Cody Christie

Felix Jorge will be making his big league debut on Saturday but he's probably a name that isn't familiar to a lot of fans. The 23-year old right-handed pitcher has been in the Twins organization since 2011 when he signed out of the Dominican Republic. I recently named him the ninth best prospect in the Twins organization. As with any pitching prospect, there have been some ups and downs during the professional tenure of Mr. Jorge. Before he makes his big league debut, here's your opportunity to get to know Felix Jorge.Rookie Leagues Jorge made his professional debut as a 17-year old in the Dominican Summer League. In nine appearances (five starts), he allowed eight earned runs (2.67 ERA) with 26 strikeouts and nine walks. He came stateside in 2012 and pitched for the GCL Twins. Across 34.2 innings, he allowed nine earned runs while improving his SO/9 from 8.7 to 9.6. He moved up the ladder again in 2013 as he headed to Elizabethton where he had a 2-2 record with a 2.95 ERA over 61 innings. Jorge was establishing himself as one of the Twins' top pitching prospects. 2014 Struggles The Twins organization continued to be aggressive with Jorge to start the 2014 campaign. He was sent to Cedar Rapids to start the season and he struggled for the first time in his professional career. Jorge was knocked around for 39 runs in 39 innings including nine home runs. The Kernels tried to move him to the bullpen to find some success but that plan didn't work. By the end of May, he was sent back to extended spring training with plenty of question marks surrounding his future. Bouncing Back It would be an understatement to say Jorge bounced back strongly from his early season struggles that year. Jorge finally had something click when he returned to Elizabethton for the second-half of the 2014 campaign. He was named the Appalachian League Pitcher of the Year as he went 4-2 with a 2.59 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He posted a 61 to 14 strikeout to walk ratio over 66 innings. From this point forward, Jorge would become the most consistent starting pitcher in the Twins organization. During the 2015 campaign, Jorge spent the entire season at Cedar Rapids, the site of his biggest professional failure. While being almost a year younger than the competition, he posted a 2.79 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. He posted career highs in innings pitched (142), strikeouts (114), wins (6) and starts (22). Upper Minors The 2016 season saw him take the next step as he split time between High-A and Double-A. Through his first seven starts, he posted a 2.00 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 45.0 IP. From May 26-July 5, he reeled off seven straight victories while averaging over six innings per start. During this stretch, he had a 1.13 ERA and held opponents to a .549 OPS. His impressive stretch meant he was named the starter for the FSL South Division All-Stars. His first six starts at Double-A saw him post an ERA north of 5.00. From there, he settled in with a 3.16 ERA while averaging more than seven innings per start in his last five appearances. Jorge was added to the 40-man roster leading into the 2017 season. This is one of the reasons he will be making a start on Saturday as the Twins needed someone to make a spot start. However, he has been doing well in his second stint at Double-A. Through 14 starts, he has a 3.26 ERA and a 61 to 22 strikeout to walk ratio. His eight wins are the second most in the entire Southern League. Scouting Report The Twins list Jorge at 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds so he doesn't exactly look overpowering on the mound. He can hit in the low 90s with his fastball which can surprise some hitters because of his size. He doesn't strike out a lot of batters but he always stays around the zone. Jorge prefers to pitch in the lower half of the zone so he can coax ground balls from the batters. He also uses a change-up and a late-breaking slider to help him get more ground ball outs. Overall, the hope is that he can develop into a mid-rotation starter who can help the Twins as they fight their way back into contention. Click here to view the article

Baseball's Midsummer Classic is quickly approaching. Fan voting for the starters ended on Thursday and rosters will be announced on ESPN at 7 p.m. on Sunday. The 2017 MLB All-Star Game will be played at Marlins Park on July 11. There are a few things to consider when looking at the line-ups I created below. I didn't take into consideration the fact that each team needs at least one representative because I was only picking the starters. I also didn't spend time to see if the starting pitchers for either squad will be unavailable because they'll pitch for their team on the Sunday before the All-Star Game. To me, the All-Star roster need to be a combination of a few different things. It shouldn't be rosters composed of just the players having great starts to the season. I like to take into consideration the second-half of the 2016 season as well as looking at veteran players who have earned a spot because of the body of their work.How does this strategy work when creating the starting line-ups? I'm glad you asked... American League All-Star Starters C: Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals 1B: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers 2B: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros 3B: Miguel Sano, Minnesota Twins SS: Carlos Correa, Houston Astros OF: George Springer, Houston Astros OF: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels OF: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees DH: Corey Dickerson, Tampa Bay Rays SP: Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox There aren't too many surprises on this starting line-up. Catching has become a wasteland across the baseball world but Perez provides some offensive punch and solid defensive skills. At first base, there isn't anyone that stood out to me from the first half so I picked Cabrera, the player likely on his way to Cooperstown. Houston is off to a tremendous start and their core trio of players all deserve starting nods. Trout is injured but he is still the best player in the game and he deserves to be recognized. Miguel Sano is in a tight race with the Indians' Jose Ramirez for the starting job at third. My vote goes to Sano for his bat and what he has meant to the Twins in the first half. Judge had a first half for the ages and his numbers can't be ignored. Dickerson leads a designated hitter pack that doesn't have a lot of standout candidates. Sale seems like the logical choice to be the American League's starting pitcher. Twins' fans saw first hand what he did to Minnesota's line-up when the club was in Boston. He's at the top of the AL in a variety of pitching categories and it makes sense to trot him out for the first couple of innings. National League All-Star Starters C: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants 1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks 2B: Daniel Murphy, Washington Nationals 3B: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs SS: Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers OF: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals OF: Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies OF: Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers SP: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals There were a couple of tough decisions on the National League side of the game. There are a handful of players with strong credentials at first base but I eventually settled on Goldschmidt for what he can do on both sides of the ball. Third base was another challenge. Bryant had an amazing 2016 and he has been doing well this season so he gets the starting nod (even though he was just hurt). I'm a big fan of Nolan Arenado so as a fan I would vote for him. Harper and Blackmon stand out as strong candidates in the outfield. With Trout injured, Blackmon might be the best center fielder in the game. Bellinger has been a force since being called up so the only thing holding him back might be his late arrival. Posey, Murphy and Seager were easy choices at their position. Like Sale in the American League, Scherzer is off to a tremendous start. As the reigning NL Cy Young winner, Scherzer looks poised to make another All-Star squad and be the first pitcher on the mound. Clayton Kershaw would be another candidate but Scherzer's numbers are too strong this season. So there's my starters with a few picks that were tough to make. Who would part of your All-Star starting rosters? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

It also sounds like this is a very deep class. As I wrote in the article, the top-15 players would all likely fall in the top-5 during a normal year.

The Red Sox likely have a deal in the works to trade for another team's bonus money. Otherwise, they can overspend and be put on penalty, which limits them in future years.

Yes, that would be the likely scenario.

Between $2-3 million

Baseball's July 2 international signing date is quickly approaching and this signing period can be one of the most valuable ways for organizations to add talent. These players can sign for big bonuses but they are signed at age 16 compared to older ages for MLB's domestic draft. Fans need to look no further than the current Twins roster to see valuable international pieces. Miguel Sano and Max Kepler were both signed in 2009 as part of the international signing period. Jorge Polanco is another starter who signed from the international market. Other top prospects like Fernando Romero, Felix Jorge and Engelb Vielma were international signees and they each are already on the 40-man roster.Overview of the Class Many national entities feel like the 2017 international signing class is very strong with two strong players at the top, Wander Franco and Daniel Flores. Baseball America said this about the class,"While there are 5-10 players who emerge among the elite prospects in a signing class, the 2017 group has strong depth of top-end talent. Any of the players in the top 15 could fit into a top five in many years. Hard Cap Era Baseball has been tightening its rules when it comes to signing players. This year will mark the beginning of the hard cap era for international signings. The majority of teams have a bonus pool of $4.75 million while smaller market clubs, like the Twins, get either $5.25 million or $5.75 million. Even with this hard cap, clubs are able to trade for up to 75 percent of their original pool allotment and they can trade away all of their pool. Minnesota has $5.25 million allotted for players in their bonus pool which means only eight clubs can currently spend more than the Twins. Eleven teams are currently under penalty for exceeding their bonus pools in previous signing periods. This means they are prohibited from signing any player for more than $300,000 during this season's international signing period. Twins Focus Switch-hitting shortstop Jelfrey Marte is expected to get a majority of the Twins' allotment pool. He has been linked to the Twins since this winter and he is expected to get a signing bonus around $3 million. Other sources told the Pioneer Press that a deal was "not done yet" but he should get over $2 million as a bonus. Marte is one of the top ranking Dominican shortstops in the class. Baseball America has him as the 13th overall international prospect in this signing class and the fifth best Dominican shortstop. MLB.com has a much higher view of Marte as he ranks third in their overall rankings. The only shortstop to rank higher than Marte on this list is Wander Franco who is considered the best player in the class. MLB.com offers some strong support for Marte. "He's a good runner with quick hands, a strong arm and the defensive tools that could make him an everyday shortstop one day. Scouts also like Marte's footwork, his polished actions and his range to both sides. On the offensive side, "Marte makes consistent hard contact from both sides of the plate. He has shown good bat speed and a solid approach. What's more, Marte is a line-drive hitter now but he could develop some pop as he grows and his body matures." According to Darren Wolfson, another name to watch is Venezuelan outfielder Carlos Aguiar. Baseball America has him as the 30th best prospect in the class while MLB.com didn't have him in their top-30. There will be other names as well but the Twins will likely use most of their bonus pool on Marte and Aguiar. Will the Twins trade for some more bonus pool space? What are your thoughts on Marte and Aguiar? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

'The two most important things in life are good friends and a strong bullpen.'--- Bob Lemon, Hall of Fame Pitcher The Twins bullpen would hardly be called strong this season. In fact, Minnesota's relief core has been somewhat of a revolving door with a well-worn path between Rochester and Target Field. As Nick wrote about on Monday, Brandon Kintzler might be the bullpen's unlikely hero but the team is going to need some second-half help to stay in contention. Are there internal options that could be added to the mix? Could any injured players be making a comeback? Who is out there on the trade market? Let's take a look at how the bullpen could be bolstered.The Injured Phil Hughes has been making rehab appearances for Rochester and it sounds like he could be joining the Twins as soon as the end of the this week. He will make one more appearance on Wednesday before being activated by the club. In three Triple-A appearances (3 IP), Hughes has allowed one run on three hits with one strikeout and two walks. He wants to contribute this season and the bullpen is his best option since he has some lingering symptoms of the shoulder weakness that caused him to have surgery last season. While Hughes is close to impacting the Twins, former closer Glen Perkins seems much further away from making a return. Manager Paul Molitor told reporters on Monday that Perkins could resume throwing after he receives a cortisone shot. This could come as early as Tuesday but there are no guarantees for Perkins. At this point, it seems like a long-shot for him to make an appearance this season. The Minors Ryan Pressly has struggled in his big league time this season, posting an 8.18 ERA with a 1.41 WHIP. In five Triple-A appearances (eight IP), he has yet to allow a run while converting all three save opportunities. He has given up more walks (three) than hits (two) to go along with 12 strikeouts and a .080 opponents' batting average. Those numbers might be tough for the front office to ignore. Michael Tonkin and John Curtiss are two other names to watch in the second-half. Like Pressly, Tonkin has struggled during his big league action this season. He has a 6.55 ERA and a 13 to 10 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 11 innings. With Rochester, he's posted a 2.81 ERA and a 23 to 9 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Curtiss was dominating as Chattanooga's closer before being promoted to Triple-A. For the season, he has allowed two earned runs (0.99 ERA) with 38 strikeouts over 27.1 innings. The Reunion Possibilities Former fan favorite Pat Neshek is currently on a bad Philadelphia team and his name has already been surfacing in trade rumors. The side-winding hurler has a 0.59 ERA to go along with a 0.783 WHIP that would be attractive to any team in contention. He is in the final year of a three-year contract so he will be a free agent at season's end. This makes it hard for a team to surrender multiple prospects for a player who will make only a handful of appearances during the stretch run. Another former Twin, Anthony Swarzak has been performing very well out of the White Sox bullpen. His 2.94 ERA is his best mark since 2013 with the Twins. Swarzak has also been posting a SO/9 rate higher than his career average and a career-best 1.10 WHIP. Like Neshek, he will be a free agent at the end of the season so trading multiple prospects probably doesn't make sense. He also currently plays on a division rival so that can make a trade less likely. Other options are available and it still remains to be seen how the new front office regime will handle the trade deadline. Do they want to go all-in on a club that is surprisingly in the playoff hunt? How do you think the front office should sort through the second-half bullpen options? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

This time of year can get very busy in the Twins farm system. The rookie league teams are starting to get up and running while the full-season affiliates have shifted into second-half mode. New playoff spots are on the line and players have a lot to prove in the months ahead. After a plethora of roster moves over the last week, there are plenty of new faces in new places who are trying to make their marks. Whose Sunday performance got them closer to a call-up?RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 7, Lehigh Valley 4 Box Score Lehigh Valley has been the cream of the crop in the International League this season. In fact, the Red Wings were looking to avoid their 10th straight series loss to the IronPigs. Rochester pounced early as Zack Granite led off the bottom of the first with his third home run of the season. Mitch Garver followed with a double and he moved to third on a JB Shuck single. Matt Hague grounded into a double play but Rochester still took a 2-0 lead. Red Wings' starter Tim Melville ran into a little bit of trouble in the third. The first two batters reached on a hit-by-pitch and a walk before a three-run bomb gave Lehigh Valley the lead. Melville settled in from there and tossed five frames, scattering four hits. He struck out six and walked two. Phil Hughes made his third rehab appearance and allowed his first earned run, a solo home run. Drew Rucinski tossed two perfect innings while striking out two. Michael Tonkin earned his second save as he struck out the side in the ninth. Rochester took the lead in the fourth inning. Matt Hague and ByungHo Park both doubled to start the frame. Niko Goodrum drove in Park with a single before coming around to score on a Leonardo Reginatto double. The Red Wings were up 5-3. In the seventh inning, Hague drove in two important runs with his sixth home run of the season to cap off the Rochester victory. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Pensacola 0 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score Dereck Rodriguez was rocking in this game as he picked up his first Double-A victory. In six innings of work, he allowed two hits while striking out six and walking two. There was only one time he faced a batter with a runner in scoring position. Paul Clemens made things a little interesting in the seventh as he allowed a walk and a hit but he struck out the side to finish the game. Travis Harrison put the Lookouts on the board with a solo home run, his first, to start the second inning. In the fourth inning, LaMonte Wade came up with a huge two-out single with the bases loaded to score a pair of runs. Andy Wilkins started the next inning with a double and Brain Navarreto had to use a two-out single to score Wilkins from third. Wilkins drovein another run in the sixth. Edgar Corcino walked and Wade walked before Wilkins brought them both home. Corcino reached base in all four plate appearances. Wilkins finished with a three-hit night. Chattanooga 6, Pensacola 0 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score After only needing one relief pitcher in the first game of the day, Fernando Romero made sure the Lookouts could avoid using the bullpen in this one. He was masterful over seven shutout innings as he struck out six and walked three. The Blue Wahoos only managed three hits and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Romero hasn't lost a game since the middle of May and he has pitched into the sixth inning in five straight appearances. Nick Gordon got things going in the first as he led off with a single. TJ White brought him home with a two-out hit. Travis Harrison created a run by himself in the second. He doubled, stole second, and then scored on a throwing error. In the third frame, Wade singled and Wilkins walked before Levi Michael cracked his eighth double. Gordon and Harrison each reached base three times in the winning effort. Alex Perez went 3-for-3. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 8, Florida 3 Box Score The Miracle pounded out 13 hits including a four-hit night from Max Murphy on their way to an 8-3 victory. Jaylin Davis and Mitchell Kranson each had multi-hit games with Kranson recording his first double. Tanner English reached base three times including a triple. In the fourth, Jermaine Palacios recorded his first FSL RBI with a sac-fly to right. Nelson Monlina was the lone batter in the line-up who failed to record a hit. Anthony McIver was credited with his second win after he allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts. Keaton Steele took over for McIver and tossed two scoreless frames. David Fischer and Andrew Vasquez combined for two more scoreless innings as Vasquez struck out all three batters in the final frame. The Miracle have an off-day Monday before the start of a seven-game homestand. Mets farmhand Tim Tebow was recently promoted to St. Lucie and the Miracle have four-games against his squad starting next Friday. Stay tuned... KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 2 Box Score The Kernels used a strong start from Clark Beeker and some timely hitting to come out on top in this one. Beeker pitched into the sixth inning, allowing one run on six hits. As part of his team-high seventh win, he struck out two and walked none. Max Cordy took over for Beeker and pitched 2.1 innings and he allowed one unearned run. He didn't surrender a hit but he walked three batters and struck out two. Hector Lujan pitched a scoreless ninth with a strikeout. With two outs in the first, Travis Blankenhorn singled before an Amaurys Minier double to stake Cedar Rapids to an early 1-0 lead. Caleb Hamilton and Ben Rortvedt cracked back-to-back homers to start the fourth frame. In the seventh inning with two outs, Rortvedt doubled in another run. Hank Morrison capped the scoring with a single to post a final score of 6-2. Minier reached base three times in six plate appearances. Christian Cavaness, Rortvedt and Morrison all had multi-hit games. The Kernels are now eight games over .500 on the season. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 12, Pulaski 3 Box Score The E-Twins compiled four three-run innings to blow out the Yankees. After trailing 1-0 early, Andrew Cosgrove singled to drive in a run and Jordan Gore doubled to plate two more. The fifth inning was the power inning as Matt Contreras and Brent Rooker both homered to extend the lead to 6-1. Contreras drove in another run with a bases-loaded single in the sixth. Carson Crites added a two-run double as the three-run inning streak continued. Six E-Twins batters had multi-hit nights led by Gore as he went 3-for-4 with two doubles. Melvi Acosta earned his first victory of the season. He scatted five hits over five innings while allowing three runs with five strikeouts. Jovani Moran was stellar in relief as he tossed three scoreless innings with six strikeouts and no walks. Juan Gamez finished with a scoreless ninth. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Fernando Romero, Chattanooga Lookouts (CG, 7 IP, 0 ER, 6 K, 3 BB, 3 H) Hitter of the Day – Max Murphy, Fort Myers Miracle (4-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (4:35 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut (4-4, 3.36 ERA) Rochester @ Buffalo (Game 2) - RHP Aaron Slegers (6-4, 4.11 ERA) Chattanooga vs. Pensacola (6:15 CST) - RHP Randy LeBlanc (2-2 5.35 ERA) Fort Myers - Scheduled Off-Day Cedar Rapids vs. Burlington (6:35 CST) - RHP Tyler Wells (4-1 1.89 ERA) Elizabethton vs. Pulaski (6:00 CST) - RHP Griffen Jax (0-0, 0.00 ERA) GCL Twins vs. GCL Orioles (11:00 am CST)- TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

The following article was featured in the 2017 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. Almost 170 players were profiled in this year's book, which also included articles and prospect rankings. To meet your needs, the book is available in both paperback ($12.79 with a current 20% off sale) or ebook ($8.99). Trevor Hildenberger has been the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year for two consecutive seasons. He's been able to grow and develop a lot during that time and he's had a lot of help along the way. It was announced last night that he will be called up with the anticipation of him making his big league debut.After another strong season, Trevor Hildenberger is joining some lofty company. Last year, Jose Berrios won the second of his back-to-back Minor League Pitcher of the Year awards before making his big league debut. Now Hildenberger hopes to follow the path laid by Berrios as he has been named the organization’s best minor league relief pitcher for the second consecutive season. Hildenberger got a jump start on his 2016 campaign by competing in the 2015 Arizona Fall League. He made eight appearances and allowed three earned runs on 13 hits. Over 12.2 innings, he struck out 12 and didn’t walk a batter. When reflecting on his AFL season, Hildenberger said, “My experience in the fall league was eye opening to say the least. I distinctly remember the first two pitches I threw in my very first outing out there were both fastballs away that got barreled up and spanked into the outfield for singles (one of them by Daniel Palka). So immediately I realized how important it would be for me to mix speeds and location no matter the batter, the score, or the inning.” He went on to say, “I was coming into that fall straight from A ball and quickly everyone in those lineups had immense talent 1-9. I think working my way through the first half of the fall league helped me learn how to get more advanced hitters out and the second half, maybe my last 6-7 innings, was much smoother. So coming into 2016, I knew if I wanted to continue having success, I needed to mix speeds out of the gate, use my changeup against hitters from both sides of the plate, and utilize my over the top arm slot.” In the AFL Championship Game, he took over for fellow Twins pitcher Taylor Rogers and pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. The Scottsdale Scorpions would go on to win the game. As the 2016 season commenced, the Twins took notice of Hildenberger’s AFL performance and brought him over from the minor league side of spring training. This was one of his first opportunities to impress the major league coaching staff. Paul Molitor told the Pioneer Press, “I just know a lot of people have pretty high expectations of what he might be able to do eventually.” In one appearance, he faced off against the reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper. He tried to get ahead of Harper with a fastball but Harper pounced on it for a double to the gap. Hildenberger would get Ryan Zimmerman to finish the frame on three pitches. After the game he told the Pioneer Press, “It was a ton of fun. I hope to draw a lot from it. The experience of warming up and getting the jitters out of the way and facing those two really good hitters- big name guys- and getting one of them out, I feel like that’s a little bit confidence building.” He used that confidence as the 2016 season got underway. During his first six appearances with the Miracle, he allowed one earned run over 9.1 innings with eight strikeouts and no walks. By the end of May, he made his Double-A debut. In two of his first five appearances, he allowed two home runs while holding batters to four hits in 6.0 innings. This would be just the start of something special. Over his final 27 appearances, Hildenberger went on an unbelievable run. He allowed one earned run in his last 32.2 innings (0.28 ERA) with a 39 to 5 strikeout to walk ratio. Opponents hit .150/.193/.159 against him during that stretch. “It was a lot of fun pitching during those few weeks when I felt extremely comfortable on the mound,” Hildenberger said.”I was trusting my catchers, both [stuart] Turner and [Mitch] Garver, to call what they felt appropriate and I had the ability and confidence to shake them off (which was rare).” He went on to say, “During that stretch, I was throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters; I felt really comfortable challenging them early in the count because of my confidence in the defense behind me. This led to a lot of quick outs and therefore quick innings. Being able to execute with two strikes and put hitters away was important too, it shortened at bats and innings. Pitching is way more fun when you have the confidence to execute any pitch at any time, and I was lucky to stay that sharp for a portion of the summer.” Lots of coaches have helped Hildenberger to be able to put together this dominate run. “I've been in the Twins organization two and a half years now and I've learned a lot from numerous coaches. You kind of take bits and pieces of what a coach says and work with what helps you the most. For example, the way one coach talks about mechanics and body awareness may click with you more than another coach.” “Personally, Henry Bonilla and Ivan Arteaga have been the pitching coaches that have helped me the most in my pro career. They have been the only two coaches I've had the past two full seasons and have helped me be more aggressive, patient, and calm against increasingly better hitters.” “Henry helped me discover what I can be good at when I was in Cedar Rapids, and how to attack hitters with my strengths. He also helped my mechanics become more repeatable and reliable. Building off that, once I wasn't competing against myself when I was on the mound, Ivan has helped me identify and exploit hitters weaknesses in order to keep getting good hitters out. I think he has a way of getting his pitchers to make adjustments and learning to make those adjustments on their own that is crucial to development.” Besides coaches, pitchers and catchers also have to build a strong relationship. When asked about his battery mates, Hildenberger said, “I've been lucky enough to throw to several good defensive catchers throughout the system. Rainis Silva was my main catcher in the GCL who is a young guy with a rocket arm and controlled the running game well.” “I threw to Brian Navarreto during my time in Cedar Rapids in 2015 and the early part of 2016 with the Miracle. He is another stud who seems to throw out everyone that tries to steal a base. His receiving is what I enjoyed the most because of his ability to get below the ball and bring some fastballs back up to the strike zone which is important for a sinkerballer like me.” Other catchers have also left their mark with Hildberger. “All the defensive praise Stuart Turner receives is true and accurate, but my favorite part about throwing to him was how smart he is. I miss throwing to him since he's with the Reds now. He helped me get hitters out late in games when he remembered their previous three at bats, and possibly more from the night before.” “Mitch Garver is my favorite though, we have always been on the same page whether it be in Fort Myers, the Fall League, or Chattanooga. He has a great feel for how a hitter is feeling in the box, what they are looking for, and how to exploit it. He knows how to get a lot of different kinds of hitters out, and I'm very comfortable throwing to him. Obviously it helps that he threw out close to 50% of attempted base stealers this season. All these guys are so good at controlling the running game that it helps a pitcher worry less about the guys on bases, and focus on the guy in the box.” Hildenberger’s last appearance during the 2016 season was on July 27. He was diagnosed with tendinosis or tennis elbow in his throwing elbow which can result from chronic overuse of the elbow. After undergoing an MRI, doctors found no structural damage and his ulnar collateral ligament, the ligament associated with Tommy John surgery, looked good. At the time of the injury, he told the Pioneer Press, “The ligament is great.” He went on to say, “My flexor tendon has some wear and tear, so I’m shut down for the season.” This winter Hildenberger said, “My arm feels fantastic and I'm ready to enter spring training 100% and ready to compete. I spent the first couple months this offseason down in Fort Myers rehabbing my forearm with Chad Jackson and Corey Dietze. I did a throwing program and got off a mound before coming home to California right before Thanksgiving and it felt great. Like I said, I'm healthy and ready to compete.” Teams have to be cautious with players returning from injury. Each player is going to move at their own pace. Hildenberger has already worked through multiple hurdles and this has helped him to focus on the 2017 campaign. “I have a few goals for the upcoming season: including staying healthy the entire year, pitch in the playoffs, and improve over the course of the year,” Hildenberger said. “But my number one goal is to debut in the big leagues in 2017.” “Trevor had a great year,” said Twins Minor League Director Brad Steil. “He posted dominant numbers in Ft. Myers the first few weeks of the season and then improved on those numbers when he was promoted to Chattanooga.” Steil went on to say, “The most important aspect of the season for Trevor was that he continues to improve in all areas. Both his slider and change-up have improved, and he continues to attack hitters. His competitive focus and work ethic are important factors in his success.” When asked about how it felt to be a back-to-back winner of this award, he said, “It's always nice to be recognized and to be acknowledged like this two years in a row is an honor. I appreciate you guys taking the time to recognize minor league players and their accomplishments. Twins Daily does a good job of keeping up with the Twins affiliates for the diehard Twins fans out there so again, thank you again for this recognition. Back to back is nice and all, but I have no interest in the three peat, hopefully I've graduated from the minors by that time.” Hildenberger is looking to join a Twins’ bullpen that pitched the most innings in the American League in 2016. As Minnesota looks to get back in contention, young arms like Hildenberger will be key to turning the organization around. He has been fantastic for two consecutive seasons and expectations are high for him to make his debut before the end of 2017. 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In the aftermath this year's MLB Draft, it can be fun to reevaluate where an organization stacks up in the prospect department. For better or worse, franchises can make it or break it with their selections in the draft. It's also important for teams to be able to build from within to help manage the bottom line. Minnesota's top prospect list is littered with highly drafted players over the last handful of years. Players like Nick Gordon, Tyler Jay and Kohl Stewart have all been taken with first-round picks. Ideally, these players will form the nucleus of Minnesota's next championship winning club. On Tuesday, I ran through the first half of my top-10 prospect list. Today I shift my focus to the top-5. Who's going to be number 1?5. Alex Kirilloff, OF, 19-- Highest Level: Rookie Preseason Rank: 4 Minnesota's first-round pick in 2016, Kirilloff will miss all of 2017 after having Tommy John surgery. The Twins drafted him because of his ability to hit. He did that last year in his first taste of professional action. His batting average was over .300 with a nearly .800 OPS. Miguel Sano has been another big name Twins prospect to undergo Tommy John and he hasn't shown any ill-effects from the procedure. Kirilloff will be 20-years old before he gets back on the field. He will need to show he can continue to hit and the Twins will need to be aggressive with him when he returns to action. 4. Fernando Romero, RHP-- Highest Level: Double-A Preseason Rank: 3 Romero is in the midst of a very important season. With a year under his belt since Tommy John surgery, he is sneaking into the Twins' long-term plans. With his big fastball and off-speed offerings, he has all the assets to be a front-line starter. He posted strong numbers last season at Low- and High-A but the transition to Double-A has come with some bumps. His ERA is over 3.00 and he has a WHIP north of 1.30. He's struck out 70 in 71.2 innings pitched so he will need to continue to improve his peripheral numbers as he gets closer to the big leagues. Romero might have the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the Twins system but he needs to prove he can stick as a starter. Otherwise, he could be destined for the bullpen. 3. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP, 22-- Highest Level: Double-A Preseason Rank: 2 Gonsalves hasn't done anything wrong to move him down my list. It's hard to ignore the talent of the players listed in front of him. After some rough moments in the Arizona Fall League, Gonsalves has gotten back on track to start the 2017 campaign. He has an eye-popping 0.912 WHIP which would be his lowest total in any season. His 11.1 SO/9 would be his highest total with any full-season affiliate. He's also walking fewer batters which might signal that the 22-year old is putting it all together. He has dealt with a left shoulder issue which kept him out of action in the AFL at the beginning of this season. If he continues to put up strong numbers, there's no reason he shouldn't make his Target Field debut this season. 2. Royce Lewis, SS, 18-- Highest Level: High-School Preseason Rank: N/A It's might seem odd not to put the Twins newly minted top draft pick at the top of a prospect list. Lewis was the first overall selection but there are a few factors that go into his placement on this list. First of all, Lewis wasn't considered the best draft prospect on every list compiled before the draft. He is a very raw prospect with all the tools to be a superstar. However, it will be multiple years before the Twins know if they struck gold. Lewis will start in the rookie leagues and he needs to prove he can stick at shortstop over other prospects currently in the Twins system. Some believe he will need to be shifted to the outfield, a position where he has shown some promise in the past. Lewis might dominate the rookie leagues this season and force his way to the top of the Twins prospect list but he isn't there yet. 1. Nick Gordon, SS, 21-- Highest Level: Double-A Preseason Rank: 1 In almost any other organization, Lewis would be a team's top prospect. However, Gordon is destroying baseballs this season. He is over three years younger than the competition in the Southern League and he's hitting .315/.376/.504. Gordon has hit more home runs this season than his first three season's combined. Since Engelb Vielma has moved to Rochester, Gordon has played shortstop on a regular basis. He's gotten a taste of second base but the organization seems committed to giving him as many opportunities as possible to succeed at shortstop. Like his brother, he might need to eventually move away from shortstop but his bat is better than even the Twins might have imagined when they drafted him. He's a strong top prospect and he could be a regular in the Twins line-up as soon as next season. There you have my top-10 Twins prospects following the 2017 MLB Draft. Who did I miss? Who ranks too high? Who ranks too low? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

In the aftermath this year's MLB Draft, it can be fun to reevaluate where an organization stacks up in the prospect department. For better or worse, franchises can make it or break it with their selections in the draft. It's also important for teams to be able to build from within to help manage the bottom line. Minnesota's top prospect list is littered with highly drafted players over the last handful of years. Players like Nick Gordon, Tyler Jay and Kohl Stewart have all been taken with first round picks. Ideally, these players will form the nucleus of Minnesota's next championship winning club. The Twins took Royce Lewis with the first overall pick. Where will he fall in among the team's top prospects?10. Daniel Palka, OF, 25-- Current Level: Triple-A Preseason Rank: 12 Palka hasn't been hitting for as much power as he did in his first season in the Twins organization. However, he has lowered his Triple-A strikeout percentage from 38.6% last year to 24.6% in 2017. The Twins added him to the 40-man roster this off-season so he could have been a call away from making his big league debut. Unfortunately, he broke his left index finger at the end of April which will keep him on the DL for a chunk of this season. His potential continues to be high but he is going to have to come back strong from this injury and fight his way on to the 2018 Twins roster. 9. Felix Jorge, RHP, 23-- Current Level: Double-A Preseason Rank: 10 Like Palka, Jorge was added to the Twins 40-man roster this past off-season. As a 23-year old, he is over a year younger than the competition in the Southern League. He's off to a tremendous start with an 8-1 record and the Lookouts have gone 12-1 in games he has started this season. Jorge isn't overpowering but he finds a way to get outs. Last year at Double-A, he posted a 3.9 SO/9 and he has improved that number to 6.2 in 2017. He's struck out over 100 batters in back-to-back seasons while being younger than the competition. Jorge might not be a front-line starter but he could settle into a very important pitching role on a future Twins roster. 8. Tyler Jay, LHP, 23-- Highest Level: Double-A Preseason Rank: 5 One of the most disappointing stories out of spring training this year was the Twins deciding to move Tyler Jay to the bullpen. When the Twins took Jay with a top-10 pick, they were hoping to shift him from the bullpen to a starting rotation. There were some ups and downs during his first two professional seasons and it sounds like both Jay and the new Twins front office felt like this was the best decision. He's only made a couple of appearances this season as he has dealt with bicep tendinitis. Baseball bullpens are evolving with players no longer being limited to one inning or one batter. Jay could develop into a late inning weapon much like Cleveland's Andrew Miller. 7. Lewin Diaz, 1B, 20-- Highest Level: Low-A Preseason Rank: 9 Diaz is making his mark during his first taste of full-season action. Though he's over a year younger than the competition in the Midwest League, Diaz is hitting .271/.314/.446 with a career-high 21 doubles. Even though he is a power-hitter, he has been able to control his strikeout numbers with 45 strikeouts in 274 plate appearances. Defense will never be his calling card but he can make the plays he needs to make at first base. While there might be some defensive struggles, Diaz has the bat to impact the game. The Kernels clinched a first-half playoff spot on Sunday and Diaz was one of the main cogs leading them to the postseason. 6. Wander Javier, SS, 18- Highest Level: Dominican Summer League Preseason Rank: 7 In July of 2015, Javier made a splash when the Twins signed him for $4 million dollars. He was limited to nine games during the 2016 season as he dealt with hamstring issues. In this very small sample he hit .308/.400/.654 with five of his eight hits being for extra bases. With the addition of first overall pick Royce Lewis, it will be interesting to see how at-bats are handled to start the year in the GCL. Both Javier and Lewis will need repetitions but who will be able to stand out above the crowd. All of the tools are there for Javier and he will need to showcase them this season as the Twins shortstop picture is starting to fill-up in the minor leagues. How would your rankings look? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, grandpas and great-grandpas across Twins Territory. Baseball can be quite the bonding experience for fathers and sons. This bond is passed down through the generations. My dad worked many long days as a UPS driver for over 30 years. I still remember waiting up for him to get home so we could play catch. He'd schedule his breaks so he could show up in his brown work uniform to play in the father-son baseball game. He took me to my first Twins game where I got to watch Kirby Puckett, the man I thought was a hero. It turns out the hero was the man who brought me to the game. The man who didn't have to play catch with me when he got home after a long work day. The man who didn't have to take his breaks so he could play in a kid's baseball game. These are the memories that stick with a person as other memories fade away. Thank you, Dad!RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Pawtucket 2 (Game 1- 8 Innings) Box Score Rochester scored in each of the first two frames to take an early 2-0 lead. After a Matt Hague walk, singles from Mitch Garver and ByungHo Park plated the first run. JB Shuck was hit by a pitch to start the second. Bengie Gonzalez and Engelb Vielma were walked to load the bases. Zach Granite singled to push the score to 2-0 with no outs. Unfortunately, the Red Wings would score only one with the bases loaded and no outs. Chris Heston started and allowed two earned runs on seven hits with a strikeout. Drew Rucinski didn't allow a run in two innings. Michael Tonkin picked up his second win after striking out four of the six batters he faced to end the game. Seven innings wasn't enough to decide the first game of the doubleheader. Lucky enough for Rochester fans, Matt Hague didn't wait long into extra-frames. He led off the top of the eighth inning with his fifth home run of the season which turned out to be the game-winning knock. Rochester 2, Pawtucket 1 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score Rochester found themselves in an early 1-0 hole but that's where the scoring would stop for the Red Sox. Tim Melville, in his second start with Rochester, pitched five innings and allowed one run. He danced around four walks and three hits but struck out four on the way to his first win. Trevor Hildenberger picked up save number five with two scoreless frames including three strikeouts. JB Shuck started the third with a double, his 15th on the season. Bengie Gonzlez was the next batter and he reached on a throwing error which allowed Shuck to score. In the top of the fifth, Tommy Field singled and scored on a single from Shuck. The play included two errors from the Red Sox outfield so neither of the runs scored by Rochester were earned. With two wins on Sunday, Rochester is now just one game under .500 at 32-33 on the season. They are 11 games out of first place in the International League North but they are only eight games back in the wild card race with plenty of baseball left to play. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 10, Tennessee 2 Box Score Chattanooga pounded out 12 hits and 10 runs on their way to the club's 42nd win this season. With the game tied at 1-1 in the top of the fourth, the Lookouts plated four runs. Ryan Walker started the inning with a single and moved to third on Nick Gordon's second double of the game. Levi Michael drove in one with a ground-out before LaMonte Wade added a run-scoring single. Wade stole second in front of an Andy Wilkins double. Then Dan Gamache doubled to bring in Wilkins and cap the four-run inning. TJ White broke the game open in the seventh inning with a three-run home run. It was his third homer of the season. Nick Gordon finished 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored. Wade, Wilkins and Walker all had multi-hit games. Paul Clemens was able to put the game on cruise control to improve to 2-0 with the Lookouts. He scattered five hits over five innings while adding a strikeout and a walk. Alex Muren struck out two in two innings but did allow a solo home run. Todd Van Steensel pitched two scoreless innings to finish the contest, lowereing his ERA to 1.93. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 16, Clinton 3 Box Score With a chance to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday, the Kernels made quick work of the LumberKings. Cedar Rapids sent 13 men to the plate in the first inning on their way to scoring nine runs. Travis Blankenhorn scored twice in the frame including a two-run home run. Lewin Diaz added a two-run single and Christian Cavaness brought home two with a triple. The Kernels added to their lead in the second with an Aaron Whitefield two-run home run and a run scoring single from Blankenhorn. Their 12-0 lead was more than enough for the pitching staff. Whitefield finished with a career-high five runs batted in. Ben Rortvedt connected for his first career home run as part of a three-hit game. Blankenhorn went 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI. Every batter in the Kernels' starting line-up reached base. Max Cordy pitched into the fourth inning and allowed one run on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Alex Robinson was credited with the win. He tossed 2.1 scoreless innings with a strikeout and a walk. Logan Lombana allowed a pair of runs in one inning. Patrick McGuff finished off the game with two scoreless frames including two strikeouts. The Kernels qualified for the Midwest League playoffs for the fifth year in a row and secured the longest playoff streak in Cedar Rapids professional baseball history. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Michael Tonkin, Rochester Red Wings (2 IP, 4 K, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB) Hitter of the Day – Travis Blankenhorn, Cedar Rapids Kernels (4-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Buffalo (6:05 CST) - TBD Chattanooga - Scheduled Off-Day Fort Myers @ Jupiter (5:30 CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids - Scheduled Off-Day Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Here's the other spin rates from Berardino https://twitter.com/MikeBerardino/status/875050096542527488

Baseball teams always looking for pitchers who can light up the radar gun. However, in recent years there has been a resurgence in pitchers utilizing the curveball. Pitchers like Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Jake Arrieta have been dominant because of their off-speed offering. Even young pitchers like Lance McCullers have relied on the curveball to be effective. Minnesota has been home to some of the greatest curveball throwers in history. Now, the Twins have their own core of pitchers utilizing one of baseball's oldest pitches. As the curveball makes a comeback, can the Twins cause some trouble with the curve?Berrios Riding The Curve It's no secret that Berrios struggled during his rookie campaign. In 14 starts, he allowed 12 home runs and posted an 8.02 ERA. Things have turned around this season as he has an impressive 2.84 ERA while having a higher strikeout rate and walking fewer batters. Something has clicked for the young pitcher and his curveball might be one of the reasons for the dramatic turnaround. During the 2016 campaign, Berrios threw his curveball 21.6% of the time. He was consistently falling behind batters and this meant he couldn't turn to his off-speed offerings. So far this season, he has been able to use his curveball almost 30% of the time. This pitch can continue to be a weapon if he can stay ahead of batters and avoid fastball counts. Berrios isn't the only Twins pitcher taking advantage of the curve. Twirling Relief Trio Minnesota ranks in the top-10 for curveball usage this season and only four AL teams have a higher curveball percentage. Tyler Duffey, Buddy Boshers and Taylor Rogers have all used their curveball for close to a third of their pitches. Duffey has been one of Minnesota's best relief options this season as he's posted career best marks in SO/9, WHIP, and ERA. In his first season as a relief pitcher, he has seen his fast ball velocity increase by almost two miles per hour which helps to set up his off-speed offerings. Rogers has also seen an improvement in some of his peripheral numbers while being used in some late inning situations. Boshers has spent the majority of the season at Rochester. However, he struck out nearly nine batters per nine innings at Triple-A and has a spiffy 0.818 WHIP in his time with the Twins. This trio along with Berrios are following some of the best curveballs in history. Minnesota's Curveball History Two of the most feared curveball pitchers in history have worn Minnesota Twins jerseys. Camilo Pascual started his career as a 20-year old with the Washington Senators. When the Twins moved to Minnesota, Pascual was in the midst of four straight All-Star seasons. He'd led the AL in WAR in 1959 and 1962. Ted Williams, who is considered one of the game's greatest hitters, had high praise for Pascual. "He had the best curveball I ever saw. You could hear it." He went on to say it sounded like ripping silk and that Pascual "had the most feared curveball in the American League for 18 years." Besides Williams' praise, fellow Hall of Fame hitter Al Kaline said, "Pascual's curveball was big, sharp and fast. Most players couldn't hit it." While Pascual was terrific, Bert Blyleven rode his curveball all the way to the Hall of Fame. He had nine seasons where he was in the top-10 for WAR and he led the AL in WAR for pitchers in 1973 and 1981. Jim Palmer said, "I was amazed at how Blyleven's curve seemed to change direction not once, but twice on its way to the plate." Phil Roof, one of Blyleven's catchers, could hear the pitcher's middle finger snap against his palm since he threw his curve with so much force. The curveball might be back and it could be a key pitch as the Twins fight to stay in contention in the weeks ahead. Click here to view the article