Cody Christie

The story of Miguel Sano's benching after a slow home run trot has certainly taken on a life of it's own. There have been multiple websites and media outlets that have picked up the tale. He didn't play again on Friday and it will be interesting to see when he will get back on the field. He can be a difference maker for the Rock Cats offense and the team wants to try to get back to the .500 mark: Sano can help make that happen. Sano might be getting a lot of the attention for the Twins farm system but the guys actually on the field need acknowledgement as well. There were some great performances through multiple levels of the farm system on Friday night. It starts in Triple-A with the man on the mound...[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Rochester Red Wings 5, Norfolk Tides 2 Box Score Andrew Albers pitched a two run, three hit, seven strikeout complete game which helped propel the Red Wings into sole possession of the wild card lead. Before a lead off homer by Luis Exposito in the 7th inning, Albers had stretched his scoreless streak to 13.1 innings and his earned run-less streak to 18.1 innings. He is the first Red Wings starter to win 11 games since Brian Duensing in 2007. Download attachment: Andrew Albers.jpg Oswaldo Arcia continued his hot hitting since being sent down. He hit his third home run in eight games and he has hit safely in seven of those contests. He finished the night 2-for-4 and he is batting .478 (11-23) with three home runs, two doubles, and six RBI since his demotion. Deibinson Romero is in the middle of quite the run at the plate as well. He had reached base safely in eight straight at-bats until a flyout in his last plate appearance on Friday. During that streak, he went 5-for-5 with a home run, a double, and three walks. He was 3-for-4 on Friday with three singles. New Britain Rock Cats 2, Reading Fightin' Phillies 7 Box Score The Rock Cats out-hit the Phillies on this night but a victory was still well out of reach. New Britain left nine men on base and the team went 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position. The Phillies were also able to pound out three home runs against the Rock Cats pitching staff while New Britain had only one extra base hit. Miguel Sano was out of the line-up again after he "pimped" a home run earlier this week. This left the offense in the hands of the other men on the team. Danny Santana collected his sixth triple of the season. Eddie Rosario and Adam Pettersen each had two hits. Pat Dean took the loss after throwing seven innings and giving up four runs. He struck out eight and walked one but he did give up two home runs. It was the third straight loss for Dean but it was the first time, in his last three starts, he has pitched more than four innings. Fort Myers Miracle 7, Clearwater Threshers 3 Box Score Byron Buxton showed why he is considered by many to be the best prospect in baseball. He belted two triples on the way to 2-for-3 night at the plate. He scored a run and drove in two. Anderlin Mejia also helped the offense and extended his hitting streak to 14 games. The bottom three in the Miracle batting order provided some offensive punch. J.D. Williams, Andy Leer, and Levi Michael each had a double and a run batted in. Jason Wheeler picked up his eighth win of the season by tossing five innings and allowing three runs on seven hits. Wheeler got into trouble in the sixth as he hit a batter and gave up three straight hits. The Threshers scored two runs and the bullpen took over from there. Nelvin Fuentes and Tyler Jones pitched four shutout innings to close the door on another Miracle victory. Cedar Rapids Kernels 6, Peoria Chiefs 2 Box Score The Kernels used a six-run seventh inning to slip past the Chiefs on Friday night. It took a while for the offense to wake up as the club had one hit through six frames. Niko Goodrum and Jorge Polanco led off the inning with back-to-back doubles. Adam Walker hit a sac fly to tie the game. Eventually, Joel Licon hit a two-out double to plate two more runs. Jonathan Murphy capped the big inning with a two-run single. Kernels starter Brett Lee went five innings and allowed one earned run on six hits. He walked one and struck out four. Tim Shibuya earned the victory in relief by throwing two innings and giving up one hit with three strikeouts. It was the first victory for Shibuya since he moving up from Elizabethton. David Hurlbut pitched two hitless innings to finish the game. Elizabethton Twins 1, Johnson City 3 Box Score Hein Robb did his best to keep the E-Twins in it but the offense wasn't there to back him up. He pitched into the eighth inning for the first time this season, scattering eight hits and three earned runs. He struck out eight and walked one but two home runs were tough to overcome. Andre Martinez recorded the other two outs of the game on strikeouts. The E-Twins were held to five hits and the team struck out nine times. Rory Rhodes led the offense with a 2-for-4 night after being held hitless in his last four games. Stuart Turner, Romy Jimenez, and Tanner Vavra added the other hits, but they were all singles. Six runners were left on base and the team batted with a runner in scoring position only four times. GCL Twins 3, GCL Red Sox 7 Box Score Jonathan Hinojosa was the lone member of the Twins to collect two hits in this game. He went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Engelb Vielma scored two runs out of the leadoff spot. Alex Swim and Joel Polanco each added their fourth doubles of the season. Plenty of pitchers saw action in this game. Leonel Zazueta started and went three innings by allowing one run on three hits. Luke Bard pitched in relief and he was asked to get only the first two outs of the fourth inning. Brandon Easton took his third loss of the season by giving up four runs on five hits in a little over an inning of work. Fernando Romero had some control issues as he walked four men over 2.2 innings. Click here to view the article

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c_K-DX5eBVo/T4QgMZD4xAI/AAAAAAAABLI/FUQ7vY1Wz6Q/s1600/BrianDozier.jpg At the end of spring training when Brian Doizer was sent down to the minor leagues, he seemed to leave the Twins facility with a chip on his shoulder. His time in the big league camp had been sufficient with him hitting .277/.333/.511 with three home runs and nine RBI in 47 at-bats. With him only having spent part of a season at the Double-A level, it seemed like a very long shot for him to make the club out of spring training. Dozier felt like he had played well enough to be on the team and now he has been determined to show the Twins they won't be able to hold him down for too long. The 24-year old middle infielder for the Red Wings has gotten off to a hot start in the first five games of the season in Rochester. He has been a spark plug for the offense by batting .474/.545/.789 with three doubles, a home run, and three runs scored in five games. In all but one of those games, he has multiple hits with his best game coming yesterday when he was 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, and three RBI. He is hitting like a man on a mission and he mission is clearly to get to the big leagues as soon as possible. Last year was a breakout season for Mr. Dozier in the minor leagues as he won the Twins Minor League Player of the Year. Since he left the rookie leagues, Dozier had tried to find his swing at the Low-A and High-A level but he never hit over .278 and his power numbers weren't outstanding. Something clicked for Dozier last year when he started the year back in the Florida State League. With the Miracle at the start of last season, he hit .322/.423/.472 and he had 18 extra-base hits. The Twins promoted him to New Britain and his hot hitting continued to the tune of .318/.384/.502 with seven home runs, seven triples, and 22 doubles. The Twins didn't have many positives in 2011 but the season of Dozier might have been near the top of their list. During this past offseason, the Twins sent Dozier to the Arizona Fall League to better prepare him for the 2012 season. His time in this highly touted prospect league seems to have eased his transition to the Triple-A level after playing only 78 games for New Britain last year. The Twins organization has struggled in recent years to produce much in the middle infield so Dozier could be a beacon of hope for the future of the franchise. If he can lock down one of the middle infield positions for the foreseeable future, he can bridge the gap to some of the other talent in the lower levels of the minor leagues. While Dozier has been hitting the cover off of the ball in Rochester, the offense of the Twins has struggled to do anything in their first four games of the year. The players who have started in the middle infield for the Twins are a combined 1-for-24 with three strikeouts at the plate. There are plenty of other question marks with the Twins offense at this early point in the year. But if Dozier continues his hot start and the middle infield continues to struggle, it will be hard for the team to hold him in the minor leagues. It is good to see Dozier finding success at the Triple-A level during this very early junction in the season. The short amount of time he spent at the Double-A level could have meant he would go through some problems with the transition to Rochester. This has not been the case so far this year and that is a great sign for one of the top prospects in the Twins organization. If he continues to hit well and the Twins offense remains stagnant, it will only be a matter of time before Dozier is making his debut with the Twins. Click here to view the article

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FFgRnR1HgUo/T6bT_Z9h9VI/AAAAAAAABP8/F-u9e8GnaoA/s320/DozierTwins.jpg The offense for the Minnesota Twins has been horrendous in recent games with Jered Weaver throwing a no-hitter and Felix Hernandez tossing a one-hit shutout. Granted these are two of the best pitchers in the American League but the stagnant offense was too much for the front office to ignore as the Twins end their West Coast road trip. The Twins will turn to Brian Dozier, the 2012 Twins Minor League Player of the Year, to try and spark an offense that ranks near the bottom in baseball.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Dozier performed well for the Twins in spring training and he could have easily made the club's Opening Day roster. He had yet to play a game at Triple-A so it did make sense for him to at least get a taste of Rochester before he got his call-up. Unlike players like Joe Benson and Chris Parmelee who each spent all of last year at Double-A before their call-up, Dozier spent part of the 2011 season playing in Fort Myers before he got called up to New Britain. He still had a great season and Ron Gardenhire has been keeping a close eye on the young infielder since last year. When the Twins sent Dozier down to Rochester at the end of spring training, it seemed like he would have a chip on his shoulder and this can lead to go performances on the field. He would start the season trying to prove to the front office that they made a mistake by leaving him in the minor leagues. As I wrote about at the beginning of April, Dozier got off to a hot start and he had a batting average of over .400 with decent power numbers as well. His performance was hard to ignore for fans and for the front office with the middle infield not exactly hitting the cover off of the ball. Dozier's numbers have cooled down significantly as the season has progressed but this still didn't deter the Twins from calling him up to get his first taste of the big leagues. He leaves Rochester hitting .276/.339/.371 with eight extra-base hits. During his last eight games, he has been on base in every contest and he raised his batting numbers during this time. Since the beginning of May, he is hitting .286/.385/.333 with a double and four walks. With the way the Twins offense has been struggling, any boost of energy seems like it could help improve their offensive firepower. The Twins were terrible on their West coast road trip and there were some historically bad numbers to back up just how bad they were in their six games on the road. Dozier is being brought in to help the team try and turn things around but he shouldn't be looked at as the savior of the Twins offensive woes. Some players struggle as they try to adjust to their first taste of the big leagues. During last September, Joe Benson found his first handful of games with the Twins to have its fair share of challenges. There are going to be lessons to learn for him as a major league player and the Twins are going to give him every opportunity to succeed as the starting shortstop for the club. There is a lot wrong with the Twins offense at this point in the year and inserting Dozier into the line-up is not going to fix how bad the rest of the team has been in recent games. According to Elias, the Twins have tied the record for fewest hits for a major-league team over a five-game span during baseball's modern era. The 14 hits for the Twins in the last five games have been tough to watch but Ryan Doumit looked good with a couple of home runs on Sunday afternoon. If the team is going to be competitive again this year, the rest of the club is going to have to fix their swings. With a team struggling as much as the Twins, it is great to give Dozier a chance to prove he belongs in the major leagues but the debut of Dozier should be taken in stride. He could get off to a great start and the rest of the Twins could still be struggling at the plate. On the other hand, he could struggle and the team could find a way to fix their offensive funk. It is always fun to see what young players can do and all of Twins Territory hopes that Dozier can take the opportunity and run with it. Click here to view the article

The calendar turned to September over a week ago and change can stay with a failing team into the final month of the year. On the Minnesota Twins, younger players continue to get more playing time over veterans like Ryan Doumit and Josh Willingham. It is the time of year for the Twins to see what the future might hold and changes like this can bring up other questions. Download attachment: Standings.jpg The last two seasons, the Twins have been able to see the value of having a high draft pick. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]Byron Buxton and Kohl Stewart were added to the fold over the last two years to bolster a minor league system that is considered one of the best in baseball. The higher a team can draft, the more money the club can spend and, we hope, receive better prospects. This can lead to some questions about tanking in the final month of the year. Over at ESPN's SweetSpot Blog, the idea of tanking was discussed since there is a cluster of team's battling to be in the top 10 draft picks for 2014. For example, the Mets are trotting out a final month rotation that includes Daisuke Matsuzaka and Aaron Harang. These aren't your father's "Amazing Mets." Minnesota hasn't signed a bunch of aging veterans in the last couple weeks to fill their rotation but some might argue that was the team's overall strategy during last offseason. Kevin Correia and Mike Pelfrey have pitched the most innings on Minnesota's staff and each man has an ERA north of 4.00. One expected this kind of production from these two and it doesn'thelp that other members of the rotation have failed to live up to expectations. At the end of 2012, the Twins finished with 96 losses but it wasn't because of terrible play in September. The club went 13-15 during the final month and their .464 winning percentage was their second highest for any month. June was the only month the club finished over .500 with a 14-13 record. Minnesota entered the month in the fourth draft position and that's where they finished. The month of September in 2011 was a bit different story. Minnesota started the month in fourth place in the AL Central and they were in line to get the fourth pick in the 2012 draft. An awful final month saw the team go 6-20 to post a monthly .231 winning percentage. It was their worst record for any month and the team ended up improving their draft position from fourth to second. As the final month of the 2013 season got underway, the Twins were in the sixth position for next year's draft. There were only four games separating them from the Angels, the team that started the month positioned to get the13th draft pick. Entering play on Tuesday, Minnesota had accumulated a 5-6 record for the month and they are now tied with Milwaukee for the fifth pick. With two fewer wins, they would be in the fourth spot. There are plenty of benefits to having a top 10 pick in the draft. Obviously, a team gets more money to spend in their draft pool for next June. Also, a team with a top 10 pick has a protected first round pick. This means the front office can approach top tier free agents without fear of losing the club's top draft pick. Some teams have run into this issue with the recent switch in the collective bargaining agreement and it doesn't seem fair for clubs trying to rebuild. The Twins haven't been known to spend a ton in the free agent market so this wrinkle in the free agent system might not be a huge issue for them. Willingham has been the club's biggest free agent acquisition in recent years and he wasn't in the top tier. Players like like Doumit, Pelfrey, and Correia haven't been huge names but they have found their way to Minnesota. There are going to be plenty of openings in the starting rotation for Minnesota. It might be nice for the team to have the opportunity to go after a top free agent. This likely will only happen if the team's first round pick is protected. It has never been Terry Ryan's strategy to spend big money on pitchers but the club might need to change this behavior to be more productive next year. September can be a time to try out plenty of pieces for the future. Minnesota will continue to audition some of their younger players to see what they have lined up for next year. The losses might continue to pile up but the team isn't exactly in tank mode. At least not yet... Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Minneapolis_Summer.jpg The Minnesota Twins actually got all their games in so far this week. Texas is in town for the weekend and it sounds like the weather is actually going to start acting like spring. Daily high temperatures will continue to rise and we all hope the Twins can continue to play .500 baseball. The weekend is almost here so make sure to check out some of the top stories from the last week. Enjoy! [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Maybe Ron Gardenhire isn't a lame duck after all.Forbes came out with their list of the most valuable players in baseball. Joe Mauer ranks fourth and the men ahead of him are all on the disabled list.Mauer is in his prime and it might be in the team's best interest to accelerate the rebuild timeline.Twins fans will agree that there is a lot wrong with Mike Pelfrey.With other pitchers' struggles, Kyle Gibson could be closer to making his debut.The history of switch hitters with the Twins is interesting to see.MLB's All-Star Game ballot came out this week. Brian Dozier was left off the ballot in favor of Jamey Carroll.Do you want to hear 20 minutes of a Twins versus White Sox game called by Harry Caray? I thought you might.Minnesota has entered the "Moneyball" era behind a mystery man.The early returns on Kevin Correia look good.Oswaldo Arcia might be good at break dancing. Here's another post about Jack Morris and pitching to the score.The campaign has started if you want to "Vote for Delmon"Ben Revere has a chance to climb this list by the end of the season.Target Field is going to have quite the day of baseball when they show "The Sandlot" on the big screen following a game with the Red Sox.Troy Tulowitzki had a mullet as a child and it was fantastic.This Bazooka Joe book looks pretty coolespecially for baseball fans who remember gum in their trading cards.It's not very often that a fan is given an opportunity to approach a player that did something against his favorite team when he was a child.Hawk Harrelson was in a sabermetrics debate with Brian Kenny. As you can imagine, there were some good moments.One of the coolest things of the entire week, all of Yu Darvish's pitches at one time.My Weekly Rundown Monday: Talk to Contact: Episode 34Tuesday: Two strike counts and Joe MauerTuesday's Minor League TidbitsThursday: Is Kevin Correia's performance just smoke and mirrors?Video of the Week: Oswaldo Arcia had a whirlwind week last week by making his MLB debut, being sent down for one game, and then getting called back up. He has played a much bigger role in recent games by being a steady fixture in the line-up. There have been some struggles along the way but he hit his first home run earlier this week. It was, we hope, the first of many in a Twins uniform. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Hicks_Aaron_Profile_US_720.jpg On May 24th the Twins were in San Francisco for the second game of a three game series. Aaron Hicks was the starting center fielder that day and this day would mark a turning point in his career. Whether it was a turning point for the better or for the worse remains to be seen. Ryan Vogelsong, a right-handed pitcher, was the Giants starter that day. This meant the switch-hitting Hicks was batting left-handed. Hicks struggled on this day, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout. He was removed in the late-innings of the close game for a pinch hitter. This was the end of Hicks being a switch hitter. A couple days later he entered Ron Gardenhire's office and told him he was done from the left side of the plate. Hicks had been a switch hitter since little league but he lost confidence at the plate and it was time for a change. Hicks is only 24 years old and the former first round pick was supposed to be the team's center fielder of the future. What does the future hold for Mr. Hicks? Bait and Switch Hicks is not that far removed from seemingly putting it all together at Double-A. During the 2012 season, he was a .286/.384/.460 hitter with 13 home runs, 21 doubles and 11 triples. Even from the left side of the plate he had an .828 OPS with 29 extra-base hits. His triple total was a New Britain team record and this gave the Twins plenty of confidence in him moving forward. In the Eastern League that season, Hicks was almost 2.5 years younger than the other hitters. This made his performance all the more impressive. He made one of the hardest jumps in the minor leagues and compiled the best numbers of his professional career. It was hard to imagine that he would be giving up switch-hitting in a little over a year and a half. Playing Rushin' Roulette Twins fans know the tale of Terry Ryan trading away Denard Span and Ben Revere during the same off-season. This meant Hicks was rushed to the big leagues after never seeing a pitch at the Triple-A level. There were plenty of struggles during his rookie season and the Twins sent him down to Rochester to finish out 2013. He has a grand total of 22 games played in Rochester. The Twins talked about sending him down after he switched away from switch-hitting. At the time, the team didn't really have any other options for center field, so he stayed with the big league club. There have been some positive signs since Hicks gave up switch-hitting. In a very small sample size of 24 plate appearances, he's hit .263/.391/.316 with a double and four walks. Rising Stars Hicks was put on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to last Tuesday with a right shoulder strain. With Sam Fuld recovered from his concussion, it seems likely that the Twins will send Hicks to Rochester after he's healthy. Minnesota has other options in center field and Hicks needs to spend more time seeing right-handed pitching from the right side of the plate. Danny Santana has burst onto the scene as a viable fill-in option in center. He's been a lifetime infielder during his time in the Twins organization but his bat has been so hot there is no reason to keep him out of the line-up. Byron Buxton has taken over the title of the center fielder of the future but he's been hurt for most of the year. This could leave a surprise candidate like Eddie Rosario as the center fielder to bridge the gap to Buxton. Time Will Tell The career of Hicks is far from over. Players like Brian Dozier and Trevor Plouffe both struggled in their first tastes of the big leagues. It took them time to develop and now they are both important parts of the current Twins line-up. Hicks is young and the Twins are going to give him every opportunity to succeed. If he can rekindle some of his Double-A magic in Rochester, the Twins will make sure he is back in Minnesota. Only time will tell when Hicks will make his way back into the Twins starting line-up. Click here to view the article

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hEnUEQv6SHU/UAOQotUCM9I/AAAAAAAACyU/nBWJzKxqgXU/s320/SwingSun.jpeg Since the Twins took Aaron Hicks with their first round pick in the 2008 MLB Draft, there has been plenty of talk about the athletic outfielder fitting into the future plans of the Twins organization. Hicks was one of the highest draft picks the Twins had prior to drafting Byron Buxton in this year's draft and he seemed to have all of the tools to make him a very valuable player. It hasn't been a fast rise to the top for Mr. Hicks during his five years in the farm system for the Twins but he looks like he might slowly be figuring things out at the Double-A level with the New Britain Rock Cats. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] There has been an up and down trend to the career of Hicks with there being more downs than ups. He can go through extreme hot stretches were he looks like a power threat from both sides of the plate and he follows that up with a rough couple of months that brings his statistics back down to earth. This roller coaster ride has been something that the Twins have tried to solve in recent years as they try and push the outfielder to find more consistency in his approach at the plate. The trend of ups and downs has continued in 2012 with some poor months mixed in with some very good offensive months. The month of July has been one of those very good months for Hicks. In his 14 games played in July, he is hitting .358/.452/.566 with five extra-base hits including two home runs and four RBI. This is also following the month of June where he hit .288/.377/.424 and all of those numbers were higher than his career averages. So it seems that the last couple of months have slowly been improving for Hicks as he starts to get more experience at the Double-A level. For the most part, his 2012 campaign would be excellent if not very a rough month of May at the plate. It could be a season of new personal records for Hicks on the offensive side of the ball. He has a career high nine home runs and he is closing in on some other personal bests. He is one triple away from tying his career high of six triples in a season and he has 19 stolen bases which is two short of his own record. There is over a third of the season left so this should give Hicks plenty of time to set some offensive highs for himself in the coming months. One of the biggest problems for the switch-hitting Hicks has been the change in his splits versus right-handed or left-handed pitchers. He is traditionally much better from the right side of the plate versus left-handed pitching. While this trend has continued in 2012, the gap is closing between his splits and he has shown the ability to hit for power from both sides of the plate. As a right handed hitter in 88 at-bats, he is hitting .295/.370/.466 with four home runs and three doubles. He has more than double the at-bats from the left side, 203 plate appearances, and he is hitting .266/.365/.424 with five home runs and five triples. It is great to see his numbers improve from both sides of the plate but it is also very good to see him become a more well-rounded hitter in the box. In the past, the Twins have seen some other high school outfielders take their time while developing in the system for the Twins. Denard Span didn't debut until he was 24 and his first full season in the big leagues didn't come until the next season as a 25-year old. Torii Hunter made his debut as a 21-year old but he only go into one game and he was used as a pinch runner. His first full season would come a couple seasons later when he was 23-years old. He hadn't been blowing the cover off of the ball in the minor leagues but he became an All-Star caliber player for the Twins. It is also important to remember that the Twins teams of the late 1990's were not very good so it allowed for younger players to get more playing time. Could this situation play out with Hicks in the next couple years? With Hicks playing all of this season so far at Double-A, there are plenty that are wondering when the young star will be making his debut with the Twins. The 22-year old might be a long shot to debut in 2012 because there are a few things working against him at this point. He is not on the 40-man roster and that means another move would need to be made to clear a spot for him even though that wouldn't be too difficult. There are a couple other young outfielders, Oswaldo Arcia and Joe Benson, that are already ahead of him because they have 40-man roster spots. Arcia is having a tremendous season but he spent the first part of the year at the High-A level so it might be pushing it to say he will get a chance this year. During last September, Benson got a taste of the big leagues but he has struggled in 2012. It will be a toss up to see if any of these players get the call this year. It seems the Twins front office would be satisfied with Hick showing that he can be a consistent offensive threat from both sides of the plate. His speed and defense have always been his best attributes and it seems that his hitting is slowly coming along. Twins fans can hope that he will follow some of the other high school outfielders that took some time to develop in the minor leagues before becoming solid regulars with the club. For now, Hicks will continue to refine his approach at the Double-A level in hopes that he can call himself a major league player at some point in the next two years. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Escaobar_Eduardo_batting_600.jpg When the Minnesota Twins traded Francisco Liriano to the Chicago White Sox last July, it seemed like the club was getting a bag of balls and some chewing gum in return. There wasn't much to get excited about with names like Pedro Hernadez and Eduardo Escobar. Flash forward a couple of months later and it is starting to look more and more like the Twins got some servicable players.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Escobar has built himself a nice little niche in the Twins clubhouse. Manager Ron Gardenhire uses him as a late inning defensive replacement a couple of times a week and he also makes his way into the starting line-up on occasion. In small doses, he has been very good for the team this year. In fact, it seems like Escobar has been a thorn in the side of Minnesota's opponents. This season he is hitting .438/.455/.625 with a home run, a triple, and a double in 32 at-bats. His six runs scored rank higher than two current regular starters, Chris Parmelee and Pedro Florimon. The switch-hitting middle infielder is finding ways to hit for average and power from both sides of the plate. As a left-handed batter, he is slugging .636 and when he switches to the other side that number stays at .600. His career slugging plus on base percentage is only .639 so it has been a very good start to the year. The Twins seem to be getting the best out of Mr. Escobar. Which brings up the question, how valuable is Eduardo Escobar? According to FanGraphs, Escobar has been the second most valuable Twins player in 2013. Since he is still pre-arbitration eligible, the club is paying him $520,000 this year. His value according to FanGraphs has been $3.1 million and only Joe Mauer has been worth more at $3.8 million. There are also some other interesting numbers from FanGraphs. Escobar has been the second most valuable offensive player with Josh Willingham being ranked ahead of him. Escobar's solid defense makes him more valuable in the field so his WAR ranking is second to Mauer. When looking to the other reputable online baseball database, Baseball Reference, Escobar is also doing well there. Only Mauer and Willingham have higher WAR marks and his offense WAR ranks right behind both of these everyday players. His Win Probabilty Added ranks sixth in the American League. This puts him ahead of perennial MVP candidates like Robinson Cano and Miguel Cabrera. It seems strange to talk about Escobar in the same breath as Mauer, Willingham, Cabrera, and Cano. For the most part, it is comical to think of the scrappy infielder in the same light as these great hitters. Compared to his Twins counterparts, he has less than a third of the number of plate appearances as Mauer and fewer than half of Willingham's A small sample size can do wonders for Escobar and his value to the team. His numbers might look promising at this point in the season but things could come back down to earth in a hurry if he got more playing time. Minnesota seems to have found the best way to get the most value out of Escobar. The team can only hope that his value continues to increase as the season progresses. It turns out that he might have been worth more than a bag of balls and some chewing gum after all... Click here to view the article

It's hard to believe the middle of the minor league season is fast approaching. This will mean the announcement of the mid-season All-Star Team rosters over the next few weeks. On Tuesday the Florida State League announced their teams and the Miracle have four players on the roster. Pitchers Jose Berrios, David Hurlbut and Brett Lee will be joined by outfielder Adam Brett Walker on the FSL South Division Team. Berrios, Hurlbut and Lee have all been fantastic pitchers with each posting an ERA of under 2.40. Walker is the only position player in the group but he leads the FSL in home runs. In transaction news, Daniel Ortiz has been called up to Rochester from New Britain. You will have to read on to see how he did in his Triple-A debut. Download attachment: Jason Wheeler edit.jpg RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Charlotte 2 Box Score Rochester wanted to get their nine-game road trip started off on the right foot and the Red Wings took a come from behind victory. The Wings found themselves trailing 2-1 in the top of the sixth before Deibinson Romero cracked a game-tying home run. He also knocked in the go-ahead RBI in the 8th inning as part of a three-run frame for Rochester. Eric Farris and James Beresford each had a couple hits including a double apiece. Daniel Ortiz went 0-for-4 after being called-up. AJ Achter earned his second victory after the team received a strong start from Logan Darnell. He allowed two runs on five hits over 6.1 innings. Over his last 16 starts with Rochester, he has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his games. Achter entered the game with a runner at second and one out but he got out of the jam to keep the game tied. He has stranded all 12 runners he has inherited this season. Ryan Pressly pitched a perfect ninth for his third save. The Wings have been hot lately winning 16 of their last 21 including four of their last five on the road. Rochester hasn't lost two straight contests since way back on May 12. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 3, Akron 5 Box Score New Britain found themselves in an early hole and it took too long for their offense to get up and running in this one. Taylor Rogers pitched seven innings but he surrendered five runs on eight hits to suffer his fourth loss of the season. It was the first time he has been charged with a loss since his second start of the season on April 18th. Cole Johnson and Matthew Summers didn't allow a base runner over the final two frames but they couldn't help the team score runs. Tony Thomas had a double and a run scored as part of a two-hit night. Reynaldo Rodriguez also had a double, his 16th of the season. The offense didn't record a hit until the fourth inning and the team was 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Overall, the team left five men on base. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for New Britain. Coming into the night, the club had won five of their last six games. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 8, Tampa 0 Box Score Miracle pitcher Jason Wheeler improved his record to 5-4 by throwing seven shutout innings. His ERA is down to 2.59 as he struck out five and walked two. It was his third consecutive victory and he hasn't allowed a run over his last 16.2 innings of work. Mason Melotakis completed the shutout by pitching the final two frames without allowing a hit. The top of the order did all the damage on the offensive side of the ball. The first four batters in the Miracle line-up all had multiple hit nights including three hit performances from Stephen Wickens and Adam Brett Walker. Eddie Rosario, with two hits, scored two runs and Jorge Polanco reached base in all five plate appearances. He finished 2-for-2 with a double, three runs scored, and three walks. With a St. Lucie loss to Dayton, the Miracle now have a 1.5 game lead in the Florida State League South Division with 12 games remaining in the first half. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids (Scheduled Off Day) TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Jason Wheeler, Fort Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Deibinson Romero, Rochester Red Wings SUNDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Charlotte (5:05 CST)- Kris Johnson (Listen) Rochester @ Charlotte (Game 2)- Scott Diamond Akron @ New Britain (5:35 CST)- Tyler Duffey (Listen) Lakeland @ Fort Myers (6:05 CST)- DJ Baxendale (Listen) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (7:05 CST)- Aaron Slegers (Listen) [/hr]The Twins evened up the series vs the Brewers yesterday, winning 6-4, so you can get 50% off your large or extra-large pizza from PapaJohns.com with the promo code 'WINTWINS' on Wednesday. [/hr] Click here to view the article

The game was a struggle for Kyle Gibson on Tuesday night. The Rays pounced on him for seven runs and he was saddled with his first loss of this young season. David Price pitched nine strong innings and showed why he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. The good thing is that it appears as if Brian Dozier is going to continue to hit a lot of home runs this season. Chris Colabello also seemed comfortable at the plate as he collected his second home run. He also saw 20 pitches over his four at-bats while no other Twins player saw more than 14. Download attachment: Chad Christensen.jpg RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 7, Pawtucket 5 Box Score The Red Wings offense was very balanced as six different men had an RBI in the game and most of the damage came in a six-run seventh inning. Chris Parmelee extended his hit streak to a season-long seven games. Eric Harris went 2-for-4 and scored two runs. Chris Rahl hit his fifth double and Wilkin Ramirez hit his second triple of the season. The team went 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Logan Darnell started for Rochester and pitched five strong innings. He allowed two earned runs on three hits including six strikeouts and two walks. Yohan Pino did some fantastic work in relief by striking out nine hitters in only four innings of work. With their 10th win of the season, the Red Wing matched their win total from last April. The team hasn't had a winning month of April since 2007 and they currently sit with a record of 10-8. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 2, New Hampshire 1 Box Score This low scoring affair saw the Rock Cats squeak out their fifth victory of the season. Virgil Vasquez didn't pick up a decision in this game but he pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits on only 84 pitches. It was his first start of the season after being used in relief in his first two appearances this year. Jim Fuller allowed the only run scored by New Hampshire but he ended up "earning" his first win of the season. It was a doubles party for New Britain as Tony Thomas, Reynaldo Rodriguez, and Brandon Waring all collected a two-bagger. Rodriguez had a multiple hit game for the fourth time in his last seven games. Anderlin Mejia didn't join the doubles party but he had two hits and he scored a run. Because of some bad weather and poor play, this was New Britain's first victory since April 13th. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 1, Jupiter 5 Box Score The Miracle couldn't get to Jupiter starter Scott Lyman as he tossed six scoreless frames. Jason Wheeler got hit around over 4.2 innings as the Miracle starter. He allowed five runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Tyler Jones and Mason Melotakis combined to pitch the last 3.1 innings without allowing a hit. Levi Michael was the lone Miracle batter with more than one hit. He went 2-for-4 and he has three multiple hit games out of the last eight. Travis Harrison cracked his first triple since 2012 in the rookie leagues. Max Kepler knocked in Harrison with a single to score the only run of the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Peoria 4 Box Score In three out of his four starts this season, Ryan Eades has allowed three runs or fewer but the Kernels continued struggle to find ways to support his efforts. Tonight Eades tossed 5.2 innings of two-run baseball with five strikeouts. It was his third loss of the season. Josue Montanez took over for Eades and allowed one run over the last 2.1 frames. Chad Christensen did his best to keep the Kernels in the game as he went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base. He was also the only batter in the line-up that didn't strikeout at some point in the contest. Tanner Vavra had the only extra-base hit for Cedar Rapids, his fourth double of the season. The team left six men on base and went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Virgil Vasquez, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Chad Christensen, Cedar Rapids Kernels WEDNESDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (5:15 CST)- Alex Meyer New Hampshire @ New Britain (5:35 CST)- DJ Baxendale Jupiter @ Fort Myers (6:05 CST)- Tyler Duffey Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (11:00 CST)- Ethan Mildren Click here to view the article

Download attachment: AARON-HICKS-Venezuela.jpg This offseason, some minor leaguers have provided plenty of excitement. Kyle Gibson looked dominant in his first Arizona Fall League starts before a rough start yesterday. But he isn't the only player making some noise in a winter league as Aaron Hicks has put together some strong numbers in the Venezuelan League during his first handful of games. This comes on the heels of his best season as a professional while playing at the Double-A level for the Twins. As was mentioned on Twins Daily last week, his stock will be rising this offseason so it is interesting to consider where he could end up at the beginning of next season. The Twins have a surplus of outfielders at the moment so some of the players at the major league level would need to be moved before the start of next year. Could that open up the opportunity for Hicks to begin the season as a starting outfielder for the Minnesota Twins? Since the Twins took Hicks with their first round pick back in 2008, things haven't gone perfectly for the toolsy outfielder from California. The problem hasn't been defensive; he was named by Baseball America as the top defensive outfielder and having the best outfield arm in the Twins system at the conclusion of last season. However, the offensive side of the ball has been a little sketchy on his way through the minors. He is a switch hitter so finding his stroke from the left side of the plate was a little bit of a challenge. Something clicked this year and the organization finally started to see the player they were looking for when they took him in the first half of the first round of the draft. Hicks saw his batting average rise 44 points from the 2011 season to finish at the highest point since he started playing in full season leagues back in 2009. Reports have him shortening up his stroke from the left side to make more contact and this helped to get on base at a more consistent rate from both sides of the plate. After hitting 41 extra-base hits in 2011, he hit 45 extra-base hits in 2012 and he hit double digits in home runs for the first time in his career. Last year, he hit 31 doubles and only five home runs while this year his home runs went up to 13 and his doubles dropped to 21 for the year. His speed has always been a threat and he set the Rock Cats record for triples in one season with 11 three baggers. He has gotten almost 40 at-bats in Venezuela and his line is consistent with his minor league track record. There has been a little bit of power with a home run and a couple doubles. Hicks is also getting on-base at a .370 mark but he is striking out in a third of his at-bats. He has three multi-hit games so far and it's nice to see him getting a few stolen bases. So far in this league, he has reached base 17 times and he has scored a run in almost half of those appearances on the base paths. His team, the Bravos de Margarita, is in first place at the moment so he is having the opportunity to play for a winning team in a very competitive league. It's a long shot that Hicks would gain serious consideration for a starting spot unless injuries struck, but there are some factors in his favor. During spring training the last two years, Hicks has been part of the major league camp for at least a portion of the schedule. This has given Ron Gardenhire a closer look at the young outfielder and now the coaching staff at the major league level is composed of plenty of men with minor league experience so they could be even more familiar with the ins-and-outs of Mr. Hicks. If the coaches and front office think the time is right, Hicks could get an extra long look for the job as starting outfielder for the Twins. With Denard Span, Ben Revere, Josh Willingham, and Chris Parmelee all ahead of Hicks on the outfield depth chart, there would need to be some kind of trade to make room. Willingham might be a prime trade candidate after having a career year in 2012 and Span's name has been out in the rumor mill for more than one season. The Twins have made it clear that they need more starting pitching for 2013 and the surplus of outfielders seems like the most likely place to find value on the trade market. Justin Morneau could also be dealt to free up a spot for Parmelee in the infield and this could give Hicks a quicker path to a starting role in Minnesota. But the Twins have been patient with Hicks since they drafted him four seasons ago and it seem most likely for the club to continue this philosophy for the beginning of next year. Hicks hasn't made an appearance at the Triple-A level so it seems more likely for him to get the opportunity to prove himself at that level before being asked to come up to the major leagues. If the Twins were seriously thinking about him being a starter for 2013, there is a good chance he would have been given a call-up at the end of this year. It's still great to be having a positive conversation about Hicks after multiple disappointing years in the minors. He seems to have turned the corner and fingers are crossed for him to continue on the path to making his debut sometime in 2013. <br> <br> Click here to view the article

Even though they are a last place team like the Twins, the pesky Seattle Mariners have seemed to have the Twins number in 2012. For the second night in a row, the Twins couldn't get much offense going and it's tough to win games without scoring runs. The good news is that the Twins are getting closer to getting the second pick in next year's draft. Only the Cubs and the Astros have a worse record than the Twins so this recent stretch of poor play has pushed Minnesota ahead of Colorado. I spent the evening taking in some Independent League Baseball as the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks returned to Newman Outdoor Field. There was a Bobblelection held as fans had to pick between getting an Obama bobblehead or a Romney bobblehead. The first candidate to run out of bobbleheads would be declared the winner.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] It turns out that the Fort Myers Miracle are having a similar promotion on Thursday evening at their home game. ROCHESTER 10, BUFFALO 4 The Red Wings used a 5-run top of the ninth inning to separate themselves from the Bisons on Tuesday evening. Buffalo struck early for a couple runs but Rochester slowly pecked away before coming up big in their last at-bat. Rene Rivera and Tsuyoshi Nishioka each drove in three runs. Rivera had a home run and a double to his credit while Nishioka settled for a three hit night. Brian Dozier continues to struggle since his demotion as he went 0-4 with two strikeouts. Chris Parmelee had a hat trick with three strikeouts in the game. Shairon Martis picked up his third win of the year in a very strong outing. Over six innings on the mound, he gave up two runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Anthony Slama made things a little more interesting in the ninth by giving up a two-run bomb but he still picked up his 13th save on the year. NEW BRITAIN 4, TRENTON 7 A big 5-run second inning put the Thunder up big and the Rock Cats couldn't recover on this night. Steve Hirschfeld was roughed up for six runs in less than two innings of work. This made it a long night for the bullpen but Edgar Ibarra, Dakota Watts, Aaron Thompson, and Jose Gonzalez managed to make it through the rest of the game by only allowing one more run. The lone run came on a solo home run so it was a pretty good 6.1 innings from the bullpen forces. Josmil Pinto went 3-for-4 on the night with his first double since being promoted from Fort Myers. In the fifth inning, Deibinson Romero hit his 19th home run of the year. Nate Hanson also went 2-for-4 in the loss. FORT MYERS 10, BRADENTON 11 (7 INNINGS) FORT MYERS 4, BRADENTON 2 (7 INNINGS) The first game of the night turned into quite the slugfest as the teams combined for 21 runs on 19 hits. The Miracle entered the last inning down by six runs and they would storm back before falling a run short. Steve Liddle hit his third home run of the season and he had three RBI. Most of the dirty work was done by Angel Morales as he hit a grand slam in the final frame to make things interesting. With his RBI from earlier in the game, he finished with five RBI in the contest. Clint Dempster took the loss after giving up six runs in less than an inning on the mound. Compared to the first game of the night, the second game was a nice, tidy win for the Miracle in their double-header. A couple runs in the third and sixth innings were enough to push the team to a victory. Steve Liddle hit his second home run of the day and his two-run shot turned out to be the difference in the score. Daniel Ortiz was the only member of the Miracle to have more than one hit by going 2-for-4 with his 23rd double. Pat Dean earned his 10th victory by pitching five innings and surrendering two runs with five strikeouts. BELOIT 0, CEDAR RAPIDS 5 The Snappers put seven hits on the board but the pitching staff for the Kernals kept them from scoring a run in this game. Beloit only had one extra base hit in the game, a double off of the bat of Drew Leachman. Jairo Rodriguez went 2-for-3 and he was the lone player with a multi-hit game. The team left nine men on base and they missed the presence of Miguel Sano who was out of the line-up for the second straight night. Matt Tomshaw had an okay outing but he was still saddled with his fifth loss of the year. The team had three errors in the game including two from Adam Pettersen trying to fill in for Sano at third base. This meant that Tomshaw only gave up two earned runs during his five innings pitched. It was the third consecutive start that Tomshaw has lost. ELIZABETHTON 6, PRINCETON 4 A solid offensive outing from the young E-Twins helped the team to the victory on Tuesday evening. Top draft pick Byron Buxton went 2-for-4 with two steals and two runs scored out of the lead-off spot. He was backed up by Niko Goodrum as he was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple in the game. Max Kepler continued to show his power stroke by hitting his 10th home run and stealing a base. Hein Robb started the game and gave up two earned runs on seven hits in a little less than five innings. Joshua Burris improved to a perfect 7-0 with the victory on this night out of the bullpen. He threw the last two innings and only allowed one man to reach base. --- Players of the Day for August 28, 2012 Hitter of the Day: Steve Liddle Download attachment: SteveLiddle.jpg Pitcher of the Day: Shairon Martis Download attachment: ShaironMartis.jpg --- A Look Ahead- Wednesday, August 29th Schedule Rochester: Off Day New Britain @ Trenton: LHP Logan Darnell Fort Myers @ Bradenton: RHP Tom Stuifbergen Beloit @ Wisconsin: LHP David Hurlbut Elizabethton @ Danville: RHP JO Berrios --- If you have any questions or comments on the minor league system, leave them in the comments sections so they can be answered by myself or one of the other readers. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: 10331_2.jpg After a rough road trip over the last week, the Twins returned home to face a Phillies team with it's own struggles. Minnesota won the first two games of the series but both games were close. The Tigers come to town for Father's Day weekend and this marks the start of nine straight games against AL Central opponents. This can become a crucial part of the schedule if the Twins want to stay in the hunt for a division crown. The club has a winning record so far in June and that is a good way to get back to the .500 mark. So far this season though the Twins are 9-15 versus AL Central foes. There has been plenty of news from around Twins Territory this week so let's dive into the latest edition of "Weekly Links-N-Thinks." While watching the FSN broadcasts, it might not seem like advanced stats are being used but Dick Bremer delves deeper into this world. Miguel Sano was promoted to Double-A this week and there were a variety of signs he was ready.Bookmark this site as there will be plenty of coverage from New Britain on Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario. With the move to Double-A, is it time to shift Sano over to first base? A couple of Twins prospects have been terrorizing the minor leagues. Paul Molitor sees a lot of what happens in the Twins minor league system. There is plenty more to the Cedar Rapids Kernels beyond Byron Buxton. The pitcher the Twins got back for Denard Span is suffering some shoulder soreness and that can be a bad omen. Target Field has more than enough options when it comes to stuffing your face. Joe Mauer has eyes in the back of his head. The Twins had an interesting situation play out on the mound earlier this week. It sure seems like a time when a bullpen car would have been helpful. Former Twins prospect Wilson Ramos suffered another set-back as he reinjured his ailing hamstring. That's not a good injury for a catcher. My favorite baseball movie of all time turned 25 years old this week. The Twins might have been interested in the always injured Grady Sizemore. Next year's draft is less than a year away! It's never too early to dig into some of the top college arms. It's impossible to hit the ball over Carlos Gomez's head. As Twins fans know, Alexi Casilla can make some outstanding plays on the defensive side of the ball. The Royals farm system was one of the strongest a couple years ago but those players haven't panned out. This serves as a good reminder for Twins fans that prospects aren't always sure things. A sick Oakland A's fan used a robot to throw out a first pitch. JJ Hardy really doesn't like the center fielders for the Angels. Be careful when you walk behind the mound in Texas. Mariano Rivera continues to deliver pizza to important employees as he makes his last trip around the American League. It turns out that Superman was bad at coaching baseball.My Weekly Rundown Sunday: Deibinson Romero is knocking on the doorMonday: Twins' center field depth to be tested Wednesday: Twins Top 10 Prospects: Post-Draft Edition Twins Minor League Report (6/12): Double-A DebutsVideo of the Week: Byron Buxton and the Cedar Rapids Kernels were featured on FSN North earlier this week. Buxton didn't disappoint as he had a great day at the plate and he made one of the best defensive plays you will see all year. If you haven't seen this catch yet, here it is. If you have seen it, you should probably watch it a few more times. It will never get old. Click here to view the article

Minnesota starts into a West Coast swing of baseball action on Tuesday. The club will play two games in San Diego before heading up the coast for a weekend series in San Francisco. This means some late night baseball action for Twins Territory, as most of the team's games won't be starting until 8:00 pm or later. The Twins have won each of their last three series including two out of three from Boston and Detroit. If the Twins want to continue to be relevant in the AL Central, they will need to continue to win series. The Tigers are out to an early lead in the division and they are playing at a very high level. Down in the minor leagues, there were three very strong starts by pitchers in New Britain, Fort Myers, and Cedar Rapids. Were their teams able to pick up the victories? You'll have to read on to find out! Download attachment: Danny Ortiz2.JPG RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 0, Toledo 3 Box Score The loss by Rochester ended a seven-game winning streak and a 10-game home winning streak. It was the third time the Red Wings have been shut out this season and Toledo has done it to them twice. Scott Diamond started and lasted seven innings while giving up three runs on six hits. He tied his season high in strikeouts with six and he hasn't allowed a walk in his last 13.1 innings. James Beresford went 1-for-4 in the game and extended his hitting streak to seven games. He also has a 13-game home hitting streak in front of the Frontier Field faithful. Doug Bernier started at first base and he has now started at six different positions (1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, and RF) for the Wings this season. Pedro Florimon had two hits and his sixth error in the field. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 7, Richmond 2 Box Score Daniel Ortiz powered the Rock Cats past the Flying Squirrels on Tuesday night. Ortiz went 3-for-4 with two doubles and it was his second consecutive multi-hit game. The first four hitters in New Britain's line-up all had multi-hit games and they combined to go 9-for-15 with three doubles and five runs scored. Overall, the team is hitting almost .500 with runners in scoring position and this certainly helped the pitching staff on this night. Sean Gilmartin had plenty of run support and he didn't need it all. Over 8.0 innings, he allowed two runs on four hits, struck out a season high nine batters and issued no walks. It was his first win since May 2nd and it was the first time he had pitched more than 6.2 innings this season. Lester Oliveros struck out one in a perfect ninth inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Dunedin 2 Box Score A four-run fourth inning helped the Miracle break open a tie game. Travis Harrison started the frame with a double and Dalton Hicks followed that up with a walk. A few pitches later Niko Goodrum drove in both base runners with triple. Adam Brett Walker knocked in Goodrum with a single and a few batters later he scored on a Jonathan Murphy single. The Miracle were up 5-1 and they didn't look back. To cap off a solid day of starting pitching by Twins minor leaguers (Cedar Rapids played an afternoon game), Matt Tomshaw went seven frames, allowing two runs on five hits. Both runs scored against him were home runs but they were solo shots, helping keep his team in the game. He struck out four and walked one. Madison Boer pitched two shutout innings to finish the game. He allowed one hit and stuck out two. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Beloit 2 Box Score JD Williams played the hero in this game as his pinch-hit, two run single in the bottom of the eighth turned out to be the difference. Bryan Santy had a good day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with his third double of the season. He also scored two of the team's four runs. Ivory Thomas and Carlos Avila each went 2-for-2 at the dish. Kohl Stewart didn't figure into the decision but he was outstanding on the mound. He tossed six frames and allowed one run on four hits. He struck out three and walked one. It was the first time he has pitched at least six innings since April 25th and it was only the second time all year he made it that far into a game. His ERA is down to 2.21 for the season over 40.2 innings. Alex Muren picked up his first win of the season, allowing one run in two innings of relief work. He struck out three and didn't walk any. Todd Van Steensel earned his second save by pitching a scoreless ninth frame. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Sean Gilmartin, New Britain Rock Cats Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Daniel Ortiz, New Britain Rock Cats SUNDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester- Scheduled off day Richmond @ New Britain (5:35 CST)- Pat Dean (Listen) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 CST)- David Hulbut (Listen) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST)- Felix Jorge (Listen) [/hr]The Twins beat the Padres last night so on Wednesday you can get a half price large or extra-large pizza from PapaJohns.com with the promo code TWINSWIN. Click here to view the article

When the Twins left spring training, there were multiple Twins players in line to get playing time during their sophomore seasons. The second year can be a huge year for players trying to make their mark at the big league level. There can be positive signs during a rookie season but continuing those early impressions and making adjustments is key to solidifying a player's future. Download attachment: Diamond_Dozier_Anderson_Mauer_US_720.jpg Two of these second year players were set-up for very different starts to the season. Scott Diamond had seemingly come out of nowhere to be the Twins best starting pitcher in 2012. Brian Dozier had struggled mightily during his first trip through the American League. Diamond was lined up to fit into the rotation for multiple seasons while Dozier had plenty of question marks around him as he shifted to a new defensive position. Early Season Impressions Diamond started this year on the disabled list after having a bone chip removed from his elbow late in the offseason. This might have taken away from his offseason routine and this definitely showed up on the field. By the end of June, Diamond had an ERA of 5.40 with opponents batting .320/.355/.502 against him. It wasn't exactly a dream start to the year. Dozier didn't exactly set the world on fire at the beginning of the year. In the middle of April, he was hitting under .200 and things did not improve quickly. For the month of May he hit .190/.227/.286 while being limited to four extra-base hits. There were some positive signs at his new defensive position but his offense was still reminiscent of his poor rookie campaign. Mid-Season Changes Things would continue to go downhill for Diamond in the middle portion of the season. July was another bad month as opponents hit .264/.336/.500 with six home runs in the five games he started. Other teams were hitting the ball hard and Diamond's 1.538 WHIP continued to be tough to swallow. Minnesota decided to make a change and Diamond was sent to Rochester in August for the rest of the Triple-A season. While Diamond was busy trying to figure himself out in the minors, Dozier made some adjustments to put himself on a record-breaking pace. He knocked five home runs in June while boosting his batting line to .257/.389/.514. July saw Dozier hit 11 doubles, more than the first three months of the year combined. Ron Gardenhire developed more faith in Dozier batting near the top of the order and the second baseman made the most of this opportunity. Late-Season Adjustments Rochester needed every win the team could get down the stretch and Diamond helped solidify their rotation. He made six starts at Triple-A and posted a perfect 4-0 record with a 2.40 ERA. Opponents hit .217/.259/.336 against him and he averaged almost seven innings per start. Minnesota had seen some positive changes in Diamond so they brought him back to the big leagues for the team's last handful of games. There are open spots in next season's starting rotation and Diamond needs to show that he deserves a spot. Dozier continued his hot hitting as the Twins season has progressed. August turned into his best offensive month, as he became a power hitting threat. He hit .276/.333/.535 with six home runs, 11 doubles, and three triples. This outburst of power put Dozier on pace to set the franchise record for home runs from a second baseman. Minnesota has used Dozier at the bottom of the line-up, as a leadoff hitter and now he has worked his way to the middle of the order. Focus on the Future Diamond has a lot left to prove to the Twins before the 2014 season starts. There is going to be some room in the team's pocket book to court some free agent pitchers. If the Twins pursue multiple starting pitching options, Diamond could end up back in Rochester. This seems like a long shot at this point but Mr. Diamond won't feel nearly as comfortable this offseason. Maybe it is better for him to have to earn a spot than be guaranteed one. Minnesota has Eddie Rosario pushing towards the majors but Dozier looks to be blocking his path. Fans are going to want to see Dozier continue his impressive offense for another full season. It has been rare for the Twins to have a successful middle infielder molded in their own farm system and the team seems pleased with Dozier. He has slowly become a team leader and the Twins' future plans seem more likely to include their current second baseman. Sophomore years can be tough but Dozier and Diamond have sure taken different paths in their second year in the big leagues. Diamond in the middle of a year long sophomore slump and Dozier showing that there can be some success in a player's sophomore season. Two different players... And Two Different Sophomore Seasons... Click here to view the article

Night two of playoff action saw plenty of stories to follow in the Twins farm system. Rochester was kicking off their postseason run with a game in front of their hometown fans and Cedar Rapids had to go on the road. Fort Myers was at home but their season was on the line and a loss would mean the end of their title chances. Rochester Red Wings 7, Pawtucket Red Sox 1 (Game 1) Box Score Rochester was out to prove that their last day qualification for the Wild Card spot was not a fluke. The team went out and scored runs in the first four innings to grab an early 6-1 lead. Antoan Richardson singled and James Beresford doubled to set up a 2-run first frame. Eduardo Escobar scored Richardson on a sacrifice and this was followed by an RBI-single from Chris Parmelee. Beresford found himself up in another important spot in the second. With runners on first and second, he cracked a single to center field to score the third run of the game. The third inning was characterized by multiple bunt attempts. Aaron Hicks and Eric Farris bunted in back-to-back at-bats but it took an Eric Fryer single to plate two runs. Hicks would also be responsible for a sac fly in the fifth to cap the early offensive onslaught. Cole De Vries started for Rochester and pitched into the sixth frame. While striking out six and walking one, he allowed one run on five hits. Aaron Thompson pitched two shutout innings of relief while allowing only one runner to reach base. AJ Achter closed the door in the ninth to cap a key victory for the Red Wings. What's Next: Rochester will host the second game of this series against the Red Sox on Thursday. The scheduled pitcher for the Red Wings is PJ Walters. He finished the regular season with a Triple-A record of 7-5 while posting a 4.18 ERA in 103.1 IP. The Red Sox will counter with big league hurler Clay Buchholz who is rehabbing on his way back to help Boston on a run for the AL East crown. In his one Triple-A outing this year, he lasted 3.1 innings and gave up one run on seven hits. Fort Myers Miracle 1, Charlotte Stone Crabs 2 (Game 2-- 10 innings) Box Score In the first game of the series, the Miracle were shut out and the Stone Crabs were able to sneak away with a 1-0 victory. This low scoring affair continued into Game 2 of the series with both starting pitchers posting zeros into the eighth inning. Fort Myers needed to find a way to get on the board or their fantastic season would come to an end. Taylor Rogers was outstanding on the mound and he did everything he could to keep the Miracle from being eliminated. Over nine shutout innings, Rogers limited the Stone Crabs to three hits with nine strikeouts and one walk. With two outs in the ninth, a Stone Crabs batter reached on a single but Rogers talked his way into staying in the game. He struck out the last batter of the frame to finish his nine innings of work. Download attachment: Cole De Vries.jpg The Miracle were forced to turn to the bullpen and pitcher Zach Jones. In the Stone Crabs' half of the 10th, the leadoff batter singled and then things started to get a little dicey. During the next at-bat, the runner broke for second but he actually came up short of second base. The throw was high to Levi Michael and the runner was able to pop-up and still make it in before the tag. A walk and a sac bunt put two runners in scoring position. Jones tried to intentionally walk the next batter but he threw the ball to the backstop and the first run of the game was on the board. After a pop-out bunt, Jones walked a batter but he followed this with another at-bat that included a wild pitch. The Stone Crabs left the top of the 10th with a 2-0 lead and survived a rally in the 10th to end the Miracle's campaign. What's Next: The Miracle have been eliminated from the Florida State League Playoffs. Plenty of Miracle players and the coaching staff have been honored for their terrific seasons. The offense just didn't show up over the course of this best of three series. Byron Buxton has been the talk of the prospect world this year and it was tough to see the Miracle season end this way. Cedar Rapids Kernels 1, Quad Cities River Bandits 2 (Game 1) Box Score The Kernels have been one of the best minor league teams in all baseball this year but anything can happen in the postseason. Players have come and gone from the Cedar Rapids roster but the team kept finding a way to win. Things got off to a good start in the playoffs with the Kernels scoring the first run of this game. In the top of the second inning, Adam Walker singled to lead off the frame. Mike Gonzales doubled to deep center and Walker was able to come all the way around to score from first. The Kernels would get two more runners on base in the inning but those men were left stranded. Cedar Rapids had their first lead of the series but it wouldn't last. Quad Cities tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when former first overall pick Carlos Correa worked his way around the bases. It was the only run scored against Kernels starter Brett Lee but it would be an important run for this game. Lee lasted five innings and struck out six. Alex Muren came on in relief and was fantastic. He struck out three over two innings and didn't allow a hit. Cedar Rapids looked to swipe the lead back from the River Bandits in the fifth. After a Niko Goodrum walk, there were men at first and second. Jorge Polanco hit one up the middle but the pitcher knocked it down and was able to record the out at first. This left two runners in scoring position and Max Kepler in the batters box. In an unfortunate turn of events, Kepler popped up to the first baseman in foul territory and the Kernels never had another runner in scoring position. What's Next: Game 2 of this series is scheduled for Thursday evening in Cedar Rapids. Tim Shubya will take his perfect 4-0 record to the mound for the Kernels. Over 37.2 innings, he posted a 0.96 ERA while striking out 25 and walking four. Single-A opponents were able to hit only .173 against him and he has pitched seven innings or more in his last three starts. This included a complete game shutout the last time he was on the mound. Click here to view the article

For the first half of the Twins game on Friday night, it looked like Francisco Liriano could be on the way to his second no-hitter in the last two years. With his pitch count rising in the sixth inning, he walked two batters and then he ran into the reigning National League MVP. Ryan Braun crushed a pitch to deep center field to switch a 2-0 Twins lead into a 3-2 Brewers lead. Lucky enough for the Twins, Trevor Plouffe is in beast mode and he can keep the Twins in any game. His two home runs on Friday night gave him seven home runs in the last seven games during the current home stand. It has been fun to see what Plouffe has been able to do at the major league level but there are plenty of notable performances in the minors from Friday. Here's a glimpse of what happened under the lights on Friday night in the Twins farm system.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] ROCHESTER 4, LOUISVILLE 1 On this night the story of the game would be the outstanding pitching performance from Cole DeVries. In his second start since being sent back to Rochester, DeVries pitched seven shutout innings while striking out four and only walking a single batter. It will be nice to see if his brief taste of the big leagues will help him for the rest of the season. There were minimal threats in the eighth and ninth inning from the Bats but Tyler Robertson and Brendan Wise were able to escape with minimal damage. Robertson allowed the only run to score for the Bats but he left two runners on base to keep the lead at four. Wise walked a batter with two outs in the ninth but he got a strikeout to finish the game for his first save. Sean Burroughs and Wilkin Ramirez each knocked in a couple runs to help the Red Wings to come out victorious on Friday night. Both hitters cracked a double and Ramirez smashed his third home run of the year in the second inning. Matt Carson hit his team leading 17 double of the year in the win. NEW BRITAIN 2, ERIE 5 The Rock Cats scored a couple runs in the second inning to take the lead back from the SeaWolves but it wasn't enough on this night. Erie pounded out double digits in hits and put together some late inning rallies to separate themselves from New Britain. Most of this rally came off of Blake Martin who gave up three earned runs in his inning on the mound. Aaron Thompson had his best start since joining New Britain at the beginning of June. He started the game for the Rock Cats and pitched six strong innings by giving up five hits and one earned run. He dropped his ERA from above 9.00 at the start of the game to close to 6.00 by the end of the game. Rene Tosoni and Chris Herrmann both had mulit-hit games with one of Herrmann's hits being a double. The man to drive in all the runs for the Rock Cats on this night was Estarlin De Los Santos with a 2-RBI double in the second inning. Mark Dolenc had his first double of the year but it was still not enough to help the Rock Cats on this evening. FORT MYERS (All-Star Break) The Miracle don't have a game on Friday night because tomorrow night is the Florida State League All-Star Game. Fort Myers had four players selected from their team to represent the club in Port Charlotte, Florida. The Fort Myers Miracle will be represented on the South team by catcher Josmil Pinto, infielder Daniel Santana, and pitchers Pat Dean and Rickey Bowen. Another Miracle player, Oswaldo Arcia, was added to the home run derby on Thursday. BELOIT 6, BURLINGTON 3 After celebrating their first trip to the playoffs in five years, there could be a chance the team would come out a little slow. This was definitely not the case on Friday night as the Snappers pounded out six runs in the first two frames. From there the offense cooled down and they hoped the pitching staff would be able to hold on to the lead. In only his second start since being shifted from the bullpen, David Hurlbut gave up three earned runs on two home runs with five strikeouts. AJ Achter threw three innings in relief and put up some impressive numbers. He pitched three scoreless innings by only allowing two hits while striking out six. Nate Roberts led the offensive charge from the leadoff spot by going 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Drew Leachman drove in a couple of runs and had his third triple of the year. The Snappers batted close to .500, 5-for-12, with runners in scoring position to help the team to another W in the win column. --- Players of the Day for Friday, June 15, 2012 Hitter of the Day- Wilkin Ramirez http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KLtv4EL7Y5g/T9vu8-b7UTI/AAAAAAAACMY/xaOr_XPO01o/s320/Wilkin+Ramirez.jpg Pitcher of the Day- Cole DeVries http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GPaKywwV_dI/T9vdnm9ng9I/AAAAAAAACKo/1vEcoaaduIA/s320/cole_de-vries1.jpg --- A Look Ahead- Saturday, June 16th Schedule Rochester at Louisville- RHP Cole DeVries New Britain vs Erie- RHP BJ Hermsen Fort Myers- FSL All-Star Game Beloit vs Burlington- TBA --- If you have any questions or comments on the Twins minor league system, leave them in the comments section and Seth or I will try to answer them. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: Scott+Diamond+Minnesota+Twins.jpg The Rule 5 Draft can be an interesting test of an organization because of all of the rules and regulations involved in selecting a player. To understand the Twins mindset for the draft, it is important to know the rules involved in selecting a player and the purpose of the Rule 5 Draft. All of these things can go a long way into a team's decision to pick a player or to let their pick go to the wayside. When MLB instituted the Rule 5 Draft, the purpose was to keep teams from stockpiling MLB ready talent in their organization. This draft gives players that are ready the opportunity to sink or swim at the big league level. If a player has been with a team for an allotted amount of time and hasn't been added to the 40-man roster, he is exposed to the Rule 5 Draft. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Rule 5 players must stay with their new big league club or be offered back to their old team. This means a club can’t pick up a Rule 5 player and stash him away in the minor leagues. The order of the draft is based on the win-loss record of the team's from the previous season. For the Twins, this means the club has the fourth pick after having the second pick last season. Here is a look at the Twins last five Rule 5 drafts: Download attachment: TwinsRule5Drafts.jpg None of the above listed Rule 5 picks were strong enough to stay on the 25-man roster for the entire season. Scott Diamond has been the only player in the last half decade to make an impact on the Twins from their Rule 5 selections. Even he had to be sent to the minors for a little more seasonin, which meant the Twins needed to work out a trade with his previous team, that Atlanta Braves. The Rule 5 Draft can be full of disappointments but there can be some "Diamonds" in the rough. One of the sticking points for the Twins at this point is they have no space available on their 40-man roster. For the team to use their fourth pick in the Rule 5 Draft, they would need to clear room on the roster. The organization just added eight players to the 40-man so there is a chance the team might not be looking to making any additions at this point. There are a few names left off of other team's 40-man rosters and this could be good news for the Twins. The club is in desperate need of adding some pitching and the Rule 5 Draft could help in this search. Below you will find three names of pitchers that could be available for the Twins to select with their fourth pick but they still need to make room on the 40-man roster. Josh Fields, RHP, Red Sox (Age 27) Fields is a former first round pick that has spent the last two seasons bouncing between Double-A and Triple-A with the Red Sox and the Mariners. He has been used entirely as a relief pitcher but he has posted good ERA marks on his way up the ladder. He can strike batters out with a SO/9 of 12 last year and he doesn't walk a lot of batters. Fields is a flyball pitcher but he does a good job of keeping the ball in the park and this would suit him well at Target Field. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and he has a very good curveball. Fields seems like a player that could slide into a bullpen role with the Twins next year. Kyle Kaminska, RHP, Pirates (Age 24) The Twins love control pitchers and Kaminska might fit their profile. He worked his way up to Triple-A last season in a primary relief role. His low walk rate of 1.2 BB/9 sure sounds like it is right up the Twins alley. His fastball sits right around 90 mph and his breaking pitch isn't anything to write home about. Kaminska could fit into the middle of a bullpen and eat up some innings for a club. The Twins seem to need starting pitching at this point so Kaminska might be overlooked for a pitcher with more experience in that role. JC Sulbaran, RHP, Royals (Age 23) Sulbaran is a new member of the Royals organization as he was just traded to the team last season. This still didn't mean they wanted to protect him on their 40-man roster. At 23 years old, he is still young and there is plenty of potential in his right arm. His control has been an issue during his time in the minors and this might make the Twins look the other direction. He averaged 5.2 BB/9 last year but he had 9.3 SO/9. Sulbaran has a low-90s fastball and a decent breaking pitch that could make him useful in the future. If the Twins want to take a flyer on a player, he could turn into a back of the rotation starter. <br> Click here to view the article

Happy President's Day! Getting past this day means that the start of the baseball season is one step closer. Fans could start purchasing Twins single game tickets over the weekend. This is always a fun day for people across Twins Territory to pick out the games they want to attend and where they want to sit. Since today is a day set up to honor some of the greatest leaders in our countries history, I only thought it fitting to write a post that fit with that theme. Here is a look at the best players with presidential names to play with the Twins organization. There are a couple fan favorites and some other lesser-known players but it is a fun list to explore.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: lewfordTwins.jpg 1. Lew Ford CF, OF: Any Twins list with Lew Ford at the top is pretty cool. The scrappy outfielder had some very good years with the Twins. Fans would echo his name off the Teflon roof of the Metrodome. His comeback story with Baltimore last season was great to see. WAR 7.3 2. Mudcat Grant, RHP: He played for seven different organizations in his 14 year professional career but some of his best years were in a Twins uniform. He won 21 games for the 1965 Twins team that went to the World Series. He also picked up the win in two of those World Series games against the Dodgers. 5.0 WAR 3. Tom Johnson, RHP: Johnson only started one game during his five-year career with the Twins but he was able to have a couple of good seasons. In 1977, he won 16 games and had a 3.31 ERA out of the bullpen. His 1976 season was also good as he had a 1.08 WHIP and a 2.61 ERA. 2.8 WAR 4. Ron Washington SS, 2B: The current manager of the Rangers played the bulk of his career in a Twins uniform. He only played over 100 games in one season and his best year was probably the 1984 campaign. He hit almost .300 that season with 19 extra-base hits over 88 games. WAR 0.9 5(t). Mike Adams OF: He only played 58 games for the Twins and he had a .222 career batting average with the club. Adams played 55 games with 1973 Twins, the most games he ever played in one season. He did hit 21 homers in his last Triple-A season for the Twins. 0.2 WAR 5(t). Brian Buchanan OF: Buchanan didn't break into the big leagues until age 26. In 2001, he hit 10 home runs and 12 doubles while posting a .274 batting average. He was part of two important trades in club history. He came to the Twins along with Eric Milton and Cristian Guzman for Chuck Knoblach. Later he would be dealt for Jason Bartlett. 0.2 WAR 6(t). Otis Nixon OF: His lone season in a Twins uniform wasn't too bad. He hit for a high average but basically no power. Nixon was also third in stolen base percentage in 1998. 0.1 WAR 6(t). Randy Bush OF: Bush would be a staple in a Twins uniform from 1982-1993. He would be part of both championship teams with the club. He had three stolen bases and a triple during the 1987 ALCS. 0.1 WAR 7. Tack Wilson OF: It was a brief big league career for Mr. Wilson. He only made four plate appearances with the Twins and he had one hit to his name. 0.0 WAR 8. Roric Harrison RHP: His five-year big league career would come to an end in Minnesota. He threw 12 innings with the club and gave up 10 earned runs and 11 walks. -0.2 WAR 9. Mike Lincoln RHP: The Twins took Lincoln in the 13th round of the 1996 MLB Draft. He would break into the big leagues three years later and pitch a couple of seasons with the club. He fared much better when he switched to the NL later in his career. -0.6 WAR 10. Glen Adams DH: Someone had to be at the bottom of this list and it just happened to be Mr. Glen Adams. He played five years for Minnesota and he hit over .280 with the club. Most of his poor WAR comes from not being very good on the defensive side of the ball. WAR -1.7 Click here to view the article

Download attachment: GibsonTwins.jpg Some of the most intriguing spring training battles for the Twins are the race for the starting center fielder job and for the last spot in the rotation. Two of the best prospects for the Twins are in the middle of these battles and they both have been putting together decent starts this spring. But even if the rest of the spring goes great for Aaron Hicks and Kyle Gibson, they could be destined to start the year in Rochester. There are a few different reasons to think that the Twins will be patient with these two young players. [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] irst, there is opportunity. The team isn't suppose to be contending in 2013 or maybe even 2014. This means there is no rush to get either of these men to the big leagues. They can both be given the opportunity to find success at Triple-A. Second, long-term control and money is a factor. If the team waits until a few months into the season, they can control these players for an extra season. There are also rules in place for players that get called up in the first couple months of the season to let them reach arbitration as a super two player. The Twins could avoid some of this hassle by letting other players take their spot on the roster until the middle part of the year. Finally, each player's history suggests a slower immersion could be beneficial. Hicks has a history of slow starts when he advances to a new level. He played all of last season at the Double-A level so making a two level jump could be hard on him. The team has been very patient with him up until this point and it makes a lot of sense for the club to continue their patient ways. The Twins have been clear that Gibson will be on an innings limit this season. It is his first full year back from Tommy John surgery and it is important to be cautious with a young arm. If the Twins want to control his innings at the beginning of the year, it will be easier to do this in Rochester. They don't want a player in the major league starting rotation that has to be pulled early to keep his innings down. Within the organization, there might be some debate. While the front office might want Hicks and Gibson to get a little more experience, the manager might not be in a position to wait for the future. Ron Gardenhire is in the last year of his deal and he can't really afford for the club to get off to a slow start. He has said that he wants Hicks to have a shot to start and Gibson has a brighter future than some of the other rotation options. With the moves the Twins have made this offseason, their farm system is considered one of the best in the game. Most of their top-level talent hasn't made appearance above the Double-A level. For now, it looks like a waiting game as these players work their way through the minor leagues. So when will the next winning team grace fans at Target Field? The estimated arrival time for Miguel Sano, Alex Meyer, Trevor May, and Byron Buxton might not be until 2014, 2015 or 2016. If those players make up the core of the next winning Twins team, it might be best to still have multiple years of control over Gibson and Hicks. There are going to be reasons to keep Gibson and Hicks with the big league team for the start of the year. However, the reasons to keep them in the minor leagues might outweigh those that are in favor of keeping them up. So what do you think? If Gibson and Hicks earn the jobs, should they start the year in Minnesota? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-phUKBdlfscc/UChmJR7CrSI/AAAAAAAADH0/o2k7nbhMiWo/s320/HicksArcia.jpg While the 2012 season has been a little bit painful at the big league level, there have been plenty of positive stories out of the minor leagues for the Twins. Miguel Sano, the player widely considered as the best in the Twins organization, is showing his power potential by sitting near the top 10 in nearly every offensive category for the farm system. Byron Buxton and J.O. Berrios were the top two picks for the Twins in June's draft and they have both already been promoted to Elizabethton in the last week. Berrios has been nearly untouchable so far in his outings and Buxton has put together some decent numbers on the offensive side of the ball. But searching for positive performances is not just relegated to the lower levels of the minor leagues for the Twins. Oswaldo Arcia and Aaron Hicks are putting together their best seasons as professionals at the Double-A level with the New Britain Rock Cats. Hicks has spent the entire season with the Rock Cats and Arcia started the year at Fort Myers before being called up in the middle of June. Both of these players have been highly thought of in the past and they each seem to be putting together a season worth getting noticed for in 2012. Hicks was the Twins first round pick in 2008 when the Twins took him out of high school with the 14th pick. His minor league career has been somewhat of a roller coaster ride since that point but he has always had the tools to be thought of as one of the top prospects for the Twins. The switch-hitting outfielder has struggled in the past to even out his splits from each side of the plate. This season has seen some improvement as he has hit .293/.371/.526 with 13 extra-base hits in 116 at-bats from the right side of the plate. When he switches to the left side, he is batting .276/.385/.427 with 25 extra-base hits in 279 at-bats. His 12 home runs this season are split evenly between both sides of the plate and his 27 steals are a career high. Arcia is a year and a half younger than Hicks and he missed part of last season with an injury. This explains some of the reasoning that the Twins used to start Arcia in the Florida State League at the beginning of the year. He has made up for lost time since being called up to the Eastern League as he is hitting .330/.406/.553 in 49 games. Between both levels in the minor leagues, he has 31 doubles and 14 home runs with 78 RBI. He has appeared in a career high 104 games in 2012 so it is good to see what Arcia has been able to do over the course of what is really his first season of being healthy in the full season leagues. With Hicks batting at the top of the order and Arcia batting in the middle of the line-up, the New Britain Rock Cats find themselves in the middle of the playoff chase in the Eastern League. While fans of the Twins might not be concerned about the chase by the Rock Cats for the playoffs, it could have an impact on when (or if) the team will call-up these two young players at some point in September. Last season, the Twins looked to two position players to have a chance in the final month after the Rock Cats had been eliminated from contention. Chris Parmelee and Joe Benson got a shot to show what they could do with their first taste of the big leagues. Ben Revere got called up from Double-A at the end of the 2010 season and he only got 28 at-bats in 13 games with the club. This year it could be time for Arcia and Hicks to put on the Twins uniform and let the MLB coaches take a closer look at the future of the franchise. Looking ahead to September, it might be hard for the Twins to find at-bats for both of these up-and-coming players. They are both outfielders and the current roster for the Twins is not short in the outfield department. Denard Span, Ben Revere, and Josh Willingham have been relatively healthy in the outfield for the Twins so it would be tough to take at-bats away from these already established players. There could be an injury that would allow the Twins to give extra at-bats to a September call-up but all three of the current outfielders are going to want to finish the season on a strong note. Span took a tumble on Sunday and he might have to miss a little bit of time and there is always a chance of an injury with the way Revere goes after balls in the outfield. An injury to one of the starters might be the only way to free up a chunk of at-bats for Arcia or Hicks. Another obstacle in the way for Hicks is the fact that he is not currently on the 40-man roster for the Twins. Because Arcia was an international signee, the organization was required to add him to the 40-man roster during last offseason even though he is younger than Hicks. During the coming offseason, Hicks would have to be added to the 40-man roster so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to see him added in September. The consistent play at the plate and in the field would need to continue for each player over the rest of August but they both seem to be hitting better as the season progresses. For both of these players to get a chance with the Twins in September, it is important for the at-bats to be there for them with the big league squad. There are certainly things that each of them could learn from sitting on the bench but it is much more important to be in the line-up on a regular basis against big league pitching. With both players being under 23-years old, it would be nice to see them get their feet wet in a season that is a lost cause for the Twins. They are two of the biggest bright spots in the organization for 2012 and they deserve to be rewarded for their production on the field. That reward should be a chance to step onto the grass at Target Field for the first time. Click here to view the article

Download attachment: save_energy_while_using_your_pc_lk245_qde8y.jpg The Twins put together a solid series against the White Sox to earn a three-game sweep. The rival Sox are plummeting in the AL Central; it is still nice to beat a hated foe. Powerful offensive performances and some decent pitching helped the club in the series. Now it is time to see what the team can do when they hit the road for a couple series. Some other Twins headlines from this week included: Justin Morneau finally ended the longest home run drought of his career, Kevin Corriea put together a couple solid starts, and Sam Deduno (prior to last night) continues to impress. Everything seems to be going upward in Twins Territory but this has been a streaky team this season and it's going to take more than a few wins to impress the fan base. Here are some of the most enjoyable stories from around the web in the last week. Make sure to check them all out before you head out for the weekend. Byron Buxton has mastered the art of being good.Buxton is also putting up better numbers in Cedar Rapids than Mike Troutdid when he played for the club. Two roommates on the Cedar Rapids Kernels continue to impress with their performances so far this year. Antoan Richardson has put together a great season in the minors and this interview will help you to learn a little bit more about him. It's interesting to see how pitchers are approaching Miguel Sano since he transitioned to the Eastern League. One of my favorite prospects, Max Kepler, is going to need to try to re-establish himself. Mike Pelfrey has had a few struggles this season but there are a few keys for him to find success. In the history of the Yankees and Twins, this play has to be one of the most frustrating in recent memory. According to the most recent numbers for Twins on Twitter, my followers have gone up 3.6% in the last six weeks. I think we can improve that number for the next update. This might be the most entertaing article I read this week because it includes two thing I love, trading cards and the Minnesota Twins. Plus there's a Duck Tales reference so that's awesome. Kevin Correia might be one of a few starting pitchers available at the trade deadline. When it comes to fantasy baseball, Brian Dozier shouldn't be on your team. Aaron Hicks and Chris Parmelee are near the top of the list for most Web Gems this season. Pat Neshek's brother works for the Twins and he made a fantastic grab as the ball boy earlier this week. The Fort Myers Miracle are always creative with their promotions and this one for Miami Heat fans that exited Game 6 early is pretty good. What happened to the ball from Kirk Gibson's famous 1988 World Series home run? I've seen the sausage race in person and now it's celebrating 20 years in the big leagues. The story of the Black Sox scandal is one of the best known in baseball and now you can own a unique piece of memorabilia from that famous series. A complete replica of Wrigley Field was built; this one is unique because it is made of almost 58,000 Legos. Torii Hunter hit his 300th home run and it just had to come against the Twins. They have all-time great players but are the Tigers an all-time great team?My Weekly Rundown Sunday: Talk to Contact: Episode 41Monday: The Future of Trevor Plouffe The Curious Case of Kyle Gibson Wednesday: Those Damn Yankees: Chuck Knoblach Twins Minor League Report (6/19): Sano's 1st AA BlastVideo of the Week: After ending the longest home run drought of his career, the Twins had a little fun with their Canadian first baseman. Justin Morneau came into the dugout and he had to give high-fives to his invisible teammates. His real teammates were told by the manager to give Morneau the silent treatment. It was a funny moment especially since it had to be a big weight off his shoulders to finally hit one out. Click here to view the article

The Twins made it official on Monday... Joe Mauer's days behind the plate are over. Download attachment: Mauer_Joe_FirstBase_US_720.jpg After consulting with doctors at Mayo Clinic, it was felt that Mauer needed to avoid the chance of re-injuring himself at the roughest position on the baseball field. Even though Mauer is now symptom free and able to go about his regular offseason routine, the club felt this was in the best interest of the team and their star player. The move away from catcher has been something Mauer has tried to avoid in the past. Even after missing most of the 2011 season because of leg issues, Mauer wanted to prove he could handle the rigors of being a full-time catcher again. The seriousness of his concussion in 2013 must have been enough to convince him the time was right for a move. In my offseason blueprint, I listed Mauer as the primary first baseman for the 2014 Minnesota Twins. It seemed likely the club would give him more time at first base especially with the exit of Justin Morneau and the rise of Josmil Pinto. These two players are just part of the ripple effect of Mauer's move to first. Pinto's Chance to Start The Twins were impressed with the performance of Pinto in the final month of the season. Over 21 games, the rookie backstop batted .342/.398/.566 with four home runs and five doubles. His defensive skills might not be as good as Mauer's but he did throw out 33% of base runners with a .982 fielding percentage in his eight seasons in the minor leagues. Minnesota could always add a veteran catcher but Pinto deserves a chance at some point next year. Morneau Won't Return Within the inner circle of Twins Territory, there may have been hopes of a return of their former MVP. As Mauer shifts to first base, it seems there is no spot for Morneau on the roster. It probably didn't make sense for the Twins to spend money on Morneau with other first base options currently under contract. This allows Morneau to try to find a spot on a team that can contend before his career is complete. Parmelee and Colabello Left Searching for ABs Both Parmelee and Colabello have put together impressive numbers at Triple-A in the last two seasons. These performances haven't translated to the big leagues and this leaves question marks about them moving forward. Parmelee got some time in the outfield last year and this might be his best chance at sticking with the team long-term. Colabello's independent baseball story was great but he might be more of a organizational player. Sano's the Future at Third With a full offseason to prepare, Minnesota could have moved Mauer to third base. They didn't because Miguel Sano is making his way to Target Field. There is a small chance of Sano starting the year with the club so Trevor Plouffe will only be keeping his place warm at the hot corner. It seems a waste to use Mauer's athletic ability at a lowly position like first base but Sano has one of the best arms in the Twins system and the spot should be saved for him. What other ripple effects are there from Mauer's move to first? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

Anytime the Twins end a week with a .500 record, it is a step in the right direction. A sweep of a day-night double header in Kansas City last Saturday helped to get the team off to the right track for the week. The big offensive showing on Tuesday night against the White Sox was also fun to see even though the Twins ended up losing the series. It might be sad to be happy about a .500 record for a week but when your team is 18.5 games out of first place you look for any positive signs that you can find. One of the biggest positive signs for the Twins has been Chris Parmelee and his performance so far in September.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] The first baseman turned outfielder has been on a tear since the team recalled him at the end of last month. In the last seven days, he is hitting .407/.448/.815 with three home runs and two doubles to go along with eight RBI. The front office for the Twins is giving plenty of players a chance to prove their worth and Parmelee seems to be making the most of his chance for the second September in a row. The Twins will return home tonight for a 10-game homestand against the Indians, the Royals, and the White Sox. It will be the last time the team faces the White Sox and the Royals in 2012. But before the weekend action kicks off, make sure to peruse this week's edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." Tom Kelly's number will be retired this weekend and the former manager is humbled by the whole situation.After a breakout season for two players at Double-A, it's tough to pick out the MVP for the Rock Cats.Both of those hot hitting Rock Cats might have been snubbed from a September call-up.Make sure to take a glance at this great write up about the season in New Britain.It looks like the honeymoon might be ending for Target Field.There were some very good performances in the minor leagues for the Twins in the last month of the season. Check out the hitter of the month, the starting pitcher of the month, and the relief pitcher of the month.Joe Mauer's offense seems to be back to normal but his defensive skills seem to be going the wrong direction.It's never too early to start looking at the 2013 MLB Draft and some of the players that might be available for the Twins.Jamey Carroll ended the longest HR drought in baseballwith his long ball earlier this week.The Twins made their September call-ups in the last week and they were kind of a downer.If you missed the end of the Appy League Championship, it was a series for the ages as all three games went to extra-innings and the E-Twins came out on top.Download attachment: AppyLeagueChamps copy.jpg Former Twins pitcher and Cy Young candidate R.A. Dickey signed a deal to write children's books.Nick Punto brought his jersey shredding skills with him to Los Angeles.The title of most exciting player in baseball has changed a lot since the late 70s.Ozzie Guillen is back on Twitter and he is always entertaining.Insurance might have played a part in the decision to shutdown Stephen Strasburg.Attendance was low on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day, and Chipper Jones wasn't happy about it.Here is an epic tale of Johnny Damon trying to throw a ball to home plate.The rules for expanding rosters in September might be changing for 2013.Phil Humber threw a perfect game earlier this year and this week he got destroyed in an outing by the Twins.Lots of weird things can happen in a meaningless minor league game at the end of the year including a 350-pound relief pitcher stealing third.It sounds like Adam Greenberg's comeback isn't going to happen with the Cubs.Royals stud prospect Wil Myers was named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America.My Weekly Rundown Monday: LABOR DAY Tuesday: What will another good September mean for Chris Parmelee? Wednesday: The Curious Case of Anthony Slama Thursday: Revisiting my preseason projections for the minors Video of the Week: Former Twins outfielder Jason Repko made one of those catches that will be shown in highlight reels for years to come. Granted it came in a minor league game for the Red Sox but he still went up and over a wall to make a catch. Make sure to check it out if you haven't seen this amazing play. Click here to view the article

Weather has been a factor in the early part of the minor league schedule. Rochester was forced to play two seven-inning games on Tuesday because of weather issues on Monday. The Miracle had some weather issues of their own on Tuesday as their game got called early in the day. For the coming weeks, it likely means there will be plenty of doubleheader action in the Twins system. The games have to get played but it has been a long winter in different parts of the country and it could take awhile for the weather to start cooperating. However, the weather did cooperate for a few of the Twins affiliates on Tuesday night...[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Download attachment: CIMG8984.jpg RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Scranton/WB 0 (7 Innings) Box Score Rochester picked up their first win of the season behind a strong pitching effort from Kris Johnson. In his Red Wings debut, Johnson tossed five scoreless frames for his first victory. He's held the RailRiders scoreless over three consecutive starts dating back to last season (17.0 IP). Ryan Pressly pitched the last two innings to complete the shutout. Every hitter in the Rochester line-up had at least one hit and five different players knocked in runs. DH Darin Mastroianni did a good job out of the leadoff spot going 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Eric Farris had a two-out RBI double for his first extra-base hit of the year. Rochester 6, Scranton/WB 5 (7 Innings) Box Score In the Red Wings second game of the day, Trevor May made his Triple-A debut. May had a tough act to follow with Johnson's performance in Game 1 but his performance turned out to be fantastic. Over five solid innings, May struck out eight and maybe more importantly didn't walk a single batter. The lone run scored against May came after he gave up a leadoff triple in the top of the fifth inning. He ended the evening throwing 84 pitches, 51 for strikes. Darin Mastroianni kept up his hot hitting from earlier in the day with three more hits in this contest. Brad Nelson went 2-for-2 with an RBI before being lifted for a pinch runner. Doug Bernier has only played in two games this season but he's made the most of them by getting multiple hits in both games. ROCK CATS REVIEW New Britain 2, Harrisburg 6 Box Score Sean Gilmartin got off to a rough start in his debut in the Twins system. The Senators pounced on him for three runs in the first inning and the Rock Cats were never able to recover. Gilmartin put up zeros in the second, third, and fourth innings before getting hit around again during the fifth. He lasted five frames and surrendered four earned runs. Corey Wimberly had his second double of the season, while Brad Boyer and Mike Kvasnicka each collected two hits. Boyer stole his first base of the year but he also had a error in the field. The team didn't capitalize on some key moments as the club went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers --, Charlotte -- (Postponed) Inclement weather at Hammond Stadium meant the Miracle and the Stone Crabs will have to play a doubleheader on Wednesday. Game one will begin at 4:05 CST and the second game will be approximately 30 minutes after the first game with each game scheduled to last seven innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Great Lakes 8 Box Score Zach Larson did his best to keep the Kernels close but it wasn't enough as the team suffered their third loss of the year. Larson finished the day by going 3-for-4 with two doubles. Jeremias Pineda clocked his first home run of the year and stole his first base. Bryan Haar collected his second home run and, his second game in a row with an extra-base hit. The Kernels pitching staff gave up eight runs on eleven hits with four walks. Felix Jorge made his first start out of the rookie leagues and struggled by giving up four runs on five hits including a home run. He struck out three and didn't walk a runner. Alex Muren did a good job cleaning things up by tossing 2.2 scoreless frames to end the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Trevor May, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Darin Mastroianni, Rochester Red Wings WEDNESDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes Barre @ Rochester (6:05 CST)- Scott Diamond Harrisburg @ New Britain (5:35 CST)- Pat Dean Charlotte @ Fort Myers (4:05 CST)- Mason Melotakis Charlotte @ Fort Myers (30 minutes after Game 1)- Jason Wheeler Cedar Rapids @ Great Lakes (5:05 CST)- Aaron Slegers Click here to view the article