Cody Christie

The first month of the minor league season wrapped up on Saturday with plenty of positive signs from the Twins system. Strong pitching has been the key throughout most of the organization but there have also been some hitters who have gotten off to hot starts. As the weather continues to warm-up, it will be interesting to see the direction that will be followed by the Twins' affiliates. So what was the story on Saturday? Strong pitching? Hot hitting? Read on to find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 7, Scranton/WB 5 Box Score Andrew Albers made his return to the Twins organization with his first start for the Red Wings since 2013. The first inning was a little rough as he allowed back-to-back home runs to start the game. He settled down a little from there and finished the game by allowing five earned runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings. Of his 80 pitches, 50 were for strikes and he had one walk. Marcus Walden took over in the sixth and allowed a couple of inherited runners to score. Brandon Kintzler earned his fourth win out of the bullpen after throwing two scoreless frames. Buddy Boshers earned his first save by striking out the side in the ninth. Despite being outhit 12 to 9, Rochester used a pair of three-run innings to separate themselves from the RailRiders. Wilfredo Tovar and Darin Mastroianni both had two hits including a double for each. Tovar had two of the biggest hits for the Red Wings including the game-tying hit in the bottom of the eighth. Kennys Vargas plated the game-winning runs with a single to left. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Montgomery 12 Box Score One hit... that's all the Lookouts could muster up in this one. Like a few other teams in the organization on Saturday, the Lookouts offense was almost nonexistent. Mitch Garver was the lone player to save the team from being no-hit. He went 1-for-2 with a walk. Three batters reached in the bottom of the ninth to load the bases but the Lookouts couldn't push across a run and were shut out for only the third time this season. Omar Bencomo made his first Southern League start and gave up eight runs, four earned, on seven hits with a strikeout and three walks. Mike Strong and Corey Williams didn't fare much better as each of them allowed a pair of runs in their combined four innings of work. All three pitchers allowed a home run and Strong was the only one to strike out more than one batter. Chattanooga finished 3-4 in the last week after Montgomery has taken two of the first three in this series. At this point, the Lookouts are at the bottom of the Southern League North standings but there is plenty of baseball left to play. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Charlotte 2 Box Score Felix Jorge continues to pitch well for the Miracle even though the offense hasn't really supported him in many of his starts. Today, the right-handed hurler pitched six strong innings while allowing two earned runs. He struck three and walked one. In both of his losses this season, he has made it through six frames and allowed a total of four runs. John Curtiss and Yorman Landa kept the team in the game as each pitched a shutout inning but the offense didn't show up. Fort Myers squeaked out four total hits and struck out 12 times. The club was limited to one at-bat with a runner in scoring position. Alex Real plated the only run for the team with a solo home run in the fourth inning. Trevor Plouffe is on rehab assignment with the club and he went 1-for-4 with a strikeout. Ryan Walker and Nick Gordon had the team's other hits. The Miracle pitching staff had recorded 32 straight scoreless innings against Charlotte and that streak extended to 33 tonight before a run pushed across the plate. With the loss, the Miracle dropped to three games over .500 at 13-10. Over the last week, the club has gone 5-2 as they sit near the top of the standings in the Florida State League South. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, South Bend 5 Box Score As has been the trend for most of this season, the Kernels offense had a tough time getting moving on Saturday night. Only three players managed hits in the game and the team left six men on base (1-for-4 with RISP). LaMonte Wade reached base in three of his four at-bats. Christian Cavaness went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk. Sean Miller scored the team's only run after he singled and stole second in the fifth frame. South Bend jumped out to an early lead after some wild plays in the first inning. The first three batters reached after a pair of singles and a throwing error by Miller. Starting pitcher Dereck Rodriguez struck out a batter before a couple of doubles and a wild pitch allowed the inning to continue. The Kernels have only lost 10 games and Rodriguez has been charged with four of those losses even though he only gave up one earned run in this game. He struck out four and walked one in four innings. Mile Nordgren did well in relief by pitching three scoreless frames. He had to dance around five hits and a walk but he continued to put zeros on the board. Michael Theofanopoulos struck out four and walked three in two scoreless innings. It was his fifth straight appearance without allowing an earned run. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day- Felix Jorge, Fort Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day- Wilfredo Tovar, Rochester Red Wings SUNDAYS'S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Scranton/WB (12:35 CST)- RHP David Martinez (0-1 4.00 ERA) Chattanooga vs. Montgomery (1:15 CST)- RHP Aaron Slegers (1-1, 3.91 ERA) Fort Myers @ Charlotte (11:35 am CST)- LHP Randy Rosario (2-1, 1.02 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. West Michigan (2:05 CST)- RHP Cody Stashak (2-0, 1.13 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article

This week's recent disabled list fiasco at the big league level means the upper minors are pretty sparse in the starting pitching department. With Jose Berrios, Alex Meyer, and Tyler Duffey all on the big league roster, three-fifths of the Rochester rotation is no longer with the club. This left a clear need to add another starter. Minnesota wasted little time scouring independent league rosters for some help. Former Twins pitcher Andrew Albers was signed to a minor league deal and assigned to Rochester. He had been pitching for an independent team in the Atlantic League. With the continued roster movement down on the farm, how would the teams fare as they adjust to new faces in new places?RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Buffalo 2 (10 Innings) Box Score After being locked into an extra-innings battle on Tuesday, nine innings wasn't enough to decide this one between Rochester and Buffalo. Jason Wheeler was promoted from Double-A before today's game to make the start because of the trio of players mentioned above that were called up to the big leagues. Wheeler pitched a very strong game against a very experienced Bisons roster. He lasted seven innings and allowed one run on six hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Buddy Boshers relieved Wheeler and went 1.2 shutout innings while limiting Buffalo to one hit. Brandon Kintzler took the loss, his first of the season, after three singles in the bottom of the tenth inning allowed the game-winning run to score. Despite the loss, James Beresford recorded his third straight multi-hit game and finished the day 3-for-5 with an RBI. Byron Buxton notched his first multi-hit game since being demoted and he has now recorded a hit in all 15 games he has played in Rochester the last two years. Heiker Meneses recorded the team's lone extra-base hit, his first double of the season. Overall, the team left eight runners on base and went 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga (Scheduled Off Day) After another strong performance from Daniel Palka (one of my breakout hitter picks), the Lookouts enjoyed an off-day on Wednesday. Chattanooga has won two straight games and they currently have a 8-12 record while sitting 4.5 games out of first place in the Southern League North. The club resumes action on Thursday with the start of a five-game home series against Montgomery. Roster Move: Right-handed pitcher Omar Bencomo was added to the Lookouts roster. So far this season, he has been in Extended Spring Training, waiting for an opportunity. Last year he signed with the Twins later in the season and with Fort Myers, he had a 1-1 record with a 1.50 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP over 18.0 IP. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 6, Jupiter 1 (10 Innings) Box Score Kohl Stewart did his best to put the Miracle in position to win but he wouldn't figure into the decision as the offense didn't wake up until the late innings. For the second time in his last three appearances, Stewart pitched six shutout frames. When he was pulled, he had struck out five and walked three while lowering his ERA to 1.93. Miracle starting pitchers have now tossed 25 1/3 innings over their last three games without allowing a run. Yorman Landa allowed one run after giving up a lead-off double in the seventh inning and he was in line for the loss before Trey Vavra saved the day. In the top of the ninth frame, Vavra stepped to the plate with his team down 1-0 and down to their last out. He connected on a 3-2 pitch and homered to left field to tie the game. It was just the spark the team needed as the team batted around and scored five runs in the next inning including doubles from Edgar Corcino and Chris Paul. Alex Swim led the team with three hits and Vavra plated three runs. Brandon Peterson earned his first victory of the season after tossing two scoreless frames with a strikeout. Todd Van Steensel closed things out in the bottom of the tenth as the only base runner he allowed was on a two-out walk. With the win, Fort Myers stretched their winning streak to four games. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, West Michigan 8 Box Score The Whitecaps were coming on strong on Wednesday as they plated runs in each of the first four innings including two multi-run innings. Andro Cutura took the brunt of the damage as he allowed a career high eight earned runs on nine hits with two strikeouts and a walk in four innings. Michael Theofanopoulos stopped some of the bleeding as he pitched three shutout frames with a pair of strikeouts. Zach Tillery struck out four in the final two innings. Cedar Rapids struggled offensively, going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base. A.J. Murray went 2-for-4 with his fourth double and a run scored. Luis Arraez had two hits and reached base four times. J.J. Fernandez hit his first home run, a solo-shot in the second inning to tie the game before West Michigan took back the lead. These same two teams square off tomorrow in the rubber game of this three-game set. The Kernels have lost four of their last six games so a series win could help get things moving in the right direction. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day- Jason Wheeler, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day- Trey Vavra, Fort Myers Miracle THURSDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (12:05 CST)- LHP Logan Darnell (1-2, 4.58 ERA) Chattanooga vs. Montgomery (6:15 CST)- RHP DJ Baxendale (1-2, 2.35 ERA) Fort Myers @ Jupiter (9:30 am CST)- LHP Tyler Jay (1-1, 3.60 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. West Michigan (6:35 CST)- RHP Sam Gibbons (1-2, 5.74 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Wednesday games. Click here to view the article

Minnesota had their anchor at catcher but tell the baseball gods your plan and they will laugh in your face. Joe Mauer was locked into a long-term contract and he looked like he was on his way to a Hall of Fame catching career. There was a chance that Mauer could beat out the likes of Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra to be the best backstop of all time. Those plans changed in recent years as Mauer's concussion-related symptoms have moved him out from behind the plate.The Twins found themselves in a little kerfuffle with their long-term catching plans. Kurt Suzuki was brought in to bridge the gap to some of the younger catching prospects in the organization. With Suzuki's aging body, the Twins traded former first round pick Aaron Hicks to the Yankees for catcher John Ryan Murphy. Murphy has struggled in limited action this season. Through this weekend's games, he has three hits in 35 plate appearances and only one of those hits has been for extra-bases. Suzuki has fared a little better as he has gone 7-for-37 but four of his seven hits have gone for extra-bases. With the weak production from the current catching core, it's tough not to look to the future. Stuart Turner was drafted by the Twins in the third round of the 2013 MLB June Amateur Draft from the University of Mississippi. With his college experience, the Twins have not been afraid to be aggressive with Turner. He has been younger than the competition at every stop except for rookie ball. With Minnesota's aggressive approach, Turner has encountered some offensive struggles. At Fort Myers in 2014, he hit under .250 with a .698 OPS while getting on base 32.2% of the time. Those numbers dipped a little last season as he made the jump to Double-A. He still posted a .322 OBP but hit only .223 and slugged .306. These aren't exactly offensive numbers to write home about. Turner has gotten high praise during his time in the system as a good game caller while being a strong defensive presence behind the plate. He's a leader on and off the field and that provides a lot of value to a club even if his bat never turns around... but what if his bat finally caught up to his defensive prowess? The Twins sent Turner to the Arizona Fall League this past off-season and for the first time in his career, he has been asked to repeat a level to start 2016. The Twins could have been aggressive with him and sent him to Rochester but the organization thought it would be best for him to go back to Chattanooga. That decisions seems to be paying dividends so far. Through this weekend's action, Turner was hitting .286/.432/.486 with four doubles and a home run. All of those numbers would put him on pace for career high totals. The most positive sign might be that Turner is doing this at Double-A in his age-24 season where he is roughly the same age as the competition. This isn't a move that is going to happen in the next week or month but Turner is looking more and more like a long-term solution to the Twins catching woes. If Turner can continue to evolve into a catcher who can be more than a defense-first option, he can become a vital piece for the Twins as they head into a new era. When the Twins have gone on World Series runs in the past, the catcher has always been a role player. His defense, game calling, and leadership will continue to be strong. Turner can be that type of solid contributing role player as the Twins attempt to return to their World Series glory in the years to come. Click here to view the article

There were multiple streaks to keep an eye on during Tuesday's action in the Twins farm system. Stephen Gonsalves entered his start tonight with a streak of 11 straight scoreless innings. LaMonte Wade entered play today with a 12-game hit streak, the longest currently active streak in affiliated baseball. Would either of these streaks continue? You'll have to read on to find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Pawtucket 9 Box Score Pat Dean and Loek van Mil ran into some tough times on the mound on Tuesday night. Dean earned his third loss after allowing four earned runs over five frames. He struck out four and walked two. Van Mil didn't do much better in relief as he gave up four runs in 1.2 innings with a strikeout. Dan Runzler and Buddy Boshers put zeros up the rest of the way but the Wings were in a deep hole. As a team, Rochester was held to four hits but three of the four hits were for extra-bases. David Murphy hit his first home run since signing with the Twins. James Beresford and Kennys Vargas both collected their second double of the season. Wilfredo Tovar doubled his stolen base total on the year by swiping second twice in the game. The team was 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base. With the loss, the Red Wings drop to 4-8 on the season as the team has lost six of their last eight games. They are currently in last place in the International League North and trail the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders by four games. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Mississippi 7 Box Score David Hurlbut started for the Lookouts and he couldn't make it out of the fourth inning. In 3.1 innings, he allowed four earned runs on nine hits with three strikeouts. Corey Williams took over for Hurlbut and allowed one run, a solo home run, across two innings with three strikeouts. Marcus Walden and Jake Reed finished off the last 2.2 innings by allowing one run, a home run given up by Reed. Joe Maloney and Levi Michael each went 1-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI, and a walk. Leonardo Reginatto had the team's lone extra-base hit, his third double of the season. Shannon Wilkerson reached base three times but also struck out twice. The team left nine men on base and went 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position. The loss drops Chattanooga to 4-9 on the season as the team has lost four of their last five games. They are currently in last place in the Southern League North and sit 4.5 games behind the Jackson Generals. These two teams will square off again tomorrow in game four of a five game series. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 2, Jupiter 1 Box Score Stephen Gonsalves has been on quite the roll to start the season. He gave up three runs in his first inning this season and he entered the night with 11 straight scoreless frames. He carried that streak into the fifth inning tonight before allowing a leadoff home run. Gonsalves wouldn't factor into the decision but he made it through seven innings by allowing the one earned run with eight strikeouts and a walk. Trevor Hildenberger earned his first victory of the year as he pitched two scoreless innings to close out the contest. Alex Swim was the lone Miracle batter with multiple hits as he finished the night 2-for-4 before being pulled for a pinch runner in the late innings. Tanner English walked to start the bottom of the sixth inning and followed this up by stealing second. Swim grounded out to advance him to third and Nick Gordon drove him in with another ground out. English was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the eighth and this was followed by a Swim single. One batter later, Trey Vavra walked to load the bases for Chris Paul who used a sacrifice fly to score the winning run. With the victory, the Miracle have won six of their last eight games. Their six-game homestand continues tomorrow with the second game of their series with Jupiter. Former first-round pick Kohl Stewart is scheduled to take the mound. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Burlington 5 Box Score The Kernels struggled to get any offense going against Bee's starter Jamie Barria as he took a perfect game into the fifth inning. However, the Kernels were right in the game behind a solid start from Randy LeBlanc. He lasted a career-high seven innings and limited the Bees to two runs (one earned) on four hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Logan Lombana allowed three earned runs in his one inning on the mound to allow the Bees to add to their late inning lead. Seven of the nine batters in the Kernels line-up had a hit but the team only had four at-bats with runners in scoring position. Rafael Valera cracked his fourth double of the season as he drove in the team's lone run. In the seventh inning, J.J. Fernandez tried to score from first on a double from Jermaine Palacios but he was gunned down at the plate and the Kernels were out of scoring opportunities. LaMonte Wade's 12-game hit streak was snapped with an 0-for-4 day. The Kernels and the Bees are tied at 1-1 in this three game series with the rubber match scheduled for Wednesday evening. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day- Stephen Gonsalves, Fort Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day- Alex Swim, Fort Myers Miracle WEDNESDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Pawtucket (12:35 CST)- RHP Alex Meyer (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Chattanooga @ Mississippi (10:35 am CST)- RHP Aaron Slegers (0-1, 3.60 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Jupiter (6:05 CST)- RHP Kohl Stewart (1-0, 1.50 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (6:30 CST)- RHP Andro Cutura (2-0, 2.45 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Tuesday games. Click here to view the article

Minnesota's minor league affiliates are starting to hit their stride as the season is underway and players are beginning to settle into their roles with the club. The weather is still chilly in many parts of the country and this can impact both pitchers and hitters at this early junction of the season. Over the last two weeks, I've tried to pick out some breakout minor league players on both sides of the ball. Some of the hitters I selected are off to decent starts and I expect their bats to heat up as the weather improves. Pitchers can be up and down but one of the players I picked had a tremendous start on Tuesday night. Let's dive into the action.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Lehigh Valley 6 Box Score (Game 1- 7 Innings) Lehigh Valley wasted little time jumping on Logan Darnell as the IronPigs used a two-run home run in the first inning to take the lead and never looked back. Darnell allowed six earned runs on seven hits in five innings of work. Buddy Boshers and Dan Runzler put up zeros the rest of the way but there wasn't enough offensive firepower in game 1. Rochester was held with out an extra-base hit and Reynaldo Rodriguez was the only batter to record multiple hits. Jorge Polanco knocked in the team's only run with a sacrifice fly and he ended the game hitting .462 so far this season. Rochester 0, Lehigh Valley 4 Box Score (Game 2- 7 Innings) Mark Appel showed Rochester why he was the first overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. He pitched into the sixth inning while scattering five hits and striking out five. David Martinez started opposite Appel and was pulled after 6.1 innings as he allowed three earned runs on seven hits. Ryan O'Rourke recorded the last two outs but not before allowing the final run to score. Both Rochester pitchers failed to strike out a batter. Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with a couple of singles to complete a four-hit day. Juan Centeno had the team's only extra-base hit, a double, and it was his first double of the season. The team saw very limited action with runners in scoring position (0-for-3 with RISP) and left seven men on base. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Jackson 4 Box Score A day after the Twins competed in their home opener the Lookouts returned to Chattanooga for a home opener of their own. The Lookouts have struggled out of the gate this season (1-5 record) and that trend continued on Monday as the club lost a back-and-forth battle with Jackson. Jason Wheeler started the night on the mound and he did not allow an earned run in six frames. However, an Engelb Vielma error at shortstop led to three unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning. One inning later, Travis Harrison collected a two-out RBI single after Zach Granite had started the inning with a double. Granite went 2-for-5 while scoring twice. Leonardo Reginatto, Stuart Turner and Joe Maloney all had doubles but the team left 10 runners on base and was 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Alex Wimmers pitched a perfect seventh inning with a strikeout and no walks. Mason Melotakis was charged with his first loss of the season as he gave up the go-ahead run in the eighth frame. J.T. Chargois struck out a pair of batters to close out the ninth. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 2, Brevard County 1 Box Score Randy Rosario was the story of this game as he took a perfect game into the sixth inning and the Miracle were able to survive with a 2-1 victory. Rosario retired the first 16 batters and struck out four batters in the first two frames. By the time he was removed, he had eight strikeouts across six innings with no walks and two hits. Luke Bard got into some trouble by allowing a single and a double before inducing a double play and a ground out. Yorman Landa earned a hold even though he allowed the Manatees one run. Todd Van Steensel earned his first save with one strike out and a walk in the ninth. The scoring got started early for the Miracle as Chad Christensen blasted a two-run home run in the first inning. Tanner English started the game with a walk and stole second before the home run. Nick Gordon reached base two times in four trips and T.J. White ended the game 2-for-4, his third multi-hit game. Trey Vavra extended his hitting streak to five games. Every batter in the line-up recorded at least one hit with the exception of Brian Navarreto. With the win, the Miracle improved to 3-3 and send Stephen Gonsalves, one of the organization's top pitching prospects, to the mound on Wednesday night. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Kane County 2 Box Score In his first start in the Midwest League, Miles Nordgren took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before back-to-back batters reached base. He ended the day with five innings pitched and one earned run on one hit with two strikeouts and two walks. Cody Stashak was nearly as impressive in relief. He allowed one earned run on two hits in four innings of work for his first professional save. Cedar Rapids got their scoring started in the third inning. A pair of walks and an infield hit left the bases loaded. Sean Miller hit a foul ball that was deep enough to score the game's first run. LaMonte Wade followed this up with a sacrifice fly of his own to push the lead to 2-0. Chris Paul was the only Kernel with multiple hits as he went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. Jermain Palacios plated a pair of runs and Wade cracked his third double of the young season. The Kernels improved to 5-1 with the win and sit atop the Midwest League Western division. Cedar Rapids will look to take the series from Kane County in tomorrow morning's (11:00 am CST) rubber match with Randy LeBlanc on the mound. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day- Randy Rosario, Fort Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day- Chad Christensen, Fort Myers Miracle WEDNESDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Lehigh Valley (12:35 CST)- RHP Tyler Duffey (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Chattanooga vs. Jackson (10:15 am CST)- RHP DJ Baxendale (0-1, 4.50 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Brevard County (6:05 CST)- LHP Stephen Gonsalves (0-1, 4.50 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (11:00 am CST)- RHP Randy LeBlanc (1-0, 1.80 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Tuesday games. Click here to view the article

The art of hitting can be one of the toughest challenges for a professional athlete to master. There are slumps and out of those slumps adjustments need to be made. In the end, the best hitters are able to avoid prolonged slumps so as to be consistent as possible through the course of a season. Last week, I predicted some pitchers for fans to keep an eye on during the 2016 minor league campaign. This week it's time to move to the other side of the ball to forecast which hitters are poised to breakout of their shell during the next calendar year. There are some familiar names and some others that might be unknown but each player has a chance to make his mark in the coming year.Trey Cabbage- 3B 2015 Stats (Rookie): .252/.302/.269, 0 HR, 2 2B, 37/7 SO/BB, 119 AB Minnesota selected Cabbage in the fourth round of the 2015 draft and he made his debut with the GCL Twins last season. He was over a year younger than the competition and still managed to get on base over 30% of the time. As he grows into his frame, his quick bat should help him to add to his power numbers. Since he will still be a teenager this coming year, he will likely get most of his playing time in the rookie leagues. However, current Twins like Eddie Rosario and Miguel Sano put their names on the map with big seasons with the E-Twins. Nick Gordon- SS 2015 Stats (Low-A): .277/.336/.360, 1 HR, 23 2B, 7 3B, 88/39 SO/BB, 481 AB Gordon is a name well known in Twins prospect circles as he was a top-five pick in the 2014 draft. He struggled coming out of the gate last year but finished the year hitting .305/.352/.422 over the last 60 games. He's been over two years younger than the competition in each of his first two professional stops and that will continue this year as he moves on to Fort Myers. With other players graduating off the team's top prospect list, he could set himself up to be the team's top prospect next offseason. It's going to take a big year in a tough hitting environment but the time is now for Gordon. Travis Harrison- OF 2015 Stats (Double-A): .240/.363/.356, 5 HR, 23 2B, 4 3B, 102/65 SO/BB, 479 AB After being a over a year and a half younger than the competition over the last two years, the Twins are sending Harrison back to Double-A to try and put it all together. The former supplemental first-round pick has moved consistently through the system while posting an OPS of .719 or higher during the last three seasons. He has the potential to hit double digit home runs. In two of the last three seasons, he's struck out over 100 times so this could be a very important year for him as the Twins decide what his long term role will be with the organization. Daniel Palka- OF/1B 2015 Stats (High-A): .280/.352/.532, 29 HR, 36 2B, 164/56 SO/BB, 511 AB Palka joined the Twins this offseason in the trade that sent Chris Herrmann to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He hit for a ton of power last season but he also racked up oodles of strikeouts. He's been older than the competition in every minor league season since he played multiple years in college. He impressed some of the Twins brass with a pair of home runs during a spring game. If he can cut back on the strikeouts and show more of the power he's exhibited in the past, he could be a very valuable piece to this organization as they move forward. Trey Vavra- OF/1B 2015 Stats (Low-A): .346/.406/.538, 6 HR, 10 2B, 30/13 SO/BB, 156 AB Vavra is beginning his third professional season but he has yet to play more than 50 games in a season. That should change this year as he starts the year with the Miracle. His OBP has been helped by a high batting average in the lower levels so it will be interesting to see what he can do with a full season. There hasn't been a ton of home run power yet but he's averaging 15 doubles per season and he's only averaged 46 games played. If he can keep his average high and stay healthier this season, there's a chance for him to have some very impressive numbers by season's end. Click here to view the article

With the major league season already off and running, minor league action will follow suit in a matter of days. Many of the full season rosters are set and the focus can turn to making improvements and getting closer to reaching each player's ultimate goal of making the big leagues. Every season, there are players who rise above the crowd to have breakout campaigns. Two seasons ago, Jose Berrios burst onto the scene on his way to be the first player in Twins history to win back-to-back minor league pitcher of the year awards. Which pitchers should fans keep an eye on this season? Here are a few names to consider.Felix Jorge- SP 2015 Stats (Low-A): 2.79 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 114 SO, 32 BB, 142.0 IP I've been one of the few members on the Felix Jorge fan club over the last couple years. He struggled in 2014 with his first taste of the Midwest League but he bounced back in 2015 with some very solid numbers. Most of his innings this years should be in the Florida State League which is a league that tends to favor pitchers. If he can continue to make strides with his secondary pitches, 2016 could see him become one of the Twins top 10 prospects heading into next season. Mason Melotakis- RP 2015 Stats (N/A): Did Not Play Melotakis missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Minnesota still felt highly enough about him to add him to their 40-man roster during the offseason. He will be monitored closely this year as he returns to the mound. His path to the big leagues will be as a relief pitcher even though he's done some starting in the past. With a fastball in the mid-90's and a curveball to keep batters on their toes, Melotakis could make it all the way to Minnesota this season if everything breaks right. Yorman Landa- RP 2015 Stats (Rookie, Low-A): 2.50 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 40 SO, 16 BB, 36.0 IP Like Melotakis, Landa was added to the team's 40-man roster during the winter. The flame-throwing relief pitcher can reach the high 90's with his fastball but he will need to work on his other pitches as he moves up the ladder. If his control improves, his fastball should help him to continue to overpower batters. Since he is on the 40-man roster, there's a chance he could get a September call-up but the most likely scenario has him reaching Double-A by season's end. Fernando Romero- SP 2015 Stats (N/A): Did Not Play Romero was on the fast-track before elbow issues led to Tommy John surgery. He made only three appearances in 2014 so he's really coming back after two years away from competitive appearances. His fastball can hit the upper-90's and both of his breaking pitches have a chance to be above average. He will likely return to Cedar Rapids at some point this season and he has the chance to be one of the Twins top pitching prospects if he comes back strong. Randy Rosario- SP 2015 Stats (Rookie/Low-A): 3.06 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 54 SO, 20 BB, 61.2 IP After missing most of 2014 due to Tommy John surgery, Rosario was back on the mound in 2015. Even though he missed a season, he was still almost a year younger than the competition in Cedar Rapids. The southpaw can reach the high 90s with his fastball and he will continue to refine his secondary pitches. The majority of his innings will come with Fort Myers but he has a chance to reach the upper levels of the minor leagues this season. Click here to view the article

Every year there are surprises and disappointments on any big league roster. Poor play and mounting injuries can impact any number of players. That's one of the reasons teams try to build a deep 40-man roster so they are able to stay in contention even when players don't perform up to expectations. Going into any season it can be tough to predict who is set up to play poorly and maybe it is an exercise in futility. When the end of the season comes around, feel free to shout me out on Twitter and tell me how wrong I was in relation to this year's "Twins Bust Candidates."Tyler Duffey, RHP Duffey pitched well for the while the Twins were still in the postseason hunt. He finished the year boasting a 5-1 record with a very respectable 3.10 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. Call it the "Scott Diamond Effect" but it seems unlikely for him to keep up this pace into the 2016 campaign. He was never considered one the organization's top pitching prospects, as he averaged 7.4 SO/9 and a 3.73 ERA over four minor league seasons. Can the Twins get by with Duffey as a back of the rotation starter? Sure, he can fit into this role. Baseball Reference projects him to compile a 3.64 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP in just under 90 innings of work. Both of these totals would be better than his minor league track record and he hasn't exactly been lights out this spring as he works on his change-up. With top pitching prospect Jose Berrios in the wings, it seems likely that Duffey could find himself out of a starting spot at some point this season. Glen Perkins, LHP Perkins has made the All-Star Game in each of the last three seasons and he's even been asked to close out the game for the AL each of the last two years. However, the end of last season was a little rough for the Twins closer as he tried to play through an injury and posted some poor numbers along the way. World Series legend Jack Morris even hinted that Perkins might not exactly be in shape in a Twin Cities radio interview last year. While Perkins has been able to accumulate over 30 saves in each of the last three seasons, his other numbers have been on the decline. His first three years in the bullpen he posted a 2.45 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP and 10.2 SO/9. The last two years those numbers have declined to a 3.49 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and 9.1 SO/9. Perkins turned 33 at the beginning of March and the organization has a young core of bullpen arms working their way toward Target Field. If the recent trend continues, the team might have to look at other options. Kurt Suzuki, C Suzuki has been on the decline for most of the last year and a half so to say he will be a bust at this point in his career might not be too big of a stretch. After hitting .309/.365/.396 in his first 65 games with the Twins, he went on to hit .259/.323/.339 in the second half of 2014. Last season was even worse as he finished the year hitting .240/.296/.314 while taking a beating behind the plate. He had the lowest caught stealing percentage (15%) of any AL catcher with at least 600 innings behind the dish. The Twins had to add some depth to the catching ranks and they were able to do that this offseason. Minnesota has been clear that Suzuki is their starter and he should be to reward him for his work with the pitching staff over the last couple of years. However, John Ryan Murphy will likely start to play more frequently as the season progresses. This could help Suzuki's performance if he isn't out there for over 130 games but it's hard to know how much he has left in the tank. His days as a starting catcher could be coming to an end Who do you think is set-up to bust this season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

On Monday, the social media platform Twitter celebrated it's tenth birthday (Here's a link to the first tweet ever sent). In the last decade, Twitter has become one of the premier places for "Tweeters" to get instantaneous news and for the world to follow events in real-time. For baseball fans and all sports fans, Twitter has become an avenue for everyone to interact as events are playing out on the field. If a player messes up, you can call out the player as the event unfolds. If Miguel Sano sends one into the upper deck, you can let your followers know that you want to "Let It Sano in July!" Let's take a look down memory lane and find the initial tweets sent out by many of the accounts associated with the Twins organization.Account: Dave St. Peter (@TwinsPrez) Date of First Tweet: 3 Feb 2011 Pitchers/Catchers report in 2 wks. I report to Twitter tonight. Hope to have fun sharing info, answering ??? & talkin' baseball. Win Twins! — Dave St. Peter (@TwinsPrez) February 4, 2011 St. Peter has been very active with fans over the years and he's usually willing to answer questions and to help fans enjoy their experience with the Minnesota Twins. Account: Trevor Plouffe (@TPlouffe24) Date of First Tweet: 8 Dec 2011 First tweet ever. Breakfast with @gabekapler and @TylerSkaggs23. This should be interesting.... — Trevor Plouffe (@TPlouffe24) December 8, 2011 Plouffe's Twitter game has improved over the years much like his game on the field. Account: Glen Perkins (@GlenPerkins) Date of First Tweet: 23 Jun 2011 What is this thing? — Glen Perkins (@glenperkins) June 23, 2011 This might be my favorite first Tweet from any Twins player. Account: Brian Dozier (@Brian Dozier) Date of First Tweet: 22 Apr 2010 I'm now a tweeter thanks to Rae Rae whoop whoop — Brian Dozier (@BrianDozier) April 22, 2010 One of the longest tenured Twins players on Twitter and you can follow his on and off the field work. Account: Joe Mauer (Doesn't Have Twitter) Date of First Tweet: 16 Jul 2013 Joe Mauer: " This is my first tweet ever. Just want to say thank you to the fans for voting me into this years ASG. Never gets old." #ASG — MLB (@MLB) July 17, 2013 It might be good that he doesn't have a Twitter account at this point since there would be a lot of negativity thrown his way. Account: Phil Hughes (@PJHughes45) Date of First Tweet: 8 Mar 2011 What's up Twitter?!!! New to this shizzzz. Gimme some insight. Thanks! — Phil Hughes (@PJHughes45) March 8, 2011 "New to this shizzz" might be the best way to start your Twitter career. Account: Kyle Gibson (@kgib44) Date of First Tweet: 15 Jan 2011 working a youth camp today with justin masterson and my cousin austin. been fun so far and we have one more session to go! — Kyle Gibson (@kgib44) January 15, 2011 Very fitting that Gibson's first tweet was about something he was doing in the community. Account: Miguel Sano (@SanoMiguel) Date of First Tweet: 23 Apr 2013 Hello mi gente — Miguel Angel Sano (@SanoMiguel) April 23, 2013 My response to this would be "Feliz Navidad" because I don't know Spanish. Account: TC Bear Date of First Tweet: 18 Nov 2009 Hello twitter world! The bear is up and operational! More to follow! — TC Bear (@TC_00) November 18, 2009 The bear has been very operational over the years. There are tons of other first Tweets for current and former Twins but this is just a sampling. What's your favorite first Tweet? What was your first Tweet? (Use the link to find out). Leave a COMMENT to start the discussion. Click here to view the article

In the summer of 2004, the Twins were in the midst of a run for their third straight AL Central crown. The sudden success on the field meant the club was in the routine of drafting later rather than earlier in the first round of baseball's amateur draft. That June the team focused on shortstop and a scrawny high schooler would be their first pick. Trevor Plouffe grew up in Southern California and was committed to the University of Southern California before the Twins came calling. He was listed as 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds but those might have been a little exaggerated if you look at this photo from shortly after he was drafted.Baseball America wrote this scouting report about Plouffe as he entered the draft. "He has a wiry frame, soft hands and fluid middle-infield actions in the mold of Robin Yount." They went on to say, "His range and arm strength are a notch below Matt Bush, the nation's top prep shortstop, but Plouffe may be a better hitter. He has a flatter swing path and the wrist action needed to drive balls." This prediction would turn out to be true as Bush and two other high school shortstops were taken before Plouffe in that draft. The aforementioned Bush was the first overall pick but he never made the big leagues and ended up serving prison time. Chris Nelson is a bench player who has accumulated a negative WAR over five seasons. Stephen Drew is the only one of the group with a higher WAR than Plouffe and he's played almost twice as many big league games. After being drafted by Minnesota, Plouffe moved through the system while being younger than the competition at every level. In his minor league career, he hit .258/.320/.405 (.725 OPS) while never hitting more than 15 home runs at any level. He made it to Triple-A by age 22 and would make his big league debut at the age of 24. There were plenty of struggles for Plouffe in his first taste of the big leagues. From 2010-2011, he hit .226/.286/.382 (.668 OPS) with 30 extra-base hits in over 360 plate appearances. He also struck out in 26% of his at-bats. His defense at shortstop was also rough, to say the least. According to defensive runs saved, he cost the Twins 14 runs in 2011 alone. Something needed to change. In the winter of 2012, the Twins decided to move Plouffe away from shortstop and shift him to the outfield. The club hoped the move would spark Plouffe much like it did for another first-round pick, Michael Cuddyer. However, he would only play 17 games there that season because Danny Valencia struggled at the plate and Minnesota needed someone for third base. Plouffe had found a new home. Flash-forward to the present day and Plouffe is now the second-longest tenured Twins player behind Joe Mauer. He has nestled himself nicely into a solid everyday regular with improved defense at third base while topping 20 home runs in two of the last four seasons. He also went on one of the most impressive home run tears in team history when he hit 10 home runs in a 14 game stretch during the 2012 campaign. In recent years, there has been rumblings about the possibility of Plouffe being traded to make room for star prospect Miguel Sano. Those rumors never came to fruition and Plouffe's strong defense at third means Sano will play in the outfield this coming season. Plouffe is under team control for the 2016 and 2017 seasons but that still doesn't mean the Twins won't consider moving him over the next handful of years. Minnesota surprised a lot of teams by contending in 2015 even while some of their young prospects were still trying to figure out baseball's highest level. Many feel the Twins will come back to the pack this season. If the Twins are out of the race in mid-July, Plouffe will likely hear his name on the trading block once again and it could make sense to deal him if the price is right. Plouffe has been part of some tough seasons in Minnesota with multiple 90-loss seasons marking the last handful of years. He has transformed from a first-round pick to a failed shortstop to an above average MLB regular. Minnesota stayed the course with Plouffe and it has paid off on the field and in the clubhouse. Click here to view the article

Teams are always searching for the a way to get a leg up on the competition. Analyzing spray charts to find the right placement for outfielders, shifting infielders to the right side against a power hitting lefty, or bringing in a LOOGY (left-handed one out guy) in the late innings. Baseball continues to evolve and the teams changing the fastest seem to find more success. Possibly one of the biggest flaws under the Ron Gardenhire regime was his refusal to platoon hitters. For example, take a look at Danny Valencia's tenure in Minnesota. During his rookie year, the right-handed hitter managed to hit .280/.303/.410 against righties which is pretty good. In 2011, his numbers dropped as his OPS dipped to .626 against righties while he posted a .822 mark against lefties. Gardenhire could have taken advantage of Valencia's strength and played him against lefties while utilizing another option against right-handed starters.The Twins have an interesting opportunity facing them this season and it could be setting up to be a very nice platoon advantage for Paul Molitor. Byung Ho Park will almost assuredly make the team's 25-man roster when they head north. Oswaldo Arcia is out of options and it would make sense to have him at the disposal of the big league squad. Park is a right-handed batter and Arcia is a left-handed batter so the Twins might have a perfect solution. Arcia has been a very streaky hitter over the course of his career and that's one of the reasons the Twins let him toil in the minors for almost all of 2015. In nearly 100 minor league games last season, Arcia posted a .678 OPS versus righties which was 243 points higher than what he was able to do against lefties. This still wasn't that great as his OBP was under .280. In his time at the major league level, Arcia's splits are much better against right-handed hurlers. His OPS is almost 200 points higher against righties (.807 OPS vs. RHP) and only six of his 36 home runs have come against southpaws. Since Arcia has been a streaky hitter in the past, the best way to use him could be to get his at-bats exclusively against righties. Byung Ho Park will be facing a tough transition this season as he transitions from the KBO to the MLB level. Things have been going fairly well for him so far this spring but it's hard to take spring training numbers too seriously. Minnesota is going to want to take a long look at Park this season but his best option might be to step in more regularly against lefties. Last season, Park's batting average was 39 points higher against lefties and he posted a very respectable 24 to 21 strikeout to walk ratio. The right-handed slugger struck out 105 times in 343 at-bats versus righties. Park might be better suited to set-up more frequently against southpaws if the Twins want to avoid some of the struggles that come with transitioning from a foreign league. Overall, it seems more likely for the Twins to use Arcia in a role as fourth outfielder. This would allow him to get one or two starts a week and to step in if a player was injured. His bat coming off the bench would be a nice option but his time in Minnesota might be slowly sinking away. Park is going to get playing time this year as the club tries out their new acquisition. Molitor likely won't use a full platoon with Park and Arcia because this would mean playing Arcia more than Park since there are more right-handed pitchers in the baseball world. However, the team could benefit from giving Park the night off against tough lefties like Chris Sale and David Price. So, what do you think? Could the Twins take advantage of some platooning this season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Well, baseball fans think it is the most wonderful time of the year because spring training workouts are in full swing, games are being played, and the first regular season action is right around the corner. With the beginning of the season, there comes a lot of prognostication as writers from across the baseball world attempt to select the division winners, award winners, and breakout players. Selecting rookie of the year candidates can be a tough accomplishment at this point in the season. Some teams might keep players in the minor leagues until later in the season to gain more team control. Other rookies might go back and forth between the high levels of the minors and the 25-man roster. By many accounts, Minnesota could have three players in the running for the top rookie player in the American League. Miguel Sano was a finalist for the award last season but finished in a distant third place. Each of the following players will be attempting to be the first Twin to take home the hardware since Marty Cordova in 1995. Jose Berrios Why He Should Win Berrios has been slowly creeping up national prospect lists as he has dominated the upper levels of the minor leagues over the last two seasons. Last year, he led the minors in strikeouts and many Twins fans were clamoring to see him debut while the team was still in postseason contention. Many eyes will be on him as he makes his debut so this could set-up for him to shine while being in the spotlight. Combine his outstanding control with a tenacious work ethic and there's a recipe for a breakout star waiting to happen. Why He Won't Win There's little chance he will start the year in the Twins rotation. Other players like Tyler Duffey, Tommy Milone, Trevor May, or even Ricky Nolasco could get a shot to start before Berrios. He's also not on the 40-man roster at this point so the Twins would need to make room for him before his debut. Minnesota will keep him in the minors until at least June to avoid the Super-2 deadline and pick up an extra year of service. Also, his innings have been limited in the past but the Twins have already said that he won't be limited this season. Byron Buxton Why He Should Win Buxton's name is well known in baseball circles as he has been considered one of baseball's top prospects since being drafted by the Twins. If he's able to show some offensive improvements, there's no doubt that the other parts of his overall game would carry him to this award. He has the potential to be a base-running threat and to be one of the best defensive center fielders in the game. If his name is on the ballot, there's a good chance that the national writers will strongly consider him for the honor on name recognition alone. Why He Won't Win His offensive skills didn't shine through during his first taste of the big leagues and his playing time was inconsistent since the Twins were in the thick of the playoff race. There's also a chance that Minnesota could start Buxton at Rochester to let him build some confidence to start the season. If he struggles again on the offensive side of the ball, it would be a challenge for him to earn this award. The name recognition is there but he would need to be capable with the bat in order to be considered one of the three finalists. Byung Ho Park Why He Should Win The Twins are going to want to give their new international signee as many opportunities as possible to be successful. This could mean the team will continue to play him even if he struggles. The Pirates Jung Ho Kang finished third in last year's National League Rookie of the Year balloting so the voters have recently considered a Korean for the top rookie honor. Park has shown tremendous power in Korea and the Twins hope he can translate that to the big league level. If he is putting up solid power numbers and playing on a consistent basis, he should be in the discussion by season's end. Why He Won't Win Transitioning from Korea to America can be a tough endeavor. There's a cultural and language barrier, plus the level of competition jumps significantly. Since the beginning of 2014, Park averaged over 150 strikeouts per season. He has struck out in over 30% of his at-bats. If that trend continues, or if he raises those marks, it might be hard for voters to take him seriously. Minnesota could use Park in a platoon with Oswaldo Arcia and that would also cut back on the number of at-bats he receives. Who do you think has the best shot at winning the award? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article