Steve Lein

Yeah, they're not non-tendering Cron at this rate like the Rays did.

Especially considering he destroyed double-A before that.

It was really hard for me to not put Jaylin Davis in my list of top 30. He was just promoted to triple-A after ranking in the top ten of the Southern League in OPS. He's increased his walk rate this year into +.100 IsoD territory (14.7% of PA) and Pensacola manager Ramon Borrego told me that was a big part of the work he was putting in with coaches, especially Steve Singleton.

Teammate of mine playing town ball was a year ahead of Hand at Chaska and played baseball at the University of North Dakota. He reminisced about how he set the high school home run record his senior season, only for Hand to break it the next. Would be cool for him to be on the Twins, but this is the least likely of any of the trade possibilities out there.

As Seth mentions, the Twins system is very deep. My specific ranking (I did top 30) of him doesn't mean a whole lot. I'd say there is very little separation from late teens to the end of my list, and there were plenty of other guys I wanted to get in there as well.

I've always thought Archer was overrated. Get's K's and for that reason his FIP is good, but always gave up runs in bunches and really only had one "good" season. 4.2 bWAR peak, 1.8 average. Meh.

I did! Late night Twins game and company at the house so I spaced on that! Thanks for including

There was a lot going on in the minor leagues on Tuesday as both the Midwest League and Southern League played their All-Star Games and the Elizabethton Twins kicked off the Appalachian League season in dramatic fashion. In the other two affiliate games that were played, a bullpen blew a lead while an offense just couldn’t get anything going in a pitcher’s duel. In those All-Star games, all of the Minnesota Twins organization’s representatives able to participate made appearances, and in the Midwest League the contest was decided in a way I didn’t know was a thing, and it was awesome.To find out just what I’m talking about, and how all of your favorite MiLB All-Stars and Twins prospects performed on Tuesday night, keep reading! RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 8, Columbus 9 Box Score Everything was going great for the Red Wings for the first seven innings, as they built an 8-4 lead and only needed their bullpen to hang on. Lewis Thorpe got the start and went the first four innings. In his first three of those he kept the Clippers at bay, but a two-out rally in the fourth plated two runs against him to end his day. D.J. Baxendale went the next two innings, allowing a two-run home run in the sixth that closed the Red Wings lead to 8-4. The offense had built that lead thanks to jumping all over the Clippers in the first three innings. They scored two in the first; three in the second behind doubles from Zander Wiel, Nick Gordon, and Brent Rooker; and another in the third on Wiel’s tenth home run of the year to put them out front 6-0. They tacked on two more in the fifth thanks to Brent Rooker’s eighth bomb of the season, but it wouldn’t be enough. Newcomer Ian Krol got the seventh inning for his Red Wings debut and delivered a one-two-three inning that included a strikeout. From there, the bullpen duo of Gabriel Moya and Preston Guilmet imploded. Moya got just two outs and allowed two runs before exiting with a runner on second base, and Guilmet promptly served up the game tying homer, then consecutive doubles, to put the Clippers out front before recording the final out. Gordon reached second base after drawing a one-out walk, but Rochester was unable to get him in and fell 9-8. In things I wish I saw, Willians Astudillo stole his first base in Triple-A while also finishing the night 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Gordon (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB, K), Wiel (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI), and LaMonte Wade (2-for-3, R, 2 BB, K) each collected two hits as well. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Southern League All-Star Game: North Division 7, South Division 3 Box Score If you hadn’t already read it here on Twins Daily, I caught up with a few of the Minnesota Twins’ representatives in the Southern League All-Star game before it was played tonight, and all three of their able-bodied played. Travis Blankenhorn got the start at second base and batted fifth in the lineup. He finished 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts against tough pitchers in Southern League ERA contender Sam McWilliams, and WHIP standout Tyson Miller. Jaylin Davis followed him in the batting order as the DH and played the entire game, finishing 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. His single in the ninth inning scored the South squad’s third run of the contest. Caleb Hamilton came into the game as the catcher in the sixth inning and got two plate appearances as a hitter, flying out to left in the seventh and to right for the final out of the game. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 0, Charlotte 2 Box Score This game was completed in a brisk two hours and twenty-one minutes as the teams combined for just eight hits. Unfortunately for the Miracle, Charlotte picked up five of those hits along with drawing three walks and were able to scratch across a few runs to take the victory. Adalberto Mejia mad his second appearance of the season, serving as opener and pitching only the first inning for the second time. He gave up one hit and struck out one. Jhoan Duran then came on as the primary and was brilliant for the next five innings. He allowed one run on two hits and three walks while striking out 11. All three outs came on K’s in each of the third and sixth innings. Hector Lujan replaced him for the seventh and completed 1 2/3, allowing the other run on two hits and striking out one. Calvin Faucher recorded the final out for the Miracle with a K in the bottom of the eighth. Trevor Larnach recorded two of Fort Myers three hits on the day, including his league leading 21st double. Larnach also leads the Florida State League in batting average with a .311 mark. Lewin Diaz collected their only other hit, a two-out single in the ninth that gave Larnach a chance, but it wasn’t to be as he went down swinging on three pitches. KERNELS NUGGETS Midwest League All-Star Game: West Division 3, East Division 3 (but it wasn’t a tie because of something cool…) Box Score The Twins organization was represented in the MWL All-Star Game by three players with Chris Williams who started the game at DH, infielder Gabe Snyder, and pitcher Josh Winder. All three got in on the action in a game that ended in a tie after nine innings but was decided in an awesome fashion with a home run derby. Williams was in the lineup for the entirety of the game and finished 0-for-3 with a walk and stole a base. Snyder entered the game in the fifth inning, playing first base, and went 0-for-2 as hits were at a premium in the game. Winder took the mound to start the fifth inning and made the most of his opportunity by striking out both hitters he faced, including the #1 prospect in all of baseball per MLB.com, shortstop Wander Franco of the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Midwest League home run leader, Will Benson of the Cleveland Indians before being lifted. With the game tied 3-3 after the completion of the ninth inning, the game went into…sudden-death-home-run-derby-overtime. Each team sent one man to the plate, with the West squad turning to Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Blaze Alexander, and the East choosing yesterday’s home run derby winner Chris Betts of the Rays, who had an epic bat “whip” after winning that contest: He did that same whip again after coming out on top tonight 2-1 to give the East the “win” in the league’s midsummer showcase. E-TWINS E-NOTES Bluefield 2, Elizabethton 3 Box Score The Elizabethton Twins got their Appalachian League back-to-back title defending season underway in dramatic fashion, walking it off in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a 2-RBI double from their 2018 40th round draft pick, outfielder Tyler Webb. Before those fireworks, pitching had ruled the day for both teams, with Prelander Berroa getting the start and delivering 4 2/3 hitless innings. He walked three and struck out seven. The Twins had taken an early 1-0 lead thanks to a pair of singles from Albie Weiss and Yeremi De La Cruz around a wild pitch in the second inning, but that was it until the ninth. J.T. Perez took over for Berroa and completed 1 1/3, striking out one. Steven Cruz was summoned in the seventh and struck out the side, keeping a no-hitter intact to that point for the home team. Back out for the eighth he started off the frame with another K, but a walk was followed by a double for the Blue Jays’ first hit of the game and first run to tie it at one. Cruz would total 1 1/3, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out four. Erik Cha took over after that double and got a groundout before a wild pitch allowed Bluefield to take the lead 2-1. Cha would finish the game for Elizabethton with 1 2/3, allowing two hits and a walk along with picking up a K. In the bottom of the ninth Max Smith got the rally started by drawing a walk to lead off, and Charles Mack put him in scoring position by following with a single. The Blue Jays loaded the bases for the Twins with a walk before Webb came through with the walk-off double. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jhoan Duran, Fort Myers Miracle (5.0IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K) Hitter of the Day – Brent Rooker, Rochester Red Wings (3-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4, 3 K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured list #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-4, 2B #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - No game (All-Star Break) #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 3-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - L, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K #9 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured list (Tommy John surgery) #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB, K #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, K #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - No game (All-Star Break) #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured list #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - No game (All-Star Break) #17 - Zack Littell (Minnesota via Rochester) - Did not pitch (as of this writing) #18 - LaMonte Wade Jr. (Rochester) - 2-for-3, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - No game (All-Star Break) #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Columbus (6:05PM CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (4-0, 1.55 ERA) Game 1: Charlotte @ Fort Myers (3:30PM CST) - TBD Game 2: Charlotte @ Fort Myers - TBD Bluefield @ Elizabethton (5:30PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

It's very true. Todd Van Steensel just today on Twitter talked about how he was a double-A All Star last year while with the Twins, then a short while later was released. I hope all these guys have a blast!

Since we last weighed in, the Blue Wahoos have been hit with an injury bug (especially on their pitching staff) that led to them fading into second place in the Southern League South Division standings. But that didn’t stop them from having six players selected to the Southern League All-Star Game, which will take place in Biloxi, Mississippi, the home of the Shuckers, on Tuesday night. Last Weigh-In: 5/8: Best Start in Team History *** Overall Record: 38-32 (2nd in South Division) Last 10 games: 2-8 Pitching Staff: Leads Southern League in strikeouts with 672 in 611 innings pitched (next team has 631) Pensacola will be represented on the position player front by infielder Travis Blankenhorn, catcher Caleb Hamilton, and outfielder Jaylin Davis. They were joined by pitchers Brusdar Graterol, Griffin Jax, and Ryan Mason. Unfortunately, due to the injuries alluded to above, none of the pitchers selected are going to participate in the game, but it is still quite the honor to be selected by your peers. Leading into the Southern League All-Star break, with the assist from their PR man Daniel Venn and senior writer Bill Vilona, I was able to catch up with Blue Wahoos manager Ramon Borrego, and players Jaylin Davis and Caleb Hamilton as they prepared for the festivities. I’ve always thought the minor league All-Star Games are unique experiences for the players and wanted to get their thoughts on what this game means to them and how their seasons have played out so far. Davis is definitely proud to be there and is participating in the home run derby as I write this. On being selected to the game he said, “It’s definitely an honor. This season, for me working on new things, it kind of worked out.” Asked about what he has adjusted in his game, if anything, that led to this point, he praised the coaching staff and new minor league coordinators. “We sat down in spring training, worked on staying more [on my legs] and stopping my head from bouncing a lot, so I feel like I am seeing the ball a lot better at the plate because of it.” Borrego echoed those sentiments when talking about the improvements Davis has made in his walk rate (ranks third in the league in walks). “With Jaylin, it’s all about pitch recognition. (Hitting coach) Steve Singleton has been doing a really good job with him mixing daily work and different drills to situations we’re going to face. [Jaylin] isn’t chasing as much and he’s worked on getting more walks. Steve has been a big part of that.” For my personal interest, I also asked Jaylin what his favorite part about playing the game of baseball has been in his life, and his answer is similar to what I experienced playing and writing here at Twins Daily. “Just where the game has taken me. I have met a lot of new guys that I still keep in touch with to this day. So just traveling a lot and meeting a lot of new people. I think that’s the biggest thing I have loved about playing baseball.” Joining Davis in the Home Run Derby and in the starting lineup of tomorrow night’s game is infielder Travis Blankenhorn, who, like Davis, has also improved upon many aspects of his game so far in the 2019 season. Borrego pointed out similar developments for Blankenhorn since joining the team in late April. “For me, the difference [for Travis] has been pitch recognition. This is one of the parts of his game he’s really worked on and it’s showed. Now, he’s totally comfortable facing left-handed pitchers and this is what has taken him to the next level. He is hunting better pitches and his plate discipline is way better, so it gives him the chance to do more damage.” Catcher Caleb Hamilton is participating in his first All-Star Game, and this fact wasn’t lost on him when asked what it meant for him to be selected. “It’s always an honor to get selected for any team like that at any level. It’s pretty cool! This is not something I have experienced so I am pretty excited!” Download attachment: Caleb Hamilton - 6-17.jpg Hamilton also was not a catcher when he first joined the Minnesota Twins organization, so I was curious what the biggest thing he’s learned about the position has been. He showed his appreciation for the effort and responsibility of the spot by saying, “Taking control of the whole pitching staff. You’re the general behind the plate, involved in every play. You make decisions based off counts, the score, who is up to bat, who is on the mound. So, taking the responsibility of being that guy out there that everyone can trust. That is the biggest part of being behind the plate. Guys have to trust you and you have to trust them.” In addition to those catching responsibilities, Hamilton has also played first base and third base for Pensacola this year, along with some outfield in the past. That versatility is an important trait for his manager, who pointed out “When you have a guy like Caleb, he can play around. He can play first, he can play third, the outfield, he can catch. He is one of the leaders behind the plate because he takes such pride in that position and watches every detail. Even in the catcher’s and pitcher’s meetings. He brings a lot of ideas and that is a good thing. To have a guy like Caleb is fantastic. You can use him in any time in any position. A guy like him is invaluable.” When asked what has led to his success this season, Hamilton again touted his work ethic and the little things beyond the diamond. “I put a lot of work in every off season. Whether it’s eating well or lifting a lot and making sure my body is ready and also just focusing on one or two things in my swing that I can really hone down on and improve. You need a swing that is going to last you 140 games, not just a couple months. So fine tuning those little details whether it’s behind the plate or at the plate swinging, it makes a huge difference.” Borrego also had plenty of good things to say about his other All-Stars and even though his pitchers would not be participating in the game, he knows they deserve to be there. On Brusdar Graterol and what he expected to see in the games he started, Borrego said, “Brusdar is still young, but he has really matured. Is a guy with a bulldog mentality. As a manager that is one thing you’re looking for from a starting pitcher. Brusdar gave us a really solid first month. When he was healthy, I looked at him and thought he can really pitch in the big leagues this year.” On what led to Graterol’s success before hitting the shelf, Borrego added, “He’s a really hard worker and his mentality really changed from last year. His command was better. He can [locate] the fastball east and west, north and south. Really can execute with his breaking pitch. Major change was that mentality to the point he sometimes gets too comfortable. But he now knows how to locate better with the fastball and [how it] moves.” Along with Graterol, Griffin Jax was also one of the Southern League leaders in ERA before missing some time, and on what helped Jax achieve that success Borrego said, “[Griffin] is a hard worker and someone who worries about every detail to get better, wants to be successful every outing. For me it’s how he’s mixed his pitches. The way he has started his pitches and how he manages the game has been the difference.” The Blue Wahoos' one relief pitcher selection was closer Ryan Mason who ranked seventh in the Southern League in saves before also hitting the injured list. Borrego was really disappointed for Mason as he was a big part of his bullpen and he knew him well. “That was a really tough loss. I had Mason last year in Fort Myers. I know he’s a tough guy. You give him the ball and he wants to give you the absolute best every time. He has a lot of trust in himself, and when you [do that], you will compete at a high level. He knows he has one of the best changeups in the league.” To sum up his thoughts on all of his players selected to the All-Star game, Borrego closed with, “To me, they are all leaders. They take care of business every day and all of them have been performing at a high level.” The Pensacola Blue Wahoos All-Stars and the rest of the team will look to continue and improve upon their success in the second half of the season, which they kick off on the road in Jacksonville on Thursday. Batting League Leaders (through games completed on 6/16) - Jaylin Davis ranks third in the Southern League in walks with 36 along with placing seventh in OPS (.840) and home runs (10) on the season. - Travis Blankenhorn, despite starting his season in the Florida State League, ranks fourth in the circuit in home runs (11), seventh in batting average (.294), third in slugging with (.507), and eighth in the league in OPS (.831). Pitching League Leaders - Right-hander Jorge Alcala ranks number eight in the league in strikeouts on the season, with 71 in 67 innings pitched. - Reliever Ryan Mason, before his trip to the injured list, racked up enough saves (7) to tie for fourth in the Southern League. He had begun his season with 16.1 scoreless outings before his injury started to manifest, racking up 23 strikeouts (12.67/9IP) in the process against just two walks. Other Links - Southern League All Star Game final rosters and South Division starting lineup. Jaylin Davis gets the start at DH, while Travis Blankenhorn will man second base. - The winner of the Southern League Home Run Derby was Jeffrey Baez of the Jackson Generals, who clubbed 26 bombs in the contest. Davis managed to club eight home runs on his turn but was unable to advance. Blankenhorn got two of them out of the park but it was not for a lack of trying: Every few weeks during the season I’ll be looking back at what happened for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and welcome any input our readers may have on what you would like to see in these posts. I consider this space a work-in-progress that will evolve as the season wears on, so please leave a comment and discuss the Blue Wahoos performance thus far! Click here to view the article

Happy Father’s Day to all of those across Minnesota Twins Territory! For myself on Father’s Day, I’m thankful that my dad introduced me to the outdoors, hunting, fishing, and appreciating what hard work is while growing up. Also, for putting up with all of my shenanigans. I hope you’re catching some fish up at the cabin and I can’t wait to join you several more times through the summer! In the minor leagues on Sunday afternoon there was extra baseball(!) for all those fathers bringing their families to the games in Rochester and Cedar Rapids. Those teams each won both of their games, and in the process one of them clinched a wild card behind the big bat of an outfielder. In addition, a lefty who Twins fans got familiar with not long ago struck out double-digit hitters in his outing.To find out how all of that went down and what happened in the rest of the action in the minors on Sunday, keep reading! TRANSACTIONS The following transactions were made after the Kernels doubleheader (and subsequent celebration): AWARDS The Twins on Sunday also announced their minor league player of the week awards: Willians Astudillo was named the hitter of the week after demolishing triple-A after being optioned from the bigs. He went 15-25 in six games on the week with three home runs, nine RBI, six runs scored and a 1.553 OPS.For the second week in a row, Sean Poppen was named the pitcher of the week after striking out nine and allowing just one earned run on five hits in six innings on Thursday against the Columbus Clippers.RED WINGS REPORT Charlotte 5, Rochester 11 (completion of game suspended 6/15) Box Score The bats for both teams got going early in this one before it was suspended in the bottom of the third inning yesterday. The Knights knocked around Red Wings Starter Chase De Jong for five runs on five hits in his three innings, including a solo home run. De Jong struck out four. On the flip side Rochester’s lineup responded with a six-run bottom of the inning before the rains took over with two outs and a runner still on base. Four singles were followed by consecutive doubles from Winston Sawyer and Jordany Valdespin that led to the outburst and 7-5 lead for the home team. When play resumed on Sunday Ryan Eades was the pitcher and it was his first action since being optioned back to Triple-A. He was perfect in two innings, striking out three along the way and as he completed the fifth inning he was in line for the win. Fernando Romero then went three innings to get his team through the eighth, and he allowed two hits and walked two, but no runs along with striking out one. He threw 46 pitches with 29 of them going for strikes (63%). Preston Guilmet finished the game with a one-two-three ninth, including a strikeout to punctuate the victory. The Red Wings offense added plenty of insurance in the bottom of the seventh as LaMonte Wade and Tomas Telis each clubbed a two-run homer, leading to the final score of 11-5. Valdespin (3-for-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI) and Willians Astudillo (3-for-5, 2 R) paced the offense with three hits apiece. Every hitter in the lineup collected a base hit and they struck out only four times. Charlotte 2, Rochester 3 (regularly scheduled game, 7 innings) Box Score With the extra game being played on the day, this one went only seven innings, and it was just the right amount for the home team. Down 2-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Red Wings put together a rally capped off by RBI single from Luis Arraez that walked it off. Jake Cave got the rally started by leading off the inning with his fifth home run. LaMonte Wade later tied the game at two with a sacrifice fly before Arraez stepped in with two outs and a runner on third. Arraez (2-for-4, RBI) and Drew Maggi (2-for-3, 2B) each had multiple hits while the team finished 3-for-6 with runners in scoring position to capitalize on their chances when it counted as they left only five men on base for the game. Making the start for Rochester was lefthander Devin Smeltzer, and he finished one out shy of another quality outing. In 5 2/3 he allowed two runs on five hits while cutting down 10 Knights hitters. He gave up a leadoff home run in the sixth that was followed by a double but buckled down to strike the next two men out (including #OldFriend Daniel Palka) before his day was done. Jake Reed came on for the final out of the sixth and finished the seventh to pick up his third win of the year. He allowed no hits, walked one, and struck out one. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Tennessee 3, Pensacola 2 Box Score Griffin Jax took the mound for the Blue Wahoos on Father’s Day and cruised through the first three innings. But the Smokies chipped away at him to start the fourth with three straight singles and a sac bunt led to his exit after picking up a strikeout for the second out. Jax finished 3 2/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits and striking out just one. Andro Cutura came on and walked a batter to load the bases before getting a strikeout to escape the jam. Cutura would finish the next four innings and ended up allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out two. Anthony Vizcaya pitched a one-two-three ninth, striking out one, and gave a chance to his team in the bottom of the ninth down by just one. Penscola closed the lead in this game to 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning as three singles, a walk, and a sac fly led to two runs scored. But that was just about all for the Blue Wahoos on the day as they combined for just six hits (all singles) and three walks. They finished 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left only seven men on base. First baseman Randy Cesar was 2-for-4 with a run scored while Tanner English went 2-for-4 with an RBI. MIRACLE MATTERS Scheduled day off The Fort Myers Miracle had the day off on Sunday as the Florida State League All- Star break comes to a close. The defending champions were the South Division first half winners, so they have already clinched a playoff spot at the end of the year to defend that title. They will open up the second half of the season against the Charlotte Stone Crabs at home on Monday. KERNELS NUGGETS Clinton 1, Cedar Rapids 4 (completion of game suspended 6/15) Box Score Like their friends in Triple-A, the Kernels also had their game from yesterday suspended early, this one in the top of the second with Cedar Rapids up 2-0. They had taken that lead in the bottom of the first thanks to a two-run bomb from left fielder Jared Akins, his eighth of the year that would prove to be enough for the home team. Andrew Cabezas had started the game and walked one and struck out one. When play resumed, Kai-Wei Teng was on the mound for the Kernels. He went 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run while scattering three hits and three walks and striking out six. His day was done after a one-out hit-by-pitch that was followed by a single, bringing in Jose Martinez from the bullpen. He finished the sixth and the seventh, walking one and striking out one. With the score then 4-1 Cedar Rapids went to Moises Gomez to finish the game. In two innings he struck out five of the six hitters he faced, including all three in the bottom of the ninth to pick up his fourth save of the season. In his last 10 appearances, Gomez has gone 2+ innings seven times (1 2/3 IP in two others) while allowing just two runs in 19 innings. That’s good for a 0.95 ERA while allowing only seven hits and six walks but racking up 25 K’s. His WHIP is 0.94 on the season and I’d venture he has a good chance to be moving up to Fort Myers after the Midwest League All-Star break that starts on Monday. The Kernels offense added insurance runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings thanks to an error that allowed Gabriel Maciel to scamper home after stealing second base, and a sac fly from Andrew Bechtold that followed a triple from Akins. Bechtold and Gabe Snyder joined Akins with two hits on the day. Clinton 1, Cedar Rapids 8 (regularly scheduled game, 7 innings) Box Score The Kernels jumped out to an early 3-0 lead thanks to a big blast from Ben Rodriguez in the bottom of the first. His three-run shot scored Gabriel Maciel who had doubled to lead off the game for the home team and Gabe Snyder who drew a walk. Starting pitcher Austin Schulfur kept the LumberKings at bay for the first four innings. He allowed one run on a solo homer in the second inning, but otherwise allowed no other hits or walks while striking out three. Zach Neff went the next two innings, striking out three and allowing two hits. Derek Molina was summoned for the seventh inning and closed it out with a scoreless frame. He allowed one hit and struck out two. Cedar Rapids’ lineup tacked on three more runs in the fifth thanks to an RBI triple from Maciel, a fielder’s choice ground ball from Snyder that scored another, and an RBI single from Wander Javier. In the sixth, a two-RBI double from Snyder capped off the scoring for the Kernels. The victory clinched a first-half wild card for the Kernels, so they will join the Fort Myers Miracle in postseason action in the Twins system. Congratulations fellas! TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Devin Smeltzer, Rochester Red Wings (5.2IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 10 K) Hitter of the Day – Jared Akins, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-for-4, 2 R, 3B, HR, 2 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - No game (All Star Break) #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured list #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - No game (All Star Break) #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-8, RBI, 3 K (2 games) #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 2-for-7, 2 R RBI, BB, 3 K (2 games) #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - No game (All Star Break) #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured list (Tommy John surgery) #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 1-for-3, 2 K #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - No game (All Star Break) #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - 0-for-4, K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured list #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-7, R, 3 K (2 games) #17 - Zack Littell (Minnesota via Rochester) - Did not pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade Jr. (Rochester) - 2-for-6, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, K (2 games) #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did not pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - No game (All Star Break) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Pensacola Blue Wahoos - Southern League All Star Break Charlotte @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids Kernels - Midwest League All Star Break Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! Click here to view the article

He's had issues with his command and allowing walks (and some injuries), but he's got the stuff. He's not throwing 88-90 MPH slop fastballs like Achter and others, his is in mid-90's. Torii Hunter called him "nasty" in Spring Training few years ago.

I don't either. Always remember him as a fastball (straight and runner/sinker) and slider guy. I always had to go more overhand to make my changeup or 2-seamer move, but sidewinders seem to always have crazy movement in both directions (see Pat Neshek), maybe that alteration is the secret sauce for him.

Changeup is nasty.

Just a year? I'm at like 3 years now, haha

Yeah, Severino is a name I mention for being in the potential range of prospect ranking or whatever you want to call it I think it would cost. Usually in trades like this the team puts out a list of guys they might want. Then as the team acquiring the MLB-er you say no or take some guys off and give them their pick between a few of them. Definitely always comes down to the guy the team would prefer when multiple suitors.

The Giants "trade chips" aren't actually very good ones because MadBum and Smith are half-year rentals. The market prices, as long as the team is really willing to deal them (sounds like may not be the case with Bumgarner) for these types of guys are not really high (see Familia and other deals from last year). In my opinion Smith should cost a prospect in the Twins range of 10-20. MadBum a little higher or multiple 10-20 guys. I'd propose Yunior Severino for Smith. Rooker for MadBum -If they want a pitcher Jhoan Duran. Piece that together however you want for both and maybe add in someone like Jose Miranda. The highest guy I'm offering for any rental, no matter whom (including these two in one package), is in Trevor Larnach's range, and they wouldn't be getting much of anything more after that if he's the target. (My current top 10 would go something like: Lewis, Kirilloff, Graterol, Javier, Balazovic, Larnach, Duran, Rooker, Thorpe, Enlow) Honestly though, in the Twins current situation (1 starting pitcher under contract for 2020?) I might be shooting a bit higher for guys with control for this year and the future. So now we're starting to talk prospect names people might not like, as in Graterol, Javier, Balazovic, and possibly even Lewis/Kirilloff if it's the right guy (not sure who that would be at this point).

"Jake turned in another quality start and bolstered his case for being the AL starter in the All-Star Game as well as the front-runner for the AL Cy Young. His final line was: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. He lowered his season ERA to 1.91." Jake's been awesome, but he's hurt by the fact he's averaging only 5.41 innings/start. Largely because he's striking a lot of guys out, but you look at Justin Verlander and he has him beat in WHIP (0.74 to 0.97), K rate (10.57 to 9.98), and batting average against (.151 to .186) and that's all while Verlander is pitching over an extra inning per start than Jake is (6.61 to 5.41). Odo's definitely high in the conversation for both, but I don't think he's the front-runner (Not something I want to point out but I do think it's the reality).

Yes, he had a shoulder issue last year. In the offseason it was pretty cool seeing him posting videos of himself pitching left-handed because he couldn't throw righty at the time: He was always a quick-mover candidate as a pure reliever with the deception/stuff to dominate younger minor leaguers.

Yes. From time to time I actually go back and look at these numbers for the guys we consider studs in the majors at the position right now. Almost nobody had "great" fielding numbers in A-ball. Not even Andrelton Simmons.

I believe that the Twins have confirmed they plan to use Littell in this role for now.

I don't think I've ever penalized a player when making the hitter of the day selection for errors committed in a game. Especially when his bat was a big reason his team came back to win it