Steve Lein

Yeah, Rooker + Gordon should be pretty close to getting you both Bumgarner AND Smith already because of them being rentals. As much as the Giants want to get the best they can for these guys, the fact of the matter is nobody pays these prices for rentals.

Because he's so short. They don't make MLB pants his size...hah Seriously though, the pants over cleats thing is very common, especially if you have to deal with pants being a bit oversized. It's how I wore mine. Your metal spikes punch through the pants and keep them in place better and they don't bunch up on you.

I've been trying to find any even tiny morsel of information on what is going on with Leach. Transfer to 60-day DL at this point, to me, says he's out for the season with some injury, but nobody has confirmed or discussed this that I can find anywhere. Seth is probably your best bet to be able to find out, but in my experience nobody in the system is forthcoming with such information until the organization has already come out and said something about it.

Yes. In the same way I was not so sarcastic in saying Cedar Rapids travelled from Davenport.

Due to scheduling quirks, an All-Star break and rain, only two games were played in the Minnesota Twins minor league system on Tuesday night, but there were still some notable performances. The starting pitchers both delivered solid performances, a top prospect fresh off a Futures Game appearance clubbed a home run, and it took extra innings to decide one of the games.Keep reading to find out how it all went down in those games for your favorite prospects! TRANSACTIONS In Double-A, Pensacola placed RHP Andro Cutura on the 7-day injured list.Fresh off his Futures Game appearance, RHP Jordan Balazovic was activated from the temporarily inactive list for Fort Myers.The Cedar Rapids Kernels released RHP Tanner Howell, assigned LHP Petru Balan to the GCL Twins, and were assigned RHP Rickey Ramirez from Fort Myers.In the Appalachian League, Elizabethton was assigned RHP Seth Pinkerton and placed RHP Owen Griffith on the 7-day injured list.The GCL Twins were assigned the recently inked SS Alec Craig, but in unfortunate news transferred RHP Landon Leach from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day IL.RED WINGS REPORTTriple-A All-Star Game Break The Red Wings continue to be off for the Triple-A All-Star break. The game will be played Wednesday night with Tomas Telis and Brent Rooker representing the Twins organization for the International League squad. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Pensacola 4, Birmingham 2 (10 innings) Box Score It was a Southern League pitcher’s duel for the Blue Wahoos and Barons on Tuesday as the teams combined for just three runs and six hits through the game’s first eight innings. Griffin Jax made the start for Pensacola and was fantastic over six innings. He allowed two earned runs on three hits and three walks to notch a quality start. He struck out six and 55 of his 90 pitches went for strikes (61%), including fourteen swinging. Adam Bray came on for the seventh and went two scoreless innings in relief to get them through the eighth. He gave up one hit and walked one along with a strikeout. To that point the score was 2-1 in favor of the Barons, with the Blue Wahoos lone run coming from a Jordan Gore home run in the third inning. In the top of the ninth Pensacola was able to tie the game thanks to a two-out RBI double from Southern League All-Star Caleb Hamilton. He drove in Mark Contreras who had led off the inning with a walk. In the bottom of the ninth Sam Clay delivered a one-two-three inning including a strikeout to extend the game to extra innings. In the top of the tenth, despite the runner starting on second base getting cut down on a fielder’s choice play, the Blue Wahoos were able to mount a rally with consecutive singles from Travis Blankenhorn and Alex Kirilloff that scored one. After a strikeout, Contreras stepped to the plate and clubbed a double to make it 4-2. Clay was back out for the bottom half and recorded two quick outs before giving up a single to put runners on the corners. He buckled down on the next hitter, getting him to fly out to end the game. He finished with two scoreless innings and two strikeouts to pick up his third win of the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Daytona 2, Fort Myers 1 Box Score Fort Myers starter Jhoan Duran put forth another strong outing, finishing six innings to record his fourth quality start of the year, and fourth in his last seven outings. He has yet to allow more than three runs in any start so far on the season. Against the Tortugas on this day, he allowed two runs in the fifth inning thanks to a home run, but that was it as he scattered six other hits along with no walks while punching out eight. Unfortunately for him, he was bettered by Daytona’s pitchers as they held the Miracle offense in check for the first seven innings. Royce Lewis finally got the Miracle on the board in the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run, his seventh of the year. Joe Record came on to begin the seventh and would finish the next 2 1/3 innings. He worked around a single in the seventh and single and walk in the eighth before running into some trouble in the ninth. An error by Lewis led off the inning, and a one-out walk later brought in Johan Quezada. He loaded the bases with a walk of his own, but then got a double-play ball to end the threat and give his team a chance in the bottom half. They weren’t able to muster even a threat however, as they went down in order to fall to Daytona 2-1. Lewis (2-for-4) and Ryan Costello (2-for-4, 2B) each collected multiple hits to lead the lineup that was 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left only six men on base all game. KERNELS NUGGETS Scheduled Day Off Cedar Rapids got Tuesday off to travel the short distance back home after a three-game series with the Quad Cities River Bandits. They begin a six-game homestand against the Great Lakes Loons and Lansing Lugnuts starting Wednesday with right-hander Tyler Palm scheduled to take the mound. E-TWINS E-NOTES Scheduled Day Off Like their Midwest League friends, Elizabethton had the day off to travel after a home-and-home two-game series against their rivals Johnson City. They begin a seven-game homestand against the Burlington Royals tomorrow night. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins -, GCL Pirates - Postponed Multiple games in the Gulf Coast League were affected by rain on Tuesday, including the Twins facing off against the Pirates. They’ll get back to action for two against the Orioles tomorrow morning. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jhoan Duran, Fort Myers Miracle (6 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 8 K) Hitter of the Day – Royce Lewis, Fort Myers Miracle (2-for-4, HR, RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) - 2-for-4, HR (7), RBI #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 1-for-5, RBI, K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Fort Myers) - 1-for-4, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - No game #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL) - Game postponed #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - All-Star Break #9 - Jhoan Duran (Fort Myers) - L (1-8), 6 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 8 K #10 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - All-Star Break #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - All-Star Break #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3, BB, K #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - All-Star Break #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - No game #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - 0-for-3, 2 K #17 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did not pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL) - 1-for-1, RBI (defensive substitution in 8th inning) #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - 1-for-5, R, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester - Triple-A All-Star Game Pensacola - Scheduled day off Daytona @ Fort Myers (11AM CST) - TBD Great Lakes @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Tyler Palm (1-4, 4.35 ERA) Burlington @ Elizabethton (5:30PM CST) - TBD GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Big shoutout to Seth here for taking over this report yesterday! I was mired in cleaning water out of my basement all night...

Weird. Thanks for that link. Not sure how they have two versions of it you can get to, hah!

I've been trying to find where you see him at #6 too. The BOARD still has him at 12. https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/the-board/2019-prospect-list?sort=4,-1&pageitems=10000000000000&pagenum=0&team=min

Arraez is definitely the type of prospect who is going to cause some disagreement. This is what happens when a guy has a really good hit tool. This is the only one in my opinion that can carry guys to the big leagues on its own, but you also can't forget the other four. I'll echo Tom in saying Luis looks in great shape this year, and there might just be an average 2B defender in there now. Might be. Gordon has better power, speed, arm, and fielding tools. I think he can be an average MLB hitter too. That's going to put you higher in rankings for me. What I'm waiting for on Arraez, is how he adapts when teams start doing nothing but busting him with inside pitches. Because if you hadn't noticed yet or didn't know, Arraez has extreme opposite field tendencies, and though he makes contact on anything, he also doesn't hit anything overly hard. Is very consistent, but he's not going to "barrel" many either, it's just not in his swing's nature. As a cautionary tale, also look at how an #OldFriend with a similar hitting profile, with speed and fielding prowess, is doing these days in Ben Revere. All this said, never doubt that a player like him can overachieve the perception from rankings such as these, but that's not what the list is doing.

Definitely a breakout. It can't be overstated how big of a part an overhaul in the coaching ranks of the farm system has played for some guys. Pensacola manager Ramon Borrego from my article a 10 days ago on Blankenhorn's improvement this year: - “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.” - http://twinsdaily.com/topic/33577-article-wahoos-weigh-in-617-six-all-stars-for-pensacola/

It was a full slate of action in the Minnesota Twins system on Tuesday night and if not for a shutout on the road in the Florida State League, the organization would have gone undefeated on the day after the Twins bludgeoned Blake Snell and the Tampa Bay Rays at Target Field. There were some big nights for a couple of recently promoted hitters on the day, including the first home run at his new level for one, and two blasts from the other. The Kernels were also being no-hit for a majority of their game, but finally broke through against the opposing bullpen to pull out a win.To find out how it all went down in the system on Tuesday, and just how big of a night those two hitters had, keep reading! TRANSACTIONS The Red Wings activated infielder Ronald Torreyes from the injured list and transferred him to Fort Myers.The Miracle activated infielder Jose Miranda from the injured list, and placed RHP Calvin Faucher on the 7-day IL with a left ankle sprain.RED WINGS REPORTScranton/WB 9, Rochester 10 Box Score Right-hander Kohl Stewart took the mound for the Red Wings for his first turn since his last recall for the Twins and delivered two scoreless innings to start the game. He ran into trouble in the third however, as a leadoff home run, a walk, then three straight singles and a ground ball put the RailRiders out front 3-1. Stewart’s day was then done as he threw over thirty pitches in the inning. He allowed the three runs on five hits and a walk along with striking out two. Jaylin Davis picked him up in a big way in the bottom of the inning however, as he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs and delivered a grand slam to put Rochester back out front 5-3. Davis wasn’t done either, as in the fifth he’d add a two-run shot to his ledger that also already included a double. He also drew a walk and had an outfield assist in an all-around effort. Chase De Jong relieved Stewart to start the fourth and went the next 3 1/3. He allowed three runs on three hits, including a home run, and struck out three. Ryan Eades came on with one out in the seventh and allowed both inherited runners to score along with two of his own and the RailRiders closed the gap to one run. Back out for the top of the eighth, Eades got two quick outs before a single was followed by a double and the game tied. He gave up another single before Cody Stashak was summoned to snuff out the two-out rally. He got a fly out to keep it tied. In the bottom of the eighth, the Red Wings loaded the bases with a double from Drew Maggi and consecutive hit batsman, and then with one out Zander Wiel delivered an RBI single to score one to take back the lead 10-9 and bring Davis up again. He got a 2-2 pitch and…missed it, but the one run would be enough as Stashak worked around a two-out double from Logan Morrison in the ninth to pick up his third win with Rochester. Joining Davis with multiple hits on the day were Maggi (4-for-5, 3 R, 2 2B), LaMonte Wade Jr. (3-for-3, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB), Wiel (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB, K) and Tomas Telis (3-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB). BLUE WAHOOS BITES Biloxi 3, Pensacola 8 Box Score Pensacola jumped out to an early 5-0 lead after two innings thanks in large part to a big night from the recently promoted Lewin Diaz. His first inning blast was his first home run in Double-A, and he capped off a four-run second inning with a bases- clearing triple. Jimmy Kerrigan led off the second inning with his fifth home run of the year, then later in the game Jordan Gore contributed a two-RBI single that was followed by a run-scoring single from Travis Blankenhorn to account for all the Blue Wahoos runs. Alex Kirilloff added a double to the effort. Bryan Sammons made the start for the home team and picked up his second win with five scoreless innings. He allowed just two hits, walked one, and struck out six. Anthony Vizcaya contributed two scoreless innings of his own, navigating around three walks and one hit along with punching out two. Zach Weiss finished the game off with two innings, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk and striking out three. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 0, Charlotte 2 Box Score In a moment of déjà vu, the Miracle and Stone Crabs basically repeated the same game I recapped a week ago, as they again combined for just eight hits and two runs in a game Fort Myers would lose 2-0. Jhoan Duran got the start in this one and was solid over five innings. He allowed both of Charlotte’s runs on four hits and three walks while striking out eight. Of his 101 pitches, 61 went for strikes. Melvi Acosta and Alex Phillips combined to throw three shutout innings of relief, with Acosta walking two and Phillips striking out two. The Miracle were only able to mange four singles as a team, with Ronald Torreyes, Trevor Larnach, Jose Miranda, and Malique Ziegler each contributing one. As a team they finished 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left only four men on base. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 3, Cedar Rapids 4 Box Score It was tough sledding for the Kernels for the first six innings, as the only thing preventing Timber Rattlers starter Logan Gillaspie from having a perfect game intact to that point was the walk he issued to the first batter he faced on the game. That story line finally changed in the bottom of the seventh when Chris Williams stepped up to the plate with one out and deposited a 1-2 pitch onto the street beyond the left field porch to make it 2-1 Wisconsin. Starting pitcher Kai-Wei Teng was nearly as good over seven innings as his counterpart but his day would end with him in line for a loss despite his efforts. He also went seven innings, allowing just two runs on six hits and a walk along with striking out five hitters. After Alex Schick delivered a one-two-three eighth inning, the Kernels were finally able to pop against the Timber Rattlers bullpen. A leadoff single from Jared Akins and consecutive walks loaded the bases with nobody out, and a groundout scored one to tie the game before a two-run double from Estamy Urena put them out front 4-2. Back out for the ninth, Schick struck out the first two hitters of the inning before surrendering a solo home run to make it 4-3 but recovered just fine to strike out the next hitter and secure the victory. He struck out four in his two innings to finish the game. E-TWINS E-NOTES Bristol 5, Elizabethton 6 Box Score Elizabethton took an early 6-1 lead behind a five-run second inning where they batted around, but that came after 3rd-round pick Spencer Steer’s first professional home run to lead off the bottom of the first. Those five runs in the second were courtesy of an RBI single from Max Smith, a two-RBI double from Albee Weiss, and a two-RBI single from Yeremi De La Cruz. On the mound the Twins got four innings from Prelander Berroa, allowing one run on three hits and three walks while striking out seven Pirates. Denny Bentley had a rough fifth inning where he allowed four runs that made the score 6-5, but got through a scoreless sixth for two total innings. He allowed those four runs on four hits, a walk, and struck out one. Osiris German then went two scoreless frames, allowing a hit, two walks, and striking out four. Nate Hadley picked up his first professional save with a scoreless ninth inning including a strikeout and a hit batter. On offense Elizabethton got multiple hits from Smith (2-for-5, R, RBI), Matt Wallner (2-for-4, K), and De La Cruz (2-for-4, K). Charles Mack drew three walks and scored a run. Wallner has hit safely in all five of his games thus far. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Pirates 1, GCL Twins 4 Box Score The Twins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to a two-run home run from their 2019 39th-round draft pick, Jake Hirabayashi out of UCLA, that was his first as a professional in just his second game. Hirabayashi would finish the day 3-for-3 to lead his team, who added single runs in the fourth and seventh innings on an Erick Rivera RBI single, and an RBI groundout from Jim Caceras. Keoni Cavaco batted second in the lineup playing short and finished this one 0-for-3. Those four runs were more than enough as Twins pitchers combined to hold the Pirates to just six singles and four walks, while striking out ten hitters. Donny Breek made his 2019 debut on the mound and went the first four innings, scattering four hits and a walk along with picking up four K’s. Rogelio Reyes then made his pro debut after being drafted in the 22nd round earlier in the month and added two scoreless innings, walking one and striking out one. He was followed by 21st-round pick Bradley Hanner’s debut, also two scoreless frames, where he walked two and struck out three. Tyler Beck then finished the final inning, allowing one run two hits while striking out two. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Bryan Sammons, Pensacola Blue Wahoos (W, 5.0IP, 2 H, BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day – Jaylin Davis, Rochester Red Wings (3-for-4, 3 R, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, BB, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) - 0-for-4 #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 1-for-4, R, 2B #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Fort Myers) - 1-for-4, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-2, BB, K #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 0-for-4, 3 K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Fort Myers) - L, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured list (Tommy John surgery) #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 0-for-5, 4 K #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Fort Myers) - 0-for-2 #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - 0-for-4, 2 K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured list #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-2, BB, K #17 - Zack Littell (Minnesota) - Did not pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade Jr. (Rochester) - 3-for-3, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did not pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Fort Myers) - 1-for-3, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Lehigh Valley (6:05PM CST) - RHP Drew Hutchison (0-0, 0.00 ERA w/Red Wings) Biloxi @ Pensacola (6:35PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (3-0, 2.38 ERA) Fort Myers @ Charlotte (9:00AM CST) - RHP Edwar Colina (3-2, 3.51 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Austin Schulfer (5-3, 2.79 ERA) Bluefield @ Elizabethton (5:30PM CST) - TBD GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Just gonna throw in some of my thoughts on the guys being discussed: Smeltzer: I did not rank him, but he was in my last group of eliminations, so he's a "just missed" guy (I did a top 30 so I'd have him right around where Seth and Tom do). He's been awesome so far this year, but I caution people for overly rewarding out of nowhere dominance when that has never been in a guys track record or perceived potential. Scouting reports and data on a guy can very quickly adapt when a change is not bore out by pure dominating stuff. That said, I love guys like Smeltzer and he can shove remarks like that back in my face for as long as he wants. Raley: There's a lot to like in there, and certainly has more traits than Rooker from a defensive standpoint. He's a major leaguer for sure. But he also strikes out a lot, and actually doesn't walk much (his walk rate has fallen into 6% territory at triple-A and in general as he's moved up the ladder). What gets him to a nice looking isoD and OBP number is hit by pitches, and that's not going to translate. Rooker, on the other hand, has increased his walk rate while in the system, and is in 14% territory at triple-A right now. They very likely could look similar when they're both in the majors, but the potential with Rooker's bat I think is much higher. Raley could easily be in my top 20 depending on your preferences. Celestino: Whole bunch of tools, not any production so far this year. I disagree with the comment in the article, he is over-matched right now, though it doesn't show up in K totals or lack of walks. His low BABIP is mentioned, but sometimes you have to take the "luck" part out of that and realize it can be low because he's not hitting anything solid. But because of those tools, he certainly can move up my list when they start showing. Diaz: I'm buying it, so that's why I'm the high man in the individual rankings. He's never been strikeout prone and with his dedication to changing his body I think he's finally putting those pieces together to work correctly.

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