Cody Christie

On Monday, Paul Molitor was announced as one of three finalists for the American League Manager of the Year. In the midst of a big turnaround in Minnesota, Molitor led the Twins to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Entering the season, there were questions about whether or not the new front office regime would keep Molitor around. He made it tough to show him the door. How does Molitor stack up against the other finalists? Could he bring home the hardware?Terry Francona, Cleveland Indians AL Central Champions (102-60 Record) Resume: The defending AL Champs had high hopes for 2017. Many considered them the favorites to repeat at the top of the league. Francona had to navigate his team through a potential World Series “hangover.” A slow start at the beginning of the year was quickly forgotten as the Indians compiled a record 22-game winning streak. Cleveland won the AL Central by 17 games. AJ Hinch, Houston Astros AL West Champions (101-61 Record) Resume: Everyone knows what the Astros were able to do in the postseason but only the regular season figures into MLB’s award season. Houston has had high expectations the last couple of seasons, but Hinch was able to push all the right buttons as his club crossed the 100-win mark. He was able to use the right mix of young talent and veteran players to be a dominant regular season squad that went on to quite the postseason run. Houston won the AL West by 21 games. Paul Molitor, Minnesota Twins AL Wild Card (85-77 Record) Resume: While the Indians and the Astros were expected to be strong clubs, no one expected Minnesota to make the playoffs. On the heels of the worst season in franchise history, Molitor was able to bring playoff baseball back to Minnesota (even if it was only for one game). Young players like Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton were able to take huge strides under Molitor’s guidance. Sometimes the voters can give the Manager of the Year to the team that improved the most and Minnesota definitely fits into this category. Who do you think will take home the award? Leave a COMMENT and join the discussion. Click here to view the article

Baseball’s season is quickly coming to an end. One of the off-season highlights for many fans is reevaluating an organization’s prospects. Players like Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, and Jose Berrios populated Minnesota’s prospect lists over the last handful of seasons. Now these players have been making an impact at the big league level. Which prospect will come out on top in this year’s prospect rankings? Here are the candidates…Seth, Tom, Jeremy, and I are jumping into work on the 10th Anniversary Edition of the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. In the weeks ahead, look for more stories about the team’s top prospects as we dive into researching the next crop to come off of the farm. Nick Gordon, SS One knock on Gordon after his 2016 season was his lack of power. He made a switch this year as his OPS increased by 28 points but his batting average dropped by 21 points. For the season, he hit .270/.341/.408 with 46 extra-base hits and 13 steals in 519 at-bats. Gordon was three years younger than the competition in the Southern League. The majority of his playing time has continued to be at shortstop but he might end up at second base in the big leagues. Some will rank Royce Lewis ahead of Gordon but it’s tough to do that when Gordon has been performing well at Double-A. Royce Lewis, SS Minnesota’s number one pick this past June made his mark quickly in his professional debut. He hit .279/.381/.407 with 18 steals in over 200 at-bats. He finished the year with Cedar Rapids in the Midwest League where he was over three years younger than the competition. There is still an opportunity for him to add more power as he grows into his body and that has to be a scary proposition for pitchers in the Midwest and Florida State Leagues. Many believe he will be able to stay at shortstop. Out of the hitters on this list, he has the highest ceiling. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP Gonsalves has dominated Double-A over the last two seasons. In 161.2 innings (28 starts), he has posted a 2.51 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP and a 185 to 60 strikeout to walk ratio. His time at Triple-A wasn’t as clean but he was limited to five appearances (four starts) at season’s end. Gonsalves did not make a start after August 25 and his final appearance came on August 30th. He missed time at the beginning of the season with a shoulder issue. There was no structural damage and he went on to pitch well. There was talk of him making a spot start at the big league level but that never happened. He will head back to Triple-A to prove he can dominate that level like he has in Double-A. Wild Cards: Brent Rooker, Fernando Romero Rooker dominated at the plate during his professional debut. Coming from the college ranks, Rooker started in Elizabethton to get acquainted with a wood bat and to start playing in the outfield. After less than 100 plate appearances, he moved to Fort Myers and continued to hit. For the season, he batted .281/.364/.566 with 18 home runs and 11 doubles. He’s still adjusting to the outfield so that will be a focus for him in 2018. Romero was a legitimate candidate to be the Twins top prospect one year ago. There were flashes of greatness with Chattanooga but the consistency wasn’t always there. In 125 innings, he posted a 3.53 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP and 120 strikeouts compared to 45 walks. Like Gonsalves, he missed time with a shoulder issue which is never a good thing for a power pitcher. All things considered, he might still have the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the Twins organization. Who would you consider the Twins top prospect? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

There were plenty of better known names on the market. Coaches like Jim Hickey, Chris Bosio, and Mike Maddux were all in the rumor mill but the Twins decided to go in a different direction. Garvin Alston will replace Neil Allen on manager Paul Molitor’s staff. Here’s what you need to know about Alston:Background Alston’s big league pitching career was limited to six innings with the 1996 Colorado Rockies. From 1992 through 2003 he played professional and independent baseball. For the last 13 years he has coached professionally. Within a couple years of retiring, he had joined the Athletics organization as a coach. He spent the next decade as a minor league pitching coach, minor league pitching coordinator, and a minor league rehab coordinator. His time as a major league coach has been spent in the Diamondback and the Athletics organizations. During the 2016 season, he served as the major league bullpen coach in Arizona. Last season, he returned to the A’s organization and served as the major league bullpen coach. Expectations With many other big names on the market, Twins fans are wondering what to expect from a relative unknown. Alston doesn’t have one magical pitching philosophy but he wants every pitcher to identify his strength and execute it. “Not one philosophy,” he said. “It is the ability to adjust to the actual pitcher and knowing what their strengths are.” Pitch development has been a forte for Alston in his previous organizations but there’s a bigger key to his success. “First,” he said, “one of the biggest things I teach is commanding the zone with the fastball.”Since Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have joined the front office, they have preached fastball location and getting ahead of hitters. It sounds like Alston fits right in with the organizations direction. What are your thoughts on the new hire? Should the Twins have gone with a more experienced coach? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

There were some dark days for the Houston Astros. From 2009-2014, the Astros didn’t have a season with an over .500 record and this included three straight seasons of losing 106 games or more. In true rebuilding fashion, the club traded away any player that could bring back assets in return. This dropped them even further down the rabbit hole of rebuilding. Amidst all of the losing, the Astros had a plan. The team was stockpiling draft picks and young talent in the organization with dreams of one day being a contender. Those dreams have become a reality for the Astros and their fans. Can the Twins follow a similar path to the top of the American League?2012 MLB Draft Things went dark in Minnesota from 2011-2014 with four straight 90-loss seasons. This wasn’t quite the stretch of futility faced by Astros faithful but it certainly wasn’t easy for Twins Territory. Both teams were “rewarded” for their poor play by sitting with the first two picks of the 2012 MLB Draft. Byron Buxton was the name getting the most hype but in the days leading up to the draft another option emerged, Carlos Correa. The Astros were rumored to be looking at Houston native Mark Appel with the first pick but they decided to cut a deal with Correa. He signed for less than slot value and then the team could use money on other picks later in the draft. In fact, they used some of the savings to draft Lance McCullers Jr., the pitcher who closed out Game 7 of the ALCS. The Twins took Buxton, the player many thought was the best in the draft. However, Minnesota was also lucky enough to snag Jose Berrios with their supplemental- round pick. Fans saw the impact of both of these young players in 2017 and there is still room for improvement in the coming years. Houston’s Young Core, Veteran Leadership Houston’s core is a young group of players who have grown up playing with each other at the big league level. Players like Carlos Correa, George Springer, Alex Bregman and Lance McCullers Jr. all played crucial roles in leading the Astros to the pennant. However, the Astros have other, veteran, players in place to supplement their young core. Veteran second baseman Jose Altuve is the heart and soul of the Houston line-up. He’s been with the club through the ups and the downs. Other players like Brian McCann, Josh Reddick and Dallas Keuchel have each found their place in Houston. It’s also hard not to overlook what the acquisition of Justin Verlander meant to this squad. Minnesota’s Young Core, Veteran Leadership The Twins saw their own young core take some big strides this season. Miguel Sano was selected to his first All-Star Game. Byron Buxton played Gold Glove caliber defense and seemed to figure things out at the plate. Jose Berrios was strong in the rotation while other players like Max Kepler and Eddie Rosario added value to the team. There was a learning curve at the big league level but each player could be part of the team’s road to the pennant. Minnesota has their own veteran second baseman, Brian Dozier, who has lived through the losing. Joe Mauer has been an important part of the franchise over the last decade. Ervin Santana had an All-Star season while anchoring the pitching staff. However, all three players’ contracts expire at the end of next season so the future is uncertain. Veterans provide value but will Minnesota find the right pieces to help the club to take the next step? Minnesota surprised the baseball world by making the playoffs on the heels of a 100-loss season. The Astros and the Yankees, the ALCS foes, both look poised to challenge for the pennant in the years to come. The Twins will need their young core, a group of veterans, and a little luck to follow in the Astros’ footsteps. Click here to view the article

The winds of change are in the air. Major League Baseball could be nearing an expansion to 32 teams which would signal a large shift in the baseball world. One of the biggest changes would be dissolving both leagues as baseball would shift to a four-division system. There would be plenty of other changes to make a new system work. Are fans, owners, and players ready for this type of radical change?Expansion Cities Montreal has been clamoring for a new baseball franchise since the Expos left for Washington. A strong outpouring of fans has started to clamor for a team to return. There would need to be more support for the building of a downtown park. If Canadian fans can push for the building of a new park, Montreal would be a likely destination for an expansion club. Portland, Oregon has stadium plans and says it’s prepared if a team becomes available. An ownership group from Japan could be a likely fit since the Seattle Mariners, the closest team to Portland, is owned by Nintendo. While speaking in Seattle this fall, Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke about Portland as an expansion city. “I think Portland is a possibility. If we were to go to 32 [teams], we would need a Western time zone team.” New Divisions Minnesota’s new division would include a mixture of familiar and new. The North Division would likely include Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Minnesota, Montreal, both New York franchises and Toronto. MLB’s schedule would be reduced to 156-games so the Twins would face each division foe 12 times (six home and six road games. They would also play every other opponent three times. If Minnesota didn’t end up in the North, the Midwest division could also be a likely landing spot. Baseball America predicts the Midwest would include both Chicago franchises, Colorado, Houston, Kansas City, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Texas. Only two teams, the Rockies and the Twins, would be playing out of their time zone. Playoff Changes Baseball only recently expanded the playoffs by adding a Wild Card Game. With expansion, the playoffs would change as well. Each of the four division winners would await the winners of four wild card games. Eight other teams with the best records would make the playoffs to square off in a wild card game. Those winners would move to the Division Series then to the Championship Series and the final two would meet for the World Series. With the expanded playoffs, 12 of the 32 franchises would qualify for the postseason. Minnesota saw more fan interest this year while the club fought for a Wild Card spot. This trend could continue for more franchises with even more teams being in the playoff hunt. Baseball is a game based on tradition and I don’t know if fans are ready for this radical of a shift. What are your thoughts or feelings about the possibility of baseball expanding? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Twins fans know where Byron Buxton’s season started. Even with a tremendous diving catch on Opening Day, Buxton quickly found himself mired in a terrible offensive slump to start the year. He eventually found himself at the plate and went on to be named Twins Daily's Most Improved Player. Fans have seen him play the game with reckless abandon. Should Twins fans be worried about the long-term effects of Buxton’s lengthening list of injuries?Minor League Injuries Buxton burst onto the scene in 2013, his first full minor league season but he missed some time after suffering a shoulder injury. This prevented him from fully participating in the Arizona Fall League. The 2014 season saw him hurt his wrist during spring training and he reinjured it on a slide shortly after returning from the DL. In his Double-A debut, he violently collided with another outfielder which resulted in a season-ending concussion. Minnesota sent him to the AFL and he proceeded to break his finger on a dive for the ball. 2017 Injuries During the 2017 campaign, Buxton missed time with a variety of injuries. In the middle of July, he missed time with a groin injury and migraine headaches. The groin injury was sustained while hustling around to score on a Brian Dozier RBI double. He occasionally dealt with the headaches after colliding with the outfield wall back in early May. By late August, Buxton missed more time with a left hamate bone injury. He was fortunate to avoid a fracture after taking a hard swing at a ball. Buxton’s last injury might be the one fans remember the most since it happened in the team’s final game. In the second inning with Todd Frazier batting, Buxton chased down a ball while crashing into the center field wall. He tried to play through the pain and did so by beating out a potential double-play grounder, allowing the tying run to score. He then stole second base but he was clearly not comfortable. During the game, the announcers called his injury “upper-back tightness.” Some reports called it a cracked rib in the days following the game. This meant multiple tests for Buxton which came back with a report of no fracture, but no other diagnosis. Looking To The Future Earlier this fall, I wrote about how Buxton seemed to have moved from broken to booming. While this still might be the case, there needs to be some concern about his injury history. His all-out effort is one of the reasons for the value Buxton provides the Twins. Buxton was asked about his catch in the Wild Card game. “Once I picked up where the wall was and realized I was going to take a pretty good hit, I just put all my focus onto the ball and held onto the ball,” he told the Pioneer Press. “If you try to shield yourself, you’re going to be passive toward the ball and not as aggressive. I like to play this game aggressively and go out and have a lot of fun.” It might be fun to see Buxton making diving and leaping catches but will his aggressive nature lead to more injuries in the future? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Believe it or not, Tuesday’s match-up between the Twins and the Yankees will be the sixth AL Wild Card game. Major League Baseball expanded their playoff format in 2012 to add more drama with a one-game playoff to decide who would move on to face the best regular season team. There has been some drama and plenty of story-lines. Are there any trends that can be found in the previous games? Let’s take a look back.2012 AL Wild Card Game Baltimore Orioles 5, Texas Rangers 1 Yu Darvish faced off against Joe Saunders in the AL’s inaugural Wild Card game. Both clubs scored runs in the first frame as the starters worked out some kinks. From there, Darvish and Saunders pitched shutout baseball until the sixth. Adam Jones drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and Nate McLouth added an RBI single in the seventh. Former Twin Joe Nathan would allow two insurance runs in the ninth inning to bolster Baltimore’s lead. The Orioles relief trio of Darren O’Day, Brian Matusz, and Jim Johnson did not allow a run over the final 3.1 innings. 2013 AL Wild Card Game Tampa Bay Rays 4, Cleveland Indians 0 Tampa Bay entered the AL’s second Wild Card game having already defeated the Texas Rangers in a tie-breaker game. Tampa Bay’s Alex Cobb was outstanding on the mound as he recorded 6.2 shutout innings with five strikeouts. Cobb had missed 50 games during the regular season after taking a line-drive off his head. Former Twin Delmon Young homered in the third inning off rookie Danny Salazar. Desmond Jennings went 2-for-3 in the game with a double and two RBI. Jake McGee, Joel Peralta and Fernando Rodney combined for 2.1 shutout innings to finish off the Indians. 2014 AL Wild Card Game Kansas City Royals 9, Oakland Athletics 8 (12 Innings) Royals fans were just getting a taste of a wild playoff run as the club would use this game as a launching pad for a run to the AL pennant. This game was originally touted as a pitching battle between Oakland’s Jon Lester and Kansas City’s James Shields but neither would see the end of this one. Former Twins Josh Willingham and Nick Punto made appearances in the game but wound up on the losing end. Kansas City scored three runs in the eighth inning and another in the ninth to tie the game. The A’s would take the lead in the top of the 12th inning but the Royals couldn’t be stopped. Big hits from Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez pushed the Royals to the ALDS. 2015 AL Wild Card Game Houston Astros 3, New York Yankees 0 The Astros, like the Twins this season, headed to New York City after multiple years of futility. Houston had averaged 104 losses in their previous four seasons. Dallas Keuchel was pitching on three days rest for the first time in his career and pitched masterfully. In six shutout innings, he scattered three hits and struck out seven. He became the first pitcher with a scoreless postseason start on three day’s rest since Josh Beckett in the 2003 World Series. Colby Rasmus and former Twin Carlos Gomez homered to help the Astros win their first postseason game since the 2005 NLCS. Fans in New York were booing with every out in the late innings. Houston moved on to face Kansas City, the eventual World Series Champions. 2016 AL Wild Card Game Toronto Blue Jays 5, Baltimore Orioles 2 (11 Innings) Edwin Encarnacion’s walk-off three-run home run sent Toronto fans home happy. While this game might be remembered for its ending, others might remember it for the moment when a fan threw a nearly full can of beer at Orioles left fielder Hyun Soo Kim while he caught a deep fly ball in the eighth inning. Jose Bautista smacked a solo home run to start the scoring in the second inning. Mark Trumbo hit a two-run shot to account for all of Baltimore’s offense. Orioles manager Buck Showalter opted not to use closer Zach Britton in extra-innings and that could have been the difference in the game. Ubaldo Jimenez gave up two singles and the big fly to end the game. Some important hits from former Twins and one upset at Yankee Stadium were all part of previous AL Wild Card games. Let's hope some of this history repeats itself on Tuesday night. Click here to view the article

Besides the Twins, the rest of the AL playoff teams could be full of surprises this weekend. Can New York catch Boston and force a playoff game on Monday? Who will clinch home field advantage throughout the AL playoffs? Can the Indians pass the Dodgers for baseball's best record? With a lot of drama still to be decided, the Twins created their own splash on Friday. Miguel Sano was reinstated from the disabled list.Minnesota will finish out the regular season this weekend with a three-game series against Detroit. The Twins have little to play for as they are locked into the second Wild Card spot. Tuesday night will likely see the Twins face off against the Yankees in New York. Sano in the midst of his first All-Star season was a key cog for the Twins in the season's first half. In 111 games this season, he is hitting .267/.356/.514 with 28 home runs and 77 RBI. He has been on the disabled list since August 19 with what has been called a stress reaction in his left shin. By activating him now, Sano is eligible for the playoff roster. Many thought he wouldn't be able to return during the regular season and it is not yet known if he will make an appearance against Detroit. Things took a step in the right direction earlier this week when he took 60 swings at full intensity. This could allow him to be a pinch-hitter if the Twins make it past the Wild Card game. Falvey told the Pioneer Press, "Can I take that outcome? We haven't gotten into that level of conversation around something like that. At this point we wouldn't rule anything out. If Sano does start again this season, it will likely be as a designated hitter. What are your thoughts on Sano being reinstated? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Each short-season league can be a challenge for players to adjust to the pros. Some players are getting their first taste of professional baseball. Others are transitioning from the Dominican Summer League and playing in the United States for the first time. With fewer games than full season leagues, players have less time to make their mark. A smaller sample size can skew a player's overall numbers. However, many of these players are trying to make the organization take notice of their performance. Which players performed well for Elizabethton Twins and the GCL Twins? Let's dive in... Yesterday, Twins Daily announced the Short Season Pitcher of the Year. Throughout the rest of the week, the other minor league awards will be announced. There were some strong performances throughout the minors and these are the next wave of players heading for Target Field. Last season, Lewin Diaz was named the Short-Season Hitter of the Year. He built off that tremendous season with Cedar Rapids this year. Diaz hit .292/.329/.444 with 12 home runs and 33 doubles. The Kernels are attempting to move on in the Midwest League playoffs tonight. Short profiles of our top eight are to follow, but first, some players worthy of honorable mention. These players also received votes. Honorable Mention Matt Albanese, Elizabethton: 42-142, .296/.352/.401 (.754), 3 HR, 0 3B, 6 2B, 19 RBI Shane Carrier, Elizabethton: 48-142, .348/.359/.529 (.888) 5 HR, 0 3B, 10 2B, 32 RBI (does not include stats at Cedar Rapids) Carson Crites, Elizabethton: 45-150, .300/.349/.453 (.803), 4 HR, 0 3B, 11 2B, 30 RBI JJ Robinson, Elizabethton: 39-148, .264/.337/.480 (.817), 9 HR, 1 3B, 3 2B, 36 RBI Alex Robles, GCL Twins: 59-182, .324/.369/.407 (.775), 3 HR, 0 3B, 6 2B, 29 RBI Rainis Silva, Elizabethton: 36-101, .356/.446/.446 (.892), 1 HR, 1 3B, 4 2B, 7 RBI Short-Season Hitter of the Year Here are the top eight places for the Twins Daily Short-Season Hitter of the Year 8. Brent Rooker, Elizabethton: 24-85, .282/.364/.588 (.952), 7 HR, 0 3B, 5 2B, 17 RBI Rooker only played a little over a third of his games in the short-season league but it was enough to make his mark. With his college experience, he made quick work of some of the younger pitching in the GCL. His best stretch of games was an eight-game hit streak from July 4- July 12. During this streak, he hit .500/.600/.923 with five extra-base hits. If Rooker had spent more time in short-season ball, he likely would have been higher on this list. 7. Ben Rodriguez, GCL Twins: 47-162, .290/.399/.457 (.856), 4 HR, 2 3B, 11 2B, 40 RBI It didn't take long for Rodriguez to have his bat heat up. In 20 July games, he hit .343/.443/.507 with eight extra-base hits. Some of these strong number came from his ability to crush left-handed pitching. In 58 at-bats versus lefties, he got on base 50% of the time and combined for a 1.207 OPS. He was facing younger pitchers in over 85% of his plate appearances as he was 2.6 years older than the competition in the GCL. 6. Andrew Bechtold, Elizabethton: 43-144, .299/.406/.424 (.829), 2 HR, 1 3B, 10 2B, 19 RBI During his professional debut, the Twins' fifth-round pick started strongly in July. In 20 games that month, he hit .387/.467/.629 (1.096) with 10 extra-base hits. The majority of his at-bats came against older pitchers who held him to a .747 OPS. With 27 walks in 175 plate appearances, he showed a keen eye at the plate as his OBP ranked third on the E-Twins among players with more than 75 at-bats. 5. JC Arias, GCL Twins: 50-168, .298/.359/.476 (.835), 5 HR, 4 3B, 7 2B, 32 RBI In his second taste of the GCL, Arias was still almost half a year younger than the competition. He was able to post a .490 SLG against older pitchers. Through his first 94 at-bats he compiled a .914 OPS with 10 extra-base hits. Arias, a left-handed batter, did the bulk of his damage against righties. In fact, all of his extra-base hits came against right-handed pitchers where he hit .316/.365/.573. Home games were also a positive for Arias as his OPS was almost 300 points higher at home (1.002 OPS) versus on the road (.703 OPS). 4. Wander Javier, Elizabethton: 47-157, .299/.383/.471 (.855), 4 HR, 1 3B, 13 2B, 22 RBI Javier made his stateside debut in 2017 and it took him a little time to get going. During seven June games, he went 4-for-22 with three of his four hits being for doubles. After the calendar turned to July, he would clobber the baseball. Javier hit .319/.396/.496 (.892) including 15 extra-base hits from July 2 until season's end. Only four of his plate appearances came against younger pitchers. Even though he is a right-handed batter he fared better against righties where his OPS was almost 150 points higher. 3. Royce Lewis, GCL Twins: 36-133, .271/.390/.414 (.803), 3 HR, 2 3B, 6 2B, 17 RBI Lewis, this year's number one overall pick, was an interesting case when it came to voting for the minor league awards. He played 36 games for the GCL Twins before being promoted to Cedar Rapids for the final 18 games. In ten of his first 20 games, he had multiple hits. He started his professional career with a 11 straight games reaching base. He also added 15 stolen bases while also being caught only twice. His batting average increased by 25 points with the jump to the Midwest League so it's safe to say the organization likes their first look at Lewis. 2. Jose Miranda, Elizabethton: 63-223, .283/.340/.484 (.824), 11 HR, 2 3B, 8 2B, 43 RBI As a 19-year-old in the Appalachian League, Miranda was over a year younger than the competition. This didn't stop him from raising his batting average by over 55 points compared his professional debut in the GCL. Miranda, a right-handed batter, compiled an OPS that was 162 points higher versus righties. In 20 games from July 9-August 3, he hit .321/.380/.494 with six extra-base hits with 18 RBI. Only nine of his at-bats came versus younger pitchers so he was doing the bulk of his damage against older pitchers. Another big area of improvement was lowering his strikeouts by more than 10. 1. Akil Baddoo, GLC Twins/Elizabethton: 65-201, .323/.436/.527 (.964), 4 HR, 5 3B, 19 2B, 29 RBI Baddoo started the 2017 campaign in the GCL where he spent the entire 2016 season. He struggled to hit last year (.178/.299/.271) but he made remarkable strides in a return trip through the GCL. He raised his batting average to .267 while combining for a .800 OPS. In the middle of July, he was promoted to the Appalachian League and this is when his season really took off. Ray Smith, the manager of the E-Twins, had glowing reviews when asked about Baddo's impact on joining the team. "Our club seemed to kick it into a higher gear once Akil arrived. Deep in counts, would get on base via walks, base hits, etc. All while showing extra-base pop and occasional home run power. [He] covered ground defensively... ran bases aggressively and showed up everyday." When Baddoo joined the E-Twins, he was 2.3 years younger than the competition. For the season, he got on base over 42% of the time against older pitchers. He hit .357/.478/.579 with 20 extra-base hits over the final 33 games. From July 31 to August 19, he had a 13-game hit streak where he hit .460/.557/.680 with five strikeouts and ten walks. Baddoo, a left-handed batter, posted a 1.013 OPS against righties while still posting a .840 OPS against southpaws. Baddoo "has shown great improvement in the year that we've had him," said Smith. It was "enjoyable to watch him develop both offensively and defensively. A threat in a number of different ways at the top of the order." He went on to say that he's "looking forward to see him patrolling the outfield at Target Field in the near future. There you have it, the top hitters in the short season leagues for the Minnesota Twins in 2017. The Ballots In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers: Seth Stohs- 1) Akil Baddoo, 2) Wander Javier, 3) Jose Miranda, 4) Rainis Silva, 5), Royce Lewis, 6) Andrew Bechtold, 7) JC Arias, 8) JJ Robinson Jeremy Nygaard- 1) Akil Baddoo, 2) Royce Lewis, 3) Jose Miranda, 4) Wander Javier, 5) JC Arias, 6) Ben Rodriguez, 7) Andrew Bechtold, 8) Carson Crites Cody Christie- 1) Akil Baddoo, 2) Ben Rodriguez, 3) Shane Carrier, 4) Jose Miranda, 5) Wander Javier, 6) Brent Rooker, 7) JC Arias, 8) Royce Lewis Tom Froemming- 1) Akil Baddoo, 2) Jose Miranda, 3) Brent Rooker, 4) JC Arias, 5) Royce Lewis Steve Lein- 1) Akil Baddoo, 2) Ben Rodriguez, 3) Jose Miranda, 4) Wander Javier, 5) ANdrew Bechtold, 6) Rainis Silva, 7) Shane Carrier, 8) Royce Lewis Eric Pleiss- 1) JC Arias, 2) Royce Lewis, 3) Brent Rooker, 4) Andrew Bechtold, 5) Jose Miranda, 6) Akil Baddoo, 7) Wander Javier, 8) Alex Robles Ted Schwerzler- 1) Akil Baddoo, 2) Royce Lewis, 3) Alex Robles, 4) Wander Javier, 5) Andrew Bechtold, 6) Carson Crites, 7) Jose Miranda, 8) Matt Albanese Feel free to discuss. What do you think of our rankings? How would you rank them? How would your ballot look? View full article

Both the Lookouts and the Kernels found themselves in a do-or-die situation on Sunday. The Lookouts were attempting to become the co-champions of the Southern League after failing to clinch in Game 4 on Saturday. The Kernels lost Game 1 of their three game semifinal series on Saturday which lead to an all-important Game 2 on Sunday. With everything on the line, which players would shine? Could both teams find a way to win?CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Montgomery 2 Box Score It didn't take long for the Lookouts to find themselves in a hole. Dietrich Enns allowed a solo home run to lead off the game and Chattanooga was down 1-0. The lead wouldn't last long as Andy Wilkins smashed a game-tying home run to lead off the second. Enns ran into some more trouble in the fourth. With two outs in the frame, he allowed three consecutive hits before Nick Gordon gunned down a man at the plate. The Lookouts bullpen was outstanding in relief. Randy LeBlanc, Todd Van Steensel, and Anthony McIver combined for five shutout frames to keep Chattanooga in the game. McIver didn't allow a base runner in the final two innings while striking out one. As the bottom of the ninth began, LaMonte Wade stepped to the plate with the Lookouts trailing by one. He had singled to start the frame and put the tying run on base. Jonathan Rodriguez stepped to the plate with a chance to cap off his tremendous season. He cracked a walk-off home run and Chattanooga was crowned co-champions of the Southern League. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Quad Cities 4 Box Score The Kernels took a tough luck loss on Saturday as they fell 5-4 in extra innings to the River Bandits. Since the Midwest League semifinals are a best-of-three series, the Kernels found themselves with their backs against the wall on Sunday afternoon. It was win or go home. After a scoreless first frame, Lewin Diaz led off the second inning with a double. He moved to third on a Caleb Hamilton ground out and came in to score on a Jimmy Kerrigan sacrifice fly. Shane Kennedy kept the inning going with a two-out walk but the biggest hit of the frame came on a Shane Carrier two-run blast to put the Kernels up 3-0. Travis Blankenhorn kept things going in the third inning as he started the frame with a solo shot to right field. With the Kernels up 4-0, Blankenhorn led off the fifth inning with a walk. Aaron Whitefield and Diaz both singled to move Blankenhorn around the bases. Caleb Hamilton doubled to score Whitefield and Kerrington drove in Lewis with a ground out for a 7-0 advantage. Charles Barnes started for Cedar Rapids and pitched five shutout frames. He scattered five hits while striking out three and walking three. The bullpen ran into a little trouble in the sixth inning. Partrick McGuff and Randy Dobnak combined to allow four earned runs with each only collecting one out. Colton Davis picked up the bullpen as he went 2.1 frames and allowed only one hit. Hector Lujan earned his first save this postseason as he struck out one and allowed one hit in the ninth. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Charles Barnes, Cedar Rapids Kernels Hitter of the Day – Jonathan Rodriguez, Chattanooga Lookouts MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities (5:35 CST) - RHP Tyler Wells (5-3, 3.11 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Flashback During the 2013 season, Joe Mauer was in the middle of his sixth All-Star season. He was hitting .324/.404/.476 with 46 extra-base hits. The Twins had signed him to an eight-year, $184 million deal following his 2009 MVP and it was looking like he was going to be worth every penny. Things took an unfortunate turn in August as he absorbed at least two significant blows from foul-tips. He was diagnosed with a concussion and his days as a catcher had come to an end. Things would get darker from there but Mauer's career seems have found a renaissance in his age-34 season.The Dark Ages Mauer moved to first base but his offense didn't follow him to his new position. His poor play corresponded with some of the worst seasons in Twins history. This made him an easy target for fans looking for someone to blame for the team's poor results on the field. While many would consider this unfair, he was considered the face of the franchise and the hometown star. His large contract also made it hard to ignore his performance. First baseman has typically been a position for power hitting batters and Mauer didn't fit this mold. From 2014-2016, he hit .267/.353/.380 while averaging eight home runs and 28 doubles. This was a far cry from his .323/.405/.468 line from his first 10 seasons. Mauer just wasn't the same Mauer and there might have been more than concussions to blame. As the 2016 season approached, Mauer told the Pioneer Press "bright sunshine sometimes triggered blurred vision" that he linked to the concussion with which he was diagnosed in August 2013. Picking up the spin of pitches is one of the toughest things for a hitter. Blurred vision might have been one of the reasons Mauer has averaged 100 strikeouts over the last three seasons. The Renaissance Mauer didn't exactly light the world on fire to start the 2017 campaign. He had a .546 OPS in April while only managing a .225 batting average. All four of his extra-base hits were doubles and he had more strikeouts (six) than walks (five). The Twins were only one game over .500 but something would soon click for both Mauer and the Twins. Since the calendar turned to May, Mauer morphed back into the Mauer of old. Since May, he has hit .319/.405/.447 with 34 extra-base hits and a 61/50 strikeout to walk ratio. Those numbers are nearly identical to his totals from his first ten seasons in the league. Minnesota has also found a way to continue to win games as the club finds itself in the middle of the hunt for the final wild card spot. Along with Mauer's offensive turnaround, he has also developed into one of the best defensive first basement in the American League. Mauer is one of a group of Twins players who could be in line for a Gold Glove. In SABR's most recent SDI rankings, Mauer has fallen further back in the rankings but Twins fans know how valuable his glove has been this season especially with a young left side of the infield. Mauer is signed through the 2018 season and he has been one of the best players in team history. His renaissance this season has been something to appreciate. His days as the punching bag of fans' jokes might be over and one can only hope that a return to the Dark Ages isn't in store for the Twins franchise. Click here to view the article

Labor Day Weekend is here and with it comes what many consider the last weekend of summer. For baseball fans, this means the playoffs are right around the corner. Luckily for fans of the Twins organization almost every affiliate will be competing in postseason play. Only the Red Wings have yet to clinch a playoff birth. The GCL and Elizabethton Twins started their playoff journeys on Sunday. Rochester entered Sunday with a two-game lead in the wild card race. What kind of drama would unfold? Read on to find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Pawtucket 7 Box Score Entering play on Sunday, Rochester held their playoff fate in their own hands. The club was leading the wild card standings with two games to play. Lehigh Valley was the only other club still in the race and they had a doubleheader on Sunday where they could make up some ground. Both Robbie Grossman and Hector Santiago were scheduled to start for Rochester as part of their rehab assignment. Santiago struggled on the mound by allowing five earned runs on eight hits including two home runs. He struck out four and walked two. Chris Heston allowed one solo home run in three innings of work. Drew Rucinski finished off the game with two shutout innings. Matt Hauge was the lone bright spot at the plate. He went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles as he reached 30 doubles on the season. Daniel Palka picked up both RBI in the game as part of a 1-for-4 effort. Lehigh Valley won their first game on Sunday to cut the Red Wings wild card lead to 0.5 game. In their second game of the day, they would win again which means the two clubs will enter play on Monday tied in the wild card standings. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Montgomery 1 Box Score It took five innings for the Lookouts bats to wake up but they continued to roll against Montgomery. Chattanooga has won 14 of their last 15 games against Montgomery including wins in the last six games. Randy LeBlanc had a lot to do with tonight's win as he tossed eight innings of one-run ball. He struck out seven and didn't issue a free pass. Todd Van Steensel closed out the ninth with two strikeouts. Edgar Corcino has been destroying Biscuits pitching in this series. In all four games, he's recorded multiple hits. His biggest hit in this game was a three-run home run. For the series, Corcino is 9-for-19 with two doubles, a home run, and seven RBI. LaMonte Wade, Ryan Strausborger, and Alex Perez all had multi-hit games. Brian Olson was the only starter that failed to reach base. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Jupiter 7 Box Score In the regular season finale, the Miracle didn't have much on the line. Monday will be an off-day for the club before Game 1 of the 2017 FSL South Division Championship series against the Palm Beach Cardinals on Tuesday at Hammond Stadium. Brent Rooker and Jermaine Palacios both went 2-for-4 with Palacios collecting a double and a triple. Zander Wiel collected his 30th double of the season. Kevin Garcia went 1-for-4. The team went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. Brady Anderson pitched four innings and allowed two runs on five hits while striking out five. Eduardo Del Rosario was hit around for five earned runs while walking three. Alex Robinson, Williams Ramirez, and Michael Theofanopoulos combined for four shutout innings to end the game. Ramirez struck out three over two innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Beloit 3 Box Score Royce Lewis started the game by reaching base on a fielding error but he was removed from the game. He left the field under his own power and was replaced by Trey Cabbage. Tommy Watkins had this to say after the game: Cabbage came around to score on a Caleb Hamilton single and the Kernels had an early 1-0 lead. Randy Dobnak tossed seven strong innings, allowing two runs over seven frames. He struck out one and walked one on the way to a no-decision. Jordan Gore and Travis Blankenhorn both doubled in the eighth to help the Kernels tie the game. Ryan Mason took over for Dobnak and had to deal with a bunch of bunts by Beloit. The first batter of the inning bunted and moved to second on a wild pitch. After a sacrifice bunt and a walk, Jesus Lopez used a squeeze bunt to push across the winning run. The Kernels host the Kane County Cougars in Game 1 of the MWL Western Division Quarterfinals on Wednesday, September 6th. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Greeneville 3 (Appalachian League Playoffs- Game 1) Box Score- Best-of-3 Series J.J. Robinson staked the E-Twins to an early lead with a lead-off home run in the top of the second inning. Bailey Ober got the Game 1 start and quickly gave back a run in the bottom of the second. Overall, he allowed two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. It was his second start out of his last three where he pitched six innings and allowed two runs or fewer. Akil Baddoo, the Twins Minor League Player of the Week, walked to start the top of the eighth. With two outs in the frame, Jose Miranda doubled to right field and Baddoo came around to tie the game. Jared Finkel saw the lead evaporate in the bottom half of eighth. With one out, Wilson Amador singled and this was followed by Juan Pineda triple that became the game-winning hit. The E-Twins have to win each of the next two games to advance in the Appy League Playoffs. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 0, GCL Nationals 4 (GCL Semifinals) Box Score The GCL Twins couldn't get their offense firing on all cylinders in this one as only three batters in the line-up managed to record a hit. Benjamin Rodriguez and Taylor Grzelakowski both went 2-for-4 with a double but neither batter was able to come around and score. Kerby Camacho was the only other Twins hitter to record a hit as he went 1-for-2. Overall, the team went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. Third-round pick Blayne Enlow started for the GCL and made it through five innings. He allowed three earned runs (four total runs) on five hits with six strikeouts and one walk. Kevin Marnon and Derek Molina combined for three shutout innings in relief with Molina recording strikeouts for three of the five outs he collected. The GCL Twins saw their season come to a heartbreaking end but there were plenty of strong performances throughout the season. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Randy LeBlanc, Chattanooga Lookouts (8.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 K, 0 BB) Hitter of the Day – Edgar Corcino, Chattanooga Lookouts (2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Pawtucket (12:35 CST) - LHP Adalberto Mejia (0-1, 3.04 ERA) Chattanooga vs.Mississippi (1:15 CST) - RHP Ryan Eades (3-3, 3.87 ERA) Fort Myers- Scheduled Off-Day Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (2:00 CST) - TBD Elizabethton vs. Greeneville (6:00 CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article