Steve Lein

The pitching in the AFL used to be a lot better, but teams have basically abandoned the idea that it is to a pitching prospect's benefit to throw any innings there, and it has skewed more towards pitchers currently at lower levels of the minors. The exceptions are starting pitchers who missed a lot of time to injury. Jarlin Susana of the Rafters, for example, hit the disabled list in Spring Training and wasn't back on the mound until August this year. That's why he is there. But don't discount the guys the guys that are sent, either. It's not uncommon for them to be seen in the majors. Kody Funderburk, Cody Laweryson, Evan Sisk, and Jovani Moran are examples from the Twins.

From the summary it looks like Dixon maxed out at 96.8 MPH, while Susana was consistently 100+, topping out at 101.6 MPH

You (and any other readers!) are welcome! This league has been a special interest of mine for a long time and I look forward to doing them every year!

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey (photo of Kyle DeBarge) Game Results: Tuesday, 10/13 | Salt River 6, Glendale 5 (10 innings) Wednesday, 10/14 | Salt River 3, Mesa 7 Thursday, 10/15 | Mesa 14, Salt River 9 (10 innings) Friday, 10/16 | Peoria 10, Salt River 0 Saturday, 10/17 | Salt River 5, Mesa 0 (7 innings) Monday, 10/19 | Glendale 2, Salt River 7 After a solid opening week where they finished 5-2, the Salt River Rafters cooled down a little in week two, going 3-3 in their six games and sit one game back of the lead in the standings at 8-5. They were on the giving and receiving end of a shutout in two of those games, both won and lost an extra inning affair in two others, and had to reschedule Monday’s contest against Mesa for their off day on Wednesday. The top performers of the week according to MLB.com did not feature any of the Twins prospects, but you would be hard-pressed to find a better single game performance than what one of them did in Thursday’s loss against the Mesa Solar Sox. Two of their hitters also carry OPS’s above 1.000 as of 10/19. OF Yasser Mercedes Week (4 games): 5-for-13, 3 R, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 6 K, 2 SB (2) Overall (through 10/19): .310/.421/.586 (1.007 OPS) Mercedes roamed the outfield for the Rafters in four of their six games included in this week’s report, spending at least one game in each of the three outfield positions. He continued to bat in the top or middle of the lineup as well. In Tuesday’s extra-inning win over Glendale he reached base four times, scored two runs, and stole two bases, finishing 1-for-2 with three walks. In Thursday’s extra-inning affair against Mesa he went 2-for-5 with a triple in the seventh that drove in a run to pull the Rafters within one in the seventh. He followed that up with an RBI single in the eighth to give Salt River the lead at the time. In Monday’s win over Glendale he added another triple in the bottom of the seventh inning that scored his Twins teammate for their seventh and final run of the game. He finished this one 2-for-3 and drove in two. IF Kyle DeBarge Week (4 games): 6-for-14, 6 R, 2B, HR (1), 4 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, 2 SB (4) Overall (through 10/19): .355/.488/.581 (1.069 OPS) DeBarge appears to have earned his coaches’ trust, as he batted third in the lineup in three of his four games, and leadoff in the other. He served as the DH in two of them, then played second base and center field in the others. He put on a hitting clinic on Thursday, reaching base all five times he came to the plate. He drew a walk leading off the bottom of the first for the Rafters. An errant pickoff throw and passed ball put him on third, then he scored their first run on a single. His two-out single in the bottom of the second scored their second run of the game, then another RBI single in the fourth cut the Solar Sox lead to one, before he scored the tying run on a double from the next hitter. He added another single in the sixth before putting a bow on his game with a one-out double in the eighth. He then scored the go-ahead run before Mesa was to pull out the victory in the ninth and tenth innings. On Monday DeBarge again crossed home plate three times, and drove in two. Both of those RBI came in the bottom of the first inning as he hit his first home run in AFL play, it was just of the inside-the-park variety. LHP Cesar Lares Week (1 appearance): 2 IP, 1 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 1 K Overall (through 10/19): 0-0, 8.44 ERA, 7 BB, 5 K, 2.06 WHIP, .211 BAA (5 1/3 IP) Lares made a start for the Rafters in week one, but was used as a long-reliever in his lone appearance of week two. That came in Friday’s shutout loss to Peoria, where he came on to start the fourth inning with the score 4-0 Javelinas. It was 8-0 by the time he got out of the fifth inning. He walked the first three batters he faced, before giving up a two-run double, an RBI groundout, and a sac fly. Back out for the sixth he worked around a two-out walk, the fifth of his outing, by retiring all three other hitters including one on a strikeout. LHP Ross Dunn Week (1 start): 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K Overall (through 10/19): 0-1, 14.54 ERA, 4 BB, 5 K, 3.23 WHIP, .455 BAA (4 1/3 IP) Dunn’s lone appearance came in Wednesday’s loss to Mesa, and it was as the starting pitcher for Salt River. He worked around multiple baserunners in the first by inducing an inning-ending double-play ball, then picked up a pair of strikeouts in the second. In things that will confuse you if you don’t pay enough attention to the play-by-play or AFL rules, he did not record the final out of the second inning (another Twins pitcher did), but was back on the mound to begin the third inning, where he recorded just one out (on a K) before loading the bases and ending his outing after six total outs. Those three runners would end up charged to him as the Solar Sox took a 4-1 lead after that. LHP Cleiber Maldonado Week (1 appearance): 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K Overall (through 10/19): 0-0, 3.86 ERA, 1 BB, 5 K, 1.71 WHIP, .273 BAA (2 1/3 IP) Maldonado saw action in Thursday’s loss to Mesa, inheriting a runner on first with one out in the top of the eighth and the score 8-7 Rafters. Unfortunately, the second pitch he threw was lined over the head of the center fielder for a triple to tie the game at eight, before he picked up a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning. LHP Jake Murray Week (1 appearance): 1 IP, 1 BB Overall (through 10/19): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 BB, 1 K, 1.00 WHIP, .000 BAA (2 IP) Murray also made his one appearance on the week on Thursday, coming in to start the fourth inning with Salt River down 5-2. He walked the first batter he faced, but still pitched to only three hitters as he coaxed an inning-ending double-play ball after a flyout. He threw just nine pitches, with five of them going for strikes. RHP Brian Zeldin Week (2 appearances): 2/3 IP, 1 K Overall (through 10/19): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, .000 BAA, 0 BB, 2 K (1 1/3 IP) In trends I want to see continue just for the weird fun of it, Zeldin again made two pitching appearances on the week, with each of them only lasting for one out. In Wednesday’s loss to Mesa he was summoned in relief of Dunn for the final out of the bottom of the second inning. He got a ground ball out on his second pitch, and Dunn re-entered the game in the third. In Saturday’s revenge win over Mesa, he pitched in the bottom of the first inning, serving in the same exact role as Wednesday. He recorded the final out of the frame, this one via a strikeout, before the starting pitcher then re-entered the game to begin the second inning. OF Jacob McCombs Week (did not play): McCombs has yet to see the field for the Salt River Rafters this season, but it does appear he is with the team. Hopefully that means he will be able to take the field soon with his fellow prospects! C Enrique Jimenez Week (3 games): 0-for-6, RBI, 2 BB, 4 K Overall (through 10/19): .000/.250/.000 (.250 OPS) In the ever-growing category of “odd things that go on during the Arizona Fall League season,” Twins catcher Enrique Jimenez was added to the Rafters roster this week. He appeared in three games, serving as the first baseman, designated hitter, and came in as a substitute for the catcher in the other. While he didn’t pick up any hits, he did drive in a run on Thursday with a groundout and drew a walk in both of his other games. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects playing in the AFL this week! View full article

Nice, enjoy! I hope DeBarge and Mercedes are both in the lineup for you!

Yeah, he denies it, but he obviously did something that was so bad the opposing team brought it to light. That has always been pretty damning for me. He gets to deny it because nobody else was willing to come out to confirm anything specific in public. The reason? Because nobody wants to be associated in any way with that type of low.

He was a mess to start the season, likely because he was hurt, and they shut him down to get right. He definitely got right. You've seen the last 8 starts info mentioned above, but that's leaving out half of the credit he showed after returning. Because he was great from the moment he returned. Over all of his 16 games after coming off the injured list, he carried a 1.74 ERA and .520 OPS against, struck out 56 hitters, and allowed just 29 hits in 51 2/3 innings. There's a lot to build on here for next season!

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Yasser Mercedes) Game Results: Saturday, 10/3 | Salt River 9, Glendale 4 Sunday, 10/4 | Salt River 4, Surprise 6 Monday, 10/5 | Peoria 7, Salt River 10 Tuesday, 10/6 | Surprise 2, Salt River 7 Thursday, 10/8 | Mesa 3, Salt River 4 Friday, 10/9 | Glendale 9, Salt River 13 Saturday, 10/10 | Scottsdale 10, Salt River 2 Prospects from the Twins organization are playing for the Salt River Rafters this year, and they are joined by players from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, and New York Yankees organizations. The Twins have sent eight players and they are perhaps headlined by hitters Yasser Mercedes ($1.7MIL international signing in 2022) and Kyle DeBarge (2024 Competitive Balance round selection, 33rd overall). Other top prospects on the Rafters roster include right-handed pitcher Jarlin Susana from the Nationals (66th overall prospect per MLB.com), shortstop Dax Kilby from the Yankees (78th overall), and second baseman Demetrio Crisantes (84th overall) of the Diamondbacks. The biggest name in the Fall circuit this year is MLB.com’s #8 overall prospect, Sebastian Walcott of the Texas Rangers. If you’ve followed along in this league over the past five or so seasons, you will know that the league is all about hitting, as very few top pitching prospects appear in the circuit unless they’re coming off significant injuries or time missed. Susana from the Rafters falls into this category, as did Andrew Painter during the 2024 season. In other AFL quirks, Major League Baseball also likes to experiment with different rules during the season, and this one might perk your eyebrows up. The Rafters home field is equipped with extra tech and markings in the field of play, all meant to experiment with limiting where fielders are allowed to position themselves. The intent behind it might be sound (increasing hits), but I’m not sure the spirit is (strategy). We’ll see if this one ever comes to fruition further in the future. The Rafters had a strong first week, finishing 5-2 and second in the standings after games through Sunday and leading the league in runs scored. No Twins player showed up on the “Top Performers” in Week 1 list, but that doesn’t mean any of them didn’t make a positive first impression out in the desert. OF Yasser Mercedes Week (5 games): 4-for-16, 5 R, 2B, HR (1), 3 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K Overall: .250/.350/.500 (.850 OPS) Mercedes split his time between all three outfield positions in his five games and batted in the middle of the lineup throughout. He scored two runs and drove in one with a sac fly in the season's opening game on Saturday, but made his loudest noise in Thursday’s 4-3 win over Mesa. He was instrumental in the victory, clubbing his first home run in the bottom of the first, a two-run shot that made it 3-0 Salt River. Then with the game tied at three in the ninth delivered a one-out double to put himself in scoring position as the game-winning run, which he scored on a two-out single for the walk-off. IF Kyle DeBarge Week (5 games): 5-for-17, 5 R, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K, 2 SB (2) Overall: .294/.435/.471 (.906 OPS) Debarge was also moved around the diamond in week one playing second base, third base, and shortstop. He hit at the top of the lineup in each, serving as the leadoff man in three of them, and second in the other two. He had an exceptional showing in Friday’s 13-9 win over Glendale, as he finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored, two RBI, and a walk. He had RBI singles in the second and sixth innings, and led off the game for the Rafters with a double in the bottom of the first, coming around to score the game's first run on a single from the next batter. He also added a triple to his stat line in Tuesday’s 7-2 win over Surprise. LHP Cesar Lares Week (1 start): 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K Overall: 0-0, 2.70 ERA, 3 1/3 IP (1 start), 1.50 WHIP, .231 BAA, 2 BB, 4 K Lares appears to be the lone Twins lone pitcher who might be assigned starting duties for the Rafters, and he was solid in his AFL debut against the Peoria Javelinas on Monday. He struck out the first batter he faced and added a second K in the first inning. In the second he worked around a one-out single for a scoreless inning, then a leadoff walk in the third to keep the Javelinas off the board. He finally ran into some real trouble in the fourth after a leadoff walk and stolen base, but also notched his fourth strikeout before being lifted. One runner did come around to score for his only charged blemish on the outing, but the Rafters lineup responded with five runs in the bottom half to take control of the game. LHP Ross Dunn Week (1 appearance): 2 1/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 K Overall: 0-0, 15.43 ERA, 2 1/3 IP (1 appearance), 3.00 WHIP, .500 BAA, 0 BB, 2 K Dunn gets the unfortunate moniker of Twins pitcher who had the worst outing during week 1. But like all pitchers in the AFL, his numbers from each should be taken individually as the small sample amplifies the overall stat line if they have a bad outing or inning. After Lares was taken out in the fourth inning on Monday, Dunn was summoned to start the fifth against Peoria with Salt River leading 6-1. Small cuts from three singles and three stolen bases led to two runs in the frame. A solo homer in the sixth added a third run to the ledger, before he escaped two other hits with no further damage. Back out for the seventh, a one-out double ended his outing before a wild-pitch allowed the fourth run charged to him to score. In positive notes, 29 of his 43 pitches went for strikes (67%) and he didn’t walk a batter. LHP Cleiber Maldonado Week (2 appearances): 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 4 K Overall: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 2/3 IP (2 appearances), 1.20 WHIP, .250 BAA, 0 BB, 4 K The third of four left-handed pitchers for the Twins made two appearances on the week, coming in as the finisher in both Saturday and Friday’s wins, though with differing results. In the season opener on Saturday against Glendale the score was 9-1 as the inning began. A leadoff single was followed by an error to put multiple runners on. Maldonado responded by striking out the next two hitters, the second on a 97.1 MPH fastball, before he hit a batter to load the bases and result in another call to the bullpen. The next batter proceeded to clear the bases with a double, leading to three unearned runs charged to Maldonado. On Friday he dotted two more 97 MPH fastballs on the inside corner and bottom of the zone to strike out two hitters in a scoreless inning, working around a two-out single to close out the win. LHP Jake Murray Week (1 appearance): 1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K Overall: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP (1 appearance) 1.00 WHIP, .000 BAA, 1 BB, 1 K The final left-hander in the group made his lone appearance of the week in Thursday's walk-off win, where he came on for the top of the ninth inning and held the Solar Sox at bay. He walked the leadoff man on four pitches, and it kinda looks like he might have had something against the batter, as everything was high and tight, but he retired the next three hitters to pick up a hold and set the stage for Mercedes and the rest. He punctuated the outing by striking out the final hitter with a swing-and-miss curveball. RHP Brian Zeldin Week (2 appearances): 2/3 IP, 1 K Overall: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2/3 IP (2 appearances), 0.00 WHIP, .000 BAA, 0 BB, 1 K In quirks of being a relief pitcher in the AFL, Zeldin made two appearances during the week but was only tasked with recording the final out of the inning in each. In the season opener he came on with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, and induced a groundout to end the frame. In Friday’s win against Glendale Zeldin was the first reliever summoned with two outs in the top of the second inning. He struck out his lone batter and got credited with a win for his four-pitch effort. Even more odd than that, is the pitcher he came in to relieve, did the same for him to start the third, re-entering the game to pitch another inning. OF Jacob McCombs Week: Did not play McCombs did not see play during week 1 of the Arizona Fall League season, but any reason there might be is unknown at this time. McCombs was drafted by the Twins in the seventh round of the 2025 draft, and he hit .268/.378/.452 (.830 OPS) with 25 extra-base hits in 67 games this season for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. If he’s dealing with an injury, it just might be because of the fact he also reached base by being hit with a pitch 27 times on the season, a nearly 10% rate that many hitters would be jealous of when it comes to taking walks. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects playing in the AFL this week! View full article

Houston also basically copied the hitting production of Culpepper in doing so. Just with the OPS driven by a higher batting average instead of slugging percentage. Not every hitter in the lineup needs to be a power guy. I think this is one of the Falvey regimes biggest failures, trying to get more home runs from everybody.

Command is always the last thing to get back to "normal" after Tommy John surgery, which is why I'm not putting a whole lot of stock into that being a big issue for Quick. Yet. Theoretically, if he makes improvements in that regard the further removed he is, all the other numbers improve. Maybe that ERA gets a full run shaven off, that walk rate gets under 10%, and that strikeout rate creeps higher. We've already seen this exact same scenario play out with Connor Prielipp. I think we'd all be happy with that from Quick.

Explains why I have never thought the scouting report on Jenkins' "arm" ever lived up to the hype (it being a strong "plus" arm)... Have often thought he looked like he was holding back on purpose, and never really trying to cut someone down when he should have had a chance to. I take this as good news. Both that he played through it like he has, and that this could help unlock more.

Lots of new talent was injected via the draft this (the last 9 of their 11 top 10 round picks), but we won't know more on them until next season yet, as the Twins typically don't put them on the mound in their draft season.

Hey, like half of them are 22 or younger! 😅 Always a mix in these. You get the older gentleman who've been around the block and put up great numbers, the young breakouts, and the top studs. Good set here I have to say!