Cody Christie

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan In preparation for next week's MLB First Year Player Draft, I have put together some short draft capsules to look at the prospects the Twins have taken with their early round picks in recent memory. In the coming days, I will release these list with some short profiles on what the players have done since joining the organization. Selecting the right players in the draft can separate a winning club from a losing club so it is important to know what the Twins have done in the past. ~~~~~~~~~~ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AhH4IioaBPk/T8ZIYfWrAnI/AAAAAAAABgw/ToJHE5MkI-A/s320/BenRevereCatch.jpg 1st Round Pick 28: Ben Revere, OF Current Level: MLB Minnesota Twins .300/.344/.417, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 8 R Fans of the Twins saw a lot of what Ben Revere could offer the club in 2011 when he played in 117 games as a rookie. His speed and defensive skills thrilled fans across baseball and his tremendous catch in a game at Target Field will be replayed for years to come. In 2012, Revere started the year in Minnesota but the team sent him to Rochester to get more playing time and to find success at a level he basically skipped in the minors. He is back with the club and his offense has looked more promising because of the amount of extra-base hits he has managed to accumulate. Last season, he looked like he would only be a singles hitter; but if he can continue to find extra-base hits, he could be very valuable asset for the club. 2nd Round Pick 92: Danny Rams, C Current Level: A+ Fort Myers Miracle .057/.195/.057, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R Since signing with the Twins out of the draft, Rams has run into some difficulties with hitting the ball. So far in 2012, he only has two hits to his name in 41 plate appearances for the Miracle and neither of those hits are for extra bases. He is a decent defensive catcher but he is going to need to make some strides at the plate for the Twins to keep him around in the organization. As a 23-year old light hitting catcher that is in High-A for the second year in a row, time could be running thin for him to prove to the Twins that he was worth the second round selection. 3rd Round Pick 122: Angel Morales, OF Current Level: A+ Fort Myers Miracle .214/.272/.277, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 16 R The 22-year old outfield prospect is spending his second summer in Fort Myers after missing a big chunk of last season with an injury. Morales ranks as one of the best prospects in the organization even though he is off to a slow start to the 2012 season. He combines power and speed to be an offensive threat and his defense is also above average in the outfield. Between 2010-2012, he has played 150 games at the High-A level so it would be nice to see him turn things around for the second half of this year. He is still young enough that there will be plenty of hope following him as he moves his way through the system. 4th Round Pick 152: Reggie Williams, 3B Highest Level (w/ Twins): A+ Fort Myers Miracle Williams spent the last four years in the Twins minor league system and he never really put it together. After being drafted as a third baseman, the Twins wanted Williams to develop into a power threat but he failed to hit over seven home runs in any single season. With how uneventful his career was with the Twins, he might be more known for the homophobic Twitter rant he went on earlier this year. Other notables: Danny Lehmann, C (8th round, pick 272), Steve Hirschfeld, RHP (9th round, pick 302) (Statistics current as of games played on May 29, 2012)

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan In preparation for next week's MLB First Year Player Draft, I have put together some short draft capsules to look at the prospects the Twins have taken with their early round picks in recent memory. In the coming days, I will release these list with some short profiles on what the players have done since joining the organization. Selecting the right players in the draft can separate a winning club from a losing club so it is important to know what the Twins have done in the past. ~~~~~~~~~~ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AhH4IioaBPk/T8ZIYfWrAnI/AAAAAAAABgw/ToJHE5MkI-A/s320/BenRevereCatch.jpg 1st Round Pick 28: Ben Revere, OF Current Level: MLB Minnesota Twins .300/.344/.417, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 8 R Fans of the Twins saw a lot of what Ben Revere could offer the club in 2011 when he played in 117 games as a rookie. His speed and defensive skills thrilled fans across baseball and his tremendous catch in a game at Target Field will be replayed for years to come. In 2012, Revere started the year in Minnesota but the team sent him to Rochester to get more playing time and to find success at a level he basically skipped in the minors. He is back with the club and his offense has looked more promising because of the amount of extra-base hits he has managed to accumulate. Last season, he looked like he would only be a singles hitter; but if he can continue to find extra-base hits, he could be very valuable asset for the club. 2nd Round Pick 92: Danny Rams, C Current Level: A+ Fort Myers Miracle .057/.195/.057, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R Since signing with the Twins out of the draft, Rams has run into some difficulties with hitting the ball. So far in 2012, he only has two hits to his name in 41 plate appearances for the Miracle and neither of those hits are for extra bases. He is a decent defensive catcher but he is going to need to make some strides at the plate for the Twins to keep him around in the organization. As a 23-year old light hitting catcher that is in High-A for the second year in a row, time could be running thin for him to prove to the Twins that he was worth the second round selection. 3rd Round Pick 122: Angel Morales, OF Current Level: A+ Fort Myers Miracle .214/.272/.277, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 16 R The 22-year old outfield prospect is spending his second summer in Fort Myers after missing a big chunk of last season with an injury. Morales ranks as one of the best prospects in the organization even though he is off to a slow start to the 2012 season. He combines power and speed to be an offensive threat and his defense is also above average in the outfield. Between 2010-2012, he has played 150 games at the High-A level so it would be nice to see him turn things around for the second half of this year. He is still young enough that there will be plenty of hope following him as he moves his way through the system. 4th Round Pick 152: Reggie Williams, 3B Highest Level (w/ Twins): A+ Fort Myers Miracle Williams spent the last four years in the Twins minor league system and he never really put it together. After being drafted as a third baseman, the Twins wanted Williams to develop into a power threat but he failed to hit over seven home runs in any single season. With how uneventful his career was with the Twins, he might be more known for the homophobic Twitter rant he went on earlier this year. Other notables: Danny Lehmann, C (8th round, pick 272), Steve Hirschfeld, RHP (9th round, pick 302) (Statistics current as of games played on May 29, 2012)

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan In preparation for next week's MLB First Year Player Draft, I have put together some short draft capsules to look at the prospects the Twins have taken with their early round picks in recent memory. In the coming days, I will release these list with some short profiles on what the players have done since joining the organization. Selecting the right players in the draft can separate a winning club from a losing club so it is important to know what the Twins have done in the past. ~~~~~~~~~~ http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZI6cMhEu7tw/T8YZLZh0p0I/AAAAAAAABdw/Mwn9KlVCYRs/s320/AaronHicks.jpg 1st Round Pick 14: Aaron Hicks, OF Current Level: AA New Britain Rock Cats .246/.335/.727, 5 HR, 8 2B, 1 3B, 29 R, 26 RBI When the Twins took Hicks with the 14th pick in the first round, he seemed to have all of the tools that would make him a very dangerous player in the field and at the plate. His defense has continued to be outstanding at every level of the minor leagues but his offense has not projected as well as the team would like. The 22-year old switch hitter continues to be one of the highest ranked prospects in the organization because of the potential he has yet to unlock. During last offseason, he competed in the Arizona Fall League with the majority of the other players being older than him. By the end of the AFL, he had improved himself at the plate and the Twins hope he continues to show improvement as he works his way to the major leagues. Pick 27: Carlos Gutierrez, RHP Current Level: AAA Rochester Red Wings W-L (1-1), 6.00 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 8 SO, 3 BB, 6.0 IP After Torii Hunter signed with the Angels as a free agent, the Twins were compensated by getting the first round pick from LA. Gutierrez was the player the Twins took with this pick and he is only one step away from breaking into the big leagues. He was taken as a starter in the draft and the Twins let him try and make it as a starter through the 2010 season. Now for the last two years, his primary role has been that of a relief pitcher and the transition has not been particularly smooth. Last season with the Red Wings, he posted an ERA of 4.62 with 57 walks in 62.1 innings on the mound. At one point Baseball America pegged Gutierrez as the closer of the future for the Twins but now the club would settle for him showing he can be a consistent relief option. Supplemental Round Pick 31: Shooter Hunt, RHP Highest Level (w/ Twins): A+ Fort Myers Miracle Hunt dealt with severe control problems during his time in the Twins organization and he was taken by the St. Louis organization in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft. In his second season at Ft. Myers last year, he had 61 walks in 42.2 innings with 16 wild pitches. He has yet to pitch in a game since joining the Cardinals organization and it will be interesting to see if he is ever able to put it all together as a professional pitcher. 2nd Round Pick 60: Tyler Ladendorf, SS Highest Level (w/ Twins): A Beloit Snappers The Twins dealt away the rights to Ladendorf in a deadline deal in 2009 to acquire Orlando Cabrera from the Oakland Athletics. Ladendorf was at Low-A at the time and the Twins needed some stability in their middle infield as they pushed for the playoffs. He has gotten a few tastes of Triple-A in the last two seasons but he has struggled with the adjustment to pitchers at that level. In 2012, Ladendorf has played the entire year at the Double-A level and he might have turned the corner by hitting .299/.386/.429 in 37 games. Now he spends more time at second base but it will be interesting to see if he ever succeeds at the next level. 3rd Round Pick 92: Bobby Lanigan, RHP Current Level: AA New Britain Rock Cats W-L (1-3), 4.30 ERA, 1.304 WHIP, 23 SO, 4 BB, 23.0 IP For the third year in a row, Lanigan is spending time at the Double-A level with the Rock Cats. His college experience allowed the Twins to use him as a starter in his first four years in the organization but now the team has transitioned him to the bullpen. He fits the mold of Twins pitchers by throwing strikes and not walking batters. In his last appearance, he allowed five earned runs on five hits in less than an inning of work. One poor outing can throw off some of his statistics for his first year in the bullpen. His transition to the bullpen could be something to keep an eye on in the next couple years. Other notables: Daniel Ortiz (4th round, pick 126), Evan Bigley (10th round, pick 306) (Statistics current as of games played on May 29, 2012)

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan In preparation for next week's MLB First Year Player Draft, I have put together some short draft capsules to look at the prospects the Twins have taken with their early round picks in recent memory. In the coming days, I will release these list with some short profiles on what the players have done since joining the organization. Selecting the right players in the draft can separate a winning club from a losing club so it is important to know what the Twins have done in the past. ~~~~~~~~~~ http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZI6cMhEu7tw/T8YZLZh0p0I/AAAAAAAABdw/Mwn9KlVCYRs/s320/AaronHicks.jpg 1st Round Pick 14: Aaron Hicks, OF Current Level: AA New Britain Rock Cats .246/.335/.727, 5 HR, 8 2B, 1 3B, 29 R, 26 RBI When the Twins took Hicks with the 14th pick in the first round, he seemed to have all of the tools that would make him a very dangerous player in the field and at the plate. His defense has continued to be outstanding at every level of the minor leagues but his offense has not projected as well as the team would like. The 22-year old switch hitter continues to be one of the highest ranked prospects in the organization because of the potential he has yet to unlock. During last offseason, he competed in the Arizona Fall League with the majority of the other players being older than him. By the end of the AFL, he had improved himself at the plate and the Twins hope he continues to show improvement as he works his way to the major leagues. Pick 27: Carlos Gutierrez, RHP Current Level: AAA Rochester Red Wings W-L (1-1), 6.00 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 8 SO, 3 BB, 6.0 IP After Torii Hunter signed with the Angels as a free agent, the Twins were compensated by getting the first round pick from LA. Gutierrez was the player the Twins took with this pick and he is only one step away from breaking into the big leagues. He was taken as a starter in the draft and the Twins let him try and make it as a starter through the 2010 season. Now for the last two years, his primary role has been that of a relief pitcher and the transition has not been particularly smooth. Last season with the Red Wings, he posted an ERA of 4.62 with 57 walks in 62.1 innings on the mound. At one point Baseball America pegged Gutierrez as the closer of the future for the Twins but now the club would settle for him showing he can be a consistent relief option. Supplemental Round Pick 31: Shooter Hunt, RHP Highest Level (w/ Twins): A+ Fort Myers Miracle Hunt dealt with severe control problems during his time in the Twins organization and he was taken by the St. Louis organization in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft. In his second season at Ft. Myers last year, he had 61 walks in 42.2 innings with 16 wild pitches. He has yet to pitch in a game since joining the Cardinals organization and it will be interesting to see if he is ever able to put it all together as a professional pitcher. 2nd Round Pick 60: Tyler Ladendorf, SS Highest Level (w/ Twins): A Beloit Snappers The Twins dealt away the rights to Ladendorf in a deadline deal in 2009 to acquire Orlando Cabrera from the Oakland Athletics. Ladendorf was at Low-A at the time and the Twins needed some stability in their middle infield as they pushed for the playoffs. He has gotten a few tastes of Triple-A in the last two seasons but he has struggled with the adjustment to pitchers at that level. In 2012, Ladendorf has played the entire year at the Double-A level and he might have turned the corner by hitting .299/.386/.429 in 37 games. Now he spends more time at second base but it will be interesting to see if he ever succeeds at the next level. 3rd Round Pick 92: Bobby Lanigan, RHP Current Level: AA New Britain Rock Cats W-L (1-3), 4.30 ERA, 1.304 WHIP, 23 SO, 4 BB, 23.0 IP For the third year in a row, Lanigan is spending time at the Double-A level with the Rock Cats. His college experience allowed the Twins to use him as a starter in his first four years in the organization but now the team has transitioned him to the bullpen. He fits the mold of Twins pitchers by throwing strikes and not walking batters. In his last appearance, he allowed five earned runs on five hits in less than an inning of work. One poor outing can throw off some of his statistics for his first year in the bullpen. His transition to the bullpen could be something to keep an eye on in the next couple years. Other notables: Daniel Ortiz (4th round, pick 126), Evan Bigley (10th round, pick 306) (Statistics current as of games played on May 29, 2012)

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan In preparation for next week's MLB First Year Player Draft, I have put together some short draft capsules to look at the prospects the Twins have taken with their early round picks in recent memory. In the coming days, I will release these list with some short profiles on what the players have done since joining the organization. Selecting the right players in the draft can separate a winning club from a losing club so it is important to know what the Twins have done in the past. ~~~~~~~~~~ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8hzXhBKsqO8/T8WPBkJ0q2I/AAAAAAAABb0/H2WR3SMh_tk/s320/KyleGibson.jpg 1st Round Pick 22: Kyle Gibson, RHP Highest Level: AAA Rochester Red Wings With the Twins struggling to find consistency from their starting rotation, it would have been nice to have Kyle Gibson as part of the starting rotation in 2012. Instead, the 24-year old pitcher has spent the greater portion of the last year recovering from Tommy John surgery. He is on pace to pitch off the mound at the beginning of June and he should be able to make some minor league appearances before the season is complete. The 2010 Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year will fight for a rotation spot during next year's spring training and there could be plenty of open spots for his revamped right arm. Supplemental Round Pick 46: Matt Bashore, LHP Highest Level (w/ Twins): RK Elizabethton Twins The Twins saw plenty of promise when they selected him as the 46th overall pick in the 2009 draft. Since then, the reliever has needed two Tommy John surgeries and he was released by the club. The Yankees have since signed the 24-year old southpaw but he has only appeared in 2 games for their High-A club in the last month. As a proven college arm, the Twins were not expecting Bashore to fail as miserably as he did but injuries can derail a pitching career in a hurry. 2nd Round Pick 70: Billy Bullock, RHP Highest Level (w/ Twins): AA New Britain During last year's Rule 5 Draft, the Twins picked Scott Diamond from the Atlanta Braves organization. At the end of spring training, the team wanted to send Diamond to Triple-A but in order to do that the team had to work out a deal with the Braves. The player sent to the Braves as compensation for keeping Diamond was Mr. Bullock. In recent weeks, the deal is looking better for the Twins with Diamond looking decent in the rotation and Bullock struggling in his third year with time spent at Double-A. 3rd Round Pick 101: Ben Tootle, RHP Highest Level (w/ Twins): A Beloit Snappers The fourth college arm the Twins took in the first three rounds and much like the names mentioned above, Tootle is no longer in the Twins organization. During his couple of seasons in the system, he struggled mightily with his command by walking 42 batters in 54.1 innings while throwing 14 wild pitches. No minor league affiliate was willing to take a chance with Tootle and he is now pitching for the Sioux Falls Pheasants. Other notables: Chris Herrmann (6th round, pick 192), Brian Dozier (8th round, pick 252) (Statistics current as of games played on May 29, 2012)

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan In preparation for next week's MLB First Year Player Draft, I have put together some short draft capsules to look at the prospects the Twins have taken with their early round picks in recent memory. In the coming days, I will release these list with some short profiles on what the players have done since joining the organization. Selecting the right players in the draft can separate a winning club from a losing club so it is important to know what the Twins have done in the past. ~~~~~~~~~~ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8hzXhBKsqO8/T8WPBkJ0q2I/AAAAAAAABb0/H2WR3SMh_tk/s320/KyleGibson.jpg 1st Round Pick 22: Kyle Gibson, RHP Highest Level: AAA Rochester Red Wings With the Twins struggling to find consistency from their starting rotation, it would have been nice to have Kyle Gibson as part of the starting rotation in 2012. Instead, the 24-year old pitcher has spent the greater portion of the last year recovering from Tommy John surgery. He is on pace to pitch off the mound at the beginning of June and he should be able to make some minor league appearances before the season is complete. The 2010 Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year will fight for a rotation spot during next year's spring training and there could be plenty of open spots for his revamped right arm. Supplemental Round Pick 46: Matt Bashore, LHP Highest Level (w/ Twins): RK Elizabethton Twins The Twins saw plenty of promise when they selected him as the 46th overall pick in the 2009 draft. Since then, the reliever has needed two Tommy John surgeries and he was released by the club. The Yankees have since signed the 24-year old southpaw but he has only appeared in 2 games for their High-A club in the last month. As a proven college arm, the Twins were not expecting Bashore to fail as miserably as he did but injuries can derail a pitching career in a hurry. 2nd Round Pick 70: Billy Bullock, RHP Highest Level (w/ Twins): AA New Britain During last year's Rule 5 Draft, the Twins picked Scott Diamond from the Atlanta Braves organization. At the end of spring training, the team wanted to send Diamond to Triple-A but in order to do that the team had to work out a deal with the Braves. The player sent to the Braves as compensation for keeping Diamond was Mr. Bullock. In recent weeks, the deal is looking better for the Twins with Diamond looking decent in the rotation and Bullock struggling in his third year with time spent at Double-A. 3rd Round Pick 101: Ben Tootle, RHP Highest Level (w/ Twins): A Beloit Snappers The fourth college arm the Twins took in the first three rounds and much like the names mentioned above, Tootle is no longer in the Twins organization. During his couple of seasons in the system, he struggled mightily with his command by walking 42 batters in 54.1 innings while throwing 14 wild pitches. No minor league affiliate was willing to take a chance with Tootle and he is now pitching for the Sioux Falls Pheasants. Other notables: Chris Herrmann (6th round, pick 192), Brian Dozier (8th round, pick 252) (Statistics current as of games played on May 29, 2012)

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan In preparation for next week's MLB First Year Player Draft, I have put together some short draft capsules to look at the prospects the Twins have taken with their early round picks in recent memory. In the coming days, I will release these list with some short profiles on what the players have done since joining the organization. Selecting the right players in the draft can separate a winning club from a losing clubso it is important to know what the Twins have done in the past. ~~~~~~~~~~ http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O9nqQnnR2jM/T8WQPePD3wI/AAAAAAAABcE/-26DwWaHD8g/s320/Wimmers.jpg 1st Round Pick 21: Alex Wimmers, RHP Current Level: AA New Britain Rock Cats W-L (0-0), 4.15 ERA, 1.846 WHIP, 3 SO, 2 BB, 4.1 IP For the second consecutive year, the Twins took a college pitcher with their first round pick. Much like Kyle Gibson from 2009, Wimmers has run into some elbow issues during his second full season with the organization. Last season was full of ups and downs for Wimmers as he struggled with control problems early in the year but he was able to bounce back and pitch a seven inning no-hit by season's end. The Twins need some pitching prospects to develop in the higher levels of the system and the team can ill-afford for him to need a serious surgery. 2nd Round Pick 71: Niko Goodrum, SS Highest Level: RK Elizabethton Twins After spending the last two seasons in rookie ball, the Twins have left Goodrum in extended spring training to start the 2012 season. This means the young shortstop could be getting a second taste of the Elizabethton before he gets a chance in a full season league. His first season of professional baseball was a little rough with the GCL Twins but he bounced back nicely in 2011. Last year, he hit .275/.352/.382 with 15 extra-base hits in 204 AB for the E-Twins. His 24 errors at shortstop last season might have been some of the cause for concern so hopefully he is ironing out some of these defense blunders before the season starts. 3rd Round Pick 102: Pat Dean, LHP Current Level: Fort Myers Miracle (4-2), 2.70 ERA, 1.279 WHIP, 30 SO, 14 BB, 63.1 IP In his third season as part of the Twins organization, Dean might be off to one of his best starts to a campaign. He seems to be the ace of the staff in Fort Myers and he could be playing his way into a promotion to New Britain at some time in the near future. He has found ways to give up more than a hit per inning but still keep runners from causing too much damage. Last season, he pitched at three different levels from Low-A to Double-A with varying levels of success so it is nice to see his good start. 4th Round Pick 135: Eddie Rosario, OF/2B Current Level: Beloit Snappers .284/.356/.458, 5 HR, 16 2B, 1 3B, 33 RBI, 25 R In what is looking to be one of the best steals of the 2010 draft, the Twins selected one of the top prospects in their organization with the 135th pick. Rosario came into his own last year with a monster year for Elizabethton and now he is competing in his first full season league. The Twins are trying to convert Rosario from a "toolsy" outfielder into a second baseman since the farm system is full of outfield prospects. He is still a work in progress at second base but his quick hands make him one of the top hitting prospects for the entire Twins system. Other notables: Logan Darnell (6th round, pick 195), Matthew Hauser (7th round, pick 225) (Statistics current as of games played on May 29, 2012)

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan In preparation for next week's MLB First Year Player Draft, I have put together some short draft capsules to look at the prospects the Twins have taken with their early round picks in recent memory. In the coming days, I will release these list with some short profiles on what the players have done since joining the organization. Selecting the right players in the draft can separate a winning club from a losing clubso it is important to know what the Twins have done in the past. ~~~~~~~~~~ http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O9nqQnnR2jM/T8WQPePD3wI/AAAAAAAABcE/-26DwWaHD8g/s320/Wimmers.jpg 1st Round Pick 21: Alex Wimmers, RHP Current Level: AA New Britain Rock Cats W-L (0-0), 4.15 ERA, 1.846 WHIP, 3 SO, 2 BB, 4.1 IP For the second consecutive year, the Twins took a college pitcher with their first round pick. Much like Kyle Gibson from 2009, Wimmers has run into some elbow issues during his second full season with the organization. Last season was full of ups and downs for Wimmers as he struggled with control problems early in the year but he was able to bounce back and pitch a seven inning no-hit by season's end. The Twins need some pitching prospects to develop in the higher levels of the system and the team can ill-afford for him to need a serious surgery. 2nd Round Pick 71: Niko Goodrum, SS Highest Level: RK Elizabethton Twins After spending the last two seasons in rookie ball, the Twins have left Goodrum in extended spring training to start the 2012 season. This means the young shortstop could be getting a second taste of the Elizabethton before he gets a chance in a full season league. His first season of professional baseball was a little rough with the GCL Twins but he bounced back nicely in 2011. Last year, he hit .275/.352/.382 with 15 extra-base hits in 204 AB for the E-Twins. His 24 errors at shortstop last season might have been some of the cause for concern so hopefully he is ironing out some of these defense blunders before the season starts. 3rd Round Pick 102: Pat Dean, LHP Current Level: Fort Myers Miracle (4-2), 2.70 ERA, 1.279 WHIP, 30 SO, 14 BB, 63.1 IP In his third season as part of the Twins organization, Dean might be off to one of his best starts to a campaign. He seems to be the ace of the staff in Fort Myers and he could be playing his way into a promotion to New Britain at some time in the near future. He has found ways to give up more than a hit per inning but still keep runners from causing too much damage. Last season, he pitched at three different levels from Low-A to Double-A with varying levels of success so it is nice to see his good start. 4th Round Pick 135: Eddie Rosario, OF/2B Current Level: Beloit Snappers .284/.356/.458, 5 HR, 16 2B, 1 3B, 33 RBI, 25 R In what is looking to be one of the best steals of the 2010 draft, the Twins selected one of the top prospects in their organization with the 135th pick. Rosario came into his own last year with a monster year for Elizabethton and now he is competing in his first full season league. The Twins are trying to convert Rosario from a "toolsy" outfielder into a second baseman since the farm system is full of outfield prospects. He is still a work in progress at second base but his quick hands make him one of the top hitting prospects for the entire Twins system. Other notables: Logan Darnell (6th round, pick 195), Matthew Hauser (7th round, pick 225) (Statistics current as of games played on May 29, 2012)

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan In preparation for next week's MLB First Year Player Draft, I have put together some short draft capsules to look at the prospects the Twins have taken with their early round picks in recent memory. In the coming days, I will release these list with some short profiles on what the players have done since joining the organization. Selecting the right players in the draft can separate a winning club from a losing club so it is important to know what the Twins have done in the past. ~~~~~~~~~~ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S-aclG6f1bw/T8WQAMIwL8I/AAAAAAAABb8/CsMuuATNtuw/s320/LeviMichael.JPG 1st Round Pick 30: Levi Michael, SS Current Level: A+ Fort Myers Miracle .204/.305/.278, 2 HR, 2 2B, 2 3B, 18 R, 14 RBI Some thought Levi Michael would start the year with Low-A Beloit but his college experience was enough for the Twins to give him an opportunity with at the High-A level. He is off to a slow start in his first year of professional baseball and the 21-year old middle infielder is looking to put the ball in play at a most consistent rate. His 34 strikeouts make it seem like he is a little over matched when he steps into the box. On the defensive side of the ball, he has split time between shortstop and second base so it looks like the team has yet to decide where he will stick. He has eight errors with four errors coming during his time at each position. Supplemental Round Pick 50: Travis Harrison, 3B Current Level: Extended Spring Training One of the biggest power threats the Twins have taken during the early rounds of the draft in recent years. It will be interesting to see what kind of season he will put together in the Gulf Coast League. The hot Florida sun can make balls fly out of the yard and Harrison has the potential to be spraying home runs to all parts of the field. Pick 55: Hudson Boyd, RHP Current Level: Extended Spring Training The second high school prospect taken by the Twins in the supplemental round was a burly right handed pitcher who is very familiar with playing in Florida. He went to high school in Fort Myers and he will most likely play his first season of professional baseball in the GCL. Boyd's big frame should allow him to keep his velocity as he works his way through the system and the only question could be whether he sticks as a starter or a relief arm. 2nd Round Pick 87: Madison Boer, RHP Current Level: A+ Fort Myers Miracle W-L (0-6), 11.22 ERA, 2.221 WHIP, 10 SO, 12 BB, 25.2 IP Even with an entire college season already in the books for Boer, the Twins let him pitch in 23 games last year between Elizabethton and Beloit. He put up modest numbers as a relief pitcher by posting a 3.91 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched between the two levels. So far this season, Boer has struggled with his command by allowing 19 walks with 29 strikeouts in 48.1 innings on the mound. His ERA with Fort Myers is close to 12.00 and he has yet to make it out of the sixth inning in any of his starts. The Minnesota native has some polishing to do if he intends to pitch at Target Field in the future. 3rd Round Pick 117: Corey Williams, LHP Level: A Beloit Snappers W-L (2-1), 2.91 ERA, 1.338 WHIP, 24 SO, 10 BB, 21.2 IP Like Boer taken in the round before him, Williams signed with enough time to make some relief appearances at the end of the 2011 season. In 11.2 innings with the E-Twins, Williams put together a 3.86 ERA with 11 strikeouts and 5 walks. He allowed over a hit an inning in this small sample size so that was one area for him to improve on for this season. The Twins have continued to use Williams as a relief option during his time with the Snappers in 2012. He has finished 16 games for the club and has six saves to his credit this year. His high WHIP is still something to keep an eye on but the Twins need some left-handed arms to prove themselves in the system and Williams can be one of those guys. Other notables: Matthew Summers (4th round, pick 148), Dereck Rodriguez (6th round, pick 208) (Statistics current as of games played on May 29, 2012)

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan In preparation for next week's MLB First Year Player Draft, I have put together some short draft capsules to look at the prospects the Twins have taken with their early round picks in recent memory. In the coming days, I will release these list with some short profiles on what the players have done since joining the organization. Selecting the right players in the draft can separate a winning club from a losing club so it is important to know what the Twins have done in the past. ~~~~~~~~~~ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S-aclG6f1bw/T8WQAMIwL8I/AAAAAAAABb8/CsMuuATNtuw/s320/LeviMichael.JPG 1st Round Pick 30: Levi Michael, SS Current Level: A+ Fort Myers Miracle .204/.305/.278, 2 HR, 2 2B, 2 3B, 18 R, 14 RBI Some thought Levi Michael would start the year with Low-A Beloit but his college experience was enough for the Twins to give him an opportunity with at the High-A level. He is off to a slow start in his first year of professional baseball and the 21-year old middle infielder is looking to put the ball in play at a most consistent rate. His 34 strikeouts make it seem like he is a little over matched when he steps into the box. On the defensive side of the ball, he has split time between shortstop and second base so it looks like the team has yet to decide where he will stick. He has eight errors with four errors coming during his time at each position. Supplemental Round Pick 50: Travis Harrison, 3B Current Level: Extended Spring Training One of the biggest power threats the Twins have taken during the early rounds of the draft in recent years. It will be interesting to see what kind of season he will put together in the Gulf Coast League. The hot Florida sun can make balls fly out of the yard and Harrison has the potential to be spraying home runs to all parts of the field. Pick 55: Hudson Boyd, RHP Current Level: Extended Spring Training The second high school prospect taken by the Twins in the supplemental round was a burly right handed pitcher who is very familiar with playing in Florida. He went to high school in Fort Myers and he will most likely play his first season of professional baseball in the GCL. Boyd's big frame should allow him to keep his velocity as he works his way through the system and the only question could be whether he sticks as a starter or a relief arm. 2nd Round Pick 87: Madison Boer, RHP Current Level: A+ Fort Myers Miracle W-L (0-6), 11.22 ERA, 2.221 WHIP, 10 SO, 12 BB, 25.2 IP Even with an entire college season already in the books for Boer, the Twins let him pitch in 23 games last year between Elizabethton and Beloit. He put up modest numbers as a relief pitcher by posting a 3.91 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched between the two levels. So far this season, Boer has struggled with his command by allowing 19 walks with 29 strikeouts in 48.1 innings on the mound. His ERA with Fort Myers is close to 12.00 and he has yet to make it out of the sixth inning in any of his starts. The Minnesota native has some polishing to do if he intends to pitch at Target Field in the future. 3rd Round Pick 117: Corey Williams, LHP Level: A Beloit Snappers W-L (2-1), 2.91 ERA, 1.338 WHIP, 24 SO, 10 BB, 21.2 IP Like Boer taken in the round before him, Williams signed with enough time to make some relief appearances at the end of the 2011 season. In 11.2 innings with the E-Twins, Williams put together a 3.86 ERA with 11 strikeouts and 5 walks. He allowed over a hit an inning in this small sample size so that was one area for him to improve on for this season. The Twins have continued to use Williams as a relief option during his time with the Snappers in 2012. He has finished 16 games for the club and has six saves to his credit this year. His high WHIP is still something to keep an eye on but the Twins need some left-handed arms to prove themselves in the system and Williams can be one of those guys. Other notables: Matthew Summers (4th round, pick 148), Dereck Rodriguez (6th round, pick 208) (Statistics current as of games played on May 29, 2012)

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Less than a week ago, the thought of pitching at Target Field had to be far from the mind of Cole DeVries. But on Tuesday evening, DeVries found himself making his home debut in front of a crowd full of family and friends. It can be nerve racking to pitch in front of the home crowd for the first time and it had to be even harder for the Minnesota native to be throwing so close to where he grew up. Throughout the contest, DeVries worked himself into some jams by walking batters but he always seemed to find a way to wriggle out of these sticky situations. In five innings on the mound, he gave up no runs on two hits with five walks and one strikeout. He wouldn't factor into the decision but it was a decent effort from the 27-year old rookie. It wasn't that long ago that DeVries was part of the Rochester Red Wings so let's see how some of his former teammates and the rest of the farm system faired on Tuesday night. ROCHESTER 7, CHARLOTTE 4 A big top of the fourth inning helped to separate the Red Wings from the Knights in Charlotte tonight. Danny Valenica singled to start the frame and this was followed by back-to-back doubles from Chris Parmelee and Matt Carson. After a sacrifice fly from Clete Thomas, Michael Hollimon would smack his fifth home run of the year. In his first rehab start on his way back from the DL, Nick Blackburn threw 3.2 innings and allowed three earned runs on 68 pitches. Esmerling Vasquez would put up three straight scoreless frames to help the Red Wings stay in the lead. Casey Fien had to pitch almost two full innings to earn his eighth save of the year. Chris Parmelee and Michael Hollimon seemed to playing a game of "anything you can do, I can do better" with their performances at the plate. Both players had multiple extra-base hits in the contest with each player knocking in a couple runs. Hollimon managed two long balls while Parmelee had to settle for one home run. NEW BRITAIN - , NEW HAMPSHIRE - The Rock Cats were washed out on Tuesday night and their game with New Hampshire will have to be made up at a future date. FORT MYERS 4, BRADENTON 5 Last year's first overall pick in the MLB Draft Gerrit Cole took the mound for Bradenton on Tuesday night and the Miracle had a tough time scoring on him. Cole pitched six innings and allowed a single earned run to cross the plate on a home run from Daniel Ortiz. Cole was not unhittable in this game but the Miracle failed to get more than two extra-base hit off of the young right-handed hurler. With the Miracle down by three runs in the ninth inning, the team mounted a mini-comeback to get the game within a run. Levi Michael hit his second home run of the year after Michael Gonzales had doubled to start the inning. The next three batters would be retired in order to end the hope for the Miracle. Jario Perez lead the Miracle with three hits in the game. When a starter gives up five runs in five innings and lowers his ERA, you know he came in with some rough outings. Madison Boer was the starter for the Miracle and his game might not have been great but it was better than some of his previous appearances. Kyle Waldrop pitched a scoreless inning of relief as he made his third rehab appearance. BELOIT 5, KANE COUNTY 4 (11 innings) The Snappers had a three-run lead when AJ Achter came into the game in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Snappers lead was gone by the time he exited the contest at the end of the ninth. Lucky enough for him, the team would come back in extra-innings to retake the lead and get their third straight victory. Beloit was helped out by home runs in the early innings of the game by Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, and Nate Roberts. For Sano, it was his second home run in the last two games after a recent dry spell from the home run department. Jonathan Goncalves had two doubles in the game and he has gone 7-for-13 in the last three games. Tyler Jones made the start for the Snappers and pitched four innings while only allowing one run to cross the plate. Tim Atherton was called on for the middle innings and he pitched three innings of hitless baseball with four strikeouts. The win went to David Hurlbut who pitched both extra frames by only allowing two runners to reach base. --- Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 29, 2012 Pitcher of the Day- Tim Atherton http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oJzODqCmE_E/T8V9_ZttaxI/AAAAAAAABaI/De762hDosOs/s320/TimAtherton.jpg Hitter of the Day- Michael Hollimon http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hFcRBY61M64/T8V6yqp1c6I/AAAAAAAABYc/ELNDTOspavk/s320/MichaelHollimon.jpg --- A Look Ahead- Wednesday, May 30th Schedule Rochester at Charlotte- RHP Liam Hendriks New Britain at New Hampshire- LHP Andrew Albers Fort Myers at Bradenton- RHP Miguel Munoz Beloit at Quad Cities- RHP Tim Shibuya --- 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.

Less than a week ago, the thought of pitching at Target Field had to be far from the mind of Cole DeVries. But on Tuesday evening, DeVries found himself making his home debut in front of a crowd full of family and friends. It can be nerve racking to pitch in front of the home crowd for the first time and it had to be even harder for the Minnesota native to be throwing so close to where he grew up. Throughout the contest, DeVries worked himself into some jams by walking batters but he always seemed to find a way to wriggle out of these sticky situations. In five innings on the mound, he gave up no runs on two hits with five walks and one strikeout. He wouldn't factor into the decision but it was a decent effort from the 27-year old rookie. It wasn't that long ago that DeVries was part of the Rochester Red Wings so let's see how some of his former teammates and the rest of the farm system faired on Tuesday night. ROCHESTER 7, CHARLOTTE 4 A big top of the fourth inning helped to separate the Red Wings from the Knights in Charlotte tonight. Danny Valenica singled to start the frame and this was followed by back-to-back doubles from Chris Parmelee and Matt Carson. After a sacrifice fly from Clete Thomas, Michael Hollimon would smack his fifth home run of the year. In his first rehab start on his way back from the DL, Nick Blackburn threw 3.2 innings and allowed three earned runs on 68 pitches. Esmerling Vasquez would put up three straight scoreless frames to help the Red Wings stay in the lead. Casey Fien had to pitch almost two full innings to earn his eighth save of the year. Chris Parmelee and Michael Hollimon seemed to playing a game of "anything you can do, I can do better" with their performances at the plate. Both players had multiple extra-base hits in the contest with each player knocking in a couple runs. Hollimon managed two long balls while Parmelee had to settle for one home run. NEW BRITAIN - , NEW HAMPSHIRE - The Rock Cats were washed out on Tuesday night and their game with New Hampshire will have to be made up at a future date. FORT MYERS 4, BRADENTON 5 Last year's first overall pick in the MLB Draft Gerrit Cole took the mound for Bradenton on Tuesday night and the Miracle had a tough time scoring on him. Cole pitched six innings and allowed a single earned run to cross the plate on a home run from Daniel Ortiz. Cole was not unhittable in this game but the Miracle failed to get more than two extra-base hit off of the young right-handed hurler. With the Miracle down by three runs in the ninth inning, the team mounted a mini-comeback to get the game within a run. Levi Michael hit his second home run of the year after Michael Gonzales had doubled to start the inning. The next three batters would be retired in order to end the hope for the Miracle. Jario Perez lead the Miracle with three hits in the game. When a starter gives up five runs in five innings and lowers his ERA, you know he came in with some rough outings. Madison Boer was the starter for the Miracle and his game might not have been great but it was better than some of his previous appearances. Kyle Waldrop pitched a scoreless inning of relief as he made his third rehab appearance. BELOIT 5, KANE COUNTY 4 (11 innings) The Snappers had a three-run lead when AJ Achter came into the game in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Snappers lead was gone by the time he exited the contest at the end of the ninth. Lucky enough for him, the team would come back in extra-innings to retake the lead and get their third straight victory. Beloit was helped out by home runs in the early innings of the game by Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, and Nate Roberts. For Sano, it was his second home run in the last two games after a recent dry spell from the home run department. Jonathan Goncalves had two doubles in the game and he has gone 7-for-13 in the last three games. Tyler Jones made the start for the Snappers and pitched four innings while only allowing one run to cross the plate. Tim Atherton was called on for the middle innings and he pitched three innings of hitless baseball with four strikeouts. The win went to David Hurlbut who pitched both extra frames by only allowing two runners to reach base. --- Players of the Day for Tuesday, May 29, 2012 Pitcher of the Day- Tim Atherton http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oJzODqCmE_E/T8V9_ZttaxI/AAAAAAAABaI/De762hDosOs/s320/TimAtherton.jpg Hitter of the Day- Michael Hollimon http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hFcRBY61M64/T8V6yqp1c6I/AAAAAAAABYc/ELNDTOspavk/s320/MichaelHollimon.jpg --- A Look Ahead- Wednesday, May 30th Schedule Rochester at Charlotte- RHP Liam Hendriks New Britain at New Hampshire- LHP Andrew Albers Fort Myers at Bradenton- RHP Miguel Munoz Beloit at Quad Cities- RHP Tim Shibuya --- 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.

Not much news to report on Salcedo. He is currently on the DL for the Miracle while he tries to work his way back. If anyone else has heard a more detailed report on his injury, feel free to post about it.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing Memorial Day weekend. It is great to start the week off on a Tuesday and it will only make the rest of the week go that much faster. Since I work in the local school system, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel that is the school year. As has become a weekly happening around here, I will post a few tidbits in the morning to hold readers over until I write the minor league wrap-up for Twins Daily later tonight. It's a fun way to get a bunch of stories out there for readers to enjoy as they kick off their work week. Draft day is quickly approaching By this time next week, the Twins hope to have made a difference making pick for the future of the franchise. The organization will have the second overall pick in the first round of next Monday's MLB Draft. There are no stand-out prospects like Stephen Strasburg or Bryce Harper at the top of this draft so it might be a tough selection for the Twins after Houston makes the first pick. The first four picks in last year's draft were all top notch pitching prospects that have been making noise in the minor leagues to start the year. This year's draft is not projecting to be that heavy with pitchers at the top because there are a couple of very good position players available for selection. The decision will be tough for the Twins on whether to take a pitcher or look at a position player. With an injury earlier this year to high school pitcher Lucas Giolito, the top pitcher to be taken in the draft will most likely be Mark Appel from Stanford University. It will be interesting to see who is willing to take a flyer on Giolito in the first round or if team's will be convinced that he is going to college to revamp his draft stock. Kevin Gausman from LSU could also be the Twins choice at number two but it sounds like Appel is the top pitcher on their board. In the last couple of weeks, the team held a workout for Carlos Correa, a high school senior shortstop in Puerto Rico. Correa isn't the highest ranked position player so there are others that could be taken before he is off the board. High school outfielder Byron Buxton is number one prospect on many draft prospect boards and it would be intriguing if he is still available when it is the Twins turn to pick. Sano ends home run drought It has been a rough couple weeks for Twins top prospect Miguel Sano after he started the 2012 season at a feverish pace. In the first month of the year, Sano had six bombs while hitting .276/.422/.586 in 25 games. The month of May has not been as kind to Sano as he is batting .219/.287/.458 but his strike out totals have dropped in the same amount of games. It looked liked Monday was going to be more of the same for Sano as he started the day 0-for-6 at the plate. The rest of his team was in the middle of a hit parade so it seemed like it should only be a matter of time before Sano joined in on the action. In the 12th inning after the Snappers had already took over the lead, Sano hit a 3-run shot to solidify the win for Beloit. Sano was failing to manage a single hit for much of last week so it will be interesting to see how he looks after finally hitting another home run. He now has a four-game hitting streak with a couple of extra-base hits. There was talk of moving Sano to Fort Myers but his recent struggles could push back his advancement to the next level. Valencia needs more consistency at Triple-A When the Twins sent Danny Valencia back to Rochester, there were plenty of things for him to work on. He was struggling at the plate against major league caliber pitching and his defense had been shaky at the hot corner. There need to be more consistency from the 27-year old third baseman and that consistency has yet to show up for Rochester. In his 15 games since being demoted, Valencia is hitting .267/.279/.417 with two home runs and three doubles. After getting over 1,000 plate appearances in the big leagues, it should have been easier for Valencia to succeed at the Triple-A level. Valencia has always seemed to be a very confident player and it appears that he needs to gain some of that confidence back before he can get another shot with the Twins. A recent hot streak has helped to boost his numbers as he has hit .325/.341/.525 in his last 10 games. Terry Ryan is still concerned that Valencia is swinging at pitches that are out of the strike zone. Ryan said, "A guy like Valencia needs to be looking for a strike, jump on it and drive it into the gap." Until the Twins are confident in his ability to recognize pitches, there is a good chance he will stay down. It is still kind of discouraging to think he needs this time in the minors when he is 27-years old and he has plenty of time in at the major leagues.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing Memorial Day weekend. It is great to start the week off on a Tuesday and it will only make the rest of the week go that much faster. Since I work in the local school system, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel that is the school year. As has become a weekly happening around here, I will post a few tidbits in the morning to hold readers over until I write the minor league wrap-up for Twins Daily later tonight. It's a fun way to get a bunch of stories out there for readers to enjoy as they kick off their work week. Draft day is quickly approaching By this time next week, the Twins hope to have made a difference making pick for the future of the franchise. The organization will have the second overall pick in the first round of next Monday's MLB Draft. There are no stand-out prospects like Stephen Strasburg or Bryce Harper at the top of this draft so it might be a tough selection for the Twins after Houston makes the first pick. The first four picks in last year's draft were all top notch pitching prospects that have been making noise in the minor leagues to start the year. This year's draft is not projecting to be that heavy with pitchers at the top because there are a couple of very good position players available for selection. The decision will be tough for the Twins on whether to take a pitcher or look at a position player. With an injury earlier this year to high school pitcher Lucas Giolito, the top pitcher to be taken in the draft will most likely be Mark Appel from Stanford University. It will be interesting to see who is willing to take a flyer on Giolito in the first round or if team's will be convinced that he is going to college to revamp his draft stock. Kevin Gausman from LSU could also be the Twins choice at number two but it sounds like Appel is the top pitcher on their board. In the last couple of weeks, the team held a workout for Carlos Correa, a high school senior shortstop in Puerto Rico. Correa isn't the highest ranked position player so there are others that could be taken before he is off the board. High school outfielder Byron Buxton is number one prospect on many draft prospect boards and it would be intriguing if he is still available when it is the Twins turn to pick. Sano ends home run drought It has been a rough couple weeks for Twins top prospect Miguel Sano after he started the 2012 season at a feverish pace. In the first month of the year, Sano had six bombs while hitting .276/.422/.586 in 25 games. The month of May has not been as kind to Sano as he is batting .219/.287/.458 but his strike out totals have dropped in the same amount of games. It looked liked Monday was going to be more of the same for Sano as he started the day 0-for-6 at the plate. The rest of his team was in the middle of a hit parade so it seemed like it should only be a matter of time before Sano joined in on the action. In the 12th inning after the Snappers had already took over the lead, Sano hit a 3-run shot to solidify the win for Beloit. Sano was failing to manage a single hit for much of last week so it will be interesting to see how he looks after finally hitting another home run. He now has a four-game hitting streak with a couple of extra-base hits. There was talk of moving Sano to Fort Myers but his recent struggles could push back his advancement to the next level. Valencia needs more consistency at Triple-A When the Twins sent Danny Valencia back to Rochester, there were plenty of things for him to work on. He was struggling at the plate against major league caliber pitching and his defense had been shaky at the hot corner. There need to be more consistency from the 27-year old third baseman and that consistency has yet to show up for Rochester. In his 15 games since being demoted, Valencia is hitting .267/.279/.417 with two home runs and three doubles. After getting over 1,000 plate appearances in the big leagues, it should have been easier for Valencia to succeed at the Triple-A level. Valencia has always seemed to be a very confident player and it appears that he needs to gain some of that confidence back before he can get another shot with the Twins. A recent hot streak has helped to boost his numbers as he has hit .325/.341/.525 in his last 10 games. Terry Ryan is still concerned that Valencia is swinging at pitches that are out of the strike zone. Ryan said, "A guy like Valencia needs to be looking for a strike, jump on it and drive it into the gap." Until the Twins are confident in his ability to recognize pitches, there is a good chance he will stay down. It is still kind of discouraging to think he needs this time in the minors when he is 27-years old and he has plenty of time in at the major leagues.

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Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Twins have been playing a little bit better baseball and the team has been able to put together a few wins since the last time we were together for "Friday Links-N-Thinks." The rotation has been overhauled with a youth movement coming into the fold. The likes of Scott Diamond, PJ Walters, and Cole DeVries have been added to the roster to throw the ball over the plate. After the first game of the White Sox series, things looked to be going in the right direction for the Twins. A lot of fielding errors in the last two game put the team in a hole they would never be able to climb out of and the Sox won the final two games and the series. It was nice to see Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau hit a home run in the same game and hopefully the offense will follow the Twins back to Target Field. It's a long weekend so enjoy your time at the lake, at the ballpark, or where ever you will be spending the next few days. Before you leave, make sure to check out the links I have provided below. On last night's Twins Minor League Weekly podcast, there was a great list of guests with Kyle Gibson, David Bromberg, and Drew Leachman giving thoughts on the season. Right field has been a mess for the Twins and it is hard to figure out what the team will do to clean up this hole. With the MLB draft a couple of weeks away, Seth Stohs has been revamping his top prospect list for the Twins system. (Prospects 41-50, Prospects 31-40, Prospects 21-30) It seems that teams have been throwing Morneau a few more curves balls this season as compared to other years. One of the top prospects for next month's draft recently worked out for the Twins in Fort Myers. Bryce Harper has been very good in his debut season but Brian Dozier has also looked good for the Twins. Jamey Carroll and the Brewers had an interesting incident in on Sunday afternoon and the reasons for throwing purpose pitches has changed over time. Justin Morneau might have been awakened last night. Major League Baseball was awarded the "Sports League of the Year" this week and the MLB Fan Cave also took home some hardware. Seedlings to Stars has an interesting look into the minor leagues with their first edition of "fish" prospects from the AL Central. Former Twins player Torii Hunter has been dealing with some tough family issues but it looks like he could return to the Angels next week. PJ Walters pitched the first complete game of the year for the Twins and the first one of his career. This picture from after the game was one of my favorites from the week. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hyFdlnCX2bw/T77WrD1L32I/AAAAAAAABTg/nUnY4kQwBbU/s320/walters-anderson.jpg The Twins will be supporting the troops by wearing this hat on Monday for Memorial Day. The earliest known baseball jersey from Babe Ruth's time with the Yankees sold for $4.4 million at auction. It is now the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever purchased. Former MLB player Dmitri Young made $2.5 million by selling his rare collection of baseball cards. Even with mid-season prospect rankings being released, it is fun to see this consensus list of the top 71 prospects for the Twins. I was even included in the results. The Baseball Outsider recently made a trip to Beloit and he posted some of his photos from his adventure. Is this a substitute pitcher or a Twins starting pitcher? There are some great power hitters making their way to the major leagues and Miguel Sano is at the top of this list. Michael Cuddyer is trying to build chemistry on a bad team for the second year in a row. Chuck Knoblauch is still being a bone head... My Weekly Rundown Monday: Twins should go all in on Greinke Tuesday: Tuesday Morning Tidbits Tuesday's Trip through the Minors Thursday: Benson and Tosoni moving in the wrong direction Video of the Week: One player the Twins could be targeting in the draft next month is from Rochester. KSTP did a story on the young man as he looks forward to what could be one of the most important days of his life.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Twins have been playing a little bit better baseball and the team has been able to put together a few wins since the last time we were together for "Friday Links-N-Thinks." The rotation has been overhauled with a youth movement coming into the fold. The likes of Scott Diamond, PJ Walters, and Cole DeVries have been added to the roster to throw the ball over the plate. After the first game of the White Sox series, things looked to be going in the right direction for the Twins. A lot of fielding errors in the last two game put the team in a hole they would never be able to climb out of and the Sox won the final two games and the series. It was nice to see Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau hit a home run in the same game and hopefully the offense will follow the Twins back to Target Field. It's a long weekend so enjoy your time at the lake, at the ballpark, or where ever you will be spending the next few days. Before you leave, make sure to check out the links I have provided below. On last night's Twins Minor League Weekly podcast, there was a great list of guests with Kyle Gibson, David Bromberg, and Drew Leachman giving thoughts on the season. Right field has been a mess for the Twins and it is hard to figure out what the team will do to clean up this hole. With the MLB draft a couple of weeks away, Seth Stohs has been revamping his top prospect list for the Twins system. (Prospects 41-50, Prospects 31-40, Prospects 21-30) It seems that teams have been throwing Morneau a few more curves balls this season as compared to other years. One of the top prospects for next month's draft recently worked out for the Twins in Fort Myers. Bryce Harper has been very good in his debut season but Brian Dozier has also looked good for the Twins. Jamey Carroll and the Brewers had an interesting incident in on Sunday afternoon and the reasons for throwing purpose pitches has changed over time. Justin Morneau might have been awakened last night. Major League Baseball was awarded the "Sports League of the Year" this week and the MLB Fan Cave also took home some hardware. Seedlings to Stars has an interesting look into the minor leagues with their first edition of "fish" prospects from the AL Central. Former Twins player Torii Hunter has been dealing with some tough family issues but it looks like he could return to the Angels next week. PJ Walters pitched the first complete game of the year for the Twins and the first one of his career. This picture from after the game was one of my favorites from the week. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hyFdlnCX2bw/T77WrD1L32I/AAAAAAAABTg/nUnY4kQwBbU/s320/walters-anderson.jpg The Twins will be supporting the troops by wearing this hat on Monday for Memorial Day. The earliest known baseball jersey from Babe Ruth's time with the Yankees sold for $4.4 million at auction. It is now the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever purchased. Former MLB player Dmitri Young made $2.5 million by selling his rare collection of baseball cards. Even with mid-season prospect rankings being released, it is fun to see this consensus list of the top 71 prospects for the Twins. I was even included in the results. The Baseball Outsider recently made a trip to Beloit and he posted some of his photos from his adventure. Is this a substitute pitcher or a Twins starting pitcher? There are some great power hitters making their way to the major leagues and Miguel Sano is at the top of this list. Michael Cuddyer is trying to build chemistry on a bad team for the second year in a row. Chuck Knoblauch is still being a bone head... My Weekly Rundown Monday: Twins should go all in on Greinke Tuesday: Tuesday Morning Tidbits Tuesday's Trip through the Minors Thursday: Benson and Tosoni moving in the wrong direction Video of the Week: One player the Twins could be targeting in the draft next month is from Rochester. KSTP did a story on the young man as he looks forward to what could be one of the most important days of his life.

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?575-Benson-and-Tosoni-moving-in-the-wrong-direction

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6AG_1T_Rk34/T72NXHyhezI/AAAAAAAABTU/LlIkd5-7lzE/s320/JoeBenson.jpg In the last couple of weeks, the Twins have seen a concerning development with two players in the upper levels of the minor leagues. Joe Benson and Rene Tosoni were demoted to New Britain after starting the year with the Rochester Red Wings. The most concerning thing for both of these players might be the fact that both of them got playing time in the major leagues during last year's dismal season. Each of these players is on a different path but the front office for the Twins has to be frustrated with their performance so far this year. When the Twins drafted Benson in the second round of the 2006 draft, the team liked his athletic ability and the up side he could offer as a strong defensive player to go along with his offensive skill set. Since that time, Benson has gradually moved through the Twins minor league system and he saw himself be rated as one of the top prospects for the club. In my offseason rankings, I had Benson as the number two rated prospect for the Twins with him finishing behind Miguel Sano. The 2010 season was a break out year for Mr. Benson as he was awarded with the Twins Minor League Player of the Year. He started the year in Fort Myers and dominated pitching in the Florida State League for 21 games. Before being promoted to New Britain, he hit .294/.375/.588 with 11 doubles and four home runs. The power followed him to New Britain even though his batting average dropped a little bit. He ended the year with a very good final stat line of .259/.343/.538 with 27 home runs, 31 doubles, and 8 triples. Benson continued to play well last season and the argument could have been made for him to win the minor league player of the year for the second consecutive year. He would make his MLB debut as a September call-up but his first taste of the big leagues came with very little success. He would start the 2012 season in Rochester and it seemed like he should be knocking on the door to the big leagues. This dream was far from the reality. During his time with the Red Wings, Benson struggled at the plate to the tune of hitting .179/.269/.316 with seven extra-base hits in 28 games. The Twins felt a change of pace was in order and he was sent to New Britain to try and find his swing. Since he arrived in New Britain, his swing has continued to falter and he is batting .156/.250/.500 in eight games. As one of the top prospects for the organization, it is tough to watch him struggle in his seventh season as a member of the Twins farm system. Rene Tosoni has never been considered a top prospect for the Twins but he has shown some versatility since being a 36th round pick back in 2005. In 2009 and 2010, Tosoni had a batting average around .270 and he was able to show a little bit of power. Last season he spent time going up and down between Rochester and Minnesota but he was never able to find success for the Red Wings. He started the 2012 campaign back in Rochester and much like Benson, he struggled with trying to find his swing with the Red Wings. He missed some time in April with a lacerated left ring finger but this was still no excuse for his slow start. He went 5-for-5 on Monday and this still only raised his batting line to .167/.267/.197 in 21 games. He is on the way back to New Britain after not playing there since the 2010 campaign. There has been a lot of talk around Triple-A hitting coach Tom Brunsansky for his ability to work with young hitters on their approach at the plate. His message must not have been getting through to Benson and Tosoni and now they will be in the hands of Rudy Hernandez, the hitting coach for New Britain. It will be interesting to see how they handle the transition back to the Eastern League. With the Twins lacking a ton of prospects in the upper minor leagues, it is discouraging to see to players will major league service time being sent in the opposite direction. The Twins have seen plenty of players make the trip from Rochester this year but it looks like Benson and Tosoni won't be included in that group anytime soon. It will be important to see how they adjust to their demotion and hopefully they will both be able to regain their form in the coming months.

Original post from North Dakota Twins Fan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6AG_1T_Rk34/T72NXHyhezI/AAAAAAAABTU/LlIkd5-7lzE/s320/JoeBenson.jpg In the last couple of weeks, the Twins have seen a concerning development with two players in the upper levels of the minor leagues. Joe Benson and Rene Tosoni were demoted to New Britain after starting the year with the Rochester Red Wings. The most concerning thing for both of these players might be the fact that both of them got playing time in the major leagues during last year's dismal season. Each of these players is on a different path but the front office for the Twins has to be frustrated with their performance so far this year. When the Twins drafted Benson in the second round of the 2006 draft, the team liked his athletic ability and the up side he could offer as a strong defensive player to go along with his offensive skill set. Since that time, Benson has gradually moved through the Twins minor league system and he saw himself be rated as one of the top prospects for the club. In my offseason rankings, I had Benson as the number two rated prospect for the Twins with him finishing behind Miguel Sano. The 2010 season was a break out year for Mr. Benson as he was awarded with the Twins Minor League Player of the Year. He started the year in Fort Myers and dominated pitching in the Florida State League for 21 games. Before being promoted to New Britain, he hit .294/.375/.588 with 11 doubles and four home runs. The power followed him to New Britain even though his batting average dropped a little bit. He ended the year with a very good final stat line of .259/.343/.538 with 27 home runs, 31 doubles, and 8 triples. Benson continued to play well last season and the argument could have been made for him to win the minor league player of the year for the second consecutive year. He would make his MLB debut as a September call-up but his first taste of the big leagues came with very little success. He would start the 2012 season in Rochester and it seemed like he should be knocking on the door to the big leagues. This dream was far from the reality. During his time with the Red Wings, Benson struggled at the plate to the tune of hitting .179/.269/.316 with seven extra-base hits in 28 games. The Twins felt a change of pace was in order and he was sent to New Britain to try and find his swing. Since he arrived in New Britain, his swing has continued to falter and he is batting .156/.250/.500 in eight games. As one of the top prospects for the organization, it is tough to watch him struggle in his seventh season as a member of the Twins farm system. Rene Tosoni has never been considered a top prospect for the Twins but he has shown some versatility since being a 36th round pick back in 2005. In 2009 and 2010, Tosoni had a batting average around .270 and he was able to show a little bit of power. Last season he spent time going up and down between Rochester and Minnesota but he was never able to find success for the Red Wings. He started the 2012 campaign back in Rochester and much like Benson, he struggled with trying to find his swing with the Red Wings. He missed some time in April with a lacerated left ring finger but this was still no excuse for his slow start. He went 5-for-5 on Monday and this still only raised his batting line to .167/.267/.197 in 21 games. He is on the way back to New Britain after not playing there since the 2010 campaign. There has been a lot of talk around Triple-A hitting coach Tom Brunsansky for his ability to work with young hitters on their approach at the plate. His message must not have been getting through to Benson and Tosoni and now they will be in the hands of Rudy Hernandez, the hitting coach for New Britain. It will be interesting to see how they handle the transition back to the Eastern League. With the Twins lacking a ton of prospects in the upper minor leagues, it is discouraging to see to players will major league service time being sent in the opposite direction. The Twins have seen plenty of players make the trip from Rochester this year but it looks like Benson and Tosoni won't be included in that group anytime soon. It will be important to see how they adjust to their demotion and hopefully they will both be able to regain their form in the coming months.