Cody Christie

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. 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.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Twins welcomed Jim Thome back to Target Field for what could be his last series in Minnesota. Over the course of the three game set, Thome made his presence known by hitting a monster shot over the batter's eye in one game and a three run bomb on Thursday night. Fans of the Twins still cheered his powerful swing as Thome got to do his best Paul Bunyan impression for the last time in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes." By losing the series to the Phillies, the Twins ended their streak of winning series that stretched back to the end of last month. Even in the series loss, Trevor Plouffe has been amazing to watch over the course of the last few weeks. He is locked-in at the plate and it seems like he is now expected to hit a home run every night. Over the weekend, the Twins will welcome the Brewers to town for their last home series as part of interleague play. Last month, the Twins took two out of three when these same two teams faced off in Milwaukee. Liam Hendriks should get called up to start Saturday's game so it will be fun to see if the Twins can get back to winning series. Before you sneak out of work early for the weekend, check out this week's edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." Scott Diamond had a rough night on Thursday but his shine might not have worn off at this point. The Twins will need to sort out some of their starting pitching before the weekend series. It's already the middle of June and that means the trade deadline is approaching. What will the Twins do at the end of July? There has been speculation of trading Josh Willingham but here is one reason why he should stay in Minnesota. Justin Morneau could also be out the door in the next couple of weeks. Thome's return to the Twin Cities made room for remembering some moments during his career. Former Twins pitcher RA Dickey has pitched himself into Cy Young contention. Even though Ozzie Guillen has switched to the National League, he is still the least respected manager in baseball (the Castro comments from earlier this year probably didn't help). It was Hope Week for the Twins and one blogger's wife almost spilled beer on Justin Morneau at one of the events. Byron Buxton, the Twins first round pick, signed this week and got to take batting practice at Target Field. Now fans wait to see what he can do in the minors. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V0ozrNfcmpI/T9q2xpeS5eI/AAAAAAAACI4/OhchD_9nGwc/s320/buxton-bp.jpg It could be time for Oswaldo Arcia to be challenged with a different level in the minor leagues. Miguel Sano is a big boy in the batters box and here is some photo evidence. The Snappers have already clinched a playoff spot by winning the first half title in the Western League so it is important to know the make-up of the key players. Ben Revere, Trevor Plouffe, and Scott Diamond seem to be forming the new young core for the Twins. One of the biggest stories of the week was the perfect game thrown by Matt Cain. This catch in the seventh inning by Gregor Blanco still amazes me. Joe Torre is going to manage the US Team in the World Baseball Classic and there is a chance that Joe Mauer could make the roster. After being on the Twins big league roster at the start of the year, Luke Hughes finds himself at Double-A for Oakland. His Twitter account has been fun to follow. Lew Ford continues to kill the ball for Baltimore's Triple-A squad and it would be great to see him get another shot in the big leagues. Michael Cuddyer seems to like the lighter air in Colorado and he is on pace for one of his best seasons yet. In a sad note, former Twins pitcher Dave Boswell passed away this week at the age of 67. He was a 20-game winner for the club in 1969. My Weekly Rundown: Monday: Diamond flourishes while Bullock struggles Tuesday: Tuesday Morning Tidbits Tuesday's Trip through the Minors Thursday: Twins looking toward international market Video of the Week: Unfortunately for the Twins, one of the team's top prospects Eddie Rosario has to undergo face surgery after being hit by a ball in batting practice. This is still a cool story on his emergence in the Twins system and how he has patiently moved through the different levels.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Twins welcomed Jim Thome back to Target Field for what could be his last series in Minnesota. Over the course of the three game set, Thome made his presence known by hitting a monster shot over the batter's eye in one game and a three run bomb on Thursday night. Fans of the Twins still cheered his powerful swing as Thome got to do his best Paul Bunyan impression for the last time in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes." By losing the series to the Phillies, the Twins ended their streak of winning series that stretched back to the end of last month. Even in the series loss, Trevor Plouffe has been amazing to watch over the course of the last few weeks. He is locked-in at the plate and it seems like he is now expected to hit a home run every night. Over the weekend, the Twins will welcome the Brewers to town for their last home series as part of interleague play. Last month, the Twins took two out of three when these same two teams faced off in Milwaukee. Liam Hendriks should get called up to start Saturday's game so it will be fun to see if the Twins can get back to winning series. Before you sneak out of work early for the weekend, check out this week's edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." Scott Diamond had a rough night on Thursday but his shine might not have worn off at this point. The Twins will need to sort out some of their starting pitching before the weekend series. It's already the middle of June and that means the trade deadline is approaching. What will the Twins do at the end of July? There has been speculation of trading Josh Willingham but here is one reason why he should stay in Minnesota. Justin Morneau could also be out the door in the next couple of weeks. Thome's return to the Twin Cities made room for remembering some moments during his career. Former Twins pitcher RA Dickey has pitched himself into Cy Young contention. Even though Ozzie Guillen has switched to the National League, he is still the least respected manager in baseball (the Castro comments from earlier this year probably didn't help). It was Hope Week for the Twins and one blogger's wife almost spilled beer on Justin Morneau at one of the events. Byron Buxton, the Twins first round pick, signed this week and got to take batting practice at Target Field. Now fans wait to see what he can do in the minors. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V0ozrNfcmpI/T9q2xpeS5eI/AAAAAAAACI4/OhchD_9nGwc/s320/buxton-bp.jpg It could be time for Oswaldo Arcia to be challenged with a different level in the minor leagues. Miguel Sano is a big boy in the batters box and here is some photo evidence. The Snappers have already clinched a playoff spot by winning the first half title in the Western League so it is important to know the make-up of the key players. Ben Revere, Trevor Plouffe, and Scott Diamond seem to be forming the new young core for the Twins. One of the biggest stories of the week was the perfect game thrown by Matt Cain. This catch in the seventh inning by Gregor Blanco still amazes me. Joe Torre is going to manage the US Team in the World Baseball Classic and there is a chance that Joe Mauer could make the roster. After being on the Twins big league roster at the start of the year, Luke Hughes finds himself at Double-A for Oakland. His Twitter account has been fun to follow. Lew Ford continues to kill the ball for Baltimore's Triple-A squad and it would be great to see him get another shot in the big leagues. Michael Cuddyer seems to like the lighter air in Colorado and he is on pace for one of his best seasons yet. In a sad note, former Twins pitcher Dave Boswell passed away this week at the age of 67. He was a 20-game winner for the club in 1969. My Weekly Rundown: Monday: Diamond flourishes while Bullock struggles Tuesday: Tuesday Morning Tidbits Tuesday's Trip through the Minors Thursday: Twins looking toward international market Video of the Week: Unfortunately for the Twins, one of the team's top prospects Eddie Rosario has to undergo face surgery after being hit by a ball in batting practice. This is still a cool story on his emergence in the Twins system and how he has patiently moved through the different levels.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRC9OEVVlKQ/T9ngZMJOLII/AAAAAAAACHI/G78d2ms7sR0/s320/Torrens,+Luis.jpg With the Twins playing better baseball over the last couple of weeks, there has been plenty of talk about whether the Twins will be buyers or sellers when it comes to the trade deadline. While that date at the end of July will be very important for the Twins, there is another important deadline coming at the beginning of next month. Teams like the Twins will turn their attention July 2, when international players that have turned 16-years old can be signed. The biggest international signing in Twins history was Miguel Sano, who has turned into the best prospect in the entire organization. His $3.15 million signing bonus was the second largest in Twins history at the time but now ranks third behind Joe Mauer and this year's first round pick Byron Buxton. The rules for signing international players have changed with the new CBA and team's are not allowed to spend over $2.9 million on foreign talent. This means there can't be a deal worth as much as what Sano signed from a few seasons ago. According to the Star Tribune, there are a couple of players on the radar for the Twins as the signing deadline approaches. To get one of these top international players, the Twins would need to spend most of their allotted signing funds and there will be plenty of other teams interested in the services of the players listed below. Amaurys Minier, SS/2B Dominican Republic Height/Weight: 6'2"/200 Bats/Throws: S/R The switching hitting middle infielder might need to switch to corner outfield or third base when he starts his professional career but his sweet swing projects to be a big bat. He has the power to drive the ball to all fields from both sides of the plate, a rare thing to find in a switch hitting 16-year old. When he starts to fill out, his smooth swing will develop even more power. Even though he is currently playing positions he won't play at the next level, there are plenty of defensive skills for him to showcase. He has go movement from side-to-side to go along with soft hands and a very powerful arm. These are skills that will help him when he moves to a different position in the future. The biggest problem for Minier right now is his ability to recognize pitches and make adjustments to offspeed offerings. He can look a little lost when a pitcher throws a good offspeed pitch at him when he's in the box. This is one skill that should develop over time and he still has one of the highest ceilings of any player on the international market. Luis Torrens, C Venezuela Height/Weight: 6'0"/170 Bats/Throws: R/R Torrens has spent time at shortstop and third base but he looks to have found his home behind the plate. There are still plenty of things to work on with his defense since he has only recently started to adjust to being a catcher. His natural athletic ability and other tools should make his it easier for his transition to catcher. The Twins could use a high profile catcher in their system to be ready to take the place of Mr. Mauer in the coming years. His right-handed bat is what makes him standout versus some of his peers in the international market. Reports have him hitting doubles to all fields at this point but his frame offers room to add more muscle as he matures. This should allow some of those doubles to turn into home runs while he moves through a club's minor league system. He is one of the top players available from Venezuela this year and he has topped some lists at different points this season. There is plenty of offensive potential and his ability to stick at catcher should help his value on the market. He has shown the ability to play third base in the past so a team could convert him back into a corner infielder if catching doesn't work out. TORRENS SCOUTING VIDEO (CLICK HERE)

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fRC9OEVVlKQ/T9ngZMJOLII/AAAAAAAACHI/G78d2ms7sR0/s320/Torrens,+Luis.jpg With the Twins playing better baseball over the last couple of weeks, there has been plenty of talk about whether the Twins will be buyers or sellers when it comes to the trade deadline. While that date at the end of July will be very important for the Twins, there is another important deadline coming at the beginning of next month. Teams like the Twins will turn their attention July 2, when international players that have turned 16-years old can be signed. The biggest international signing in Twins history was Miguel Sano, who has turned into the best prospect in the entire organization. His $3.15 million signing bonus was the second largest in Twins history at the time but now ranks third behind Joe Mauer and this year's first round pick Byron Buxton. The rules for signing international players have changed with the new CBA and team's are not allowed to spend over $2.9 million on foreign talent. This means there can't be a deal worth as much as what Sano signed from a few seasons ago. According to the Star Tribune, there are a couple of players on the radar for the Twins as the signing deadline approaches. To get one of these top international players, the Twins would need to spend most of their allotted signing funds and there will be plenty of other teams interested in the services of the players listed below. Amaurys Minier, SS/2B Dominican Republic Height/Weight: 6'2"/200 Bats/Throws: S/R The switching hitting middle infielder might need to switch to corner outfield or third base when he starts his professional career but his sweet swing projects to be a big bat. He has the power to drive the ball to all fields from both sides of the plate, a rare thing to find in a switch hitting 16-year old. When he starts to fill out, his smooth swing will develop even more power. Even though he is currently playing positions he won't play at the next level, there are plenty of defensive skills for him to showcase. He has go movement from side-to-side to go along with soft hands and a very powerful arm. These are skills that will help him when he moves to a different position in the future. The biggest problem for Minier right now is his ability to recognize pitches and make adjustments to offspeed offerings. He can look a little lost when a pitcher throws a good offspeed pitch at him when he's in the box. This is one skill that should develop over time and he still has one of the highest ceilings of any player on the international market. Luis Torrens, C Venezuela Height/Weight: 6'0"/170 Bats/Throws: R/R Torrens has spent time at shortstop and third base but he looks to have found his home behind the plate. There are still plenty of things to work on with his defense since he has only recently started to adjust to being a catcher. His natural athletic ability and other tools should make his it easier for his transition to catcher. The Twins could use a high profile catcher in their system to be ready to take the place of Mr. Mauer in the coming years. His right-handed bat is what makes him standout versus some of his peers in the international market. Reports have him hitting doubles to all fields at this point but his frame offers room to add more muscle as he matures. This should allow some of those doubles to turn into home runs while he moves through a club's minor league system. He is one of the top players available from Venezuela this year and he has topped some lists at different points this season. There is plenty of offensive potential and his ability to stick at catcher should help his value on the market. He has shown the ability to play third base in the past so a team could convert him back into a corner infielder if catching doesn't work out. TORRENS SCOUTING VIDEO (CLICK HERE)

The Twins found themselves in quite the battle at Target Field on Tuesday night with the Phillies in town for some interleague action. There was plenty of offense for both clubs as the Twins scored runs in four of the first five innings of the game. Early home runs were hit by Denard Span and Trevor Plouffe to help the Twins get the lead but it was hardly over from that point. By the time Matt Capps entered in the ninth inning, there were already a combined 31 hits on the board for the Phillies and the Twins. There were big nights at the plate from multiple players including some big 2-out hits from Jamey Carroll to help the Twins to stay on top of the charging Phillies. In the end, the Twins survived by a final score of 11-7. Here's how the rest of the Twins affiliates fared on "Tuesday's Trip through the Minors." ROCHESTER 0, INDIANAPOLIS 2 The Red Wings managed more hits than the Indians on Tuesday evening but Rochester was never able to come up with the big hit to push some runs across the plate. Three pitchers for Indianapolis combined to shutout Rochester for the second game in a row. Rick VandenHurk started for the Indians and pitched seven strong innings with a runner making it to third base on one occasion. Samuel Deduno pitched the first four innings for the Red Wings without allowing a run but he was strangely removed after only throwing 64 pitches. Esmerling Vasquez was charged with the two earned runs in 2.2 innings of work for his fourth loss of the year. The problem for Vasquez was he threw more balls than strikes and found himself in bad counts for most of the evening. There were no extra base hits for the Red Wings and the team left six runners on base over the course of the game. Danny Valencia had two hits as the designated hitter and Wilkin Ramirez was also able to get a couple of singles. The only other Red Wings batter with a hit was Tsuyoshi Nishioka. It's been a tough couple of nights for the Red Wings. NEW BRITAIN -, AKRON - Inclement weather forced the Rock Cats to postpone their game with the Akron Aeros. The contest will be made up as part of a double header on Wednesday evening. The Rock Cats have won back to back games but this came on the heels of losing six games in a row. Even with the rough week last week, the Rock Cats are only one game out of first place in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Akron is leading the Western Division so it is setting up to be a good double header tomorrow night. FORT MYERS 5, BRADENTON 3 A big first inning put the Miracle up by five runs in this game as they tried to separate themselves from the Marauders. Levi Michael got things started with his third double of the year. Jario Perez singled to drive in Michael and to start the scoring for the Miracle. It has been a rough start to the season for Danny Rams but he capped the scoring in the first by hitting a grand slam, his first home run in 2012. It turned out that those five early runs would be all that the pitching staff of the Miracle would need on this night. Cole Nelson started the game on the mound and ran into a rough spot in the fourth inning that allowed Bradenton to score three runs. Jose Gonzalez and Dakota Watts each pitched two innings of scoreless baseball to preserve the lead. Watts picked up his first save of the year and it was the second hold of the year for Gozalez. No one in the Miracle line-up had more than one hit and only five batters managed to get a hit in this game. The two-out grand slam from Rams in the first inning would be the biggest hit that the team needed on Tuesday. BELOIT 5, PEORIA 4 The Snappers found themselves in a tight battle with the Chiefs as both clubs held the lead at different points in the game. In the second inning, the Snappers were able to score the first run of the game on a single from Adam Pettersen. Peoria would come back to take the lead in the third with three runs of their own.A big bottom of the fourth put the Snappers on top for good as four runs were scored. With his sixth win of the year, Matthew Summers is starting to look more comfortable on the mound for the Snappers. He pitched 6.2 innings with seven strikeouts while allowing three earned runs on five hits. Michael Tonkin had to pitch two innings to earn his fifth save of the year but he struck out all six batters that he faced. Adam Pettersen was the one player to record multiple hits in the game to go along with a couple of RBI. He was also scored a run and was the only member of the Snappers to bat in a run with two outs in an inning. Tyler Grimes and Drew Leachman added the other RBI for Beloit. Miguel Sano was held hitless for the third time in the last four games. --- Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 12, 2012 Both photos courtesy of Rinaldi Photos Hitter of the Day- Adam Pettersen http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fijcNhEdlx4/T9f9UgGBjUI/AAAAAAAACB4/nUDGd2-L-HU/s320/AdamPettersen.jpg Pitcher of the Day- Michael Tonkin http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sBvUH8_iUtE/T9gDeobaYxI/AAAAAAAACEk/tdBp-PEfBbc/s320/MichaelTonkin.jpg --- A Look Ahead- Wednesday, June 13th Schedule Rochester (Off day) New Britain vs Akron (1)- LHP Logan Darnell New Britain vs Akron (2)- RHP Steve Hirschfeld Fort Myers vs Bradenton- TBD Beloit vs Peoria- TBD --- 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.

The Twins found themselves in quite the battle at Target Field on Tuesday night with the Phillies in town for some interleague action. There was plenty of offense for both clubs as the Twins scored runs in four of the first five innings of the game. Early home runs were hit by Denard Span and Trevor Plouffe to help the Twins get the lead but it was hardly over from that point. By the time Matt Capps entered in the ninth inning, there were already a combined 31 hits on the board for the Phillies and the Twins. There were big nights at the plate from multiple players including some big 2-out hits from Jamey Carroll to help the Twins to stay on top of the charging Phillies. In the end, the Twins survived by a final score of 11-7. Here's how the rest of the Twins affiliates fared on "Tuesday's Trip through the Minors." ROCHESTER 0, INDIANAPOLIS 2 The Red Wings managed more hits than the Indians on Tuesday evening but Rochester was never able to come up with the big hit to push some runs across the plate. Three pitchers for Indianapolis combined to shutout Rochester for the second game in a row. Rick VandenHurk started for the Indians and pitched seven strong innings with a runner making it to third base on one occasion. Samuel Deduno pitched the first four innings for the Red Wings without allowing a run but he was strangely removed after only throwing 64 pitches. Esmerling Vasquez was charged with the two earned runs in 2.2 innings of work for his fourth loss of the year. The problem for Vasquez was he threw more balls than strikes and found himself in bad counts for most of the evening. There were no extra base hits for the Red Wings and the team left six runners on base over the course of the game. Danny Valencia had two hits as the designated hitter and Wilkin Ramirez was also able to get a couple of singles. The only other Red Wings batter with a hit was Tsuyoshi Nishioka. It's been a tough couple of nights for the Red Wings. NEW BRITAIN -, AKRON - Inclement weather forced the Rock Cats to postpone their game with the Akron Aeros. The contest will be made up as part of a double header on Wednesday evening. The Rock Cats have won back to back games but this came on the heels of losing six games in a row. Even with the rough week last week, the Rock Cats are only one game out of first place in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Akron is leading the Western Division so it is setting up to be a good double header tomorrow night. FORT MYERS 5, BRADENTON 3 A big first inning put the Miracle up by five runs in this game as they tried to separate themselves from the Marauders. Levi Michael got things started with his third double of the year. Jario Perez singled to drive in Michael and to start the scoring for the Miracle. It has been a rough start to the season for Danny Rams but he capped the scoring in the first by hitting a grand slam, his first home run in 2012. It turned out that those five early runs would be all that the pitching staff of the Miracle would need on this night. Cole Nelson started the game on the mound and ran into a rough spot in the fourth inning that allowed Bradenton to score three runs. Jose Gonzalez and Dakota Watts each pitched two innings of scoreless baseball to preserve the lead. Watts picked up his first save of the year and it was the second hold of the year for Gozalez. No one in the Miracle line-up had more than one hit and only five batters managed to get a hit in this game. The two-out grand slam from Rams in the first inning would be the biggest hit that the team needed on Tuesday. BELOIT 5, PEORIA 4 The Snappers found themselves in a tight battle with the Chiefs as both clubs held the lead at different points in the game. In the second inning, the Snappers were able to score the first run of the game on a single from Adam Pettersen. Peoria would come back to take the lead in the third with three runs of their own.A big bottom of the fourth put the Snappers on top for good as four runs were scored. With his sixth win of the year, Matthew Summers is starting to look more comfortable on the mound for the Snappers. He pitched 6.2 innings with seven strikeouts while allowing three earned runs on five hits. Michael Tonkin had to pitch two innings to earn his fifth save of the year but he struck out all six batters that he faced. Adam Pettersen was the one player to record multiple hits in the game to go along with a couple of RBI. He was also scored a run and was the only member of the Snappers to bat in a run with two outs in an inning. Tyler Grimes and Drew Leachman added the other RBI for Beloit. Miguel Sano was held hitless for the third time in the last four games. --- Players of the Day for Tuesday, June 12, 2012 Both photos courtesy of Rinaldi Photos Hitter of the Day- Adam Pettersen http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fijcNhEdlx4/T9f9UgGBjUI/AAAAAAAACB4/nUDGd2-L-HU/s320/AdamPettersen.jpg Pitcher of the Day- Michael Tonkin http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sBvUH8_iUtE/T9gDeobaYxI/AAAAAAAACEk/tdBp-PEfBbc/s320/MichaelTonkin.jpg --- A Look Ahead- Wednesday, June 13th Schedule Rochester (Off day) New Britain vs Akron (1)- LHP Logan Darnell New Britain vs Akron (2)- RHP Steve Hirschfeld Fort Myers vs Bradenton- TBD Beloit vs Peoria- TBD --- 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.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another Tuesday morning means that later tonight I will be posting about all of the minor league action for the Twins farm system. There are plenty of exciting things happening at each level of the Twins organization so make sure you are checking out the nightly updates on the Twins Daily homepage. It's only two weeks until the short season leagues start in the minor leagues so there will be a ton of action to follow across the Twins system. For now, here are a few headlines that are being discussed across Twins Territory. When a team is starting to play better baseball, the news is much more encouraging. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this weeks edition of "Tuesday Morning Tidbits." http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_lfmrTCwP-s/T9ZPcNW9ECI/AAAAAAAACAI/leFION1e0jQ/s320/Hendriks.jpgHendriks staying hot in Rochester One minor league player had such a good week last week that he was honored by the International League as the Player of the Week. This is a good sign as the Twins could need to call on the services of Mr. Liam Hendriks in the next week. After the demotion of Cole DeVries, the Twins are left with only four pitchers in the starting rotation. The team had a couple of off days to save them from needing another starter but Hendriks could be back in Minnesota by the end of next weekend. The time Hendriks has spent in the majors hasn't been outstanding but something might have clicked in his recent demotion to Rochester. Since being demoted at the beginning of May, Hendriks has gone 5-0 for the Red Wings with a 1.94 ERA and a 0.906 WHIP. His strikeout to walk rate of 42 to 13 is also excellent and it looks like there is little left for him to prove at the Triple-A level. In his last outing on Saturday, Hendriks threw 8.2 innings of scoreless baseball before exiting the game. This would put him in line to start on Thursday for Rochester but the Twins have an opening in their rotation that will need to be filled on Saturday against the Brewers. If the Twins don't want to use Anthony Swarzak as a spot starter, it seems that Hendriks could be facing off against the Brew Crew at Target Field. Plouffe finding a home at third Since the Twins have been winning in the last couple weeks, one of the top contributors to the club has been Trevor Plouffe. The team entered the season thinking that he would be spending most of his time in the outfield but poor play from Danny Valencia forced the club to go in a different direction. In the middle of May, the Twins started to use Plouffe more at third base and it sounds like he is spending a lot of time learning the new position. He defensive continues to improve but his offense has always been the key. During the last ten games, the Twins are 8-2 and Plouffe seems to have found his stroke at the dish. He is hitting .359/.390/.821 with five home runs and three doubles during that stretch. By averaging an RBI per game, the Twins have been able to use him more frequently in higher spots in the batting order. If he were to keep this pace up for an entire year, he would hit 82 home runs and knock in 162 runners. Obviously, this pace won't continue for Plouffe but it is nice to see him finally put something together at the big league level. His batting average has finally gotten over the .200 mark and he hopes to never see the .100s again in his professional career. The plan was for Valencia to stick at third base but it is nice to see Plouffe step up and take on the role. Plouffe has the talent to be the Twins third baseman for the next couple of years so let's hope his offense stays consistent and that he shows he can handle the defensive side of the ball. Buxton deal gets done Byron Buxton, the Twins first round draft pick and the second player selected during last weeks draft, is in the Twin Cities this week to finalize his deal with the club. Part of this process includes taking a physical on Tuesday and the contract could be announce on Wednesday if everything checks out. Late last night word came out that the two sides had agreed to a deal and all that was left was the physical. In previous years, the first round picks for the Twins took awhile to get their deal finalized. Kyle Gibson was in negotiations with the team right until the deadline before agreeing to a deal. The new CBA changed the slotting system for first round picks and the deadline for signing picks has been moved up by almost a month. At this point, the Twins and Buxton could have been in negotiations until July 13 but the earlier he signs the faster he can start his professional career. With the new slotting system, the recommended bonus for the second pick in the draft is $6.2 million. There is a chance that he will come in under the slotted amount because the first pick in the draft signed for less than the amount he was slotted to receive. Carlos Correa was a surprise pick by the Houston Astros but he signed for $4.8 million when the recommended slot amount was $7.2 million for the first pick. If the Twins can save money on Buxton, that money can be spent on other players taken in the higher rounds of the draft.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another Tuesday morning means that later tonight I will be posting about all of the minor league action for the Twins farm system. There are plenty of exciting things happening at each level of the Twins organization so make sure you are checking out the nightly updates on the Twins Daily homepage. It's only two weeks until the short season leagues start in the minor leagues so there will be a ton of action to follow across the Twins system. For now, here are a few headlines that are being discussed across Twins Territory. When a team is starting to play better baseball, the news is much more encouraging. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this weeks edition of "Tuesday Morning Tidbits." http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_lfmrTCwP-s/T9ZPcNW9ECI/AAAAAAAACAI/leFION1e0jQ/s320/Hendriks.jpgHendriks staying hot in Rochester One minor league player had such a good week last week that he was honored by the International League as the Player of the Week. This is a good sign as the Twins could need to call on the services of Mr. Liam Hendriks in the next week. After the demotion of Cole DeVries, the Twins are left with only four pitchers in the starting rotation. The team had a couple of off days to save them from needing another starter but Hendriks could be back in Minnesota by the end of next weekend. The time Hendriks has spent in the majors hasn't been outstanding but something might have clicked in his recent demotion to Rochester. Since being demoted at the beginning of May, Hendriks has gone 5-0 for the Red Wings with a 1.94 ERA and a 0.906 WHIP. His strikeout to walk rate of 42 to 13 is also excellent and it looks like there is little left for him to prove at the Triple-A level. In his last outing on Saturday, Hendriks threw 8.2 innings of scoreless baseball before exiting the game. This would put him in line to start on Thursday for Rochester but the Twins have an opening in their rotation that will need to be filled on Saturday against the Brewers. If the Twins don't want to use Anthony Swarzak as a spot starter, it seems that Hendriks could be facing off against the Brew Crew at Target Field. Plouffe finding a home at third Since the Twins have been winning in the last couple weeks, one of the top contributors to the club has been Trevor Plouffe. The team entered the season thinking that he would be spending most of his time in the outfield but poor play from Danny Valencia forced the club to go in a different direction. In the middle of May, the Twins started to use Plouffe more at third base and it sounds like he is spending a lot of time learning the new position. He defensive continues to improve but his offense has always been the key. During the last ten games, the Twins are 8-2 and Plouffe seems to have found his stroke at the dish. He is hitting .359/.390/.821 with five home runs and three doubles during that stretch. By averaging an RBI per game, the Twins have been able to use him more frequently in higher spots in the batting order. If he were to keep this pace up for an entire year, he would hit 82 home runs and knock in 162 runners. Obviously, this pace won't continue for Plouffe but it is nice to see him finally put something together at the big league level. His batting average has finally gotten over the .200 mark and he hopes to never see the .100s again in his professional career. The plan was for Valencia to stick at third base but it is nice to see Plouffe step up and take on the role. Plouffe has the talent to be the Twins third baseman for the next couple of years so let's hope his offense stays consistent and that he shows he can handle the defensive side of the ball. Buxton deal gets done Byron Buxton, the Twins first round draft pick and the second player selected during last weeks draft, is in the Twin Cities this week to finalize his deal with the club. Part of this process includes taking a physical on Tuesday and the contract could be announce on Wednesday if everything checks out. Late last night word came out that the two sides had agreed to a deal and all that was left was the physical. In previous years, the first round picks for the Twins took awhile to get their deal finalized. Kyle Gibson was in negotiations with the team right until the deadline before agreeing to a deal. The new CBA changed the slotting system for first round picks and the deadline for signing picks has been moved up by almost a month. At this point, the Twins and Buxton could have been in negotiations until July 13 but the earlier he signs the faster he can start his professional career. With the new slotting system, the recommended bonus for the second pick in the draft is $6.2 million. There is a chance that he will come in under the slotted amount because the first pick in the draft signed for less than the amount he was slotted to receive. Carlos Correa was a surprise pick by the Houston Astros but he signed for $4.8 million when the recommended slot amount was $7.2 million for the first pick. If the Twins can save money on Buxton, that money can be spent on other players taken in the higher rounds of the draft.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7mNspmKJf8/T9VryKzcHnI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/uRG9AuKuZHY/s320/ScottDiamond.jpg It has been a long strange ride to get to this point in the life of Scott Diamond. The Canadian-born pitcher was not even drafted out of college in 2008 and he had to sign with the Atlanta Braves as a amateur free agent. This forced him to have to prove his worth as he worked his way through the farm system of the Braves. The lower levels of the minors were very good to Diamond as should be expected from a left-handed pitcher with college experience. After not posting an ERA of over 3.52 at any level, he made it all the way to the Braves Triple-A affiliate in 2010. At the end of that season, the Braves left Diamond off of their 40-man so this allowed team's to select him in the Rule 5 Draft, a draft meant to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to have them in the majors. He spent all of spring training in 2011 with the Twins but near the end of camp the Twins wanted to send him to Rochester. Under the rules of the Rule 5 Draft, the Twins would have to work out a deal with the Braves or offer him back to the organization. The Twins and the Braves were able to work out a deal with the Twins sending hard throwing prospect Billy Bullock back to the Atlanta organization in return for the rights to Diamond. At the time, there were many, including myself, that questioned the move by the front office. It seemed like the team was giving up a decent level prospect for a pitcher who hadn't shown any reason to think he would be a major factor at the big league level. It seemed like it was a high price to pay for Diamond. Diamond's first year with the Twins did not take away from the doubts that surrounded his arrival with the club. The transition to a new organization was not a smooth one for Mr. Diamond as he struggled through his worst season ever in the minor leagues. His 5.56 ERA with Rochester was over two runs higher than any ERA he had in the Braves system. The 24-year old made his debut in July for one start before heading back to Rochester but the Twins would need him again at the end of the year for a handful of mediocre starts. During the same time frame, Bullock spent most of the season pitching at the Double-A level as a 23-year old pitcher. He was very consistent in the fact that he could strike out a lot of batters but he also allowed a lot of walks. The Braves allowed him to get some save opportunities even with an ERA north of 4.50 for the year. It was a rough 2011 season for both of these players and it was hard to know what the future would hold for these young men. Flash-forward to the 2012 season and the move by the Twins to acquire Diamond is starting to look like it was a steal. In the seven starts he has made for the Twins, Diamond has won five contests and posted an incredible 1.61 ERA over 44.2 innings. One of the most positive signs could be the fact that he is controlling the strike zone by not walking batters and by increasing his strikeout rate. After walking 17 batters in 39 innings at the big league level last year, he has only walked four batters in close to 45 innings in 2012. Diamond has stepped up and been the most consistent man on the moundwhen it looked like the Twins would fumble through the season with all of their starters struggling. Meanwhile Bullock is spending his third straight year at the Double-A level and he continues to struggle with different parts of his game. He is walking close to a batter an inning and his strikeout numbers have dipped significantly since last year. His ERA of 4.00 is lower than last year at Double-A but it is still too high for a 24-year old that is repeating this level for the third time. He is going to need to focus on his control or he will never be able to find success in the higher levels of the minor leagues. Diamond has looked like the ace of the Twins pitching staff for the last month and there are few who would argue that point. He has turned skeptics into believers with his performance on the mound and the hope is that he will continue to be a very strong presence in the rotation. Even with a wide-open race in the AL Central and a recent winning streak, the Twins find themselves in a huge hole as the calendar inches into the middle part of June. While Bullock struggles in the minors, Diamond can be one of the bright stars for the Twins, a role few thought he would occupy a short time ago.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q7mNspmKJf8/T9VryKzcHnI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/uRG9AuKuZHY/s320/ScottDiamond.jpg It has been a long strange ride to get to this point in the life of Scott Diamond. The Canadian-born pitcher was not even drafted out of college in 2008 and he had to sign with the Atlanta Braves as a amateur free agent. This forced him to have to prove his worth as he worked his way through the farm system of the Braves. The lower levels of the minors were very good to Diamond as should be expected from a left-handed pitcher with college experience. After not posting an ERA of over 3.52 at any level, he made it all the way to the Braves Triple-A affiliate in 2010. At the end of that season, the Braves left Diamond off of their 40-man so this allowed team's to select him in the Rule 5 Draft, a draft meant to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to have them in the majors. He spent all of spring training in 2011 with the Twins but near the end of camp the Twins wanted to send him to Rochester. Under the rules of the Rule 5 Draft, the Twins would have to work out a deal with the Braves or offer him back to the organization. The Twins and the Braves were able to work out a deal with the Twins sending hard throwing prospect Billy Bullock back to the Atlanta organization in return for the rights to Diamond. At the time, there were many, including myself, that questioned the move by the front office. It seemed like the team was giving up a decent level prospect for a pitcher who hadn't shown any reason to think he would be a major factor at the big league level. It seemed like it was a high price to pay for Diamond. Diamond's first year with the Twins did not take away from the doubts that surrounded his arrival with the club. The transition to a new organization was not a smooth one for Mr. Diamond as he struggled through his worst season ever in the minor leagues. His 5.56 ERA with Rochester was over two runs higher than any ERA he had in the Braves system. The 24-year old made his debut in July for one start before heading back to Rochester but the Twins would need him again at the end of the year for a handful of mediocre starts. During the same time frame, Bullock spent most of the season pitching at the Double-A level as a 23-year old pitcher. He was very consistent in the fact that he could strike out a lot of batters but he also allowed a lot of walks. The Braves allowed him to get some save opportunities even with an ERA north of 4.50 for the year. It was a rough 2011 season for both of these players and it was hard to know what the future would hold for these young men. Flash-forward to the 2012 season and the move by the Twins to acquire Diamond is starting to look like it was a steal. In the seven starts he has made for the Twins, Diamond has won five contests and posted an incredible 1.61 ERA over 44.2 innings. One of the most positive signs could be the fact that he is controlling the strike zone by not walking batters and by increasing his strikeout rate. After walking 17 batters in 39 innings at the big league level last year, he has only walked four batters in close to 45 innings in 2012. Diamond has stepped up and been the most consistent man on the moundwhen it looked like the Twins would fumble through the season with all of their starters struggling. Meanwhile Bullock is spending his third straight year at the Double-A level and he continues to struggle with different parts of his game. He is walking close to a batter an inning and his strikeout numbers have dipped significantly since last year. His ERA of 4.00 is lower than last year at Double-A but it is still too high for a 24-year old that is repeating this level for the third time. He is going to need to focus on his control or he will never be able to find success in the higher levels of the minor leagues. Diamond has looked like the ace of the Twins pitching staff for the last month and there are few who would argue that point. He has turned skeptics into believers with his performance on the mound and the hope is that he will continue to be a very strong presence in the rotation. Even with a wide-open race in the AL Central and a recent winning streak, the Twins find themselves in a huge hole as the calendar inches into the middle part of June. While Bullock struggles in the minors, Diamond can be one of the bright stars for the Twins, a role few thought he would occupy a short time ago.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's finally Friday and the Twins are coming home to welcome a couple of teams that have yet to make a trip to Target Field. Interleague play means the Cubs and the Phillies will make their inaugural trek to Minneapolis to explore the friendly confines of Target Field. Some people love interleague play and others hate it. I see both sides of the argument but I do enjoy getting to see some National League players that I wouldn't normally get to see otherwise. Lucky enough for the Twins, the Cubs and the Phillies have also been struggling through the early portion of the season. Both teams are under .500 and the Cubs are one of two teams in all of baseball that have fewer wins than the Twins. The Phillies do play very well on the road with a 16-12 record so far but the Twins should be able to put up a good fight in the next couple series. The MLB Draft was the main story for most of the week but there was still plenty of other news and notes from around the league. Check out this week's edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." The Twins selected high school outfielder Byron Buxton with the second pick in the draft on Monday. You can like his page on Facebook or you can follow him on Twitter for the latest updates. Here is the official video of Bud Selig announcing Byron Buxton as the Twins pick along with his reaction. If you want to know more about Buxton, check out this profile on him. Speaking of the draft, I was on the Seth Speaks Weekly Minnesota Twins Podcast to discuss the draft and the current situation with the Twins. Former Twins pitcher RA Dickey is having an amazing year for the Mets and he seems to be one that got away. Twins catching prospect Chris Herrmann sat down for an interview with Twins Fan From Afar. After the draft, the next major milestone in the season will be the trade deadline and there could be more than one team vying for the services of Denard Span. Span was taken in the draft that took place 10 years ago. So what happened to all of those players? Trevor Plouffe was called out and he seems to have answered with a recent hot streak. Last Friday former Twins ace Johan Santana pitched the first no-hitter in Mets history and the ticket stubs are selling for more than games that have yet to be played. Here is the complete list of players that the Twins took in all 40 rounds of the draft. There was an issue with Jeff Manship's jersey on Wednesday night and something like this has happened to him before. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WCBMrV7E1gQ/T9FmK6u_B8I/AAAAAAAAB8o/i67bJY6drKM/s400/jeffmanshipormanhsip.jpg It didn't take long for Jason Marquis to get back to the majors but the results in his first start were similar to when he was with the Twins as he got the loss. There was a crazy first pitch at a Rochester Red Wings game this week. Jim Thome is back from the DL in enough time to make a return trip to Target Field. Earlier this week, it was the anniversary of D-Day and there are some baseball connections to this historically significant day. The Territory Train went to Beloit last week and here are some thoughts on some of the best players for the Snappers. Did the Twins stay with the pitch-to-contact approach in the draft for too long? Miguel Sano headlines a group of Snappers headed to the Midwest All-Star Game. The Twins have been winning more games lately but could this be a bad thing? My Weekly Rundown Monday: 2012 Twins MLB Draft Primer Tuesday: Twins go with Buxton over Appel Tuesday's Trip through the Minors Thursday: Liriano seems to be changing his release point Video of the Week: Denard Span did an interview with MLB Network's Intentional Talk while the team was in Kansas City. The whole interview is a lot of fun and it is always cool to see the players kick back and have some fun. So take a couple minutes and watch Denard talk about some silly topics

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It's finally Friday and the Twins are coming home to welcome a couple of teams that have yet to make a trip to Target Field. Interleague play means the Cubs and the Phillies will make their inaugural trek to Minneapolis to explore the friendly confines of Target Field. Some people love interleague play and others hate it. I see both sides of the argument but I do enjoy getting to see some National League players that I wouldn't normally get to see otherwise. Lucky enough for the Twins, the Cubs and the Phillies have also been struggling through the early portion of the season. Both teams are under .500 and the Cubs are one of two teams in all of baseball that have fewer wins than the Twins. The Phillies do play very well on the road with a 16-12 record so far but the Twins should be able to put up a good fight in the next couple series. The MLB Draft was the main story for most of the week but there was still plenty of other news and notes from around the league. Check out this week's edition of "Friday Links-N-Thinks." The Twins selected high school outfielder Byron Buxton with the second pick in the draft on Monday. You can like his page on Facebook or you can follow him on Twitter for the latest updates. Here is the official video of Bud Selig announcing Byron Buxton as the Twins pick along with his reaction. If you want to know more about Buxton, check out this profile on him. Speaking of the draft, I was on the Seth Speaks Weekly Minnesota Twins Podcast to discuss the draft and the current situation with the Twins. Former Twins pitcher RA Dickey is having an amazing year for the Mets and he seems to be one that got away. Twins catching prospect Chris Herrmann sat down for an interview with Twins Fan From Afar. After the draft, the next major milestone in the season will be the trade deadline and there could be more than one team vying for the services of Denard Span. Span was taken in the draft that took place 10 years ago. So what happened to all of those players? Trevor Plouffe was called out and he seems to have answered with a recent hot streak. Last Friday former Twins ace Johan Santana pitched the first no-hitter in Mets history and the ticket stubs are selling for more than games that have yet to be played. Here is the complete list of players that the Twins took in all 40 rounds of the draft. There was an issue with Jeff Manship's jersey on Wednesday night and something like this has happened to him before. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WCBMrV7E1gQ/T9FmK6u_B8I/AAAAAAAAB8o/i67bJY6drKM/s400/jeffmanshipormanhsip.jpg It didn't take long for Jason Marquis to get back to the majors but the results in his first start were similar to when he was with the Twins as he got the loss. There was a crazy first pitch at a Rochester Red Wings game this week. Jim Thome is back from the DL in enough time to make a return trip to Target Field. Earlier this week, it was the anniversary of D-Day and there are some baseball connections to this historically significant day. The Territory Train went to Beloit last week and here are some thoughts on some of the best players for the Snappers. Did the Twins stay with the pitch-to-contact approach in the draft for too long? Miguel Sano headlines a group of Snappers headed to the Midwest All-Star Game. The Twins have been winning more games lately but could this be a bad thing? My Weekly Rundown Monday: 2012 Twins MLB Draft Primer Tuesday: Twins go with Buxton over Appel Tuesday's Trip through the Minors Thursday: Liriano seems to be changing his release point Video of the Week: Denard Span did an interview with MLB Network's Intentional Talk while the team was in Kansas City. The whole interview is a lot of fun and it is always cool to see the players kick back and have some fun. So take a couple minutes and watch Denard talk about some silly topics

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vSvl6iOahYM/T8-F17I5WOI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/EuFU9nXv3r0/s320/LirianoRelease.jpg When the Twins were forced to send Francisco Liriano to the bullpen at the beginning of last month, there was plenty of things for the left-handed pitcher to improve during his time away from starting. In his last four starts before being relegated to the bullpen, Liriano lost all four outings and posted an ERA of over 9.00 while only averaging a little over four innings a start. Opponents had an OPS of over 1.000 against him and it was time for something to change. His relief appearances were not outstanding as he walked too many batters but he managed to escape many of the outings without allowing a run. These little steps helped him to improve his low confidence and it helped the team to be able to trust him when they were ready to let him return to the rotation. Some other situations forced the team to return him to the rotation last week and so far the results have been very positive. In two starts since being back in the rotation, Liriano has pitched six innings in each outing and given up one earned run total. His 17 strikeouts compared to three walks is a far cry from where he was in the early part of the year. Opponents OPS has dropped to .437 and Liriano has dropped his ERA to 0.75 over the two games. Most fans are going to look at the two opponents, the Oakland A's and the Kansas City Royals, and say they are not prolific offenses. From the Twins point of view, any positive starts from Liriano are steps in the right direction as the team needs him to be a consistent starter to help the team to victories. So what changed for Liriano since the last time he was in the rotation? Some of his improvement can be chalked up to the poor teams the Twins were playing. But overall, there must be another reason for this new and improved version of Liriano. One of the changes that stands out from some of the different PitchFX data is the fact that Liriano seems to have changed the release point on some of his pitches. In the past, he has been known to change his position on the rubber because of the handedness of the batter. This can obviously impact his release point; but over the course of the game, his release point graphic should still end up looking somewhat similar. Take a look at the images below from Brooks Baseball of Liriano's release point in the two starts he made before his trip to the bullpen. Coincidentally, both starts came against the Angels at the beginning of May. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EWjD7U8WpoU/T9AfEZkjoLI/AAAAAAAAB5A/AR2NxBapF0o/s400/release5-1.png http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ddtl3-tgMGo/T9AfN7dBYTI/AAAAAAAAB5I/QyfScN-GdnY/s400/release5-7.png For the most part, his release point was very consistent for all of his pitches. This can be a good thing for a pitcher because then the hitter can't tell what kind of pitch that is coming because of where it is being released by the man on the mound. The problem for Liriano was that he was throwing too many balls and being hit very hard. Over the course of the two games shown above, Liriano gave up three home runs, walked six batters, and had an ERA near 7.00 when all was said and done. Since returning to the bump, Liriano's results on the field have been much better but take a look at his release point and how it compares to the pictures above. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nn3-G7PGPmI/T9AhFx9WatI/AAAAAAAAB5Q/VnII6nb7FHY/s400/release5-30.gifhttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3e0Am_GCIwg/T9AhLB1YfJI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/xDV2zw5XAVA/s400/release6-6.png Instead of there being one solid grouping for all of his release points, there are two distinctly different release points in the new and improved Liriano. It's also important take note of the the results from this new release point. A majority of the pitches in this area are swinging strikes or balls that were put into play where outs were recorded. This subtle change seems to have a major improvement in the results on the field for Liriano. The next two starts for Liriano are scheduled to come at Target Field against the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers. These teams have each faced their fair share of offensive struggles so far in 2012. If Liriano is going to continue his recently found success, it will help to play teams that are not prolific offenses. It will be key for him to continue to find the zone with his fastball so he can keep hitters off balance with different pitches and his multiple release points.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vSvl6iOahYM/T8-F17I5WOI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/EuFU9nXv3r0/s320/LirianoRelease.jpg When the Twins were forced to send Francisco Liriano to the bullpen at the beginning of last month, there was plenty of things for the left-handed pitcher to improve during his time away from starting. In his last four starts before being relegated to the bullpen, Liriano lost all four outings and posted an ERA of over 9.00 while only averaging a little over four innings a start. Opponents had an OPS of over 1.000 against him and it was time for something to change. His relief appearances were not outstanding as he walked too many batters but he managed to escape many of the outings without allowing a run. These little steps helped him to improve his low confidence and it helped the team to be able to trust him when they were ready to let him return to the rotation. Some other situations forced the team to return him to the rotation last week and so far the results have been very positive. In two starts since being back in the rotation, Liriano has pitched six innings in each outing and given up one earned run total. His 17 strikeouts compared to three walks is a far cry from where he was in the early part of the year. Opponents OPS has dropped to .437 and Liriano has dropped his ERA to 0.75 over the two games. Most fans are going to look at the two opponents, the Oakland A's and the Kansas City Royals, and say they are not prolific offenses. From the Twins point of view, any positive starts from Liriano are steps in the right direction as the team needs him to be a consistent starter to help the team to victories. So what changed for Liriano since the last time he was in the rotation? Some of his improvement can be chalked up to the poor teams the Twins were playing. But overall, there must be another reason for this new and improved version of Liriano. One of the changes that stands out from some of the different PitchFX data is the fact that Liriano seems to have changed the release point on some of his pitches. In the past, he has been known to change his position on the rubber because of the handedness of the batter. This can obviously impact his release point; but over the course of the game, his release point graphic should still end up looking somewhat similar. Take a look at the images below from Brooks Baseball of Liriano's release point in the two starts he made before his trip to the bullpen. Coincidentally, both starts came against the Angels at the beginning of May. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EWjD7U8WpoU/T9AfEZkjoLI/AAAAAAAAB5A/AR2NxBapF0o/s400/release5-1.png http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ddtl3-tgMGo/T9AfN7dBYTI/AAAAAAAAB5I/QyfScN-GdnY/s400/release5-7.png For the most part, his release point was very consistent for all of his pitches. This can be a good thing for a pitcher because then the hitter can't tell what kind of pitch that is coming because of where it is being released by the man on the mound. The problem for Liriano was that he was throwing too many balls and being hit very hard. Over the course of the two games shown above, Liriano gave up three home runs, walked six batters, and had an ERA near 7.00 when all was said and done. Since returning to the bump, Liriano's results on the field have been much better but take a look at his release point and how it compares to the pictures above. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nn3-G7PGPmI/T9AhFx9WatI/AAAAAAAAB5Q/VnII6nb7FHY/s400/release5-30.gifhttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3e0Am_GCIwg/T9AhLB1YfJI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/xDV2zw5XAVA/s400/release6-6.png Instead of there being one solid grouping for all of his release points, there are two distinctly different release points in the new and improved Liriano. It's also important take note of the the results from this new release point. A majority of the pitches in this area are swinging strikes or balls that were put into play where outs were recorded. This subtle change seems to have a major improvement in the results on the field for Liriano. The next two starts for Liriano are scheduled to come at Target Field against the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers. These teams have each faced their fair share of offensive struggles so far in 2012. If Liriano is going to continue his recently found success, it will help to play teams that are not prolific offenses. It will be key for him to continue to find the zone with his fastball so he can keep hitters off balance with different pitches and his multiple release points.

Don't look now but it looks like Francisco Liriano might have remembered how to pitch. His last two starts have looked much better than the horrendous pitcher that was on the mound at the beginning of the year. This might be jumping the gun a little since his last two outings came against two poor offenses, the Oakland A's and the Kansas City Royals. The Twins offense couldn't back the strong outing by Liriano because Bruce Chen shut them down at the plate. Jonathan Broxton made the ninth inning a little interesting with two men getting on base but he was still able to preserve the 1-0 win for the Royals. After a couple more games with the Royals, the Twins will head home to start a couple weeks of interleague play. The Cubs, Phillies, and Brewers will all visit Target Field and there is a chance for the Twins to do well with the way some of these teams have looked on the field. For now, let's look at the abbreviate minor league schedule from Tuesday night. ROCHESTER 4, NORFOLK 6 The Red Wings were facing a Tides roster full of players with major league experience in this game. Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts, and even former Twins player Lew Ford were all in action on Tuesday evening. Roberts had the biggest game out of this grouping with a 3-for-5 night including two doubles. Red Wings manager Gene Glynn must not have liked all of the MLB talent on the Tides because he got ejected for arguing a close play at the plate. As far as the Red Wings go, there were some decent nights at the plate even though it was in a losing effort. Rene Rivera went 3-for-3 with a couple of RBI and his third home run of the year. Pedro Florimon added a couple doubles in four at-bats to help raise his batting average to .270 for the year. After quite the hot streak in recent weeks, Chris Parmelee was held hitless in three trips to the plate. Matt Maloney started the contest for the Red Wings and there was some rough defense behind him with three errors charged to Rochester. He pitched five innings and allowed four runs on nine hits but only two of those runs were earned. Carlos Gutierrez was saddled with his second loss of the year for giving up two earned runs in the sixth inning. Casey Fien and Tyler Robertson combined to pitch three scoreless innings to end the game but it wasn't enough on this night. NEW BRITAIN 2, AKRON 6 Akron got to the Rock Cats starter BJ Hermsen with one run in the first and two runs in the third. It was Hermsen's first loss since the first week of May and he only gave up one earned run. An error by Estarlin De Los Santos cost the Rock Cats two runs in the fifth and it was hard for the team to recover from that point. It was a night for managers getting ejected as the Rock Cats manager Jeff Smith didn't stick around for much of this game as he was tossed in the top of the third. Andrew Albers followed Hermsen on the mound and he managed a very dubious distinction; he gave up two runs on no hits. The three walks he allowed came back to haunt him. The only pitcher to record an out for New Britain and not give up a run was Luis Perdomo and he only pitched one-third of an inning. Delbinson Romero went 2-for-4 with his seventh home run of the year in support of the Rock Cats. Evan Bigley also hit a home run but that would be all of the scoring for New Britian. Rene Tosoni had a double but he also had a couple of strike-outs in the contest. Aaron Hicks left the game after trying to break-up a double play at second base so hopefully this is nothing serious. FORT MYERS -, TAMPA - The field conditions in Tampa were unplayable on Tuesday night after hours of rain during the day. This means the Miracle and Yankees will have to play a double-header on Wednesday to make-up for the lost game. Both games are scheduled to be seven inning affairs tomorrow evening. On Monday, Oswaldo Arcia was named Player of the Week by the Florida State League so make sure you check out the press release on his award. BELOIT (Off Day) After back-to-back losses at the hands of Wisconsin, the Snappers got a day of rest on Tuesday before they start a series versus Burlington. Two weeks from tonight the MWL All-Star Classic will be held and seven Snappers were named to the team. Miguel Sano will start the game at third base and he will be joined by fellow position players John Goncalves, Tyler Grimes, and Eddie Rosario. The pitchers from the Snapper to make the team were A.J. Achter, Michael Tonkin, Jason Wheeler. --- Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 29, 2012 Hitter of the Day- Rene Rivera http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x3B8LuXugOI/T87VjDXTAjI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/UWEMDyxyYRE/s320/ReneRivera.jpg Pitcher of the Day- Casey Fien http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I6tfPwtaIQU/T87VnH7LciI/AAAAAAAAB1g/nrBIAT-0qYc/s320/CaseyFien.jpg --- A Look Ahead- Wednesday, June 5th Schedule Rochester at Norfolk-RHP Steve Hirschfeld New Britain at Akron- RHP Brett Jacobson Fort Myers at Tampa (1)- RHP Marty Popham Fort Myers at Tampa (2)- LHP Cole Nelson Beloit at Burlington- LHP Jason Wheeler --- 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.

Don't look now but it looks like Francisco Liriano might have remembered how to pitch. His last two starts have looked much better than the horrendous pitcher that was on the mound at the beginning of the year. This might be jumping the gun a little since his last two outings came against two poor offenses, the Oakland A's and the Kansas City Royals. The Twins offense couldn't back the strong outing by Liriano because Bruce Chen shut them down at the plate. Jonathan Broxton made the ninth inning a little interesting with two men getting on base but he was still able to preserve the 1-0 win for the Royals. After a couple more games with the Royals, the Twins will head home to start a couple weeks of interleague play. The Cubs, Phillies, and Brewers will all visit Target Field and there is a chance for the Twins to do well with the way some of these teams have looked on the field. For now, let's look at the abbreviate minor league schedule from Tuesday night. ROCHESTER 4, NORFOLK 6 The Red Wings were facing a Tides roster full of players with major league experience in this game. Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts, and even former Twins player Lew Ford were all in action on Tuesday evening. Roberts had the biggest game out of this grouping with a 3-for-5 night including two doubles. Red Wings manager Gene Glynn must not have liked all of the MLB talent on the Tides because he got ejected for arguing a close play at the plate. As far as the Red Wings go, there were some decent nights at the plate even though it was in a losing effort. Rene Rivera went 3-for-3 with a couple of RBI and his third home run of the year. Pedro Florimon added a couple doubles in four at-bats to help raise his batting average to .270 for the year. After quite the hot streak in recent weeks, Chris Parmelee was held hitless in three trips to the plate. Matt Maloney started the contest for the Red Wings and there was some rough defense behind him with three errors charged to Rochester. He pitched five innings and allowed four runs on nine hits but only two of those runs were earned. Carlos Gutierrez was saddled with his second loss of the year for giving up two earned runs in the sixth inning. Casey Fien and Tyler Robertson combined to pitch three scoreless innings to end the game but it wasn't enough on this night. NEW BRITAIN 2, AKRON 6 Akron got to the Rock Cats starter BJ Hermsen with one run in the first and two runs in the third. It was Hermsen's first loss since the first week of May and he only gave up one earned run. An error by Estarlin De Los Santos cost the Rock Cats two runs in the fifth and it was hard for the team to recover from that point. It was a night for managers getting ejected as the Rock Cats manager Jeff Smith didn't stick around for much of this game as he was tossed in the top of the third. Andrew Albers followed Hermsen on the mound and he managed a very dubious distinction; he gave up two runs on no hits. The three walks he allowed came back to haunt him. The only pitcher to record an out for New Britain and not give up a run was Luis Perdomo and he only pitched one-third of an inning. Delbinson Romero went 2-for-4 with his seventh home run of the year in support of the Rock Cats. Evan Bigley also hit a home run but that would be all of the scoring for New Britian. Rene Tosoni had a double but he also had a couple of strike-outs in the contest. Aaron Hicks left the game after trying to break-up a double play at second base so hopefully this is nothing serious. FORT MYERS -, TAMPA - The field conditions in Tampa were unplayable on Tuesday night after hours of rain during the day. This means the Miracle and Yankees will have to play a double-header on Wednesday to make-up for the lost game. Both games are scheduled to be seven inning affairs tomorrow evening. On Monday, Oswaldo Arcia was named Player of the Week by the Florida State League so make sure you check out the press release on his award. BELOIT (Off Day) After back-to-back losses at the hands of Wisconsin, the Snappers got a day of rest on Tuesday before they start a series versus Burlington. Two weeks from tonight the MWL All-Star Classic will be held and seven Snappers were named to the team. Miguel Sano will start the game at third base and he will be joined by fellow position players John Goncalves, Tyler Grimes, and Eddie Rosario. The pitchers from the Snapper to make the team were A.J. Achter, Michael Tonkin, Jason Wheeler. --- Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 29, 2012 Hitter of the Day- Rene Rivera http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x3B8LuXugOI/T87VjDXTAjI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/UWEMDyxyYRE/s320/ReneRivera.jpg Pitcher of the Day- Casey Fien http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I6tfPwtaIQU/T87VnH7LciI/AAAAAAAAB1g/nrBIAT-0qYc/s320/CaseyFien.jpg --- A Look Ahead- Wednesday, June 5th Schedule Rochester at Norfolk-RHP Steve Hirschfeld New Britain at Akron- RHP Brett Jacobson Fort Myers at Tampa (1)- RHP Marty Popham Fort Myers at Tampa (2)- LHP Cole Nelson Beloit at Burlington- LHP Jason Wheeler --- 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.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lDXQDNRTNeE/T81-89L7ggI/AAAAAAAABzs/csxp8S1LVDU/s1600/buxton_draft.jpg When the Houston Astros made a surprise selection of Carlos Correa with the first pick of the 2012 MLB Draft, the Twins were left with a decision of picking between high school outfielder Byron Buxton and college pitcher Mark Appel. Before the draft started on Monday night, it seemed that Appel was going to be a sure bet for the number one selection. This didn't happen because of some perceived signability concerns and the Twins still took the player that they had highest on their draft board, Byron Buxton. Buxton was the number one ranked player by both Baseball America and MLB.com before the draft started on Monday night. The five-toll outfielder has been compared to many current outfielders but the one mentioned most often is Justin Upton of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Even Buxton himself thinks he plays a lot like Upton on the field. From the sounds of reports and tweets, the Twins scouting director Deron Johnson was extremely happy with the pick and it seems that the sky could be the limit for this young man. "He's a five-tool player," Johnson said. "Tremendous ceiling. He's a really good kid. Hard worker. Two-sport athlete. Everybody talks about his athleticism. He's got a really good swing. We think he's going to hit. We think he'll hit anywhere from No. 1 in the order to No. 3." To get a number one caliber pick with the second selection in the draft has to be a thrill for the front office of the Twins. He showed tremendous offensive skills this season by batting .513 with 17 doubles and 35 RBI. His tremendous speed helped him to be a plus defensive outfielder and to steal more than a base per game during his senior year. One of the most valuable tools could be his arm in center field. He showed off some of this ability by pitching in his high school state championship game last week and striking out 18 batters to lead his team to the title. The Twins will let Buxton focus his attention as an outfielder but he is a tremendous athlete that could have gone on to play college football for the University of Georgia. Buxton was the best player on the board but Appel could have provided the Twins some pitching depth in the system that seems low on top level arms. Appel could have been on the fast track to Target Field but Buxton will take awhile to develop in the minor league system. A lot of the Twins top minor league talent is in the lower levels so Buxton might have been the correct pick for the team that is a few years away from contending again. Buxton, who goes by "Buck," has until July 13 to sign with the Twins and become a very rich recent high school graduate. As of Monday night, the Twins expressed little concern over signing Buxton and it would be nice for him to get some time in the rookie leagues by the end of the summer. It might a few seasons before fans are wearing Buxton #3 jerseys (he will have to change away from his high school number) at Target Field, but he seems to be destined for big things in the coming years.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lDXQDNRTNeE/T81-89L7ggI/AAAAAAAABzs/csxp8S1LVDU/s1600/buxton_draft.jpg When the Houston Astros made a surprise selection of Carlos Correa with the first pick of the 2012 MLB Draft, the Twins were left with a decision of picking between high school outfielder Byron Buxton and college pitcher Mark Appel. Before the draft started on Monday night, it seemed that Appel was going to be a sure bet for the number one selection. This didn't happen because of some perceived signability concerns and the Twins still took the player that they had highest on their draft board, Byron Buxton. Buxton was the number one ranked player by both Baseball America and MLB.com before the draft started on Monday night. The five-toll outfielder has been compared to many current outfielders but the one mentioned most often is Justin Upton of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Even Buxton himself thinks he plays a lot like Upton on the field. From the sounds of reports and tweets, the Twins scouting director Deron Johnson was extremely happy with the pick and it seems that the sky could be the limit for this young man. "He's a five-tool player," Johnson said. "Tremendous ceiling. He's a really good kid. Hard worker. Two-sport athlete. Everybody talks about his athleticism. He's got a really good swing. We think he's going to hit. We think he'll hit anywhere from No. 1 in the order to No. 3." To get a number one caliber pick with the second selection in the draft has to be a thrill for the front office of the Twins. He showed tremendous offensive skills this season by batting .513 with 17 doubles and 35 RBI. His tremendous speed helped him to be a plus defensive outfielder and to steal more than a base per game during his senior year. One of the most valuable tools could be his arm in center field. He showed off some of this ability by pitching in his high school state championship game last week and striking out 18 batters to lead his team to the title. The Twins will let Buxton focus his attention as an outfielder but he is a tremendous athlete that could have gone on to play college football for the University of Georgia. Buxton was the best player on the board but Appel could have provided the Twins some pitching depth in the system that seems low on top level arms. Appel could have been on the fast track to Target Field but Buxton will take awhile to develop in the minor league system. A lot of the Twins top minor league talent is in the lower levels so Buxton might have been the correct pick for the team that is a few years away from contending again. Buxton, who goes by "Buck," has until July 13 to sign with the Twins and become a very rich recent high school graduate. As of Monday night, the Twins expressed little concern over signing Buxton and it would be nice for him to get some time in the rookie leagues by the end of the summer. It might a few seasons before fans are wearing Buxton #3 jerseys (he will have to change away from his high school number) at Target Field, but he seems to be destined for big things in the coming years.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ftP6wghsQ4/T8wu4YaZSzI/AAAAAAAAByA/4U98fG4JcrQ/s320/2012MLBDraftPrimer.jpg A little after 6 p.m. CT on Monday night, the Minnesota Twins will be making a franchise altering pick when the scouting staff and the front office will decide on the number two pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. On the heels of a disappointing 2011 season, the Twins earned the second pick in the first round based on the fact that the team finished with the second worse record last year. The Houston Astros were the only team to finish with less wins than the Twins and this allows the Astros to take the first pick. The last time the Twins drafted this high in the first round was back in the 2001 when the team selected Joe Mauer with the first pick. Mauer has gone on to win an MVP and multiple batting titles since his selection and now he is being paid to be the face of the franchise. The other option for the top pick that year was Mark Prior and he has battled with injuries for most of his career. It looks like the team made the right decision in 2001 but that is not always the case. In the year before Mauer was picked, the team took Adam Johnson with the number two pick in the first round and he only made nine appearances at the MLB level. This is a mistake the Twins can ill-afford to make again in a draft class that, much like 2000, is considered to be weak. The team needs to hit a home run with their selection and find a player that can be a highly effective at the MLB level for multiple seasons. There will also be two compensation round picks made by the Twins on Monday night for to make-up for the loss of free agents Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel. The first pick in the compensation round (No. 32) belongs to the Twins for the Rockies signing Cuddyer. Ten picks later (No. 42), the Twins will select another player since Kubel was signed away by the Diamondbacks. These picks are also very important in the grand scheme of things. There are plenty of aspects for a franchise to consider as they prepare for the draft. Previous draft picks, the organization's top prospects, and the scouting reports of the top available players will all be used to decide the fate of the franchise. Below you will find a few of the things that could impact the team's decision when they make the second pick on Monday night. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2007-2011 Twins Draft Capsules The Twins have followed some similar patterns in recent drafts with college pitchers and young high school outfielders often being taken in the first round. This trend could continue on Monday night with the Twins looking at a variety of college arms or a high school outfielder that is considered by many to be the best available player. There have been some hits and some misses along the way but the core of a franchise is formed from previous drafts. Full posts can be found by clicking on the links below: 2011 MLB Draft Capsule: The team took college middle infielder Levi Michael with their first round pick to help solidify a position of weakness in the organization. Both of their compensation round picks are young but could offer some of the biggest upside of any players in the farm system. 2010 MLB Draft Capsule: For the second year in a row, the Twins took a collegiate arm in the first round of the draft. Alex Wimmers has hit some bumps along the way and he is currently rehabbing his elbow. Eddie Rosario, one of the top prospects in the organization, was a steal in this draft for the Twins. 2009 MLB Draft Capsule: It seemed the Twins got lucky when one of the top pitching prospects in the draft fell to the team because of some forearm injury concerns. Kyle Gibson quickly showed there was nothing to worry about as he flew through the minor leagues. A dreaded Tommy John surgery took away most of this season for Gibson but he should be pitching in games later this summer. 2008 MLB Draft Capsule: The last time the Twins had a pick in the top 15 was when they took Aaron Hicks with the 14th pick in 2009. The switch-hitting outfielder has been tremendous on the defensive side of the ball while still working on his offensive approach. Carlos Guitierrez is another player who could make an impact from this draft. 2007 MLB Draft Capsule: Ben Revere is the only first round pick out of the last five years to make a mark on the team at the big league level. His speed and defensive skills have been highly touted as he moved through the minor leagues and he has shown some positives signs with the Twins. Angel Morales was also taken in this draft and the Twins hope he can avoid injury concerns in 2012. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Minnesota Twins Top 10 Prospects Before entering the draft, it is important to know where a club's strengths and weaknesses are in regards to the prospects in the organization. The Twins hope their first round selection will jump to the top of this list in the not so distant future and that he will make a major impact in the minor leagues along the way. There are only a couple first round picks who made this list so the Twins need to make sure they find a top notch player with the number two selection. Miguel Sano is widely considered to be the best prospect in the Twins system and he could see himself near the top of the top prospect lists for all of baseball by the time this season is done. His powerful swing has been something to marvel at for the last couple of seasons and the Twins have their fingers crossed that he will be a superstar in the future. There has been some movement in the top prospects in the Twins organization but there are some very talented players trying to work their way toward Target Field. Who follows Sano in the top 10 list? You will have to read the full post to find out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2012 MLB Draft Player Profiles With no clear-cut favorites near the top of the draft this year, there is a wide-pool of players the Twins could be considering for the number two pick. According to sources, the Twins have narrowed down their focus to three or four players but their true choice won't be known until some time on Monday. It seems that Mark Appel is likely to go to the Astros with the first pick so one of the other names listed below will most likely be in a Twins jersey whenever he signs on the dotted line. There are college pitchers, high school position players, and one college catcher and only one player can call the Twins organization his home. Full posts can be found by clicking on the links below: 1. Byron Buxton- a high school outfielder that is ranked by many scouts as the best player available in the draft. He has the potential to be a five-tool player but it would take he multiple years to reach the MLB level. 2. Mark Appel- a collegiate right-handed pitcher who most likely will be off the board with the first pick by the Houston Astros. With the roots of his childhood based in Houston, it seems like a perfect storyline for the franchise. 3. Mike Zunino- a catcher that is considered to be the top collegiate position player in the draft. His poor play in SEC play this year might have hurt his draft stock but he will still be one of the first seven players selected on Monday. 4. Kevin Gausman- a right-handed pitcher that might be the best college arm on the board and he could end up being even better than Appel. He needs to refine some of his offspeed pitches and his body could use some more weight but his 94 mph fastball holds plenty of potential. 5. Carlos Correa- a shortstop that should become the highest player selected from the island of Puerto Rico. The Twins have held multiple private workouts for this young middle infielder in the last couple weeks and he has apparently been very impressive. 6. Kyle Zimmer- the third college pitcher on this list and he might be the most polished arm besides Appel. His strikeout to walk rate is something the Twins front office has to love and this is only helped by his heater that reaches 97 mph. *Bonus Profile* Mitch Brown- a right-handed high school pitcher that is from Rochester, Minnesota and a top 50 prospect for the draft. The Twins have the No. 32 and No. 42 selections in the compensation round and this is right where Brown's name is expected to be called.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ftP6wghsQ4/T8wu4YaZSzI/AAAAAAAAByA/4U98fG4JcrQ/s320/2012MLBDraftPrimer.jpg A little after 6 p.m. CT on Monday night, the Minnesota Twins will be making a franchise altering pick when the scouting staff and the front office will decide on the number two pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. On the heels of a disappointing 2011 season, the Twins earned the second pick in the first round based on the fact that the team finished with the second worse record last year. The Houston Astros were the only team to finish with less wins than the Twins and this allows the Astros to take the first pick. The last time the Twins drafted this high in the first round was back in the 2001 when the team selected Joe Mauer with the first pick. Mauer has gone on to win an MVP and multiple batting titles since his selection and now he is being paid to be the face of the franchise. The other option for the top pick that year was Mark Prior and he has battled with injuries for most of his career. It looks like the team made the right decision in 2001 but that is not always the case. In the year before Mauer was picked, the team took Adam Johnson with the number two pick in the first round and he only made nine appearances at the MLB level. This is a mistake the Twins can ill-afford to make again in a draft class that, much like 2000, is considered to be weak. The team needs to hit a home run with their selection and find a player that can be a highly effective at the MLB level for multiple seasons. There will also be two compensation round picks made by the Twins on Monday night for to make-up for the loss of free agents Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel. The first pick in the compensation round (No. 32) belongs to the Twins for the Rockies signing Cuddyer. Ten picks later (No. 42), the Twins will select another player since Kubel was signed away by the Diamondbacks. These picks are also very important in the grand scheme of things. There are plenty of aspects for a franchise to consider as they prepare for the draft. Previous draft picks, the organization's top prospects, and the scouting reports of the top available players will all be used to decide the fate of the franchise. Below you will find a few of the things that could impact the team's decision when they make the second pick on Monday night. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2007-2011 Twins Draft Capsules The Twins have followed some similar patterns in recent drafts with college pitchers and young high school outfielders often being taken in the first round. This trend could continue on Monday night with the Twins looking at a variety of college arms or a high school outfielder that is considered by many to be the best available player. There have been some hits and some misses along the way but the core of a franchise is formed from previous drafts. Full posts can be found by clicking on the links below: 2011 MLB Draft Capsule: The team took college middle infielder Levi Michael with their first round pick to help solidify a position of weakness in the organization. Both of their compensation round picks are young but could offer some of the biggest upside of any players in the farm system. 2010 MLB Draft Capsule: For the second year in a row, the Twins took a collegiate arm in the first round of the draft. Alex Wimmers has hit some bumps along the way and he is currently rehabbing his elbow. Eddie Rosario, one of the top prospects in the organization, was a steal in this draft for the Twins. 2009 MLB Draft Capsule: It seemed the Twins got lucky when one of the top pitching prospects in the draft fell to the team because of some forearm injury concerns. Kyle Gibson quickly showed there was nothing to worry about as he flew through the minor leagues. A dreaded Tommy John surgery took away most of this season for Gibson but he should be pitching in games later this summer. 2008 MLB Draft Capsule: The last time the Twins had a pick in the top 15 was when they took Aaron Hicks with the 14th pick in 2009. The switch-hitting outfielder has been tremendous on the defensive side of the ball while still working on his offensive approach. Carlos Guitierrez is another player who could make an impact from this draft. 2007 MLB Draft Capsule: Ben Revere is the only first round pick out of the last five years to make a mark on the team at the big league level. His speed and defensive skills have been highly touted as he moved through the minor leagues and he has shown some positives signs with the Twins. Angel Morales was also taken in this draft and the Twins hope he can avoid injury concerns in 2012. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Minnesota Twins Top 10 Prospects Before entering the draft, it is important to know where a club's strengths and weaknesses are in regards to the prospects in the organization. The Twins hope their first round selection will jump to the top of this list in the not so distant future and that he will make a major impact in the minor leagues along the way. There are only a couple first round picks who made this list so the Twins need to make sure they find a top notch player with the number two selection. Miguel Sano is widely considered to be the best prospect in the Twins system and he could see himself near the top of the top prospect lists for all of baseball by the time this season is done. His powerful swing has been something to marvel at for the last couple of seasons and the Twins have their fingers crossed that he will be a superstar in the future. There has been some movement in the top prospects in the Twins organization but there are some very talented players trying to work their way toward Target Field. Who follows Sano in the top 10 list? You will have to read the full post to find out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2012 MLB Draft Player Profiles With no clear-cut favorites near the top of the draft this year, there is a wide-pool of players the Twins could be considering for the number two pick. According to sources, the Twins have narrowed down their focus to three or four players but their true choice won't be known until some time on Monday. It seems that Mark Appel is likely to go to the Astros with the first pick so one of the other names listed below will most likely be in a Twins jersey whenever he signs on the dotted line. There are college pitchers, high school position players, and one college catcher and only one player can call the Twins organization his home. Full posts can be found by clicking on the links below: 1. Byron Buxton- a high school outfielder that is ranked by many scouts as the best player available in the draft. He has the potential to be a five-tool player but it would take he multiple years to reach the MLB level. 2. Mark Appel- a collegiate right-handed pitcher who most likely will be off the board with the first pick by the Houston Astros. With the roots of his childhood based in Houston, it seems like a perfect storyline for the franchise. 3. Mike Zunino- a catcher that is considered to be the top collegiate position player in the draft. His poor play in SEC play this year might have hurt his draft stock but he will still be one of the first seven players selected on Monday. 4. Kevin Gausman- a right-handed pitcher that might be the best college arm on the board and he could end up being even better than Appel. He needs to refine some of his offspeed pitches and his body could use some more weight but his 94 mph fastball holds plenty of potential. 5. Carlos Correa- a shortstop that should become the highest player selected from the island of Puerto Rico. The Twins have held multiple private workouts for this young middle infielder in the last couple weeks and he has apparently been very impressive. 6. Kyle Zimmer- the third college pitcher on this list and he might be the most polished arm besides Appel. His strikeout to walk rate is something the Twins front office has to love and this is only helped by his heater that reaches 97 mph. *Bonus Profile* Mitch Brown- a right-handed high school pitcher that is from Rochester, Minnesota and a top 50 prospect for the draft. The Twins have the No. 32 and No. 42 selections in the compensation round and this is right where Brown's name is expected to be called.