Cody Christie

Even though we don't have the same data as the Twins, it's easy for fans to find out that he has struggled to keep his velocity up into the late innings. It would have been nice for him to concentrate on being a pitcher or a hitter and not doing both.

Seems "blah." I feel like even with his two-way ability, he won't be more than a back-end starter or long reliever. His bat has been good this year but previous years he wasn't anything exciting at the plate.

Will fans be upset if they take McKay?

It's interesting to consider how much someone's stock can change in one spring. Many fans would have be fine with him being the first pick earlier in the year. He will certainly be a high pick but I think he has shown enough flaws that it's the right (or Wright) move to pass on him.

I enjoyed this comment more than I should have

I tried to allude to that in the article. I feel like he could become a much better at being a hitter or a pitcher if he focused on one and not the other. It's too hard to be a two-way player as a professional.

It's a new front office with a different approach to drafting. Some of the scouts are the same but it's the dawn of a new era. Levine and Falvey know this pick could define their tenure as a front office duo. There needs to be a balance between risk and reward. You can't strikeout on the number one overall pick.

The Twins were off on Monday, but there was plenty of exciting minor league action. Find out everything that happened in the Twins minor league system on Monday. Transactions: Jonathan Rodriguez active from the seven-day DL (Chattanooga), replacing Kevin Garcia who was assigned to EST in Fort Myers. Fort Myers activated Jonny Drozd from the seven-day DL. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily The Twins were off on Monday, but there was plenty of exciting minor league action. Find out everything that happened in the Twins minor league system on Monday. Transactions: Jonathan Rodriguez active from the seven-day DL (Chattanooga), replacing Kevin Garcia who was assigned to EST in Fort Myers. Fort Myers activated Jonny Drozd from the seven-day DL. RED WINGS REPORT Scranton/WB 6 @ Rochester 3 Box Score The Red Wings took an early lead in the bottom of the first thanks to some extra hustle from Zach Granite who singled to lead off the game, stole second base, advanced to third on a ground out and scored via a Tommy Field sacrifice fly. The Wings added another run to lead 2-0 in the third, again thanks to Zach Granite who singled, moved to second on a J.B. Shuck single, tagged up and took third on a long fly ball from Tommy field, and scored on a wild pitch. An active night on the base paths for Granite. With the 2-0 lead, the Wings ran into trouble in the sixth as Yohan Pino gave up a three-run homer before being lifted for D.J. Baxendale, who escaped the sixth inning only thanks to a timely double-play after putting men on the corners. Pino’s final line was 5.1 innings, three runs (all earned), two walks, and he struck out seven. Baxendale could not escape trouble in the seventh inning as he gave up three unearned runs after a fielding error by Mitch Garver followed by a sacrifice fly and then a couple of singles and another error. Alan Busenitz cleaned up with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, including a strikeout. Of note: ByungHo Park was 0-2 with a pair of walks and a strikeout and is hitting just .114 over his last 10 games CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Jackson 2 @ Chattanooga 4 Box Score Before the game, it was announced that Nick Gordon was the Southern League Player of the Month for May. Gordon had 32 hits, 17 for extra bases, to go along with 22 runs scored and 15 RBIs. Gonsalves earned his first win of the season and shut out the Jackson Generals for 5.0 innings on Monday night. Gonsalves gave up just two hits, he walked three, and struck out eight. After a quality start last time out (6.0IP 2ER, 8K) in which he received just a single run of support, on Monday Gonsalvez got four runs from the Lookouts in the first two innings. Gonsalvez, lifted after 96 pitches, was replaced by Jake Reed who gave up just one hit in 2.0 innings of relief. Raul Fernandez ran into trouble in the eighth inning and gave up a pair of runs in 0.2 innings before John Curtiss came in for the four-out save, striking out three of the four batters he faced, including the final two hitters of the game. While the Lookouts scored those four early runs, they managed only four hits on the game, but took advantage of three walks and a fielding error in the first inning to push three runs across and chase starting pitcher Gabe Speier after just two-thirds of an inning. Southern League Player of the Month Nick Gordon was 1-4 with a double and a stolen base, swiping third base in the bottom of the second inning. Ryan Strausborger was also 1-4 with a double, but without the stolen base to accompany his extra-base hit. No Lookouts player had multiple hits, but LaMonte Wade and Travis Harrison both had a pair of walks and a run scored to go along with an 0-2 night. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 0 @ Palm Beach 2 (SUSPENDED MID-FOURTH) Box Score Monday’s game will resume in the bottom of the fourth inning at 3:00 pm tomorrow afternoon. Before the rain forced the game into a delay and suspension, starter Lewis Thorpe gave up a pair of unearned runs in the second inning. KERNELS NUGGETS OFF TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Stephen Gonsalves, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Zach Granite, Rochester Red Wings TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/WB @ Rochester (6:05pm) - TBD Jackson @ Chattanooga (6:15pm) – Matt Tracy (3-4, 3.98) Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30pm, 7-innings) – Brady Anderson (2-1, 4.01) Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (6:30pm) – Tyler Wells (2-0, 2.37) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. View full article

Since 2010, the Twins have selected three college players in the first round, right-handed pitcher Alex Wimmers, shortstop Levi Michael and left-handed pitcher Tyler Jay. Wimmers and Michael have failed to transform into MLB regulars. Jay was drafted with the hopes of being a top tier starter. This spring the Twins announced he will be used as a relief pitcher moving forward. Today's profile looks at one of the players expect to come off the board with a top-three pick. His college experience and skills on both side of the ball make him an intriguing prospect. Will he be the Twins' choice at number one? Image courtesy of University of Louisville Sports Information Since 2010, the Twins have selected three college players in the first round, right-handed pitcher Alex Wimmers, shortstop Levi Michael and left-handed pitcher Tyler Jay. Wimmers and Michael have failed to transform into MLB regulars. Jay was drafted with the hopes of being a top tier starter. This spring the Twins announced he will be used as a relief pitcher moving forward. Today's profile looks at one of the players expect to come off the board with a top-three pick. His college experience and skills on both side of the ball make him an intriguing prospect. Will he be the Twins' choice at number one? WHO IS HE? McKay is a left-handed pitcher and first baseman from the University of Louisville. He was originally drafted in the 34th round of the 2014 draft by the San Diego Padres. His commitment to Louisville was strong and that decision seems to have paid off. McKay is 6-2, 220 pounds and was born on December 18, 1995. WHY THE TWINS WILL DRAFT HIM McKay has been a legitimate two-way threat during his collegiate career. As a freshman, he hit .308/.418/.431. He followed that up by hitting .333/.415/.513 as a sophomore. On the mound, he was even more impressive. Over 97 innings during his first year, he posted a 1.77 ERA with a 117 to 34 strikeout to walk ratio. He avoided a sophomore slump with a 2.30 ERA and a 128 to 42 strikeout to walk ratio over 110 innings. During his junior campaign, McKay has made huge strides at the plate. He's combined for a 1.159 OPS and 17 home runs which is more homers than his first two seasons combined. On the mound, he ranks in the NCAA's top-10 for strikeouts despite having pitched fewer innings than all but one the other pitchers in the top-10. MLB.com columnist Jim Callis told USA Today that he doesn't believe there has been a prospect who was equally highly regarded as both a pitcher and a hitter as McKay since Dave Winfield out of the University of Minnesota in 1973. Winfield, a Minnesota native, went on to a Hall of Fame career as a hitter and that comparison could make the Twins want to pull the trigger on McKay. WHY THE TWINS WON'T DRAFT HIM As the season has stretched on, McKay has seen some wear and tear from playing on both sides of the ball. His fastball has dropped to 88-91 mph but he has also been working on adding a cut fastball. He hasn't been able to refine pitching or hitting since he has been spending time doing both. His velocity isn't overwhelming and it's not hard for big league teams to find a first baseman/DH who can hit for power. McKay's stock has definitely dropped as the spring has progressed. He doesn't have the athletic ability of some other top college picks from recent years like Kris Bryant or Dansby Swanson. If McKay's future is on the mound, there are better pitchers the Twins will look at before taking McKay. Baseball America also thinks McKay would be better suited to be part of a National League organization. This would allow him to continue to pitch and hit on a regular basis. Even with a slow end to his spring, McKay is still one of the first names Commissioner Manfred will announce on June 12. Will he be trading in a Cardinals jersey for new Twins digs? Other draft-related articles: Twins Daily Draft Preview Royce Lewis Pavin Smith 10-Round Mock Draft View full article

He's played over 100 innings at second base for the first time in his career. Three of the errors are at second. He might still be learning some of the nuances of a different spot on the field. There are different angles to the ball and things like that. There have been questions about him sticking at short. The hope is he can stay there. Engelb Vielma is a stronger defender at short. A future infield with Vielma and Gordon up the middle could be fun to watch.

You are correct, fine sir. After a little more research, I see the Miracle were down 0-2 before they scored late in the game.

I agree. If the pitcher makes the mistake, it should count against the pitcher in some capacity. I guess it could lead to them getting the "loss" but wins and losses are dumb. For example, look at Thorpe's numbers.

Thorpe's game logs 05/19/2017 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO 05/25/2017 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO (Loss) 05/31/2017 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO (Loss) Not sure how he got the loss in the 5/25 game. He only allowed one earned run and then Williams Ramirez gave up an earned run in relief. Team lost 2-1. In the 5/31 game, the Miracle got shutout. The only run came after a throwing error by Thorpe on a pick-off attempt.

It's hard to believe the calendar has already turned to June. Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers need to make runs at first half playoff spots in the weeks to come. Rochester and Chattanooga need to continue to fight for their own playoff positions even though their leagues don't hand out first half playoff spots. Would any teams be able to gain some separation on Sunday? Which players would shine? Read on to find out. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily (Travis Blankenhorn) It's hard to believe the calendar has already turned to June. Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers need to make runs at first half playoff spots in the weeks to come. Rochester and Chattanooga need to continue to fight for their own playoff positions even though their leagues don't hand out first half playoff spots. Would any teams be able to gain some separation on Sunday? Which players would shine? Read on to find out. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Norfolk 1 Box Score It took awhile for Rochester's offense to wake up in this contest. With the team trailing 1-0 late in the game, Tommy Field finally got things rolling. He started the seventh with a single and than moved to third on a JR Murphy single. Zack Granite came up with the go-ahead, a triple, to put Rochester on top by one. Adam Wilk started and allowed one earned run, a home run, on six hits over four innings. He struck out one and didn't walk a batter. Ryan Eades improved to 2-0 on the season as he tossed three shutout innings with four strikeouts and one walk. His season ERA dropped to 1.13. Ryan Pressly picked up his first save, a two-inning affair, as he only allowed two base runners. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Jackson 5 Box Score Chattanooga jumped out to any early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Three of the first four batters reached without recording a hit as Jackson committed an error, walked a batter and hit a batter. Dan Gamache took advantage with a one-out single to plate a pair of runs. Levi Michael capped the inning with a run-scoring single as things were looking good for the Lookouts. Top pitching prospect Fernando Romero pitched seven innings and saw five runs scored while he was on the mound. Lucky for him, only two of the runs were earned as he struck out eight and didn't allow a walk. Nick Gordon and Gamache each had an error in the fourth which allowed three unearned runs to score. Luke Bard and Mason Melotakis combined to allow one base runner over the final two frames. Bard struck out the side in the eighth. Trailing by one in the bottom of the ninth, LaMonte Wade and Travis Harrison started the inning with doubles. Gamache was intentionally walked before Levi Michael advanced the runners with a bunt. Ryan Walker played the hero as he doubled in the winning run. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 0, Palm Beach 5 Box Score It's tough to win many games when a team is limited to three hits. Fort Myers was shut out on Sunday. Zander Wiel, Tanner English and Trey Vavra all went 1-for-3 as English and Vavra both collected doubles. The Miracle didn't collect a walk in the game and only one batter stepped into the plate with a runner in scoring position. Lachlan Wells lost two full count battles in the bottom of the first before giving up a three-run home run. He went five innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Tom Hackimer pitched two scoreless innings with a couple of strikeouts. Sam Clay finished the game with a scoreless eighth. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 11, Burlington 6 Box Score The Kernels exploded for five runs in the second inning and they still needed a four-run eighth frame to separate themselves from the Bees. All of the Kernels second inning damage came with two outs. Caleb Hamilton and Christian Cavaness walked before a Brandon Lopez triple brought them home. Aaron Whitefield walked and stole second in front of a two-run single from Travis Blankenhorn. Jarmaine Palacios capped the inning with a run-scoring double. Hamilton played a key role later in the game as his two-run homer helped to separate Cedar Rapids. A couple of batters later, Travis Blankenhorm popped his sixth home run of the season to bust open the game. Blankenhorn finished with three hits and four RBI. On the defensive side of the ball, Cavaness threw out a runner at home in the seventh to keep the Kernels up one. Eduardo Del Rosario didn't have his best stuff but he was able to earn his fifth win. He struck out one and walked two while allowing four earned runs over five innings. Zack Tillery struggled a little as well. He walked three batters and saw a run scored without giving up a hit. Logan Lombana pitched 1.1 innings and gave up one earned run on three hits. Ryan Mason pitched two shutout innings to close out the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Fernando Romero, Chattanooga Lookouts (7 IP, 2 ER, 8 K, 0 BB) Hitter of the Day – Travis Blankenhorn, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-for-5, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Scanton/WB (6:05 CST) - TBD Chattanooga vs. Jackson (6:15 CST) - LHP Stephen Gonsalves (0-2, 3.18 ERA) Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30 CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-2, 1.38 ERA) Cedar Rapids - Scheduled Off-Day Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. View full article

As the season began, I asked an important question, "How Much Can Minnesota's Defense Improve?" The Twins have answered that question loud and clear. While their offense and pitching staff are putting together similar numbers, the club's defense has been elite so far this year. One of the biggest reasons the team is near the top of the Central Division is because of this defensive shift. Three players have been key figures in the Twins's defensive turnaround. While each player has a different skill set, all three have made improvements and each ranks as one of the best defenders at his position. Image courtesy of Brad Rempel- USA Today Sports As the season began, I asked an important question, "How Much Can Minnesota's Defense Improve?" The Twins have answered that question loud and clear. While their offense and pitching staff are putting together similar numbers, the club's defense has been elite so far this year. One of the biggest reasons the team is near the top of the Central Division is because of this defensive shift. Three players have been key figures in the Twins's defensive turnaround. While each player has a different skill set, all three have made improvements and each ranks as one of the best defenders at his position. Byron Buxton, CF Buxton was known for his defensive wizardry while moving through the prospect rankings. While his bat still hasn't lived up to the hype, he might be the best defensive center fielder in baseball. Fans might feel like this is a stretch but baseball's new defensive metrics help to make the case in regards to Buxton. This spring MLB Advanced Media introduced a new Statcast metric called Catch Probability, which measures how likely a fielder is to catch a given ball in play based on its distance and hang time. Buxton leads MLB in "four-star outs" as he has gone 10-for-11 in those opportunities. Four-star opportunities have a 26-50% chance of being caught. No other player has more than eight four-star plays. There have been some scary moments with Buxton crashing into walls to make some tremendous plays. He was also injured multiple times in the minor leagues while making diving plays. One has to wonder if Buxton's all-out attitude will catch up with him after seeing the career of Ken Griffey Jr shortened because of injury. Joe Mauer, 1B Some fans might scoff at the idea of Mauer as an elite defensive player. I mean... How much can a first baseman really improve your defense? Isn't that where team's hide their overweight, power-hitting bats. In previous eras this might be the case but fans ought consider the entire picture when it comes to Mauer. Minnesota has inexperienced players on the left-side of the infield. Miguel Sano and Jorge Polanco have some defensive flaws and Mauer's athleticism at first has helped to alleviate some of their growing pains. According to FanGraphs' Ultimate Zone Rating, Mauer is 2.4 runs better than the average first baseman. That mark is highest in the AL while Brandon Belt and Joey Votto are the lone NL starters with a higher total. Twins Manager Paul Molitor, a former infielder has taken notice. "You're supposed to be able to pick the ball out of the dirt, but I don't think he's missed one," he told the Star Tribune. "Even some ones that have been really tough --- they throw with side spin, they hit the cut of grass, they skim low, they skim high, and he just seems to be able to corral those throws. Max Kepler, RF While Buxton gets much of the praise for the outfield, Kepler has been quietly among baseball's best outfield defenders. Buxton ranks sixth among AL outfielders in defensive runs saved and Kepler is eighth. Only two AL teams (Seattle and Boston) have teammates who combine to rank higher than the Twins duo of Kepler and Buxton. Like Buxton, Kepler has made some strong defensive plays. When it comes to catch probability, Kepler has made five "3-star outs" which have a 51-75% chance of being caught. This ties Buxton for the team lead and only 12 MLB players have made more "3-star outs." Kepler and Buxton have helped the Twins pitching staff compared to last year's outfielders. During the 2016 campaign, Minnesota ranked 28th in defensive efficiency on fly balls and 29th in defensive efficiency on line drives. With their defensive upgrades, the Twins now rank in the top five in each of these categories. Minnesota's bats might go cold and their pitching staff is still a mystery. Even when these things obtain, the Twins can rely on their newly revamped defensive prowess. How much can Minnesota's defense improve? Right now, the sky is the limit. What other players would you add in with this trio? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

While the Twins were in the midst of the longest game in Target Field history, the Twins minor leagues were in the middle of a busy day. Only two teams have games on Memorial Day so Sunday became a critical day as multiple affiliates float around the .500 mark. What teams could shine? What players would struggle? Who would help their team to win? Read on to find out. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily (Photo of Felix Jorge) While the Twins were in the midst of the longest game in Target Field history, the Twins minor leagues were in the middle of a busy day. Only two teams have games on Memorial Day so Sunday became a critical day as multiple affiliates float around the .500 mark. What teams could shine? What players would struggle? Who would help their team to win? Read on to find out. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Indianapolis 2 Box Score Only three Red Wings batters were able to collect hits as the team was held to four total hits. Niko Goodrum had the team's lone extra-base hit as he came around to score on a Tommy Field single. Field led the team with a 2-for-3 effort. Leonardo Reginatto went 1-for-3. David Hurlbut started and made it through five frames. He allowed two earned runs on six hits with a strikeout and a walk. It was his third loss of the season and he hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of those decisions. Alan Busenitz and Alex Wimmers kept the game close for Rochester. Busenitz pitched two scoreless innings by allowing only a pair of singles. The final two innings from Wimmers were perfect and he struck out one. The loss drops the team to one game under .500. Rochester has gone 4-6 over the last ten games as the club sits 9.5 games out of first place in the International League North Division. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 9, Montgomery 2 Box Score Chattanooa powered past Montgomery with a pair of four-run innings. In the bottom of the second inning Travis Harrison and Dan Gamache led off the inning with doubles. With two outs in the frame, Dan Rohlfing walked before a trio of singles. Ryan Walker, Nick Gordon and Levi Michael joined the hit parade and pushed the lead to 4-0. In the bottom of the third, TJ White walked with two outs. Kevin Garcia and Dan Rohlfing singled to score another run. Walker came up with the biggest hit of the inning, a three-run home run. When the dust cleared, the Lookouts held an 8-0 lead. Felix Jorge improved to 5-1 on the season. Over seven shutout innings, he limited the Biscuits to five hits while striking out one and walking one. Raul Fernandez allowed two earned runs on three hits over the final two frames. He struck out one and didn't have a walk. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 1, Charlotte 6 Box Score Fort Myers jumped out to an early first inning lead. Bradley Strong reached base on a throwing error and than stole second. Chris Paul cracked a ground-rule double which would score Strong. The Miracle offense went cold from there as the team was shut out the rest of the way. They finished 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base. Paul reached base three times in the game while Max Murphy and Strong both collected doubles. David Fischer took the loss for the Miracle even though he limited the Stone Crabs to two runs on four hits. He pitched five innings while striking out four and walking two. Williams Ramirez had a rough inning as he walked three batters and allowed a pair of runs. Sam Clay and Alex Muren both allowed a run in their inning of work with each pitcher collecting a strikeout. With the loss, the Miracle fall one game below .500. They currently sit 4.5 games out of first place in the Florida State League South Division. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Kane County 2 (10 Innings) Box Score Cedar Rapids seemed to be off to a good start. Lewin Diaz singled in front of a Jaylin Davis double to get an early 1-0 lead. Kane County quickly countered to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom half of the frame. Cedar Rapids was quiet until the fifth inning when Caleb Hamilton led off the inning with a single. Aaron Whitefield drove him in with a double to tie the game. The Kernels finally found a way to get back on the board in extra innings. Travis Blankenhorn was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a balk. Kane County's manager didn't like the call and he was ejected from the game. With two outs, the Cougars walked the bases loaded. Aaron Whitefield was hit by a pitch to drive in a run. Ariel Montesino singled to drive in two more. Domenick Carlini kept the game close for the Kernels. He allowed two earned runs on four hits. He struck out two and walked one. Colton Davis and Alex Robinson combined for three shutout innings. Tom Hackimer picked up his third win after two shutout innings allowing one base runner and he struck out three. He has not been tagged for an earned run in his last 21.0 IP. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Felix Jorge, Chattanooga Lookouts (7 IP, 0 ER, 5 H) Hitter of the Day – Ryan Walker, Chattanooga Lookouts (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Indianapolis (12:35 CST) - LHP Jason Wheeler (4-1, 4.50 ERA Chattanooga - Scheduled Off Day Fort Myers - Scheduled Off Day Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (1:00 CST)- RHP Clark Beeker (5-2, 2.61 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. View full article

It's hard to believe but baseball has already passed the quarter-mark of the season. What might be even harder for Twins fans to believe is that Minnesota finds themselves in contention. This is a welcome surprise after a tough to watch 2016 season. There will be some questions facing the Twins in the weeks ahead as there will be plenty of tough decisions left to be made. The future of the franchise could tilt with the first overall pick. However, that player likely won't be making his Target Field debut in 2017. So what other questions will the new front office have to answer? Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson, USA Today Sports It's hard to believe but baseball has already passed the quarter-mark of the season. What might be even harder for Twins fans to believe is that Minnesota finds themselves in contention. This is a welcome surprise after a tough to watch 2016 season. There will be some questions facing the Twins in the weeks ahead as there will be plenty of tough decisions left to be made. The future of the franchise could tilt with the first overall pick. However, that player likely won't be making his Target Field debut in 2017. So what other questions will the new front office have to answer? Were the 2016 Twins a fluke? Things certainly couldn't have gone much worse for the Twins in 2016. Following a 2015 seasons where Minnesota was in contention until the final weekend, the wheels came off. Young players like Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano and Jose Berrios struggled to make adjustments at baseball's highest level. Even with those players struggling, the Twins' pitching was their most noticeable flaw. Only Arizona could match the Twins' 5.09 team ERA and Minnesota had the third worst WAR total from their pitchers. The 2017 version of the Twins look much more comparable to the 2015 squad. Sano has been a dominant force at the plate. Buxton might be the best defensive center fielder in baseball. Ervin Santana might be developing into an ace. Even Berrios has looked like a completely new pitcher. It's hard to know if it will last but it's been a fun ride so far. What can the Twins do to improve their bullpen? Brandon Kintzler has been effective so far by converting 11 of his first 12 save opportunities. The Twins were able to pick up the win in his only blown save of the season but it still seems like the team is playing with fire. Besides Kintzler, Tyler Duffey and Matt Belisle have tossed the most innings. Only veteran Craig Breslow and Tyler Duffey have ERA's under 3.00. Rochester doesn't exactly have a plethora of top-tier relief pitching options. At the end of the last two seasons, Trevor Hildenberger has been named the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. He has a 3.07 ERA and a 16 to 6 strikeout to walk ratio in 12 appearances. Other 40-man options include Buddy Boshers, Drew Rucinski, and Nick Tepesch but none of these guys are breaking down the door to the big leagues. Can the Twins contend in an wide-open AL Central? Many national sports outlets expected Cleveland, the defending AL Central champs, to run away with the division. Cleveland's best pitcher, Corey Kluber, is on the disabled list and they've played below .500 at home. The rest of the division also has plenty of questions. Chicago is in the midst of a rebuild. Kansas City's offense has struggled to start the year. Detroit seems to have pitching struggles every year. The Twins have started 15-11 in the division which has been bolstered by a 7-1 record versus the Royals. Minnesota has 2-4 record against the Tigers and the Indians. If the Twins want to contend in the division, the club will need to improve against the teams in the division. Are there any prospects fans can expect to see? With things going well in Minnesota, it's hard to know when the team will need to dig into the minors for some extra help. An injury to an everyday player or a slumping bat could signal the start to any of these player's big league career. Zach Granite was the organization's minor league player of the year and he is already at Triple-A. It's quite possible for Granite to follow in Brian Dozier's footsteps. Infielders Engelb Vielma and Nick Gordon have a chance to debut this season as well. Vielma was recently promoted to Rochester and he is the best defensive infielder in the organization. Gordon, a former first-round pick, is off to a hot start with his bat which could lead to a September call-up. Will the Twins be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline? With a new front office and a team surprisingly in contention, July could become an interesting month. No one expected the Twins to contend but the new regime will need to add some pieces if they are serious about making a playoff run. There are holes in the bullpen and the team has been rotating through starters in the rotation. Falvey and Levine shouldn't mortgage the farm but some extra pieces will be needed for the stretch run. What questions do you think the Twins need to answer in the weeks ahead? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

MLB's 2017 draft is a little over two weeks away. Minnesota has known they have the first overall pick since last fall and the new regime will be doing their due diligence as draft day approaches. With Derek Falvey and Thad Levine overseeing their first draft, there is a lot of pressure for the club to make the right pick. The Twins have narrowed their list to a handful of players but it seems more likely that the club will be picking from a trio that includes college players Brenden McKay and Kyle Wright and two-way high school player Hunter Greene. McKay and Wright might be the safer picks because of their collegiate experience. Greene could be a once in a generation player on the mound. At this point, it seems more likely for the Twins to select one of the safer college options. This leaves Greene, a player Sports Illustrated called "the star baseball needs," still on the board. Will passing on Greene haunt the Twins in the years to come? Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas- USA TODAY Sports MLB's 2017 draft is a little over two weeks away. Minnesota has known they have the first overall pick since last fall and the new regime will be doing their due diligence as draft day approaches. With Derek Falvey and Thad Levine overseeing their first draft, there is a lot of pressure for the club to make the right pick. The Twins have narrowed their list to a handful of players but it seems more likely that the club will be picking from a trio that includes college players Brenden McKay and Kyle Wright and two-way high school player Hunter Greene. McKay and Wright might be the safer picks because of their collegiate experience. Greene could be a once in a generation player on the mound. At this point, it seems more likely for the Twins to select one of the safer college options. This leaves Greene, a player Sports Illustrated called "the star baseball needs," still on the board. Will passing on Greene haunt the Twins in the years to come? Taking A Chance There has never been a right-handed high school pitcher taken with the first overall pick. Greene could become the first but there are so many factors that come into developing a high school arm. He is a raw product whose edges would need to be refined over the next 4-5 seasons in the Twins farm system. Organizationally, the Twins haven't had the best track record when it comes to developing pitchers. Kohl Stewart and Tyler Jay have both been taken with high first round picks since 2013. Jay was supposed to develop into a top flight starter but the Twins have already moved him to the bullpen. Stewart has shown flashes of being strong but his ERA is north of 5.00 at Double-A. One of the reasons Falvey was hired by the Twins was to revamp the pitching staff. "He made it his, probably his passion, to understand pitching and the delivery," Indians manager Terry Francona told the Star Tribune. "We go to him a lot with questions. If he doesn't have the answer, he'll go find it." When asked if there was a temptation of taking Greene, Falvey said, "We want to line it up and take the best player that has the best possibility to affect us long term, and sometimes that will be a high school player and sometimes it will be a college player." Falvey could want the challenge of developing Greene or he might have seen enough of him this spring to know that taking a chance isn't the right move. West Coast Kid Greene has grown up and played almost exclusively on the West Coast. With the Padres sitting with the number three pick, rumors have been swirling about Greene wanting to stay close to home. Baseball America reported, "The rumors of he and his family attempting to maneuver his way to the No. 3 pick with the Padres are a poorly kept secret." Baseball America also stated, "The Padres' throwing program is more in line with Greene's program." Every young kid is going to want play near his friends and family. The weather in southern California would be a little more pleasant than the in the upper midwest. He'd also be part of a National League organization where he'd still have the opportunity to bat on a regular basis. If Greene's family really doesn't want him playing in Minnesota, they could pressure the Twins with some high demands that might persuade the club into taking a college option. Weighing The Cost Because the Twins have the first pick and other high picks, they have the largest bonus pool in the draft. The Twins' top draft slot is set at $7,770,700 which is roughly $1.25 million less than what the Philles were slotted for with the top pick in last year's draft. Baseball switched over to the current slotting rules five years ago. Dansby Swanson has been the only top pick to receive the highest signing bonus. In 2012, the Twins gave out the highest bonus to Byron Buxton after the Astros worked a deal with Carlos Correa. Houston was able to use the savings to take Lance McCullers and Rio Ruiz with some of their other early picks. Since he is a high school player, Greene is going to want the highest bonus in the draft. Minnesota could do something similar to what Houston did in 2012. By signing McKay or Wright to a smaller bonus than Greene, the Twins could use that savings to go over slot on the 35th and 37th picks. However, the Twins might believe Greene is the best available player and take him no matter the cost. What are your feelings as the draft moves closer? Is Greene going to haunt the Twins? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Most pitchers got knocked around. I was going to pick a relief pitcher but thought that Turley settled in and had a nice game after a rough start.