Cody Christie

Yesterday became a whirlwind as the hours and minutes counted down to the Twins making the first overall selection. No experts or reporters were able to crack the Twins front office and figure out who the club would be taking at the top of the draft. It really did feel like it was coming down to the wire. Eventually, the Twins decided on prep shortstop Royce Lewis. He wasn't the highest ranked prospect on many draft boards so why did he end up in Minnesota? Did the Twins have a different plan with the first pick?Most predictions leading into Monday night had the Twins going after college pitcher/first baseman Brendan McKay. Multiple reports surfaced on Monday that McKay was the target for the Twins but he declined the offer the Twins had on the table. McKay would fall to the Tampa Bay Rays with the fourth overall pick. It might have come down to the dollar amount. The assigned value for the first overall pick is $7,770,700 but team's rarely hand out the total amount of that bonus. For the fourth pick, the assigned value was $6,153,600 which is over $1.6 million less than the top spot. It also looks like the Twins offer to Lewis could save the team up to $1.3 million. In interviews last night, McKay made it clear that the Twins had approached him with an offer. He said, "They had offered a number that we felt that we could get a better offer from another team." The Twins saved some money on the top pick and wanted to transfer that savings to later picks in the draft. It's just hard to imagine their offer to McKay would have been less than the value of the fourth pick. Another reasons McKay might have turned down the Twins was his on field position. McKay had told different media outlets that the Twins preferred him as a pitcher. When the Rays called McKay's name, he was announced as a first baseman. He clearly likes playing both positions and there's a possibility that some teams were taking a harder stance on him playing one position over another. Teams could float the idea of him doing both during his time after he signs. "It could be just for that initial summer," said McKay, "but it'd be fun to be able to do both and see where it takes you." The possibility of a true two-way player could be intriguing but it seems like a very hard path to follow to the big leagues. No one will ever know what type of conversations happened between the Twins and the top players in the draft. There is a lot of posturing that happens with the top players in the draft. However, the Twins are saying all the right things when it comes to Lewis, "We see this guy as an impact player on both sides of the ball," Mike Radcliff, Twins vice president of player personnel, said. "He also has a unique ability to impact the clubhouse and the community. This guy gets it. He's got that 'it' factor that a No. 1 pick needs to survive and move forward and have success at the end of the journey. He checked all the boxes for us." We will never know if the Twins got the top player on their board but it's clear that an offer was made to McKay. Did the Twins miss out on their top pick? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

On a night when big league teams were changing the future of their franchise, three Twins affiliates were continuing to try to secure first half playoff spots. Chattanooga entered play on Monday with a slim half game lead over Tennessee. Montgomery, the Lookouts' opponent on Monday, sits two games behind Chattanooga. Cedar Rapids is in a similar situation. They enter the final week of the first half with a one game lead over Kane County and a two game lead over Quad Cities. The Kernels start a series in Quad Cities on Tuesday but they couldn't look past their Monday match-up with Burlington. Did either team get closer to clinching a playoff birth?News and Notes: Nik Turley was named International League Pitcher of the Week. The left-handed pitcher struck out a career-high 15 batters over six scoreless innings. He was rewarded for his strong start as he made his MLB debut on Sunday. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Montgomery 0 Box Score Felix Jorge pitched into the seventh inning for the sixth straight start and he allowed two runs or fewer for the fourth straight appearance. In this game, he pitched seven scoreless frames and limited the Biscuits to three hits. Jorge struck out five and walked two as he lowered his season ERA to 3.00. The Lookouts improved to 11-1 in games started by Jorge this season. Chattanooga took a while to get their bats moving in this one. In the top of the fifth, Dan Rohlfing singled before Nick Gordon's 18th double of the season moved him to third. Edgar Corcino drove in the first run of the game with a one-out single. However, Gordon ended up being stranded ninety feet from home. When the seventh frame rolled around, the Lookouts scored without recording a hit. Edgar Corcino walked and moved around the bases on a passed ball and two wild pitches. Things opened up in the top of the ninth with two outs. Corcino singled and LaMonte Wade reached on a throwing error that saw both runners move up a base. Jonathan Rodriguez collected a two-run single and came around to score on a Andy Wilkins double. Two more wild pitches pushed across another run to make the score 6-0. Mason Melotakis struck out the side during a perfect eighth inning. After watching a long top of the ninth, Melotakis allowed a double in the bottom half of the inning, He still managed a pair of strikeouts to end the night with five strikeouts in two innings of work. Tennesse lost for the second straight day so the Lookouts moved to a game and half up in their division. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers --, Charlotte -- (Postponed) Fort Myers and Charlotte were postponed on Monday. The teams will play a doubleheader on Tuesday starting at 4:30 CST. Each game is scheduled to be seven innings. The Miracle have already been eliminated from first-half playoff contention. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Burlington 1 Box Score The Kernels were nearly no-hit hit in this contest as an eighth inning single from Travis Blankenhorn was the lone hit. Blankenhorn reached base twice in four plate appearances. Mitchell Kranson drew a pair of walks. Christian Cavaness and Ben Rortvedt also reached base once. Cedar Rapids only had two opportunities to bat with a runner in scorning position. Tyler wells did his best to keep the game close. He allowed one run on four hits over five innings of work. He struck out eight and walked two. It was his first loss since last August. Ryan Mason and Alex Robinson each pitched two shutout frames with neither walking a batter. Mason struck out one and Robinson struck out two. Had they been no-hit it would have been the first time since May 1, 2015. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Felix Jorge, Chattanooga Lookouts (7 IP, 0 ER, 5 K, 2 BB, 3 H) Hitter of the Day – Andy Wilkins, Chattanooa Lookouts (2-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, R) TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/WB (5:35 CST) - TBD Chattanooga @ Montgomery (7:05 CST) - TBD Fort Myers vs. Charlotte (4:30 CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-2, 1.38 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Charlotte (Game 2)- RHP Brady Anderson (2-2, 3.86 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:35 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (4-1, 2.63 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article

Rookie leagues start on June 22 so there will be some movement before that point. There are always promotions around the season's mid-way point after leagues have their All-Star Game. There is less than a week left in the minor league first half. I would expect to see the start of some moves after that point.

With Turley getting the call-up, there were a lot of spot starts for the different affiliates. Teams were able to come-up with some big wins in close games.

The Twins are less than 24 hours from an influx of talent into their farm system. Obviously, some of these players won't sign right away but this time of year can always pull minor league fans in opposite directions. It's great to add new talent but that also means other players could be out of a job as new players take their place. It's tough to consider but some players might be in their final days in a Twins uniform. With only three affiliates playing on Sunday, who stood out above the crowd? Read on to find out.Roster Moves RHP Nik Turley, contract purchased by Minnesota LHP Matt Tracy was moved from Chattanooga to Rochester LHP Randy Rosario was optioned from Minnesota to Chattanooga RHP Drew Rucinski, designated for assignment LHP Nick Greenwood, released RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Syracuse 5 Box Score Rochester got their offense moving in the second inning. Niko Goodrum singled to start the frame. ByungHo Park doubled before a J.B. Shuck triple plated a pair of runs. JR Murphy used a sac-fly to push the Rochester lead to 3-0. In the next inning, Matt Hague walked before a Tommy Field double moved him to third. Park singled and Shuck doubled as each batter drove in a run. After Syracuse scored three runs in the top of the fourth, Rochester needed to find some way to answer. Zach Granite started the frame with a double. Mitch Garver moved him to third on a come-backer to the mound. Matt Hague brought him in on a sacrifice fly to extend the lead back to three runs. With Nik Turley making his big league debut, Matt Tracy started for Rochester. He went five frames and allowed three runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked two. Trevor Hildenberger ran into some sixth inning trouble as he allowed two runs and the Chiefs were one run away from tying the game. Park, Shuck and Engelb Vielma were all 2-for-4. Alan Busenitz and Ryan Pressly each pitched a shutout inning to close the game. Busenitz allowed a double, a wild pitch, and a walk before a huge inning-ending double play. Pressly struck out the side in the ninth and all three strikeouts were swinging. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Montgomery 4 Box Score Chattanooga jumped early on Montgomery's pitching staff. Jonathan Rodriguez and Dan Gamache reached with a walk and a single to start the threat. With two outs, Jose Gonzalez walked to load the bases. A Ryan Walker single brought in the first two runs of the game. Nick Gordon finished the frame with a two-run triple to put Chattanooga up 4-0. In the next inning, Rodriguez singled and scored two batters later on a TJ White single to extend the Lookouts' lead. Randy LeBlanc had just pitched out of the bullpen three days ago so he was on a short pitch count. He scattered five hits and struck out five through four shutout frames. Raul Fernandez continued posting zeros as he didn't allow a run in two innings while striking out one. From there, things got a little dicey for the bullpen. Todd Van Steensel allowed a one-out double before a wild pitch moved the runner to third. A sacrifice fly scored Montgomery's first run of the game. Recently returned Randy Rosario ran into some trouble himself. He gave up three singles and a walk but a key strikeout kept the bleeding to one run. Jake Reed entered the ninth with a three-run lead and he needed every one of them. He walked two of the first four batters before a double cut the lead to 5-3. During the next at-bat, Reed uncorked a wild pitch that allowed the runner to scamper in from third. A line out to center ended the threat and the Lookouts came away with the big win. With the win, the Lookouts move into sole possession of first place in the Southern League North Division. Tennessee lost on Sunday and sits a half a game behind Chattanooga. Montgomery is two games back. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Burlington 4 Box Score The Kernels got out to a quick start as they used back-to-back doubles from Mitchell Kranson and Jaylin Davis to score the game's first run. Cedar Rapids had three hits in the first frame but they were held to only two more hits the rest of the way. Kranson is in the middle of a career-best seven game hit streak. Travis Blankenhorn went 2-for-4. Hitters five through nine in the Kernel's line-up reached base one time. Max Cordy made a spot start and had a career high-tying four shutout innings. He had to get out of a bases loaded jam in the second and then Davis had to throw out a runner at home in the fourth. Evan Sanders took the loss as he allowed three runs on three hits with two walks. Logan Lombana allowed a solo home run in his two innings with two strikeouts. Colton Davis struck out two as part of two scoreless innings. Even with the loss, the Kernels have their destiny in their own hands. Entering the final week of the first half, Cedar Rapids leads the Midwest League Western Division by one game over Kane County and sits two games above Quad Cities. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Randy LeBlanc, Chattanooga Lookouts (4 IP, 0 ER, 5 K, BB, 5 H) Hitter of the Day – JB Shuck, Rochester Red Wings (2-for-4, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester - Scheduled Off Day Chattanooga @ Montgomery (7:05 CST) - RHP Felix Jorge (6-1, 3.32 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Charlotte (6:05 CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-2, 1.38 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Burlington (12:05 CST) - RHP Tyler Wells (3-0, 2.05 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

He sits in the low-90s with his fastball. He mixes in a slider and a changeup which helps him to collect some strikeouts. At this point, I think the Twins will continue to use his as a starter. Maybe he could shift to relief and add some velocity but that won't happen this season.

He had under 300 IP as a pro coming into this season. The switch from position player to pitcher cost him some time. If he keeps pitching like this, he should get a shot at Double-A before the year is out.

MLB.com released their latest mock draft this morning. It sounds like they will have another mock up on Sunday and another one on Monday. http://m.mlb.com/news/article/235304580/round-1-forecast-mlb-draft-starts-monday/?topicid=151437456

For starting as a position player, Rodriguez has developed into a decent pitcher. He will be a fun player to watch in the coming years.

It's a fun site to play around on.

Baseball America posted their fourth mock draft today. Wright going number one but the Twins second selection might be a surprise. http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/2017-mlb-mock-draft-4-0/#IEWfcKpo8upqdxeU.97

Reading this piece made me want them to take Lewis.

These write-ups look really slick. Nice work, Tom!

Minnesota has been on the clock since late last season. They knew this day was coming. A parting gift from the 2016 team for accumulating the worst record in franchise history. The 2017 MLB draft could be a franchise altering event. For better or for worse, the Twins new front office could be defined by the choices they make in the coming days. As fans already know, the Twins will make the first overall selection on Monday. The organization also has two other picks in the top-40. Because of these high picks, Minnesota will have the draft's highest bonus pool which is almost half a million more than the next closest team. This gives the organization a financial advantage but this advantage is less than it has been in previous years. Hopefully, Twins Daily has been your first stop for all of your MLB Draft related coverage but you might have missed something along the way.Twins Daily Draft Preview: Jeremy, the Twins Daily Draft Guru, kicked off the coverage by looking at the Twins's draft pool, which players were under consideration for the top pick, and some potential draft strategies. There are lots of factors impacting an organization as the draft gets closer. Draft Player Profiles Royce Lewis, SS/OF: While a lot of the draft focus has been on the big three (Wright, McKay, and Greene), the Twins are considering other players for the top spot. Lewis might be the best hitter in this draft class. Baseball America calls him "arguably the best position player prospect in this year's class." With that type of praise, the Twins certainly have to consider him. Pavin Smith, 1B: Smith might be one of college's most polished players. His advanced approach at the plate has helped him to have more home runs (12) than strikeouts (9). For a player with power hitting ability, that is quite a shift away from the norm. Baseball America thinks he is the best college hitter in the draft. He might not have the upside of other potential picks but his floor could be higher. Brendan McKay, SP/1B: If the draft was happening earlier this spring, McKay might have been the Twins' most likely first pick. He has crushed the ball at the plate and shown some strong ability on the mound. Unfortunately, his stock has slipped a little as his fastball velocity dropped. MLB.com columnist Jim Callis said McKay might be the best two-way player since Dave Winfield. He's one of the big three at the top of the draft but it would be a little surprising for the Twins to take him. Hunter Greene, SP/SS: Greene has been at the front of the national draft coverage for most of the spring. Sports Illustrated featured him on their cover and called him "the star baseball needs." He hasn't pitched in some time and there is talk of him wanting to end up with San Diego at the number three pick. Greene could end up being the best player in the draft but he could also fail to develop and end up as a bust. The Twins can't afford for that to happen but they also have to hope Greene won't haunt them. Kyle Wright, SP: Fans have heard Wright be called the "right pick". While McKay and Greene might have lost some steam as the spring progressed, Wright has only solidified his place at the top of the draft. McKay and Greene have been two-way players while Wright has been focusing solely on his pitching. He is more polished and could move quickly through the Twins system. Most national writers expect Wright to be the Twins' choice with the first overall pick. MacKenzie Gore, SP: Gore has been gaining a ton of steam as draft day approaches. He's left-handed and has advanced command for his age. He can mix in four different pitches and he might be the most complete high school pitcher in the draft. Would the Twins surprise the baseball world and select the lesser known of the top-two high school arms? Other MLB Draft Coverage Twins 10-round mock draft: Jeremy does his best every year to try to select the players Minnesota will be focusing on through the first 10-rounds. Sometimes this can be an exercise in futility but he has gotten multiple players correct when doing this for previous drafts. The Multi-Pick Gambit:As mentioned before, the Twins have the biggest pool in the draft. Will they be able to cut a deal with the number one pick so they have other money to spend on later selections? It's tougher than one might think. Will Hunter Greene Haunt The Twins?: He could be a once in a generation player. What happens if the Twins decide to go in a different direction? Keith Law On The Twins And The 2017 Draft: Law, ESPN's prospect writer, did an interview with Seth where he look ahead to the draft and speculated on the names Minnesota is considering at the top. The Wright Fit?:Kyle Wright could end up in Minnesota. Why is he the right pick for this organization? The Scouting Skinny: Kyle Wright: He probably has the best chance to go first overall. What do scouts have to say about Wright and his ascension to the top? Sam Carlson Q&A: Part 1 Sam Carlson Q&A: Part 2: Carlson, a Burnsville High School player, has a good chance of being taken in the mid-to-late first round. While he might not be in play for the Twins, it's interesting to hear about the draft process for a player in the midst of a life-changing event. Even after the Twins make their selection on Monday, check back at Twins Daily for all of your MLB draft related coverage. Click here to view the article

The dog days of summer are quickly approaching and many of the Twins affiliates need to push for the playoffs. Three leagues hand-out first half playoff spots while Rochester has a full-season battle ahead of them. Rochester entered play on Thursday 11.5 games behind Lehigh Valley in the International League North. The Iron Pigs are going to be tough to catch so the Red Wings might need to focus on the wild card race where they trail by six games. Chattanooga currently trails Montgomery by half a game for the top spot in the Southern League North. Fort Myers sits nine games out of first place and five games under .500. There are four teams ahead of them in the standings so the first half title is likely out of reach. If the Midwest League playoffs started today, the Kernels would be in as the first half winners of the Western Division. They are currently a game up on Kane County for the division lead. The division winner and runner-up for each half qualify for the MWL playoffs.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Syracuse 3 Box Score Syracuse was threatening in many of the early innings but Aaron Slegers continued to find ways to get out of the jam. The Chiefs had runners in scoring position in the first, second and fourth innings before they eventually broke through in the sixth. A pair of doubles and a pair of singles would sink Slegers. In 6.2 innings, he ended up allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking three. Rochester tried to answer back in the bottom of the sixth. Engelb Vielma and Zach Granite started the frame with singles. With one out, Matt Hague lifted a sacrifice fly to center. Granite came around to score after two wild pitches from Chiefs' starter AJ Cole. However, the two runs wouldn't be enough. Many Twins fans are on bullpen watch as the big league squad could use some help. Michael Tonkin allowed base runners in both innings he worked but he worked out of both jams with a couple of strikeouts. Ryan Pressly struck out the side in the ninth but he also allowed a pair of hits. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Jackson 3 Box Score Chattanooga wasted a strong start from Ryan Eades as Jackson wasn't able to score until the Lookouts' bullpen got into the game. Eades only allowed one hit and struck out three in five innings. Randy LeBlanc struggled in the sixth as he surrendered three runs on four hits. Todd Van Steensel struck out two and walked two in an inning. Jake Reed pitched two scoreless frames by allowing one hit. Before the bullpen blow-up, the Lookouts held a 2-0 lead. Ryan Strausborger and TJ White started the second with a pair of doubles. With one one out in the inning, Nick Gordon brought in Strausborger for the first run. In the fifth inning, Gordon cracked his fifth home run which is already as many home runs as he had in his first three professional seasons combined. Jonathan Rodriguez reached base four times in five at-bats with a double and a pair of walks. Gordon, Strausborger, and Ryan White all had multi-hit efforts. The team went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and out-hit Jackson 10 to 6. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 1, Tampa 2 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score Fort Myers jumped out to an early 1-0 thanks to a lead-off home run from Max Murphy. The hits were few and far between for the rest of the game. The Miracle went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Murphy was the lone batter to finish with multiple hits as he added a double and reached on a walk. Nelson Molina went 1-for-3 with a double. Brady Anderson suffered his second loss in as many starts. In the top of the third, he allowed a one out walk that came back to haunt him. The next batter knocked a two-run home run that turned out to be the difference in the game. Anderson stuck out four and walked two in six innings. Williams Ramirez pitched a scoreless seventh with a strikeout. Fort Myers 2, Tampa 1 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score Fort Myers turned things around on Tampa in the second game of the double-header. Much like the Miracle did in game one, the Yankees jumped out to an early 1-0 first inning lead. Derek Rodriguez allowed a triple and single to the first two batters of the game. He settled in from there and went on quite the run. Rodriguez retired 11 straight batters at one point on his way to a complete game (even if it was only seven innings). He struck 10 batters for only the third time in his career. It was the first time he had accomplished this feat since last July. There have been only three starts this season where he has allowed more than three runs. Murphy was in the middle of the offensive action for the second straight game. He tripled to lead off the fourth inning. Alex Perez knocked him in with a single. After two consecutive walks to load the bases, Kevin Garcia grounded into a double play that pushed in the second run. Fort Myers only had three hits but that's all they would need. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Clinton 4 Box Score The Kernels struggled to get the bats going in this one and found themselves in an early hole. Domenick Carlini allowed four runs on eight hits while taking his fourth loss of the season. He struck out eight and didn't give up a walk. Logan Lombana allowed only one base runner over the last three innings to keep the game close. All four LumberKings runs were scored with two outs in the inning. Cedar Rapids' top six hitters in the line-up combined to go 3-for-22 with no extra-base hits in the loss. Brandon Lopez went 2-for-3 but failed to come around and score. Ben Rortvedt collected his fifth double and drove in the team's lone run. Lewin Diaz and Mitchell Kranson each went 1-for-4. With the loss, the Kernels drop to 34-26 and they still hold their playoff destiny in their own hands. It was only the third series loss for Cedar Rapids this season. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Dereck Rodriguez, Fort Myers Miracle (7 IP, 1 ER, 10 K, 1 BB) Hitter of the Day – Max Murphy, Fort Myers Miracle (3-for-6, HR, 3B, 2B, BB 2 R) FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Syracuse (6:05 CST) - LHP Adam Wilk (0-0, 4.26 ERA) Chattanooga @ Montgomery (7:05 CST) - RHP Fernando Romero (4-5, 3.51 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Tampa (6:05 CST) - RHP David Fischer (3-4, 4.02 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Burlington (6:35 CST) - RHP Clark Beeker (5-2, 2.51 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday’s games. Click here to view the article

This Washington Post story talks about the dark side of launch angle. Players like Jason Heyward have struggled at the plate because they end up popping out more than making solid contact.

http://artofbaseball.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Screen-shot-2012-06-25-at-11.40.38-PM.png

I think they are getting at the fact that all groundballs are not optimal. Not just groundballs into the shift.

Baseball is an ever changing game. Pitchers and batters are in a constant struggle to find an advantage. Technology has made it easier for teams to find and fix flaws. There is also a plethora of statistical information available to help fans have a better understanding of the game. It's no secret that the Twins were behind the times when it came to statistic analysis. They were one of the last front offices to establish a "baseball research" position in 2011. After the establishment of a new front office regime this off-season, the Twins are playing catch-up to the rest of the league.Thanks to MLB's Statcast, statistics like launch angle and exit velocity are starting to become part of the baseball lexicon. How do the Twins stack up in this new statistical era? Launch Angle The Washington Post took a deep look into the launch angle revolution happening across baseball. As part of the story, they say that MLB players have reached "the conclusion that not only are flyballs, on average, better than grounders but the latter are to be avoided at all costs." With teams utilizing more defensive shifts, there are fewer holes in the infield so it makes sense to try to put the ball in the air. Minnesota hitters seem to have bought in to the launch angle revolution. The Twins currently have MLB's fourth lowest GB/FB rate because they have the third highest FB%. From a hitter's vantage point, a launch angle between 25-35 degrees is optimal. To put that in perspective, Miguel Sano has averaged a 28.2 degree launch angle on his team-leading 14 home runs. While hitting the ball in the air might be good for some players, it can also mess with the swings of others. FiveThirtyEight did a study on launch angles and concluded "the correlation between a batter's changing flyball rate and his subsequent change in production is nonexistent." Exit Velocity Launch angle is only part of the equation. If a player hits it at the right angle, there still needs to be enough force behind the ball and this is where exit velocity comes into play. The Twins are not only putting the ball in the air, they are also in the top-10 when it comes to hard-hit percentage. In fact, multiple Twins hitters rank very well when it comes to average exit velocity. Miguel Sano leads all of baseball in average exit velocity (see rankings above) while Max Kepler is just inside the top-20 with Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier ranking near the top-40. ESPN updates the hard hit leader-board on an almost weekly basis. In this week's update, Kepler ranks in the top-10 (seventh) with Mauer (14th) and Sano (26th) both in the top-30. Questions still remain about the validity of some of these new statistical areas. Statcast is only three years old and some might call it a work-in-progress. The information being provided by this new technology is untested. Statcast continues to add an extra dimension to the baseball world. However, there is much still to be discovered when it comes to this new statistical era. What has Statcast added to your baseball-viewing experience? Did any of the Twins rankings surprise you? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article