Steve Lein

I do this every time, as I agree with you!

Minnesota Twins affiliates went undefeated on Tuesday night, including two big blowouts, a brisk two-hour pitching duel, and a late comeback win. One of them even took down a legendary starting pitcher on a rehab assignment. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Michael Helman) TRANSACTIONS RHP Brock Stewart had his contract selected from the St. Paul Saints and joined the Minnesota Twins bullpen. (As a guy who has watched each of his appearances with St. Paul so far on the year, this is a move that could have some good upside. He’s been 96-98 MPH on a big-running fastball, a bottom-dropping changeup at 90, and a frisbee-sweeper in the high-80s all missing bats. His 17.7 K-rate is not a mirage to my eyes) IF/OF Michael Helman was activated from the injured list for the St. Paul Saints, and he had a grand return from his rehab assignment. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 14, Rochester 1 Box Score Led by manager Toby Gardenhire, ten former Red Wings players made the trip to Rochester, New York, this time now part of the St. Paul Saints, for this week's International League series. They obviously felt at home in the confines of Frontier Field, as they decimated their current parent club’s former affiliate 14-1. As a team, they pounded out 17 hits, with catcher Tony Wolters their only player not to record a base hit, though he did draw two walks and score a run. Kyle Garlick led off the scoring in the fourth with a solo home run, and Chris Williams followed later with a two-run double to make it 3-0. Starter Aaron Sanchez kept the Red Wings off the board through five innings, though he battled with his control. In his five innings, he allowed just one hit, walked five, and struck out four to pick up his first win of the season. The Saint's big barrage came in the sixth inning, thanks mostly to a grand slam from Michael Helman, freshly returned to Triple-A from a rehab assignment. He added a two-run bomb in the eighth and finished 3-for-6 with six RBI. Alex Kirilloff joined the homer party with a solo blast in the seventh. The bullpen trio of Cole Sands (1 IP, H), Jordan Balazovic (2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 K), and Cody Laweryson (1 IP, BB, 2 K) held the Red Wings in check for the final four innings. Joining Kirilloff (2-for-6, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI), Garlick (3-for-4, 3 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K, SB), and Helman with multiple hits in the game were Edouard Julien (2-for-6, R, 3 K) and Mark Contreras (4-for-5, 3 R, 2B, 2 RBI). Helman now leads the International League with a 2.400 OPS, with Kirilloff in 2nd, less than 1.000 points behind. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 3, Wichita 12 Box Score I always love to see the Springfield Cardinals facing off against Twins affiliates, as I’ve had the privilege of enjoying several minor league games at their home park, Hammons Field, in the heart of Springfield, Missouri. While tonight's game was in Wichita, where I've yet to visit, it was especially noteworthy for Wind Surge fans as they packed Riverfront Stadium to see the rehabbing Adam Wainwright pitching with the Cardinals. Facing off against him for Wichita in the series opener was rising Twins prospect David Festa. While both pitchers were probably disappointed with their outings, matching each other by allowing three earned runs on seven hits and one walk in 4 1/3 innings apiece, Festa can remember the night fondly as he out-K’d the legendary Cardinals pitcher 7-to-1. While it was a close game while both starters were still on the mound, Wainwright’s exit after Brooks Lee’s second double of the game against him in the fifth was the harbinger of doom for the visiting team. Yunior Severino drilled his first home run of the game two batters later, putting the Wind Surge in front for good 4-3. Severino would add a 438-foot bomb to dead center in the seventh inning, which left his bat at 108 MPH. Wichita tallied seven total runs in that frame, turning it into a blowout. Like the St. Paul Saints, the Wind Surge had 17 hits in the game, getting multi-hit efforts from DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (2-for-5, 3B), Lee (3-for-5, 3 R, 2 2B, RBI), Yoyner Fajardo (3-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI), Severino (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, BB, K), Alex Isola (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, BB), Will Holland (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, K), and David Banuelos (2-for-4, R, 2 RBI). Jose Bravo picked up the win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out four. Jordan Brink (1 1/3 IP, K) and Osiris German (1 IP, K) added scoreless outings to close it out. KERNELS NUGGETS West Michigan 0, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score It was a good old-fashioned pitcher's duel in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday night, with the Kernel’s Kyle Jones facing off against the WhiteCap’s Carlos Pena. Jones bested his counterpart with five scoreless frames compared to four, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out five. Malik Barrington got them through the seventh with two hitless innings, walking one and striking out two. Regi Grace finished the final two innings, also allowing no hits with one walk, picking up two K’s of his own for his second win. The Cedar Rapids lineup was finally able to strike in the bottom of the eighth, after Noah Miller led off the inning with a single. A walk from Noah Cardenas put him in scoring position before Kala’i Rosario drove him in with a single of his own. Tanner Schobel added a run with a sac fly two batters later and the Kernels had a 2-0 lead that was insurmountable in the top of the ninth. Both teams combined for just eight hits, with the edge going to the Kernels 5-3. Schobel had the only extra-base hit for Cedar Rapids, with a double to lead off the second inning. The home team’s pitching staff allowed the visitors just two at-bats with runners in scoring position, and induced three double-play balls. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Daytona 4 Box Score Left-hander Develson Aria had a rough start to this one, walking the first two hitters of the game and allowing an RBI double and two-run single before he could get out of the first. His lineup got one back for him in the top of the second when reigning Florida State League Player of the Week Andrew Cossetti led off the inning with a double and was driven in by a sac fly from Dalton Shuffield. The game was quiet for the most part in the middle innings, with Daytona extending their lead to 4-1 heading into the eighth. Aria finished 3 2/3 innings, allowing all four runs on five hits and four walks, while striking out five. Ricky Mineo went the next three innings, allowing just one hit, walking one, and striking out four. In the top of the eighth, the Mighty Mussels manufactured a run thanks to Jorel Ortega, who singled, stole second base, and came home on Ricardo Olivar’s base knock a batter later. That set the stage for the final inning. Carlos Aguiar led off the ninth with a double followed by a Shuffield walk to bring the winning run to the plate in Rubel Cespedes. He started a train of RBI singles that included Dylan Neuse and Danny De Andrade that put them out front 5-4. Reliever Gabriel Yanez finished the final 2 1/3 innings for Fort Myers, striking out the side in the eighth, and ending the contest with his fifth strikeout on the game to pick up the win. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Kyle Jones, Cedar Rapids Kernels (5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K) Hitter of the Day - Michael Helman, St. Paul Saints (3-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 3-for-5, 3 R, 2 2B, RBI #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 2-for-6, R, 3 K #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-2, BB, K #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, R, BB, 3 K #13 - David Festa (Wichita) - 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, R #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-2, RB, BB, K #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Rochester (5:05 PM CDT) - RHP Jose De Leon (0-0, 3.14 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Travis Adams (1-2, 9.31 ERA) West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CDT) - LHP Jordan Carr (0-0, 2.16 ERA) Fort Myers @ Daytona (5:35 PM CDT) - RHP Cory Lewis (2-1, 3.77 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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I think you meant to say "from the left side this year"! Tonight's home run went opposite field closer to down the line than the gap in left field.

Bailey Ober, backed by an early grand slam and a couple of major-league rehabbers, led the St. Paul Saints to a shutout victory on Tuesday at CHS Field, while Wichita got three home runs to steal Game 1 of their series in Tulsa. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Brooks Lee) TRANSACTIONS OF Alex Kirilloff, IF Jorge Polanco, and RHP Josh Winder were all sent on rehab assignments to the St. Paul Saints, getting one step closer to rejoining the MLB club. OF Emmanuel Rodriguez was placed on the 7-day injured list for Cedar Rapids with a left abdomen strain. IF Michael Helman was sent on a rehab assignment to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. SAINTS SENTINEL Scranton/WB 0, St. Paul 6 Box Score The St. Paul Saints nearly fielded a full MLB team on Tuesday, as Jorge Polanco, Alex Kirilloff, and Josh Winder joined the roster on rehab assignments along with Bailey Ober making the start. Ober delivered another excellent start after his six shutout innings last Wednesday. He went five scoreless in this one, perhaps being lifted early as the Saints held a big lead. He allowed just three hits and one walk while punching out six. Of his 72 pitches, 47 went for strikes (65%) including nine swinging. Mark Contreras got the party started for the Saints in the bottom of the first with a grand slam after Matt Wallner (walk), Kirilloff (single), and Chris Williams (single) loaded the bases. Kirilloff and Contreras both added RBI singles in the fifth frame, and Ober and the rest of the Saints cruised from there. Relievers Patrick Murphy (1 IP, 2 H, K), Cody Laweryson (1 IP), Dereck Rodriguez (1 IP, 3 K), and Brock Stewart (1 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 K) each contributed a scoreless inning to finish the first shutout of the 2023 season for the Saints. Wallner (1-for-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 BB, K), Kirilloff (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, K), Williams (1-for-2, R, 2 BB), Andrew Bechtold (0-for-2, 2 BB, K), Contreras (2-for-5, R, 5 RBI, K), and Tony Wolters (1-for-3, BB) all reached base multiple times. Polanco finished 0-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 4, Tulsa 2 Box Score Right-handed pitcher Blayne Enlow got the nod in the series opener against Tulsa and delivered a solid performance. He went six innings, needing just 69 pitches (46 strikes) to do so. He allowed two earned runs on four hits and a pair of walks while picking up five punch outs. Both his runs allowed came in the first inning, and from the second through the sixth he held the Drillers scoreless. Wichita finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh inning, when DeShawn Keirsey Jr. delivered his first home run of the season to tie the game at two. Brooks Lee and Yunior Severino followed with solo shots of their own in the eighth to give them a 4-2 lead. Severino’s went to the opposite field, while Lee’s left the stadium: Jose Bravo relieved Enlow in the seventh inning and recorded the next five outs, including two strikeouts. Left-hander Kody Funderburk came on for the final out in the eighth and gave up the Driller's first hit since the third inning, but retired the next hitter to keep the two-run lead intact. He remained in the game to close it in the ninth and it got interesting. He recorded two outs on just three pitches, then got up two strikes to the next hitter, but a chopper and then a seeing-eye single put the tying runs on base. A walk then loaded the bases before Funderburk finally buckled down and struck out the final hitter of the game to pick up his first save of the season. Wichita recorded just five hits in the game, but three of them left the yard which led to their 4-2 win. Yoyner Fajardo (1-for-3, BB, K), Severino (1-for-3, HR, BB), and Pat Winkel (0-for-2, R, 2 BB) each reached base two times. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Beloit 6 Box Score Lefty Jaylen Nowlin took the mound for the Kernels looking to rebound from a rough outing his last time out. He did so for the first four innings, facing the minimum and racking up six strikeouts, but the wheels fell off in the fifth. The first five hitters of the inning reached base, resulting in three runs and he recorded just one out before being lifted. In all, Nowlin went 4 1/3 innings, giving up three hits and two walks, while striking out seven. John Stankiewicz got them out of the fifth with no further damage but ran into similar trouble in the seventh. In his two innings, he allowed three runs on two hits and a walk. He struck out two. Charlie Neuweiler finished the game with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. He gave up one hit and struck out three. The Kernels lineup, down Emmanuel Rodriguez who was placed on the injured list on Tuesday, managed just five hits in the game. They actually scored first in the top of the fifth, when Willie Joe Garry Jr. drove in Jose Salas with a single, but Noah Miller’s inside-the-park home run in the eighth was their only other run-scoring play in the game. Miller finished the game 2-for-4, while Ben Ross, Salas, and Garry Jr. accounted for their other three hits. Salas also stole two bases. MUSSEL MATTERS Jupiter 5, Fort Myers 1 Box Score C.J. Culpepper made his second start of the young season for the Mighty Mussels in Tuesday’s series opener and retired the first six hitters of the game. He ran into trouble in the third, however, and before it was over the Hammerheads had taken a 4-0 lead. Culpepper finished four innings, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out five. Fort Myers scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to Andrew Cossetti’s second home run of the season (108.4 mph, 27 degree angle, 432 feet). He finished the game 2-for-4. Michael Helman had two hits in three at-bats, including a double, in the first game of his rehab assignment. As a team, the Mighty Mussels were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left only five men on base for the game. A.J. Labas allowed one run on two hits in 2 1/3 innings of relief. Gabriel Yanez finished the game with 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out four. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Bailey Ober, St. Paul Saints (W, 5 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day - Mark Contreras, St. Paul Saints (2-for-5, R, GS, 5 RBI, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI #5 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 0-for-1, K (pinch-hit for Willi Castro) #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, R, K, 2 SB #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 BB, K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI, K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, K #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes Barre @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CDT) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (0-0, 3.65 ERA) Wichita @ Tulsa (11:05 AM CDT) - RHP David Festa (1-0, 2.61 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Kyle Jones (0-1, 3.18 ERA) Jupiter @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CDT) - LHP Develson Aria (0-0, 6.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Shoved = pitched really well. I hadn't heard of the usage myself until a few years ago. Darn kids and their newfangled vocabulary...

I'm waiting to see Duran's entrance at a night game so the lights come into play, but did get to see the video they use at yesterday's game. The best intro they've ever done is still Jon Rauch's:

Unfortunately, he gets docked for not finishing his game... 😉

I think the Castro move was simply easier to accomplish for the short-term rather than moving up someone from the Mighty Mussels roster while they're on the road. We'll see what they do with Castro when Mack comes back. I expect Lee to be in Wichita at least through May unless something weird happens. As for that backup of infielders at Cedar Rapids, most of them are playing at that level for the first time, only Jose Salas was there last year for any amount of time (48 games). They'll sort themselves out.

While their Major League brothers were “walking it off” at Target Field with a bunt, a top prospect in Cedar Rapids had grander ambitions on Tuesday night. Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Brent Headrick) TRANSACTIONS The Cedar Rapids Kernels placed C Charles Mack on the 7-day injured list (concussion) and C Wilfri Castro was assigned from the FCL Twins in a corresponding move. OF/1B Alex Kirilloff was sent on a rehab assignment with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. He would bat third in the lineup and play first base in their game. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 10, Indianapolis 6 (12 innings) Box Score Brent Headrick made his second appearance of the young season for the Saints in this one, and it was much better than his first. He finished five innings, allowing just one run on four hits and one walk, while punching out eight. 50 of his 72 pitches went for strikes (69%), including thirteen swinging strikes. St. Paul got on the scoreboard first, when Edouard Julien clubbed an RBI double in the third inning to score Tony Wolters. Of note, is Julien was removed from the game after just two at-bats, as he’s been booked a flight to Minneapolis! Julien will be the first prospect from my preseason list to make his MLB debut for the Twins in 2023, and that will be especially fun for me since I’ll be at the game tomorrow. The Saints extended their lead to 3-1 thanks to a wild pitch in the sixth and Julien’s replacement, Hernan Perez's RBI single in the seventh. The score remained that way until the bottom of the ninth when Indianapolis finally got to the St. Paul bullpen. Patrick Murphy was summoned for the save opportunity and promptly loaded the bases. He managed to keep the game tied after allowing a two-run single, getting a strikeout and double-play ball to send it to extra innings. St. Paul and Indianapolis traded runs in each of the 10th (one each) and eleventh (two each) before the Saints broke it open with four in the 12th inning. Jose De Leon then closed the game out by picking up a pair of strikeouts. The Saints got multiple hits from Perez (2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, K), Andrew Stevenson (3-for-6, 2 K, SB), and Wolters (3-for-4, 3 R, 2 2B), RBI, BB, K). In relief of Headrick, Brock Stewart continued his promising start to the 2023 season, going three innings and allowing just one hit and one walk, while striking out four (he had struck out all seven hitters he had faced before this outing). WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 1, Wichita 3 Box Score The Wind Surge grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, after Brooks Lee led off the game for the home team with a double, and was driven in by a sac fly from Jake Rucker. They remained in the lead until the top of the fifth when the Naturals finally got a hit off starter Carlos Luna. He retired the first thirteen hitters of the game before allowing a solo home run to tie it at one in the fifth, and went on to finish 5 2/3 innings. Luna needed just 66 pitches (48 for strikes) while racking up 10 strikeouts in the outing. Kody Funderburk got the last out of the sixth and worked the next two innings, giving up two hits and one walk while striking out three. Alex Scherff finished off the game to pick up the win, walking one and striking out two in 1 1/3 innings pitched. Wichita took back the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning as they loaded the bases with one out. A wild pitch allowed Lee to scamper home before a bases-loaded walk to Pat Winkel made the final score of 3-1. Of note during that sequence, is Aaron Sabato was hit by a pitch and left the game. The teams combined for just five hits in the game with Wichita only collecting two. But they were able to take advantage of five walks and a pair of errors from the NW Arkansas defense late to steal the win in their home opener. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 4, Cedar Rapids 8 Box Score Making the start for the Kernels was 2022 Fort Myers standout, Pierson Ohl. The right-hander finished five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk, while punching out six. Malik Barrington was the first man on in relief and went the next two innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out five. At that point in the game, the River Bandits were up 3-2, with the Kernel's runs coming on a wild pitch in the third inning and an RBI groundout from Willie Joe Garry Jr. in the fifth. They would take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth on RBI singles from Tanner Schobel and Ben Ross. Iowa native Matt Mullenbach delivered a scoreless eighth inning and was back out for the ninth, and if not for the solo home run he allowed, we would not have seen what happened in the bottom of the ninth. Tied at four, the Kernels' Noah Cardenas, Garry Jr., and Noah Miller all drew walks to load the bases for top outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez with no outs. He jumped on the first pitch he saw and, well, enjoy: The walk-off grand slam was Rodriguez’s first home run of the season, the Kernels only extra-base hit on the game (they were outhit 10-to-5 as a team), and he finished 1-for-3 with two runs scored, two walks, and four RBI. Joining him with two runs scored were Miller (0-for-3, 2 BB, K), Cardenas (0-for-2, BB, 2 K), and Garry Jr. (1-for-3, RBI, BB, K, SB). Tanner Schobel chipped in two hits and an RBI. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 0, Clearwater 6 Box Score The Mighty Mussels were blanked by the Threshers on Tuesday, as they managed just three hits and three walks in the game. Jorel Ortega provided their only extra-base hit with a double. They were just 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position as a team, leaving only four men on base. The biggest story among the hitters in this one was the rehabbing major leaguers, including the beginning of a rehab assignment for Alex Kirilloff. He picked up one of their three hits, finishing 1-for-3 with a strikeout. Fellow rehabber Jorge Polanco also was 1-for-3 playing second base, struck out twice, and both major leaguers were substituted to begin the eighth inning. Righthander Tomas Cleto made the start for Fort Myers and went the first four innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out two. Josh Winder made his second rehab appearance for the Mighty Mussels, pitching the fifth inning and setting the Threshers down in order, including a strikeout to end his inning. Wilker Reyes then went multiple innings but allowed runs in each before being lifted for Jackson Hicks with two outs in the eighth. Reyes was charged with four earned runs on six hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings while striking out two. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Carlos Luna, Wichita Wind Surge (5 2/3 IP, H, ER, 10 K) Hitter of the Day - Emmanuel Rodriguez, Cedar Rapids Kernels (1-for-3, 2 R, GS, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-for-3, 2 R, 2B, BB #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, 2 R, GS, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 1-for-2, 2B, RBI #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 2 K #11 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-for-4, 3 K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, RBI #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Indianapolis (10:05 AM CDT) - RHP Bailey Ober (0-1, 6.75 ERA) NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Blayne Enlow (0-0, 1.80 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CDT) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP C.J. Culpepper (2023 debut) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

I am not against this. Balazovic has been 94-96 with his fastball as a starter, I wonder how much juice he could add in short bursts!

So much of their depth has already debuted, it *should* be a much lower total number this year. I think all Twins fans would be happy if it is, as it likely means good health on the MLB club!

I agree on Julien, though I am wary of throwing guys into the fire who have only seen double-A pitching. Julien has been good enough to make one think hard about that, though! Hope Canterino can pitch this year, and that Balazovic bounces back as well. Maybe they are both strictly bullpen guys in the future. Will be interesting!

Across all of Major League Baseball during the 2022 season, 303 players made their Major League debut, with a hefty tally of 13 from the Minnesota Twins organization contributing to that number. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Edouard Julien) Those Next Minnesota Twins consisted of position players Jose Miranda, Royce Lewis, Mark Contreras, Jermaine Palacios, Caleb Hamilton, and Matt Wallner. Joining them from the pitching side were Jhoan Duran, Josh Winder, Cole Sands, Yennier Cano, Louie Varland, Ronny Henriquez, and Simeon Woods Richardson. 11 of those names were profiled in this same column before the start of last season, missing out on only Hamilton and Wallner, as the Twins minor league depth was relied upon in a “break glass in case of emergency” fashion due to the well-chronicled injury issues on the big league roster. Many things will have to go wrong, or right depending on which side of the glass half full or empty pendulum you swing, for the Twins to get even close to that number again during the 2023 season. Most of those 2022 debuts are now firmly-rooted depth on the 40-man roster, with Duran, Miranda, Sands, and if not for injury, perhaps Henriquez and Winder earning their full-time pinstripes. It is not a question of if a player will make a debut for the Twins in 2023, only when, so who are some of those potential Next Minnesota Twins for 2023? ON THE 40-MAN ROSTER: As mentioned, the Twins' 40-man roster depth is full of players who have already had at least a cup of coffee in the majors, as the set of names available for this category consists of just four players. It omits pitcher Matt Canterino, who is recovering from Tommy John Surgery and will likely not pitch in 2023. The fun thing here is that depth also consists of a lot of the organization's “top prospects,” so the St. Paul Saints are going to be a popular ticket throughout this season (count me in for attending the “They’re One of Us” double bobblehead game on August 29th, featuring Louie Varland and Matt Wallner). Edouard Julien (23 years old on opening day), IF - Twins Daily’s #5 Prospect (Julien made his MLB debut on 4/12 against the Chicago White Sox, going 0-for-2 with a walk.) A prospect darling due to his on-field performance since being drafted in the 18th round in 2019, all Julien has done since becoming a pro is get on base. For almost inexplicable reasons, he spent all of the 2022 season with the Wichita Wind Surge, where he hit .300/.441/.490, leading the Texas League in on-base percentage and then following that up by tapping into even more power in the Arizona Fall League. He took home the Breakout Prospect Award while there, though arguably could have been the MVP as he led the circuit in batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS. He followed that up by impressing with Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic and with the Twins this spring. With injury questions looming around infielders Jorge Polanco and Alex Kirilloff, if the veteran backups the Twins went out and got aren’t holding up their end of the bargain, Julien could be given a shot early. Jordan Balazovic (24), RHP - TD’s #16 Prospect (Balazovic made his MLB debut on 6/18 vs the Detroit Tigers. He came on in relief during the fifth inning, and pitched the next 3 2/3, allowing no runs on two hits and one walk, while striking out two.) Almost everything went wrong for Balazovic during the 2022 season, where he was a borderline top-100 prospect at its outset. Then he was knocked around in triple-A for the entire year and plummeted to the point he’s not even a top 10 prospect for the Twins in our own rankings to start in 2023. I will say that I got to see him in St. Paul late in the 2022 season, and he showed plenty of flashes of what made him so highly regarded in that game, including mid-90’s velocity as a starter, so I’m not giving up on him by any means. Brent Headrick (25), LHP (Headrick made his MLB debut on 4/19 at Fenway Park. He pitched three innings, allowing one run on one hit and two walks, while striking out three.) Added to the 40-man roster in the 2023 offseason after he spent only half of 2022 in double-A, Headrick has impressed the organization this Spring, appearing in three games and striking out 10 in seven innings that were good for a 2.57 ERA. He looks ticketed for the triple-A rotation, which was already crowded, so that says a lot about how the Twins view his potential. He was fantastic with Cedar Rapids last year, going 8-2 with a 2.34 ERA in 15 starts, before finishing the year with double-A and absolutely dominating in two postseason starts, allowing zero earned runs and punching out 19 while walking none in 12 innings. TOP PROSPECTS While this category is a little light this year, that’s because all of that prospect depth I’ve mentioned already got their feet wet last season. That doesn’t mean this section isn’t still exciting, because one name was arguably the top hitter in all of college baseball last season. The other is a former top-five draft pick coming off a stellar resurgence in the Arizona Fall League. Brooks Lee, IF (22) - TD’s #1 Prospect Lee had quite the 2022 season as he transitioned from college to the pros. First, by reinforcing the notion he was a top hitter in his draft class by batting .357/.462/.664 for his father’s Cal Poly squad, getting drafted 8th overall, and finally ending his introduction to pro ball in the double-A playoffs with Wichita. In a little talked-about blurb in his career, he was already familiar with Minnesota, having played for the Willmar Stingers of the Northwoods League during the summer of 2021. In 31 games in the minors last season, he hit .303/.389/.471 overall, clubbing six doubles and four home runs, while striking out in just 14.4% of his plate appearances against a walk rate of 11.5%. All these numbers mean, is he did everything expected of a prospect of his pedigree, and then some, after a long year of baseball. While there are questions about his ability to handle shortstop in the majors, that’s not much of a concern while Carlos Correa is around, and his bat will always be his calling card. He’s perhaps the top hitter prospect the Twins have had since that Mauer guy, and I think you’ll see a lot of similarities in their games when he arrives. If all goes according to plan, he will be in St. Paul in midsummer and just how good he’s hitting, from both sides of the plate, will determine if he forces the issue or not. I just love the swing he put on this pitch for Cedar Rapids last year, and hope to see it at Target Field soon: Austin Martin, IF/OF (24) - TD’s #10 Prospect The caveat here with Martin is he’s been dealing with an elbow issue this spring, and it could end his season with Tommy John surgery before it even starts. While this isn’t as serious for position players as it is for pitchers, it’s still a disappointing cloud to have hanging over him after his excellent showing in the Arizona Fall League to close out his 2022 season. In 90 games with Wichita in 2022, perhaps the best thing Martin did was achieve a .367 on-base percentage. But that came with just a .316 slugging percentage resulting in a sub .700 OPS, hardly impressive for a prospect with his pedigree. This can perhaps be blamed on an altering of his approach in search of power, but if so, it probably should have been abandoned well before it was. Sent to the AFL, Martin appeared to embrace just being himself (not unlike the stories of Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis), and the results he and the Twins had been looking for followed. In 21 games, he batted .374/.454/.482 and stole 10 bases in 11 attempts, being named to the All-AFL team in the process. The parallels to Lewis here are undeniable, unfortunately, the injury part of that is in play as well. MINOR LEAGUE DEPTH: It is some slim pickings again in this category, as veteran and already debuted prospect depth dominates the roster of the St. Paul Saints. It’s likely a fairly well-established pecking order to join the big league club when a need arises at this point. But teams will almost always need a third catcher during the grind of the MLB season, and with St. Paul just miles away from Target Field you never know who may be the guy that is available the day an extra arm is needed across the river. Jair Camargo, C (23) Carmargo is ticketed to start the season with the St. Paul Saints after spending the bulk of his 2022 season with the Wichita. He clubbed 18 home runs in 74 games, including 12 in 46 games with the Wind Surge after a midseason promotion. Listed as a sturdy 5’ 10” and 230 lbs Camargo looks the part of a catcher and utilized his arm strength to throw out 38% of would-be base stealers in double-A. Austin Schulfer, RHP (27) Schulfer was absolutely dominant out of Wichita’s bullpen for the first two months of the 2022 season, amassing seven saves and striking out 30 in 23 innings in his first 15 appearances. That also came with a minuscule 0.39 ERA and 0.65 WHIP before being promoted to St. Paul. He wasn’t nearly as good there for the rest of the season, but it is hard to ignore what he did before then. He should play a big role in the Saints bullpen for all of 2023, and if he’s performing when a fresh arm is needed could find himself spending a lot of time on the Green Line during the season. Michael Helman, IF/OF (26) A typical utility player prospect, Helman has been a swiss army knife for whatever team he has played for since the Twins drafted him in the 11th round back in 2018. He had an OPS of .840 for Wichita last season before being promoted to St. Paul, and is a ready replacement on the Twins bench for the likes of Donovan Solano or Nick Gordon, should they miss any time. He also stands to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the new bases and pitching rules, as he swiped 40 bags in 45 attempts last season. Cody Laweryson, RHP (24) Laweryson split his 2022 season between Cedar Rapids and Wichita, making appearances as both a starter and reliever at both stops. The fun quirk with his stat lines over the season, was his dominance when thrust into a starting role (0.84 ERA, 0.89 WHIP), but he was also very good coming out of the bullpen (2.25 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) and increased his strikeout rate from 9.9 to 11.1 per 9IP. It will be curious to see if the Twins continue to utilize him in this way, or cut him loose out of the bullpen full-time with Wichita to start the 2023 season. Never know, maybe pretty soon he can do this on the big league stage: DARK HORSES: Now we get to some shots in the dark, or players who could come out of nowhere to make a surprise debut. They might be a well-known name but not that far up the ladder at the start of the season, returning from an injury so they may have been forgotten some, or have a unique pitch or other ability that could pay off big if other areas develop as well. Blayne Enlow, RHP (24) Enlow made it through waivers after being removed from the 40-man roster early this offseason, and I’m hoping the Twins will end up ecstatic about this fact in the near future. Highly regarded coming out of high school, Minnesota was able to keep him away from his commitment to LSU by going over slot in the third round of the 2017 draft. He made three excellent starts and looked to be breaking out for Cedar Rapids to start his 2021 season, before having to undergo Tommy John surgery. Notable about his recovery, however, is he was pitching again in games in less than a year, though those came with perhaps expected struggles. The reins should be off in 2023, and I’m looking for a bounce-back season from the right-hander. Perhaps with a Tyler Duffey-like resurgence out of a bullpen with his big curveball. Connor Prielipp, LHP (22) - TD’s #7 Prospect Yeah, I’m gonna be that guy. In the conversation to go number one overall in the draft before having to undergo Tommy John surgery during the 2021 season, Prielipp slipped to the Twins in the second round in 2022 and is loaded with upside. A left-hander with a mid-90’s fastball and wipeout slider, Prielipp struck out basically everyone he faced in the SEC (15.1K/9IP rate), the big asterisk there being it was just 28 total innings over two seasons. But reading stuff like this is exactly why I’m placing him here: Now, there are absolutely going to be innings and probably other limitations on Prielipp this season, but the pipedream scenario I envision for a debut to happen in 2023 is like that of Chris Sale way back when, where he’s just too good to not utilize as a weapon from the bullpen in a playoff push. These are just some of the names I’d love to see don the new Minnesota Twins uniforms for the first time this season. When do you think any of them will arrive at Target Field? Who are you looking forward to the most even though that answer is Edouard Julien? Who are some of the players you think I may have missed? Let’s play ball! View full article

Lewis definitely grew into more power than expected initially when they drafted him! I remember many comments from scouts, etc... at the Arizona Fall League the year he won the MVP, that he was one of the most impressive batting practice sessions to watch due to that increase.

Love Forgotten Star!!! And weird, I suddenly need to visit a client up in the Northern Stacks that day... 😂

If he played a full season at that HR rate he would have led the FSL in home runs. Then there are the facts that the FSL leader hit 20 home runs in 444 plate appearances, and was 3 years older (and had a K-rate of almost 40%). Among players with 100 or more plate appearances, Rodriguez's OPS led the league by a .170 points! The batting average of the entire league was .233... This is a weird way to characterize his 2022 stats.

Are we including their history as the Washington Senators? Because if so, the omission of Walter Johnson is an egregious oversight 😉

The reason Prielipp is this high on the list without having thrown a pitch yet and only 28 innings in college, is because of the potential and ceiling he has (MLB.com has him #4 in the Twins system). It's a lot higher than every other pitcher in the organization, in my opinion, and he ranks higher than this on my own list for that very reason. Doesn't guarantee anything, but that's the fun with these rankings! As has been mentioned, without his injury he was going to be a top 5 pick because of a devastating slider and fastball that's better than being made out here (mid-90s peak velocity from a lefty is a lot less common than it is for righty's). The thing I'll be watching for with Prielipp this season is how his command and control have kept up after the surgery. If he's not walking many people and stays healthy, he's going to be a lot higher up this list and global lists hopefully as soon as midseason.

"Darby's Lot on 5th Avenue: Very similar in location to the above, and offers the added benefit of indoor ramp parking, although the cost is higher. We're going to continue to call it the Darby's Lot for now even though its namesake – the neighboring Darby's Pub and Grill – closed down after the 2022 season." I liked Darby's as a dive bar close to the stadium, but for all the beer-heads who like the area with Modist, Fulton, Inbound, & StormKing within a few blocks, Bricksworth Beer Company has moved into their space. I've had some good stuff from them, and the pizza is excellent!

Just as a point of clarification based on what you bolded. I was talking to the others responding to your comments with that line, not you 😉