will “be aggressive” during this signing period. Minnesota’s bonus pool for the current year is $6,025,400. That total ties them with other clubs like Miami, Milwaukee, and Tampa Bay. Team can also trade for an additional 75 percent of their bonus pool allotment. Since the Twins have just over $6 million, they could trade and end up with $10,544,450 in their final pool amount. During the Shoehi Ohtani sweepstakes last winter, the Twins missed out on the big prize. However, they were able to make multiple deals to send some of their international bonus pool money to other teams. Minnesota acquired catcher David Banuelos from the Mariners in exchange for $1 million in international bonus pool cap space. They also acquired outfielder Jacob Pearson from the Angels for the same amount of space. Banuelos has played 12 games for Cedar Rapids, where he is four months younger than the competition. So far this season, he’s hit .143/.234/.214 with 16 strikeouts and 4 walks. His only extra-base hit was a home run. Jacob Pearson is in extended spring training and has yet to appear in a game for the Twins system. Are you excited about the Twins adding a highly ranked prospect like Urbina? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Around Twins Daily Week in Review: Down in the Dumps Twins Minor League Report (4/29): Diaz Delivers Walk-Off Home Run On Ryan Pressly’s Release Point, Pitch Mix Click here to view the article

Half of the Twins Daily Top-20 Prospects were in action on Sunday afternoon. Chattanooga fought through a doubleheader. Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids were forced to mount comebacks. All four games were decided by two runs or less. How did the organization’s top prospects perform? Were any able to help their club’s to thrilling wins? Read on to find out…ROSTER MOVES C Brian Olson was reinstated from the disabled list for Chattanooga OF Jaylin Davis reinstated from the disabled list for Fort Myers RHP Max Cordy transferred from Fort Myers to Elizabethton RHP Moises Gomez promoted to the Kernels from Extended Spring Training RHP Melvi Acosta assigned to extended spring training from the Kernels RED WINGS REPORT Rochester --, Syracuse -- Box Score Rain and cold weather got in the way of this contest between the Red Wings and the Chiefs. The plan is to play a doubleheader on Monday, June 25 with the first game scheduled to start at 3:05 CST. Rochester has been postponed five times this season. The Reds Wings head to Pawtucket for a three-game set starting on Monday. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Tennessee 3 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score A pair of Smokies home runs got in the way of the Lookouts chance to move further above the .500 mark. Zack Littell fell to 0-3 after allowing three runs on six hits including the aforementioned long balls. He struck out three and walked two in 4 2/3 innings. Tyler Jay finished off the game with 2 1/3 scoreless frames. He struck out two and walked one. He has pitched multiple innings in two of his three appearances so far this season. Chris Paul and Brent Rooker both went 2-for-3. Paul’s leadoff single in the second allowed him to come around and score the game’s first run. In the third inning, Paul plated a run with his sixth double. Overall, the team went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. Chattanooga 2, Tennessee 3 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score That score isn’t a misprint. As Yogi Berra famously said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” However, Chattanooga’s starter didn’t factor into the decision in this contest. Omar Bencomo, in his first start of the season, tossed four scoreless frames with three strikeouts and no walks. His season ERA dropped to 1.56 to go along with a 1.04 WHIP. Sam Clay had a rough fifth inning. Two doubles, a walk, a single, and a wild pitch led to three runs being scored. Zack Jones was terrific to end the game with five strikeouts over two innings. Hits were few and far between for the Lookouts. Only the top three batters in the lineup recorded hits. For the second straight game, Brent Rooker went 2-for-3 while adding his fourth double and an RBI. It was Rooker’s fifth multi-hit effort during the 2018 campaign. Nick Gordon went 1-for-2 and LaMonte Wade finished 1-for-3 with a run scored. Zander Wiel had an outfield assist in the game as he threw out a runner at home from left field. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Daytona 4 (11 Innings) Box Score Things weren’t looking good in extra-innings for the Miracle. In the top of the 10th frame, Daytona had taken a one-run lead. Due to new rules, Luis Arraez started the bottom of the inning at second base. After a sacrifice bunt, he came home on a Travis Blankenhorn single to tie the game. Trailing again by one in the 11t- inning, Lewin Diaz stepped up to the plate and drove an 0-1 fastball over the right field wall for the walk-off home run. Earlier in the contest, the Miracle had scored first in the game for the first time in the series. Taylor Grzelakowski led off the second with a double. Caleb Hamilton reached base on a throwing error that allowed Grzelakowski to come around and score. Nelson Molina drove in Hamilton with a one-out single. Fort Myers had an early 2-0 lead. Clark Beeker pitched into the fifth inning without allowing an earned run. He struck out four and walked two in 4 1/3 innings. Beeker has pitched 9 2/3 straight innings of scoreless baseball. Andrew Vasquez was asked to get five outs and he collected strikeouts in four of those five at-bats. Sean Poppen tossed four innings and collected seven strikeouts. Although, he walked a pair and scattered two hits, which led to three runs (two earned) being scored. Logan Lombana gets credit for his second win thank to the Diaz walk-off. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 2 Box Score With Bryan Sammons on the mound, the Kernels found themselves in an early hole but it wasn’t all his fault. In the bottom of the first with one out, Sammons walked a batter before a wild pitch moved the runner into scoring position. Andrew Bechtold and Ben Rodriguez commited fielding errors on back-to-back plays to keep the inning alive. Two runs would score but Cedar Rapids buckled down from there. In the fourth frame, Cedar Rapids got a run back. Two walks and a wild pitch loaded the bases for Jordan Gore. He grounded out but the lead was cut in half. Gore has reached safely in all 11 games this year. Trey Cabbage tied the game in the top of the sixth with his first home run of the year. In the seventh inning, the Kernels scored two runs without recording a hit. The team collected five walks and pushed across the final two runs of the game. Ben Rodriguez finished the game hitless but reached base three times. Derek Molina and Moises Gomez combined for five shutout innings to end the game. Molina earned his first win by striking out two and walking two over three innings. Gomez earned his first save as he struck out two in the last two innings. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Travis Blankenhorn, Fort Myers (3-for-5, RBI, K) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Derek Molina, Cedar Rapids (3 IP, 0 ER, 2 K, 1st MWL Win) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here is a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #3 – Nick Gordon (Chattanooga) – 1-5 #5 – Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) – 1-5, 2 K #7 – Brent Rooker (Chattanooga) – 4-6, 2B, RBI, R #10 – Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 0-3, 2 BB, K #11 – Zack Littell (Chattanooga) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 3 K, 2 BB #13 – Lewin Diaz (Fort Myers) – 1-1, HR, 2 RBI, R #14 – LaMonte Wade (Chattanooga) – 2-7, R, K #16 – Ben Rortvedt (Cedar Rapids) – 0-2, 2 BB, R #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 3-5, RBI, K #19 – Tyler Jay (Cedar Rapids) – 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 2 K, BB MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (5:15 CST) - LHP Dietrich Enns (0-3, 5.79 ERA) Chattanooga vs. Tennessee (10:15 AM CST) – RHP Randy LeBlanc (3-1, 1.99 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions about Sunday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

Minnesota has hit a little bit of a slump. After being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays, the New York Yankees made quick work of the Twins on Monday night. Outside of Jose Berrios, Minnesota’s starters have struggled and the bullpen has been taxed. It might be time to think about reshuffling the roster. New faces might infuse some life into the club at this early juncture in the season. What candidates are poised for promotion? Who hasn’t performed up to expectations so far this year?Pitching Problems Minnesota’s pitchers have the seventh worse ERA in the American League, which puts them in the middle of the pack. With the help of Jose Berrios, Twins starters have the fifth best ERA in the AL. However, Twins starters have pitched the fewest innings of any AL starting staff but weather played a role in this total as well. A revamped bullpen was supposed to help the Twins stay in playoff contention. So far this year, only the Royals and the White Sox have a higher bullpen ERA. Minnesota has the fifth highest BB/9 and K/9 totals in the American League. New additions Fernando Rodney (4.05 ERA), Zack Duke (7.94 ERA) and Tyler Kinley (24.30 ERA) have struggled in multiple appearances. RHP Alan Busenitz was optioned to Rochester following Monday’s debacle in the Bronx. LHP Gabriel Moya has also joined Rochester this week. In four appearances (4 innings), Busenitz allowed three runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. Moya made five appearances and allowed six runs on six hits including three home runs. Tyler Kinley was a Rule 5 Draft pick but he has mostly been used in mop-up duty so far this year. Even in these low-leverage situations, he has surrendered nine runs in 3 1/3 innings. The Twins might not be able to hide him in the bullpen for much longer. Trevor Hildenberger was great at the end of last season but he has struggled in 2018. Through 9 2/3 innings, he has surrendered five earned runs and has a six to four strikeout to walk ratio. Reevaluating Rochester Tyler Duffey was announced as the roster replacement for Busenitz. Duffey made four appearances at Triple-A and he was asked to pitch more than one inning in every outing. He pitched three innings or more in three of his four appearances. Duffey hasn’t allowed an earned run so far this season and he has 14 strikeouts in 11 innings. Opponents are hitting .086/.108/.114 so he should be a welcome addition to the bullpen. Two other promotion candidates are John Curtiss and Aaron Slegers. Curtiss has put together a strong track record in the minor leagues with plenty of late-inning experience. Last season between Chattanooga and Rochester, he had a 1.28 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 49.1 innings. This year he’s allowed three runs in seven innings with 12 strikeouts. Slegers has been utilized as a starter for Rochester this season. He’s made three starts (18.0 innings) and allowed four earned runs. If the Twins are going to add another bullpen arm, Curtiss seems the most likely candidate. Phil Hughes might be a candidate to move to the bullpen and Slegers could fill his spot at the back of the rotation. Slegers could slide into a long relief role because Minnesota is probably going to stick with their current starting staff. Prepping for Prospects Some of the team’s top prospects might also be getting closer to making their big league debuts. Fernando Romero has been impressive so far this season at Rochester. In three appearances (two starts), he has a 1.69 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. Stephen Gonsalves continues to thrive for Chattanooga. In 15.1 innings, he has allowed three earned runs (two home runs) with a 0.98 WHIP. Both players are on the 40-man roster so that makes a call-up a little easier. For position players, Zack Granite made multiple appearances with the Twins last season. So far with Rochester, he’s gone 5-for-31 and added eight walks. Unfortunately, he was placed on the disabled list this past weekend with a right shoulder contusion. Nick Gordon has been hitting well at Chattanooga to start the season. Through the team’s first 17 games, he is batting .375/.382/.578 with seven extra-base hits and a 10 to 2 strikeout to walk ratio. Jorge Polanco’s suspension might have opened a window for Gordon. He isn’t on the team’s 40-man roster so that complicates his call-up situation. That being said, Gordon should debut at some point in 2018 and he could be a boost to the lineup. How would you reshuffle the lineup? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Around Twins Daily The Art of Streaking: Analyzing Brian Dozier’s Hitting Streak 2018 Minnesota Twins Extended Spring Training Roster Week in Review: Too Many Missteps Click here to view the article

Brian Dozier has been on quite the streak to start the season. With a hit on Sunday, Dozier has hit safely in a team record 16 games to start the season. He has the longest active streak in baseball and his streak actually dates back to September 22 last season. What’s been working for Dozier? How has a career .252 hitter compiled the best streak of his career?Inside the Numbers Entering play on Monday, Dozier has hit in 23 straight games and he’s batting .378 (37-for-98) during that stretch. Dozier’s 16-game hitting streak to start the season allowed him to pass Kirby Puckett and Josh Willingham for longest in club history to start a season. Puckett started the 1994 season with a 15 game streak and Josh Willingham matched the feat in 2012. In Monday night’s game, Dozier did collect a hit to move his streak to 24 straight games. An even more impressive streak might be the fact that Dozier has reached base safely in 33 consecutive games. The last time Dozier didn’t reach base was September 10, 2017 against the Kansas City Royals. He went 0-for-3 in the game before being lifted for a pinch hitter in a blow-out loss. With a walk in his first at-bat on Monday, Dozier stretched this streak to 34 games. During his on-base streak, Dozier’s .346 batting average trails Carlos Correa (.355) in the entire American League. Aaron Judge (.482 OBP) and Xander Bogaerts (.429 OBP) are the only AL players with a better on-base percentage during that stretch. A New Approach? Dozier has been known as a pull-hitter for most of his career. Even this season, you can see that all of his home runs are pulled down the third base line. However over the last couple of seasons, there has been a shift in his approach at the plate. The 2016 season saw all but three of his home runs come outside of left-center to the first base foul line. In 2017, he had seven home runs in that range but he also had more hits to the opposite field. As part of Minnesota’s trip to New York, Dozier stopped by MLB Network to discuss how his swing has evolved throughout his career. One golf outing with Tom Brunansky might have unlocked Dozier’s power potential. The video below is a great conversation to hear some insights into Dozier’s approach at the plate. He talks at length about his home run in last year’s Wild Card game. Golfing for the Fences Dozier’s approach at the plate has allowed him to have some good coverage of the entire strike zone. During his 34-game on-base streak, pitches in the bottom half of the zone have been where Dozier has done the most damage. Apparently, Dozier’s golf swing is also helping him to get to pitches lower in the zone. Dozier will be a free agent at season’s end and he’s certainly seemed to be on a mission so far this season. His new swing could also help him reach some Minnesota Twins milestones in the coming months. Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak is still a long ways away but Twins fans can have some fun watching Dozier as he goes streaking. Around Twins Daily Week in Review: Too Many Missteps Twins Minor League Report (4/22): Romero Strikes Out 10, Buxton Rehabs Max Kepler Improving His Approach in 2018 Click here to view the article

Weather has gotten in the way of at least one minor league game every Sunday this season. That trend continued this week with the Lookouts being forced to play a doubleheader on Monday. For those team’s that got on the field, there were some entertaining games throughout the system. Who shined on Sunday? Read on to find out…ROSTER MOVES RHP Phil Hughes returned from MLB rehab and activated by Minnesota. OF Byron Buxton transferred to Fort Myers on MLB rehab assignment. LHP Casey Crosby was reinstated from the disabled list for Rochester. LHP Tyler Jay was reinstated from the disabled list for Chattanooga. LHP Andrew Vasquez transferred to Fort Myers from Chattanooga. OF Jaylin Davis placed on the 7-day DL at Fort Myers. RHP Randy Dobnak activated from the 7-day DL at Cedar Rapids. RHP Blayne Enlow placed on the 7-day DL, retroactive to April 21 with a lower back strain. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 0, Columbus 1 Box Score Fernando Romero might have been missing some of his best stuff on Sunday afternoon but that didn’t stop him from putting together a solid effort on the mound. He pitched into the seventh frame (6 2/3 innings) and allowed one run on two hits. Romero struck out 10 and walked two. The lone run scored against Romero came after he allowed a lead-off double in the fourth. A one-out single would bring home the runner. Columbus has a strong line-up and Romero didn’t have his slider working to its full potential. Overall, a pretty strong performance for the team’s top pitching prospect. In relief of Romero, Matt Magill and Ryne Harper combined for over two innings of shutout ball. In fact, the two pitchers were asked to record seven outs in the game and they combined for seven strikeouts. Offensively, Rochester collected twice as many hits as Columbus but went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base. The team racked up 12 strikeouts with five batters striking out more than once. Brock Stassi had the team’s only extra-base hit, a double. Leonardo Reginatto reached base twice with a single and a walk. With no big hits, Rochester falls to 5-7 on the season. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga --, Jackson -- Box Score Weather got in the way today’s contest between the Lookouts and the Generals. The game will be made-up as part of a doubleheader on Monday, April 23. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 4:00 pm CST. Both games are scheduled to be seven innings. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Bradenton 4 Box Score After seven innings, Fort Myers looked to be in the driver’s seat. However, two late inning runs would move the Miracle from victory lane to defeat. Clark Beeker started and pitched five innings without allowing an earned run. He scattered three hits and saw one unearned run cross the plate. Beeker struck out two and walked two. Calvin Faucher took over for Beeker and allowed one run in two innings. He struck out three and walked one. After both of these players left the mound, the team still had the lead. Fort Myers got on the scoreboard with a solo home run by Taylor Grzelakowski in the fifth. He wasn’t done with one long ball. In the seventh inning, Jimmy Kerrigan led off the inning with a single. Grzelakowski smashed his second home run of the day. Joe Cronin went 3-for-4 and Nelson Molina added two hits. Byron Buxton made his first rehab start as the number two hitter and designated hitter. He went 0-for-4. Andrew Vasquez came in for the top of the eighth. He allowed a single and then compounded the damage by having a throwing error on a pickoff attempt. Following a walk, a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk, the bases were loaded. Grzelakowski allowed a passed ball and the tying run scored. In the ninth, Vasquez allowed a single, a wild pitch, and walk-off single. It was a rough couple of frames for Mr. Vasquez. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Kane County 0 Box Score Three Kernels pitchers combined to shutout Kane County. Randy Dobnak picked up his first win of the season after tossing 5.2 scoreless frames. He scattered six hits while striking out four and walking two. Carlos Suniaga pitched 2 1/3 innings and only allowed two hits. He hasn’t allowed a run in three appearances with Cedar Rapids. Kevin Marnon struck out two in the final frame. A big fourth inning was all the Kernels needed to come out on top in this one. Andrew Bechtold reached base on a throwing error and moved to second. With one out, David Banuelos singled to drive in Bechtold. Mark Contreras followed with a double before back-to-back singles from Ben Rodriguez and Jordan Gore. Akil Baddoo walked to load the bases and Jose Miranda capped the four-run inning with a sacrifice fly. Miranda finished with a home run and four RBI. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Taylor Grzelakowski, Fort Myers (2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Fernando Romero, Rochester (6.2 IP, 1 ER, 10 K) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here is a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 – Fernando Romero (Rochester) – 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 10 K #5 – Alex Kirilloff (Cedar Rapids) – 0-4, BB, K #10 – Akil Baddoo (Cedar Rapids) – 0-3, 2 BB, K #17 - Travis Blankenhorn (Ft. Myers) - 0-4, K MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs Gwinnett (4:05 CST) - LHP Dietrich Enns (0-2, 10.29 ERA) Rochester vs. Gwinnett (Make-Up of 4/15)- RHP D.J. Baxendale (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Chattanooga @ Jackson (4:00 CST) – RHP Zack Littell (0-1, 3.86 ERA) Chattanooga @ Jackson (Make-Up of 4/22)- LHP Stephen Gonsalves (2-0, 1.76 ERA) Fort Myers @ Clearwater (6:00 CST)- RHP Sean Poppen (0-1, 4.00 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Burlington (6:35 CST)- LHP Bryan Sammons (0-1, 0.96 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions about Sunday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article

If Joe Mauer retired today, there is a good chance he wouldn’t get the call from Cooperstown. He wasn’t able to play long enough at catcher and he doesn’t fit the profile of a first baseman. His Cooperstown Case has some merit but there are still things he has left to accomplish in his career. Here is a checklist for Mr. Mauer to follow if he wants to be remembered as one of the best players of all-time.Chasing 3000 The 3,000 hit mark has been a magical threshold for players to get into Cooperstown. Out of Hall of Fame eligible players, only two players with over 3,000 hits have failed to be enshrined. Pete Rose has been banned from baseball and Rafael Palmeiro tested positive for a banned substance during his playing career. Mauer just cracked hit number 2,000 so he’d have to play for most of the next decade to get close to the 3,000 hit mark. As I wrote about last week, Mauer is approaching rarified air among the best hitting catchers of all-time. This season alone, he has a chance to pass Johnny Bench, Gary Carter, and Mike Piazza. If Mauer had been able to stay behind the plate, he could have gone down as one of the best hitting catchers of all-time. Keep Bad Seasons To A Minimum For a player to make the Hall of Fame, he doesn’t need to be great for every season of his career. However, one of the most important things to do is to avoid have prolonged seasons where the player is viewed as slumping. Concussions and blurred vision put Mauer into a three-year stretch where he didn’t hit like he had before the injuries When Mauer suffered his concussion in 2013, he entered a three year stretch where there were some offensive struggles. From 2014-2016, he hit .267/.353/.380 while averaging 28 doubles, eight home runs, and 100 strikeouts. To put that in perspective, the AL average numbers for 2017 were .257/.321/.423. Even in Mauer’s bad seasons, he was hitting higher than the league average and getting on base much higher than the league average. He came back in 2017 and hit over .300 for the first time since his injury. He might have weathered the worst seasons of his career if he can post a similar batting line (.305/.384/.417) to last season in the years to come. Continue Playing Joe Mauer’s future is a little up in the air. His contract expires at season’s end and no one know if he will continue to suit up for the Twins or for any other team for that matter. His positional switch has helped him to average more games played per season (127 games/season as a catcher, 138 games/season as a first baseman). If he is feeling healthy and continues to perform well, there’s no reason Mauer can’t continue to play throughout his upper-30s. Some of the all-time greats had to finish their careers in other uniforms and one has to wonder if that will be the eventual path for Mauer. Willie Mays played into his 40s but he ended his career in a Mets jersey. Babe Ruth finished his age-40 season in a Boston Braves uniform. Yogi Berra is best remembered for being a Yankee but his last game came with the Mets. Even Twins great Harmon Killebrew finished in a Royals jersey. It’s hard for some of the best players in the world to hang it up. When baseball has been your entire life, walking away from the game can be the tough decision. Mauer is one of the best players in Twins history but he will need to continue playing if he wants to get the call from the Hall. Around Twins Daily Cooperstown Case: Should Joe Mauer Make the Hall of Fame? A Look Back to 2001: What if the Twins Drafted Mark Prior? Myth Busting: How Has Joe Mauer Fared in the Clutch? Click here to view the article

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