Sam Caulder

The designated hitter role could be more fluid for the Twins than it first appears. With Josh Bell and Trevor Larnach both likely to rotate through the spot, the numbers suggest the decision might come down to which alignment gets the most out of their bats. A closer look at their splits reveals why the DH spot could be one of the more interesting lineup decisions this season. View full video

Mick Abel is turning heads this spring, and the numbers are backing it up. The Twins' right-hander has been racking up whiffs and lighting up the radar gun through his first two outings. Are we watching Mick Abel’s breakout happen in real time? View full video

Emmanuel Rodriguez is turning heads in Twins camp this spring. The numbers are loud, the contact quality is real, and he’s making a serious case to be part of the Opening Day conversation. Could the Twins’ outfield prospect force his way into that fourth outfield spot? View full video

Image courtesy of © Mike Watters-Imagn Images It hasn’t been the best of starts to spring baseball for the Twins, having gone eight straight games without logging a win. The good news is that the winless streak is over. After a 2-2 tie with the Atlanta Braves and a 5-3 loss to the Rays, the Twins got back in the win column Wednesday with a 6-3 victory over Team Puerto Rico of the World Baseball Classic. The record isn’t the story in early March, but individual trends are starting to take shape. With that in mind, here’s the latest temperature check: Who’s Hot? 🔥 Mick Abel Abel was outstanding in his first start of the spring, and that continued in his second outing on Sunday against Atlanta. He spun three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six and generating 10 whiffs on 43 pitches. His fastball, which touched 98.9 mph after topping out at 97.1 in his debut, showed both velocity and shape, and his breaking ball had sharp depth that hitters couldn’t square up. Through six spring innings, Abel has looked flat‑out dominant, and he’s making it clear why he deserves a spot in the Twins rotation to start the year. Andrew Morris After a rough first outing, Morris answered on Tuesday out of the bullpen, tossing three no‑hit innings with three strikeouts and two walks while throwing 34 of 58 pitches for strikes and generating six swinging strikes. His changeup and curveball command still wavered at times, but his fastball and cutter were better located, and more importantly, his velocity returned to normal after sitting a couple of ticks down in his first spring start. Considering how hard he was hit previously, this was exactly the type of bounce‑back you want to see. Alan Roden The plan was not to include Alan Roden in every single spring check-in article, yet here we are. After a 3-for-3 day on Wednesday that included a triple, he’s now 10-for-17 this spring with a pair of extra-base hits, a stolen base, and a pair of strikeouts and walks. He’s flashing the kind of consistent contact and extra‑base pop that’s going to make it hard to keep him off the Opening Day roster. Who’s Not? 🧊 Simeon Woods Richardson It’s been a tough couple of turns for SWR. On Tuesday against Tampa Bay, he was charged with all five runs, allowing seven hits and a walk over three innings. That followed another shaky outing last week, bringing his recent totals to 13 hits and seven earned runs over his last five frames. The fastball has been the problem; he’s tried climbing the ladder early in counts, but hitters have consistently done damage against it. He adjusted later in Tuesday’s outing and leaned more on his secondaries with better results, but the early damage keeps putting him behind. With the rotation picture unsettled, these are innings he can’t afford to lose. Aaron Sabato It’s a tiny sample, but it hasn’t been an encouraging start for Sabato. He’s 1‑for‑7 with four strikeouts, and the contact quality hasn’t suggested bad luck. His average exit velocity on balls in play is down at 78 mph, so this isn’t a case of lasers finding gloves. Coming off his best minor‑league season, there was some quiet optimism that the first baseman could carry momentum into camp. So far, that hasn’t materialized. Plenty of time remains, but the early swings haven’t inspired much confidence. Connor Prielipp I don’t love putting him here, but the command just hasn’t been there. Across 3 ⅔ innings, Prielipp has walked five and surrendered a home run, and only 44 of his 81 pitches have gone for strikes. When he’s fallen behind, hitters have done damage; opponents currently own a 55 % hard‑hit rate against him this spring. The stuff still flashes, but the strike‑throwing needs to sharpen up quickly. It’s also worth noting that both of his appearances have followed Mick Abel, and the contrast between the two has been noticeable. For Prielipp, it’s less about stuff and more about execution right now. It’s still early, and none of this locks anyone into or out of a role. Spring is about adjustments, building up innings, and finding rhythm. But as the games start stacking up, the separation between “ready now” and “still refining” becomes a little more noticeable. View full article

Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the Jorge Polanco trade, Gabriel Gonzalez hasn’t generated quite the same level of buzz as some of the other young outfielders in the organization. But while most of the attention has centered on Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez, Gonzalez quietly put together a season that not only stacks up with both of theirs, but in some ways even surpasses their performance. His combination of contact ability, plate discipline, and athleticism makes him one of the most intriguing bats in the Twins’ upper minors heading into 2026. Gabriel Gonzalez Age: 21 (DOB: 01/04/2004) Bats/Throws: R/R 2025 Stats (High-A, Double-A, Triple-A): 549 PA, .329/.395/.513, 38 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 8 SB ETA: 2026 2025 Ranking: #20 National Top 100 Rankings BP: NR | MLB: NR | ATH: NR | BA: NR | ESPN: NR Gonzalez climbed from High-A to Triple-A as a 21-year-old, and never slowed down. He began the season at High-A, quickly establishing himself as one of the most consistent hitters in the system. His performance earned a promotion to Double-A, where he continued to hit at a high level, slashing .344/.429/.509 and proving he could handle more advanced pitching without letting his approach break down. By the time he reached Triple-A St. Paul, Gonzalez showed he could maintain his performance against older, more experienced arms, posting a .316 average across 148 plate appearances. It wasn’t a one-month hot streak; he was a consistently productive hitter from April through September. What to Like Gonzalez’s offensive profile is built on elite bat-to-ball skills, which carried him to standout results across three levels in 2025. He slashed .329/.395/.513, with 15 home runs and 56 extra-base hits in 123 games, showcasing a blend of contact ability and gap power. His 148 wRC+ in the minors underscores just how impactful he was offensively last season. He consistently controlled the strike zone and attacked pitches in a way that created constant offensive pressure. Gonzalez struck out at just a 14.6% clip, while drawing enough walks to fuel his near-.400 on-base percentage. That combination of plate discipline and contact skills gives him a high floor as a hitter and makes him difficult to defend against. What separates Gonzalez from many other prospects is how he handles adjustments. His smooth progression from High-A to Double-A to Triple-A shows a hitter who can adapt quickly to better competition, without letting results dictate approach. Even at Triple-A, where pitchers have better command and more advanced secondary stuff, Gonzalez continued to make consistent contact, barrel balls when appropriate, and put himself in a position to reach base. Beyond his bat, Gonzalez adds value on the bases. While he isn’t known for his speed, he swiped eight bases in 2025 and has successfully stolen a base on 75% of his career attempts. He can put additional pressure on defenses with his baserunning and supplements his offensive skill set by creating extra opportunities to score. Defensively, Gonzalez has the athleticism and arm strength to stick in a corner outfield spot long-term. While there’s still room for refinement in routes and consistency, his range and arm give him the tools to be an above-average defender. With his right-handed bat, he provides flexibility to the Twins’ outfield, especially in a system loaded with left-handed-hitting outfield prospects like Jenkins and Rodriguez. What to Work On There are reasons Gonzalez hasn’t cracked national Top 100 lists. He isn’t built like a traditional power-hitting corner outfielder, at 5-foot-11, and his batted-ball profile reflects that. His fly ball rate sits around 31%, naturally limiting his home run ceiling. He’s likely never going to be a 30-homer threat. Triple-A data illustrates this concern. In a small sample of 109 balls in play, Gonzalez posted an average exit velocity of 87.6 MPH and a 33.9% hard-hit rate. Both figures would rank poorly when compared to major-league hitters. While he flashes raw power at times, it isn’t consistent enough yet. The next step offensively is generating more frequent hard contact, and perhaps lifting the ball slightly more to unlock additional extra-base damage. Even a modest uptick in average exit velocity would make evaluators view his overall profile more favorably. What to Look For in 2026 All signs point to Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Gonzalez beginning 2026 together at Triple-A St. Paul, creating one of the most intriguing outfield storylines in the system. Jenkins and Rodriguez may carry higher upside, but Gonzalez’s 2025 production positions him as the most polished hitter of the trio. While expecting another .329 average might be ambitious, hovering around .300 is very realistic given his track record and bat-to-ball skills. If he pairs that production with even a modest increase in hard contact, it will be difficult for the Twins to keep him in Triple-A for long. He's hitting a whopping .500 (albeit in just 10 at-bats) this spring, and his average exit velocity on nine balls in play is 95.5 MPH. When call-ups inevitably begin, don’t be surprised if Gabriel Gonzalez forces the issue. View full article

With Pablo López out for the year and David Festa likely starting on the IL, the Twins’ rotation picture has changed fast, even with Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober locked in at the top. Now it’s down to Simeon Woods Richardson, Zebby Matthews, Taj Bradley, and Mick Abel battling for the final three spots. One of them may be better suited for a bullpen role, and the decision could shape how this staff looks not just in April, but all season long. View full video

Image courtesy of William Parmeter Walker Jenkins is the crown jewel of the Minnesota Twins organization. Ranked as the Twins’ top prospect and the 14th overall prospect in the latest MLB Pipeline Top 100, Jenkins has quickly established himself as one of the most intriguing young players in baseball. So let’s not bury the lead: Walker Jenkins will be the 2026 American League Rookie of the Year. Before diving into the case, it’s worth clarifying eligibility. A player qualifies for Rookie of the Year as long as he has fewer than 130 major league at-bats and fewer than 45 days of MLB service time. Since Jenkins has yet to make his MLB debut, he will be fully eligible in 2026. The American League is loaded with incoming talent. Samuel Basallo headlines Baltimore’s next wave. Cleveland’s Travis Bazzana and Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle bring advanced contact skills and polished offensive approaches. Carter Jensen made noise in September with Kansas City. On the pitching side, Boston features high-upside arms in Payton Tolle and Connelly Early, while Toronto’s Trey Yesavage turned heads with a dominant postseason run. There will be no shortage of legitimate candidates. Jenkins won’t win the award on reputation alone. But Rookie of the Year isn’t awarded for prospect rankings. It’s earned through everyday opportunity and immediate, bankable production. And that’s where Jenkins’ profile becomes especially compelling. His offensive game is built for sustainability. He controls the strike zone and he doesn’t rely on one primary tool that has to carry his entire profile. He doesn’t need a 10-homer heater to stay relevant in the race. Instead, his value shows up in quieter ways: competitive at-bats, line drives into the gaps, not chasing out of the zone, and steady defense in the outfield. Over 162 games, that kind of consistency matters. Opportunity is the other half of this equation. Outfield depth rarely survives a full season untouched. If someone like Byron Buxton misses time — something that has unfortunately been part of recent years — the Twins will need a reliable everyday option. Jenkins will be firmly in that conversation alongside Emmanuel Rodriguez. The difference is stylistic. Rodriguez offers loud power but comes with more swing-and-miss risk. Jenkins is beyond his years as a pure hitter, making him easier to insert into a lineup without living with extreme volatility. For a team trying to win games in the middle of a playoff race, that stability may be just what the Twins are looking for. Jenkins is close enough to the majors that he won’t feel rushed. He’s polished enough that he won’t look overwhelmed. And he’s well-rounded enough that even modest across-the-board production becomes extremely valuable over a full season of at-bats. The statistical foundation supports that projection. At Double-A in 2025, Jenkins hit .309 with a .426 on-base percentage across 235 plate appearances. More importantly, he showcased growth. His walk rate climbed to 14.5 percent, reflecting a hitter who was adjusting as pitchers adjusted to him. That type of development is what you want to see from a future impact bat. The late-season promotion to Triple-A presented a tougher challenge. Across 101 plate appearances, he hit .242 with a .324 on-base percentage, collecting nine extra-base hits and four stolen bases. His strikeout rate ticked up, marking the only stop in his minor league career where swing-and-miss became a noticeable storyline. For a 20-year-old facing older, more experienced pitching, simply holding his own at that level is encouraging. It wasn’t dominance, but it didn’t need to be. It was exposure to the final layer of adjustments before the big leagues. And here’s the key: he doesn’t need to overhaul anything to win this award. He just needs incremental improvement. If Jenkins trims his swing rate slightly and forces pitchers to attack him, his on-base skills could jump another tier. His power likely settles in the 15-20 home run range in the short term. That may not scream “superstar,” but paired with a strong average, power to the gaps, and competent defense, it creates a player who contributes in multiple ways every single night. Rookie of the Year campaigns often reward players who are ready, not just electric. There will be rookies in 2026 with louder tools. There will be stretches where a young pitcher strings together six dominant starts and captures the spotlight. There will be power surges that drive headlines for a month. But over the course of a full season, steady production accumulates. Quality at-bats add up. Defensive reliability builds trust. Managers keep writing the same name into the lineup card. Jenkins’ game is built on that kind of trust. His track record shows a hitter who adjusts quickly and rarely lets one rough stretch spiral. In a race that will likely feature plenty of upside and volatility, his steady, well-rounded profile might ultimately be what separates him. He doesn’t have to be perfect. He simply has to be what he has consistently been throughout his minor league career: a mature, adaptable hitter with a clear runway to everyday at-bats. That combination of tools plus opportunity is powerful. And in 2026, it’s going to put Walker Jenkins at the front of the American League Rookie of the Year conversation. View full article

I put Rodriguez and Roden in the first check-in, but didn't want to double up on both of them in this one. He deserves to be in there though.

Who do you think should be there instead of Clemens? I tried hard to find a pitcher to put in the "Who's Hot?" section, but the only one I felt made sense was Mick Abel and he hadn't made his second start yet. I didn't feel like any other pitcher had multiple good appearances this week, and no SP stood out to me.

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Emmanuel Rodriguez and Gabriel Gonzalez) The standings don’t mean much in late February, but a six-game skid still isn’t ideal. Since our last check-in, the Twins have dropped six straight and now sit at 2-7 overall this spring. It’s early, workloads are being managed, and plenty of pitchers are still building up — but this past week wasn’t exactly clean baseball. The stretch included a pair of Tuesday losses (10-5 to Baltimore and 12-1 to Tampa Bay), a 5-3 loss to Boston on Wednesday, a 6-4 defeat against Pittsburgh on Thursday, a 17-5 blowout by the Yankees on Friday, and a 13-8 loss to the Red Sox on Saturday. The results don’t matter much this time of year, but individual performances are worth monitoring. With that in mind, here’s the latest temperature check. Who’s Hot? Alan Roden: I’m not sure anyone has helped themselves more this spring than Roden. He’s 7-for-12 with a home run, and the contact quality has backed it up. He’s recorded multiple 100+ MPH exit velocities and hasn’t looked overmatched in any situation. It’s not just the production, it’s the at-bats. He’s controlling counts and squaring up pitches he should be driving. When a hitter pairs contact ability with impact like that, it stands out. Gabriel Gonzalez: As if there wasn’t already enough traffic in the outfield picture, Gonzalez is forcing his way into the conversation. Since our last check-in, he’s 4-for-6 with a pair of batted balls over 104 MPH. That’s loud contact by any standard. He’s shown he can handle different pitch types and hasn’t looked rushed at the plate. With all of the left-handed outfielders in the Twins’ system, a productive right-handed bat like Gonzalez could make things interesting if this continues. Kody Clemens: Clemens has swung the bat well early on. He’s 3-for-10 with two walks and, notably, no strikeouts. For a player whose value is tied heavily to power, that kind of zone control is encouraging. All three balls he put in play Saturday were over 100 MPH, and he’s hit a few others hard that turned into outs. Clemens likely projects as infield depth, particularly on the right side, but he could carve out a bigger role if he keeps controlling at-bats and hitting the ball this hard. Who’s Not? Marco Raya: Friday against the Yankees was a tough one for Raya. He recorded just one out while allowing five earned runs on one hit and four walks. He threw only 16 of 31 pitches for strikes, and command was clearly the issue. His fastball touched 97.8 MPH, so the raw stuff is there. But when you can’t consistently land pitches in the zone, velocity doesn’t matter much. For a pitcher who’s battled command issues in the past, this wasn’t a step forward. Justin Topa: Topa’s outing on Wednesday against Boston flipped that game. He needed 31 pitches to get two outs, allowing four earned runs on two hits and three walks. Two of the four balls put in play against him were hit over 104 MPH. Even more concerning was the strike throwing; just 11 of 31 pitches landed in the zone. Topa entered camp looking like a strong bet for a bullpen spot, but outings like this open the door for competition. Andrew Morris: The young righty drew the start on Tuesday against Baltimore, and it didn’t go well. Over 1 ⅓ innings, he allowed four earned runs on six hits, with no walks and no strikeouts. He threw 25 of 40 pitches for strikes, but too many of them caught too much of the plate. The velocity dip stood out. After sitting 95-96 MPH last year, his fastball was 92-93 in this outing. That could simply be part of ramping up, but with less margin for error, hitters were able to square him up. Morris allowed more hard contact in 2025, and that trend showed up again in his first spring appearance. It’s still early. These games often turn into minor-league scrimmages by the middle innings, and a bad week in February doesn’t define anyone’s season. But if we’re taking an early pulse, a few bats are trending up, and a few arms are still trying to find their footing. View full article

The Twins could be choosing between Justin Lebron, Drew Burress, Grady Emerson, Carson Boleman, and Jacob Lombard Jr. this July — and each one represents a different draft strategy. Do they go with a fast-moving college bat or bet on the sky-high upside of a prep star? This pick could shape the next era of Twins baseball. View full video

Unfortunate timing on that one. Sounds like it was a precautionary thing, but far from ideal.

Image courtesy of © Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Very few players around the league embody both promise and frustration quite like Royce Lewis. Entering his age‑27 season in 2026, Lewis remains a tantalizing mix of elite tools and unfulfilled potential. When healthy, he has the power and athleticism to impact the game in ways not many other major-leaguers can. Alas, the past two seasons have underscored a hard truth: raw talent doesn’t guarantee consistent production. With his dominant 2023 campaign (which labeled him as a superstar in the making) now far in the rearview mirror, the central question for Twins fans is straightforward: Can Lewis return to that level of performance, or will injuries and inconsistency continue to limit his impact? On every level, 2025 was a frustrating season. Lewis appeared in 106 games, the most of any season in his career. Yet, he posted a slash line of .237/.283/.388, marking his second straight season with an on-base percentage under .300. Conventional stats paint a bleak picture, but advanced metrics reveal both the reasons behind the struggles and the underlying tools that remain. Compared with 2023, his contact quality dropped. Statcast data shows that his barrel rate fell from 11.7% to 8.7%, his hard-hit rate slipped from 42.0% to 40.3%, and his xwOBA dropped significantly, from .349 to .297. This combination of weaker and less frequent premium contact explains why both his slugging and expected slugging (xSLG) regressed to below-average levels. Injuries played a significant role in that regression. Lewis began 2025 on the injured list with a hamstring strain suffered in spring training, and he re-aggravated the same injury in June. Lower-body injuries are particularly bothersome for hitters who rely on rotational power, and Lewis’s batted-ball profile reflected that. He produced more ground balls and fewer pulled fly balls, demonstrating that even slight physical limitations can severely limit a hitter who relies on torque and explosiveness. Another layer of context comes from his pitch splits. Lewis saw four-seam fastballs on 33.8% of pitches, and his results against heaters were quite underwhelming: a .183 batting average, .337 slugging percentage, and .268 wOBA. Interestingly, he fared much better against breaking balls and off-speed pitches. These splits highlight an unusual (seeming) paradox: a hitter with elite bat speed struggling against the pitch type that typically favors hitters. In previous seasons, Lewis handled fastballs effectively, suggesting that 2025’s struggles were likely tied to health, timing, or mechanical inconsistencies, rather than a permanent skill decline. Despite these struggles, there are reasons for optimism. Lewis’s raw power remains intact. His maximum exit velocity reached 113.7 mph, demonstrating that when he squares up a pitch, he can still drive it with authority. His sprint speed remained respectable, and he swiped 12 bases, signaling that his baserunning ability is still very much there. These tools provide a foundation that, if paired with improved contact quality, could allow him to return to a level of production closer to his 2023 season. His late-season results in 2025 were particularly encouraging. In September, Lewis hit .257 and stole nine bases, which was more than he accumulated from 2022 through 2024. His hard-hit and barrel rates ticked upward, and his batted-ball statistics suggested a cleaner, more direct path to the ball. Expected metrics like xSLG and xwOBA also trended upward, showing that even if conventional stats didn’t fully capture it, his underlying performance was improving. These flashes hint at the potential for a strong rebound if he can carry that quality of contact into a full 2026 campaign. Lineup context for 2026 further underscores Lewis’s potential impact. According to RosterResource projections, he's slated to hit seventh, sandwiched between Trevor Larnach and Victor Caratini. While that projection signals tempered expectations, it still positions him to be a meaningful contributor, especially if the advanced metrics from late 2025 persist. A consistent season could see him provide run production beyond what conventional stats suggest, particularly in high-leverage situations. For Lewis to recreate a 2023-level season, he must consistently square up fastballs and generate premium contact. The raw tools are undeniable, but the challenge lies in translating those metrics into sustained production over 130-plus games. Health, timing, and consistency will all factor heavily into whether he can deliver on the promise he has previously shown. Ultimately, 2026 may not define Lewis’s career, but it will reveal whether he can finally put all the pieces together. If he can stay healthy and maintain the late-season improvements seen in 2025, there’s reason to believe he can return to the kind of well-rounded production that made his 2023 season feel like a new baseline. For Twins fans, it’s a year to watch closely, and a chance to see if Lewis can move from tantalizing potential to a consistent, impactful contributor. View full article

Image courtesy of © Mike Watters-Imagn Images Spring training is the season of overreactions. A pitching prospect touches 98 MPH, and suddenly he’s unhittable. A hitter sends one ball over the fence, and we’re rewriting the Opening Day lineup. That’s just how February works. But let’s take a breath. Most Grapefruit League games are about buildup and execution. Starters get their work in, then the game turns into a rolling audition. Results are fun, but the process matters more. This recaps the Twins' first three spring training games. Thus far, they’re 2-1, with a 7-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox, an 8-1 win over the Atlanta Braves, and a 3-0 shutout victory over the Detroit Tigers. With that in mind, here’s a quick early-spring temperature check on who’s trending up, and who’s still finding their footing. Who’s Hot? ? Emmanuel Rodriguez: If you’re looking for loud contact, Emmanuel Rodríguez is delivering it. The Twins' fourth-ranked prospect (according to MLB Pipeline) went 2-for-2 Sunday with a home run, jumping on a 2-0 cutter on the outer third and smashing it over the right-field wall. He followed that up on Monday with an absolute tank against Detroit, lefty on lefty, on a sinker over the heart of the plate: 420 feet, 107 MPH off the bat. When he’s healthy and hitting balls that hard, his upside becomes very real, very fast. Kendry Rojas: One of the Twins’ top pitching prospects, Rojas was flat-out dominant against Atlanta. Over two innings, he faced six batters, recorded six outs, and struck out three—and that came against not just any six hitters, but star big-leaguers. He faced Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies, and more than held his own. The stuff backed it up. His fastball topped out at 98.5 mph and sat around 97, generating over 15 inches of vertical break on average. The changeup showed 10.7 inches of horizontal movement and paired beautifully off the heater. There were swings and misses throughout, and both pitches looked like legitimate weapons. He also generated three whiffs on just eight sliders. For a guy who struggled at Triple-A last year, that’s extremely encouraging. Alan Roden: He didn’t ease into his spring. Roden went 2-for-3 Sunday against the Braves, highlighted by a grand slam. The at-bat stood out just as much as the result; it was a seven-pitch battle that ended with a 3-2 fastball at the top of the zone. He didn’t miss it, driving it out to right-center. He also added a hard-hit single into center field. That’s about as clean a start as you can ask for. Mick Abel: The command wasn’t perfect, but the raw stuff was very sharp. He threw three scoreless innings against Detroit’s projected starting lineup, allowing two hits, no walks, and striking out five. After a leadoff triple in the first inning, he regrouped and struck out the side, a nice early sign of poise. His fastball topped out at 97.1 mph while sitting around 95, and he generated a ridiculous 12 swinging strikes on 46 pitches. Detroit simply couldn’t handle his fastball or changeup. The breaking ball command wavered at times, but overall, it was a very strong first outing for Abel. Who’s Not? ? Connor Prielipp: He didn’t allow a run and was credited with the win Monday, but this wasn’t the clean outing you were hoping for from Prielipp. Over 1 2/3 innings against Detroit’s projected starters, he gave up one hit, walked three, and struck out two. The stuff itself was solid. His fastball topped out at 97.5 mph, and both the slider and changeup regularly crept into the low 90s. The issue was location. He threw just 21 strikes on 41 pitches, and when you’re walking three of the nine hitters you face, it’s hard to call it sharp, even if the radar gun looks great. The arsenal is there; the command just has to catch up. Matt Wallner: Through five plate appearances this spring, Matt Wallner is 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. The only ball he’s put in play was a pop-up. It’s five plate appearances, and nobody’s panicking in February. But for a hitter whose profile already includes swing-and-miss red flags, you’d rather see some early contact. Again, this is spring training. These games often turn into minor-league scrimmages by the middle innings. A hot week doesn’t guarantee anything, and a slow one doesn’t doom anyone. But if we’re just taking an early pulse, a few Twins prospects are already making this spring a lot more interesting. View full article