Steve Lein

Thorpe is one of #MyGuys. Got a chance to interview him thanks to SD Buhr back when he was in Cedar Rapids: http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/minnesota-twins-minor-leagues/color-me-and-joe-mauer-impressed-r2962 I think people are doubting his stuff. He has always been better at missing bats than the guy who gets credit for having the big "stuff," Fernando Romero, and is also a year younger. Thorpe would be the top lefty starting prospect in the system for me, and I can't say I wouldn't put him in front of Romero if he was still eligible. Reason being is the RP risk we're seeing going around now, has always been there on Romero for me. And I'd also say that risk has always been considerably higher for him than Thorpe to me.

Yes, never trust the measurables on MLB official sites or B-Ref for minor league players. They use the numbers they had when they were drafted or signed (or even well before that) and I don't think I've ever seen them be updated until they make their MLB debut and teams officially update the media guides and what not for them.

I understand these feelings, but to me, they already took that path with him last year. Quite honestly, Romero wasn't all that good after his first five or so starts with the Twins (at AAA or MLB -at least for as highly regarded as he is around here). I think it could be worth more to put him into a position where he can learn more at the major league level, and it plays into what he has shown he can do his entire career thus far: be pretty good in short stints. This idea doesn't stop him from getting moved into the rotation whenever they need him. Going into last year I though he was the perfect candidate to get moved along like the St. Louis Cardinals are known to do with a lot of guys because of how few innings he has thrown relative to how long he's been around. Twins went the opposite way, but maybe they switch course to that now. I do think he can be a really good starter, but to me there's always been a high risk associated with him for this type of move, too. But either way, I think this could allow you to find out exactly what he can be while also utilizing his talents in the majors from the get-go.

Yeah, but when you're reaching your pitch count in the fifth inning, this idea falls apart at this point in his development (he threw 90+ pitches a lot this year).

I'm on board with 3.5 of these ideas. 1. Being someone who has campaigned for Kepler to play some at 1B, I like this. He wouldn't primarily play there, but a platoon doesn't have to equal one of the guys sitting on the bench every game. You could have Austin/Cron at 1B vs. lefties, Kepler there some days vs. righties. I'm thinking 110 games in the OF, 40 at 1B type of thing. Versatility is a good thing and would let someone like Cave get more run. 2. I think people have fallen too much in love with Romero's "stuff" or the things they read about it. I think he's going to end up in the bullpen anyway. He barely averaged 5 innings per start MLB last year, and only 5 1/2 innings in his MiLB ones. This is what his entire career has been, solid numbers in limited innings because he doesn't get deep into games as he can't consistently maintain that stuff (he only struck out 6.8/9IP at Triple A last year...). Switch the premises of Romero and the next guy's point, and you might be onto something though. 3. Rather than starting or using May as a "primary," I'd just unleash him as your fireman. Need multiple innings from him after a short start? Use him. Need to shut down a threat in the 6th or 7th? Use him. Up by one in the 8th facing heart of an order? Use him. I think you could get 80-100 innings out of him this way if you wanted. But I like him in the 'pen. 4. Yes. Do it.

Thanks Roger! I don't disagree with your statements on Jax. I see the same things. All I was really trying to say is his AFL performance doesn't really say much of anything due to the things both you and I reference. If he had been dominant, it would have I think. But if he had struggled, it wouldn't have changed anything for me for the reasons we both reference. And just as a note, the MiLB extra-inning rule does not apply for post-season play, and in the AFL title game a runner did not start the 10th on second base. It certainly affects pitchers negatively though and I also hate the rule in general.

Minnesota Twins prospects finished their AFL regular season with the Salt River Rafters in the best way they could, by helping their team win the East Division and a spot in the circuit’s championship game.(This report includes the games played through 11/18 and the end of the AFL season) The Rafters went just 1-3 in their final four games, but that was enough thanks to their prior efforts. The Twins hitters had a solid week as they combined for a .374/.412/.438 slash line, and one continued his encouraging upward trend to finish his season strong. The pitchers didn’t fare quite as well, as they combined for a 6.00 ERA and 2.00 WHIP in nine innings pitched. To find out how all the Twins prospects finished their AFL campaigns and how the championship game went for the Rafters, keep reading! (links provided to each player’s overall AFL stats by clicking their name) Griffin Jax: 1 start, 4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 2 ER, 2 K; 3.86 ERA, 1.52 WHIP (overall). Jax put an end to his AFL season by starting Thursday’s 4-2 loss against the Glendale Desert Dogs after the Rafters had already punched their ticket to the championship game. After Salt River scored two in the top of the first, he gave those runs back with a rough inning of his own. The leadoff man singled and came around to score on a triple before another single tied the game. After another single and a mound visit he got a grounder to keep the game knotted after one. From there he was able to work around any baserunners, holding Glendale scoreless for the rest of his outing. He allowed a single and a walk in the second but got a double play ball to quash it. In the third he navigated around a one-out single with another ground ball and a K. In his final frame he walked a batter, but he was then cut-down trying to steal second base, so he faced just three hitters. On the game he threw 72 pitches, with 43 going for strikes. I’d say it was a mixed bag for Jax in the AFL as he walked a lot of batters and his WHIP wasn’t great for a starting pitcher, but he also didn’t give up a lot of earned runs. His 21 innings pitched ranked fourth on the team and his 3.86 ERA ranked third among the six pitchers who made starts for Salt River. I wouldn’t say his performance upped his stock any, but he’s pitched so little as a professional to this point there’s still plenty to work on and improve. Travis Blankenhorn: 2 games, 4-for-8, 2 R, BB, 3 K; .224/.352/.241 (overall). The (super?) utility man got in two of his teams four games on the week, again playing the outfield in Tuesday’s loss to the Scottsdale Scorpions, and was back at second base in their division clinching win against Glendale on Wednesday. Batting ninth and playing in left against the Scorpions, Blankenhorn helped start a two-out rally for the Rafters in the seventh inning with the game still tied at zero. His single put a runner into scoring position for the top of their order, and his teammate brought them both in with a triple for 2-0 lead. It went downhill from there for Salt River and one of Blankenhorn’s organizational teammates as they ended up losing 4-2 and postponing their division title hopes for another day. He finished 1-for-4 while striking out three times. They were able to take care of the division on Wednesday, with Blankenhorn taking the leadoff spot in the lineup. He led off the bottom of the first for the Rafters with a bunt single, drew a walk in the third, singled in the fifth, reached on an error in the seventh, and singled in the eighth to be a model of that spot in the batting order. He scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and his team held on to punch their ticket to the AFL Championship with a 4-3 win. The most noteworthy aspect of Blankenhorn’s time in the AFL, for me, was the time he spent playing in the outfield on Tommy Watkin’s squad. I’d expect he gets some more run there during the 2019 minor league season, and due to his overall athleticism, he could turn into a nice super-utility type in the future if the Twins pursue that any further. You would like to see a slugging percentage that outpaces an on-base percentage by .100 points instead of the other way around in AFL play, but the uptick in walks and relative lack of strikeouts was a good sign. The overall slash numbers weren’t there by any stretch, but he also had some big games in other ways that don’t necessarily stand out statistically. Hector Lujan: 2 appearances, 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (0 earned), BB, 2 K; 5.59 ERA, 1.86 WHIP (overall). The righthander made his first appearance of the week in Monday’s 5-4 loss to Peoria, and unfortunately he contributed to the negative effort, but it wasn’t all his fault. After the Javelina’s had tied it at three in the bottom of the ninth (foreshadowing the championship game), Lujan was summoned for the bottom of the tenth with Salt River now up by one. The runner starting the frame on second base moved to third on a fly ball for the first out then scampered home after a wild pitch to tie the game once again. After a single and a strikeout, the final batter of the game send a line drive into center field and it was misplayed, allowing that runner to score all the way from first. Despite no earned runs allowed, Lujan was saddled with a blown save and a loss. In his second appearance of the week, Lujan was the first pitcher summoned in relief of Griffin Jax in Thursday’s loss to Glendale. Out for the start of the fifth, Lujan delivered a one-two-three inning, punctuating the effort with a strikeout for the third out. Back out for the sixth he got a ground out but followed it up with a walk and resulting in an end to his AFL season. Lujan could definitely take his time in the AFL as a learning experience as he faced stiffer competition than he ever had to this point in his minor league career. He was put into a tough spot in some games and things just didn’t go his way. He’s been very good in Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers the past two seasons, and he’ll see if he can continue that trend in Double A next year. Jaylin Davis: 2 games, 2-for-8, R, 2B (2), RBI, K; .279/.323/.311 (overall). To close out his AFL season, Davis also appeared in two games on the week and continued a positive second half of the schedule. In Monday’s loss to Peoria he batted seventh in the lineup and finished 1-for-4. His one-out double in the seventh led to him scoring the go-ahead run before the Javelina’s tied it in the ninth and win it in the tenth. It was his second double in the league. In their win on Wednesday against Glendale Davis again finished 1-for-4 while slotted sixth in the batting order. He was responsible for getting the Rafters on the scoreboard in the fourth inning, when his single drove in a runner to tie the game at one. Salt River made it interesting again in the bottom of the ninth, but the defense cut a tying runner down at home before finishing off the Desert Dogs and clinching their division. It was a tale of two halves for Davis in the AFL, as in the first three weeks of the season he combined to go 7-for-32 (.219) with one walk compared to an alarming fifteen strikeouts in eight games. But he then finished the final three weeks by going 10-for-29 (.345) with two doubles and two walks while only striking out six times in seven games. Like Blankenhorn, his OBP outpaced his slugging percentage and the overall numbers aren’t necessarily apparent, but the adjustments made by him were. Devin Smeltzer: 1 appearance, 0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB; 5.87 ERA, 2.35 WHIP (overall). Smeltzer got just one appearance in the season’s final week and it’s probably one he’d like to forget before starting his offseason routine. It came in Monday’s extra-inning loss to the Javelina’s where he was the first man out of the bullpen after the Rafter’s starter went the first five innings. Salt River had a 2-0 lead at the time, and Smeltzer was greeted by a bunt that went for a single on his first pitch and maybe threw him off a little bit. He followed that by issuing a walk before a double tied the game at two. A single to the next batter brought an end to his outing in which he was charged with a blown save. Like his fellow reliever Lujan, Smeltzer can reflect on his time in the AFL as a great learning experience as he continues a transition into relief pitching. He got knocked around a little bit with a WHIP of 2.35 in only 7.2 innings but should have a good idea on what he can and can’t do against the more advanced hitters he might continue to face at Double A in 2019. Adam Bray: 2 appearances, 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 K; 2.63 ERA, 1.10 WHIP (overall). The reliever’s first appearance of the week came in Tuesday’s loss to Scottsdale, and it was of the multiple inning variety. With the game tied at zero in the fifth inning, he was summoned from the bullpen with two outs and a runner in scoring position. He got his man to end the threat and back out for the sixth he delivered a one-two-three inning including a pair of strikeouts. With his pitch count still low he again came out for the seventh and got the first man out (five in a row) before a couple of singles brought on another pitching change. That pitcher gave up a double to score both of the runners Bray was responsible for, so his line looks a little worse than it was. In total he went 1 2/3, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out two. In Thursday’s loss to the Desert Dogs Bray finished the game for the Rafters, again coming in from the bullpen in the middle of the inning. This time it was after Glendale had already scored two runs on a triple to take a 4-2 lead. With no outs and a runner on third, Bray got a ground out, strikeout, and a tapper back to him on the mound to keep the score as it was and finish his AFL season with a clean outing. Bray was the best performing of the Twins relievers sent to Arizona by far and one of the better one’s on the Rafters staff. His 13 2/3 innings pitched ranked second among his bullpen peers and his 2.63 ERA third. He went 1-0 in his 10 appearance and was also one of three relievers on the team to pick up a save. I’d expect the Minnesota native to get a crack at Double A to start next season. AFL Championship Game: With the Salt River Rafters crowned the East Division winners of the AFL, they faced off against the West winning Peoria Javelina’s in the title game on Saturday. Unfortunately, none of the Twins prospects appeared in the game, and hopefully that’s only because Tommy Watkins didn’t want to seem like he was playing favorites… (I kid) Maybe he should have though, as his team couldn’t quite close it out. The Rafters took an early 2-0 lead thanks to a pair of RBI singles while their starter, Jordan Yamamoto of the Miami Marlins, kept Peoria at bay for four innings. The first run came courtesy of Miami Marlins’ prospect Monte Harrison in the second, and they took a 2-0 lead in the fourth thanks to the Washington Nationals’ Daniel Johnson. Salt River took that 2-0 lead all the way into the bottom of the ninth inning, then things turned the other way for Peoria. A leadoff walk, double, and a wild pitch brought in the first run of the game for the Javelinas and with nobody out they had the tying run on third base before an RBI single brought the game into extra innings. It was the bottom of the tenth when Peoria walked it off in dramatic fashion. With one out, Atlanta Braves prospect Braxton Davidson stepped into the batter’s box, and did this: Along with an epic bat flip, Davidson also injured himself rounding the bases so instead of being able to celebrate with this teammates on the field and in the clubhouse, he was carted off to the hospital. Originally feared to be a broken foot, it luckily appears that is not the case. Congrats to the Peoria Javelina’s, and thank you for following the Twins prospects in the AFL with me! Please feel free to ask questions about the AFL and the players who were there! Click here to view the article

Yeah they definitely leave out all the fine print.

As in it's a "Not Top 10" moment. Unfortunate amusement and I suppose I could have included these links as well. https://www.ajc.com/sports/baseball/braves-prospect-injured-after-walk-off-homer/MQtTjuvp2SoJEuAr0LvH5M/ May not be as serious as thought and no reason to believe he won't be 100% in a month or two.

Some quick notes on the AFL championship game:

Stealing my list from another thread that was before the rosters were announced: "Names I'd be looking at include the following: -Royce Lewis (performing there makes it more likely he starts 2019 in AA, or is promoted to AAA quicker than usual) -Alex Kirilloff (same ^, and can make up some development time) -Brent Rooker (his opening day or early season 2019 viability could be influenced) -Lewis Thorpe (get more innings under his belt and push his name up the food chain as I think he deserves) -Jorge Alcala (more innings, pushing for AAA) -Luis Arreaz (make up some development time, pushing for AAA) -Ben Rortvedt (good environment for catcher development, and many are needed) -Kohl Stewart (let him rip out of the bullpen to see what he may have there) -Nick Gordon (might be good for him to try and get some confidence for 2019) -Cody Stashak (solid numbers in bullpen this year, a lot like Reed/Curtiss/Vasquez's of the past) -Ryne Harper (same ^) -Tyler Wells -Griffin Jax -Jovani Moran (push this guy, and he might top my list of those I think should go there)" It's not that they "aren't eligible," they would just have to get a waiver from their winter league team, which if my memory serves me correct would usually be granted if requested (merits of doing this could be argued). Eddie Rosario needed one from his PRWL team, for example, when he played in the AFL in 2013.

It's certainly possible as it is with everybody, but he's got much more of a starter type profile than the usual type of guys that thought comes out for, in my opinion. Honestly, I think the RP risk is higher for Fernando Romero than it is Thorpe. Thorpe has a full pitch repertoire, misses a lot of bats as a starter already, and really the only issue I think that would bring that up is he didn't pitch for two years.

Good call! Totally missed him as I wasn't even considering the New York-Penn League!

Yes, I've also made the point several times that the overall talent level of players the new Front Office has been sending to the AFL has been...disappointing. Can be plenty of reasons, but the first year I thought was a chance anomaly, this second year is a coincidence, and a third year along these lines would be a pattern. As a note, there were some changes to the AFL roster rules. Both last year and now this year the Twins have sent 4 players out of Single-A levels. So maybe that's part of the difference in philosophy.

Differences of opinion are always out there and I understand the viewpoints of everything you explained, but not everything you pointed out says the same things to me and I don't necessarily see some of the things you do. I still see a good amount of inconsistency. I see a fastball that's way ahead of any of his other pitches. I also see the very high ceiling, but for me that's also attached to a high risk profile. For me that means his rating is somewhere in the middle. He was not at all dominant with Kane County, and was actually not very good for a stretch of 8 starts before being traded to the Twins. He was better when he got here but you still got really good or meh. No in between. No type of prolonged consistency and nothing even remotely resembling a track record yet. He is still very young with potential for a lot more in the future, but not top 10 for me at this point yet. Very easily could get there but I want to see more and too early for me on someone with his profile.

Yeah I'm with you on Thorpe. I may be a little biased because I interviewed him in Cedar Rapids after a stellar start before he missed all that time, but his numbers and peripherals are better than Fernando Romero's, in my opinion (he's always been better at missing bats, as an example), but Romero got way more love. It's too high for Duran for me at this point, he'd be outside my top 10. Thorpe would be in front of Gonsalves.

What a difference a week can make in the small sample size of the Arizona Fall League as the Salt River Rafters followed up their string of blowouts in week 4 with a bunch of close one-run games in week five. They finished the week with a record of 2-3, but remained on top of the East Division standings heading into a final push for a Championship Game appearance.(This report includes the games played through 11/11) The standout of the week was a pitcher hailing from the Air Force Academy, who may have earned an “Ace” moniker for his start on Friday if striking out opposing hitters in a baseball game was treated the same as downing enemy fighter jets in dogfights. The Minnesota Twins pitching prospects in the AFL combined for a 3.96 ERA and 1.65 WHIP on the week while allowing four earned runs on eight hits and seven walks allowed and striking out twelve. Their two hitters finished just 3-for-18, slashing .167/.286/.222 with two RBI, but reversing a trend by walking more times (3) than they struck out (2) on the week. Keep reading to discover how each of the Twins prospects performed in the penultimate week of the AFL season! (links provided to each player’s overall AFL stats by clicking their name) Griffin Jax: 1 start, 5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, 5 K; 3.71 ERA, 1.35 WHIP (overall). Jax got the starting nod for his team on Friday as they faced off against the Mesa Solar Sox on the road and it was all about how he finished this one, putting together his longest and most impressive start of the AFL season. Mesa got their first at-bat against Jax started with a single from Detroit Tigers top prospect Daz Cameron who promptly stole second base to put himself in scoring position. A double a few batters later brought him in to tie the game at one, but that would be all the Solar Sox would muster against Jax on the game. He retired the next seven hitters in a row and 14 of the final 17 in his game after giving up that double, going hitless along the way with only two walks and a hit-by-pitch allowed. On the game he finished five innings, exiting the game with Salt River up 2-1. He threw 78 pitches in the outing with 44 going for strikes. 12 of those were of the swinging variety and he struck out five on the game, including Cameron twice and as his final out of the day to get some revenge. Unfortunately, Salt River went on to lose this one 5-4 after his solid outing. The next night during the AFL’s Military Appreciation Game, Jax was interviewed about what has gone on in his minor league career as he was an active duty member of the Air Force after he was drafted. Listening to the full interview (7 ½ minutes long) is worth it! Travis Blankenhorn: 3 games, 0-for-11, 2 BB, K, SB; .196/.317/.236 (overall). The infielder played in three games on the week with his first two starts coming at second base, and his final one coming in the outfield. In Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the Scottsdale Scorpions Blankenhorn batted seventh in the lineup and finished 0-for-3. In the seventh inning with the score tied at two he drew a one-out walk and got into scoring position by stealing his third base of the year. He got as far as third base, but his teammates weren’t able to bring him all the way home to take the lead. In the eighth inning he helped do so in a different way, by being in the batter’s box when a wild pitch brought in the go-ahead run. The next day in an 8-7 loss to Peoria, Blankenhorn was slotted fifth in Tommy Watkin’s lineup, but it was just one of those days. He finished 0-for-5 with four of those outs coming on ground balls and was the only Rafters starter not to pick up a hit on the game. To end his week on Saturday he batted sixth and found himself playing left field for the second time in the AFL in a 7-2 loss to Mesa. He finished this one 0-for-3 with a strikeout but did draw a walk in the sixth inning when Salt River finally got on the scoreboard (he reached third base). The notable thing in this one, was Blankenhorn flashing some leather out in left: Along with any further experience in the outfield, he’ll look to get back to his hitting ways in the season’s final week! Hector Lujan: 2 appearances, 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 3 K; 7.04 ERA, 1.96 WHIP (overall). Lujan’s first appearance of week five came in Monday’s 4-3 extra-inning victory against the Surprise Saguaros. He got the extra-inning and made it a little interesting, loading the bases with nobody out after a couple of walks, but buckled down and got the next three hitters without allowing a run to put his team in position to walk it off. When they did in the bottom half of the tenth, Lujan was credited with his first AFL win (1-0). His fastest pitch of the outing registered at 95.5 MPH per the Gameday gun. He wouldn’t pitch again until Friday when he and Adam Bray backed up Jax’s start against the Solar Sox. He came on for the bottom of the seventh with the score now tied at two, and he left with his team down by a pair. A leadoff double was followed by a single before he picked up a strikeout (Cameron’s third of the game), but a wild pitch play that also included a throwing error on Lujan allowed both runners to score. Perhaps a little ticked off, he got back to business and struck out the next two hitters to end his game. In total he was charged with two runs (one earned) along with picking up three K’s. Jaylin Davis: 2 games, 3-for-7, R, 2B (1), 2 RBI, BB, K; .283/.321/.302 (overall). The outfielder played in two games on the week, manning right field in Monday’s win versus Surprise and Wednesday’s loss against Peoria. In their extra-inning affair with the Saguaros, Davis picked up a sharp groundout in the bottom of the second to get the Rafters on the scoreboard and added another RBI with his first AFL double in the fourth when they were able to tie the game at three. He added a single to lead off the seventh to finish the game 2-for-4. On Wednesday Salt River scored first and led 7-5 going into the eighth inning with Davis doing his part, but the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead in the loss. Davis led off the fourth with a single and scored on a double from the next hitter that made it 5-4 Javelinas and followed that up by reaching base on a throwing error by the shortstop that allowed a run to score and gave the Rafters the lead in the fifth. In his final at-bat in the seventh he drew a two-out walk before Peoria took the game in the final two innings. Devin Smeltzer: 1 appearance, 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 earned) 2 BB; 3.80 ERA, 1.97 WHIP (overall). After appearing in the Fall Stars Game last week, Smeltzer got in only one appearance, with it coming in Wednesday’s loss to Peoria. It was a bummer for him as well, as he contributed to his team losing their late two-run lead. Out front 7-5 going into the eighth, Smeltzer came on and promptly allowed a home run to the leadoff man. That was followed by a single, a sacrifice bunt, and two walks to load the bases before he was pulled. The Javelina’s went on to tie the game on an error a few batters later and ultimately took the lead in the ninth. Adam Bray: 2 appearances, 2.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K; 1.64 ERA, 1.18 WHIP (overall). The Minnesota native got in on two games on the week, partnering with Lujan out of the bullpen on both Monday and Friday. In the win against Surprise he was the first reliever summoned to start the sixth with the game tied at three and made quick work of the Saguaros hitters. He retired them one-two-three, punctuating his outing with a strikeout on a full count fastball up in the zone. On Friday Bray relieved Jax for the sixth inning with the score 2-1 Rafters but left his starter with a no-decision after the first batter he faced doubled into center field and came around to score on a single a few batters later. He would be charged with his second blown save in the AFL but on the positive side, he recorded all three of his outs via strikeout and 19 of his 28 pitches went for strikes. Other AFL and Minor League Links: - Baseball America released their Top 10 Twins Prospect list for 2019 on Monday with former Pioneer Press beat writer Mike Berardino again taking the reins and chatting about it yesterday. His full article is behind their paywall, but you can also see how he ranked them and join the discussion about it here on Twins Daily. - Also included in Berardino’s chat, was an update on the status of outfielder Luke Raley. He left the game in the sixth inning way back on October 15th, and we now know that was due to a strained throwing shoulder (his left). - Another of the Twins M.I.A. prospects also had quite a big week, but it obviously wasn’t on a baseball field. Brent Rooker got married to his longtime girlfriend on Saturday, so as someone who just recently got engaged himself, congratulations to the happy couple! https://www.instagra.../p/Bp5tAFuBu1-/ - Along with their Top 10 list, Baseball America has also been unveiling their Top 20 prospects in each league of the minors. Again, you’ll run into paywall blockades if you attempt to go further into each specific list but Royce Lewis is highlighted as the number one guy in each of the Midwest and Florida State League entries, and I’d imagine Alex Kirilloff isn’t far behind. Ryan Pressly trade acquisition Gilberto Celestino also tops the list for the New York-Penn League. Please feel free to ask questions about the AFL and the players who are there! Click here to view the article

The guy I'd prefer to any of these didnt even make your list. Give me Marwin Gonzalez.

The Salt River Rafters offense exploded in week four of the Arizona Fall League season as they took a commanding lead in the East division standings with two weeks left to play. They went 4-1 in their five games, scoring 12 or more runs three times and combining to outscore their opponents 54-25. Both Twins hitters still playing had a solid week and will look to continue trending upward as the season comes to a close, a starting pitcher picked up his first win, and a reliever made an appearance in the Fall Stars Game on Saturday.(This report includes the games played through 11/4) The Minnesota Twins group of pitching prospects combined to pitch eight innings on the week and allowed four earned on seven hits and seven walks, good for a 4.50 ERA and 1.75 WHIP. The hitters combined to go 9-for-22 with six runs scored and six RBIs, slashing .409/.458/.409 overall. To find out how all the prospects fared in week 4 of the AFL season, keep reading! (links provided to each player’s overall AFL stats by clicking their name) Griffin Jax: 1 start, W, 4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 3 ER, 3 K; 4.50 ERA, 1.58 WHIP (overall). Jax again made one start on the week, with his turn coming in Thursday’s 14-3 win over Glendale on the road. He finished four innings and was credited with his first AFL win, but it wasn’t a dominant effort by any means as he struggled a little with his command. He walked the first hitter of the game for the Desert Dogs, and that runner and another would come around to score in the first inning. He picked up a K to end any further threat. In the second frame he got another K for the first out, then walked another batter before getting the next two. In the third he allowed another run after the leadoff man singled, stole second base, then came around on another single. Jax finished his day by allowing a walk in the fourth, but no other runner reached base. In total he allowed the three earned runs on four hits and four walks while striking out three. Of his 76 pitches in the outing, 45 went for strikes including six swinging. Travis Blankenhorn: 2 games, 4-for-8, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB, 2 K; .250/.361/.300 (overall). Playing second base in two games on the week, Blankenhorn made an impact in both contests as his team won those games by a combined score of 22-7. In Tuesday’s 14-4 throttling of the Mesa Solar Sox, Blankenhorn batted sixth and made the most of his opportunities to drive runners in. In the second inning he got his team on the board with an RBI single and would score later as the Rafters jumped out to a 3-0 lead. In the third his sacrifice fly made it 4-3 and he added an RBI single in the fifth as Salt River started to pour it on. In addition to starting the Rafter’s scoring on the day, he also ended it with an RBI single in the eighth for the final tally of 14 runs on the game. In total he finished this one 3-for-4 with a run scored and four RBIs. Back in action on Friday for their 8-3 win over the Surprise Saguaros, Blankenhorn batted leadoff and made the most of his opportunities to score runs. He drew a walk to lead off the top of the third inning and would score a few batters later on a home run as Salt River took the early 2-0 lead. He singled in the top of the sixth and would trot home on a sacrifice fly for their eighth and final run of that game. He went 1-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored, and two K’s to finish off his week. Hector Lujan: 1 appearance, 1.0 IP, BB, K; 7.94 ERA, 1.94 WHIP (overall). With the week shortened by one game due to the Fall Stars game on Saturday, Lujan and the rest of the pitching staff only appeared in one league game each on the week. His opportunity came after Jax’s start and another Twins reliever’s appearance in Thursday’s win over Glendale. Out for the seventh inning with a 12-3 lead, Lujan got a couple of fly outs around a walk, then ended his inning with a swinging strikeout for a scoreless inning of work. He threw 19 pitches, with 12 going for strikes (two swinging). Jaylin Davis: 3 games, 5-for-14, 3 R, RBI, 4 K; .261/.292/.261 (overall). Among Twins prospects in week four, Davis saw the most action as he played in three games including right field twice and left field once. In Monday’s 12-3 blowout of the Mesa Solar Sox Davis had his best game of the AFL season, finishing 4-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. In the bottom of the first his two-out single scored the second run of the game for the Rafters, before the next batter made it 5-0 with a home run. In the third inning Davis beat out an infield single and then stole second base before scoring on a single that made it a 7-0 lead. He was left stranded after a single in the fifth but would score his third run of the game in the seventh inning after yet another single. On defense in the sixth, Davis ran down a ground ball single in right field and threw a strike back into second base to cut down the runner trying to stretch it into a double for another outfield assist. After a day off on Tuesday, Davis was in left field for the Rafters 12-6 loss on Wednesday to Glendale in extra innings. He was 1-for-4 with a strikeout, and his hit came in the bottom of the 10th inning after the Desert Dogs had scored six in the top half. He was also hit by a pitch in the game, so he reached base multiple times. Davis played in back-to-back games to end his week, going 0-for-5 in Salt River’s win over Glendale on Thursday. He struck out twice but also hit a couple of hard balls that turned into outs. Devin Smeltzer: 1 appearance, 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 earned) 0 BB, K; 2.57 ERA, 1.43 WHIP (overall). Smeltzer’s lone appearance with the Rafters came on Wednesday, and he was charged with a blown save before his team ended up losing in extra innings. He came on for the top of the eighth, with the Rafters up 5-4 at the time. He got the first man on a strikeout and a fly out for two quick outs, but consecutive doubles and an error on his defense led to a 6-5 lead for the Desert Dogs. He got a groundball to keep his team within one, and they would tie it in the bottom of the ninth, but extra innings didn’t go so well for his team. Of his 21 pitches, 16 went for strikes in the outing, including two swinging. He did make one other appearance on the week however, as he was the Twins lone representative in the Fall Stars Game on Saturday. He pitched 2/3 of an inning in the East squads 7-6 loss to the West. He came on to start the sixth inning and struck out the first two hitters he faced before issuing a walk and being removed from the game. The pitcher who followed proceeded to give up a single and a triple so Smeltzer ended up being charged with a run. Of his 16 pitches, eight went for strikes including four swinging. If not for the walk, it was a solid showing in the game for him with a lot of eyes watching. Adam Bray: 1 appearance, 2.0 IP, H, 2 BB, K; 1.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP (overall). After Jax went four innings in Wednesday’s win against the Desert Dogs, Bray came on for the fifth and pitched the next two frames. He allowed a single in the fifth, and two walks in the sixth, but was able to work around them, including ending his game with a strikeout to keep his team ahead 7-3. He threw 38 pitches total with 24 going for strikes (1 swinging). Also, this is pretty cool and shows that it’s not just all baseball for the prospects out in Arizona (or during the season, either): Other AFL and Minor League Links: - With the Fall Stars game likely be the biggest attraction of the AFL season, MLB.com went through their list of best tools appearing in the game. The Twins Devin Smeltzer got an honorable mention in the Best Control category. - Also in reference to that game, were MLB.com’s guide to all the player’s appearing from each team (Smeltzer’s AFL season so far briefly recapped) and their gamer on how it was won in walk-off fashion. There were multiple prospects to hit 100 MPH on pitches (including one at 104 from Nate Pearson of the Blue Jays), and Vlad Jr. also hits the ball really hard (if you didn’t know that, already). Oh, here’s the Mets’ Peter Alonso taking a Pearson 100+MPH fastball deep, as well: Please feel free to ask questions about the AFL and the players who are there! Click here to view the article

You guys gave me some good laughs seeing this stuff this morning!!

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No, no, you miss the difference between the two that I could have clarified. 1. I'd venture the most common double is one that gets past a LF or RF into the gap, thus balls hit 'toward' that vicinity are more likely to be doubles than any other balls in play. 2. Then to attack the idea of the a LF or RF cutting a ball off hit 'toward' the gap, that throw is shorter. And I wouldn't lose sleep either, but I would have this preference. I've always thought Rosie and Max should be swapped too, like others have said here.