Steve Lein

A Triple A doubleheader added an extra game to a full slate of action on Tuesday night, and if not for a hit parade from Cedar Rapids, pitching would have been the only story on the day. Each affiliate got a strong effort from their starting pitcher, including likely the best start of a top phenom's career to this point. And his game wasn’t even the one that finished 1-0 in favor of the good guys.To catch up on all the action and see just how good affiliate pitching was on the day, keep reading! TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins recalled RHP Tyler Duffey.RED WINGS REPORTGame 1: Syracuse 2, Rochester 3 Box Score In the opener of their doubleheader the Red Wings went with an opener in the form of Matt Magill making his season debut. He gave up a leadoff single to #OldFriend Carlos Gomez and later walked a batter to put a runner in scoring position with one out, but buckled down from there to close out his first appearance with two strikeouts. Luke Raley started off the bottom of the second with a double, and Tomas Telis brought him in with a single to put Rochester up 1-0. Telis wasn’t done on the day, as he would add another to the tally with a solo home run in the fourth that made it 2-0. The scored stayed that way until the sixth inning as the primary pitcher, Justin Nicolino, put up zeroes for his first four innings. In the sixth, a leadoff single was followed by a two-run home run to tie the game, but Nicolino retired the next three hitters to end his day with an overall solid performance. In five innings he allowed the two runs on six hits and one walk while picking up five strikeouts. He threw 70 pitches on the day, with 45 going for strikes (64%). With the game tied at two after that, Zander Wiel was quick to put Nicolino back in line for the win. He led off the bottom of the sixth with his third home run of the young season, and it was enough for the home team: Mike Morin finished the game with a scoreless inning, striking out one and needing only 10 pitches. Game 2: Syracuse 3, Rochester 0 Box Score Things didn’t go as well for the Red Wings in the nightcap, as they managed just two hits as a team and had only three plate appearances with runners in scoring position. Drew Maggi drew two walks out of the nine-hole, and Jordany Valdespin and Brent Rooker collected the hits. Ryan Eades started the game and finished the first three innings. He allowed two earned runs on three hits while notching four strikeouts. Jake Reed came on for the fourth and fifth innings, allowing the final Mets run on three hits and two walks and also struck out four. Fernando Romero finished the game with two perfect innings, striking out three. He threw 73% of his 29 pitches for strikes, including six swinging. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Pensacola 2, Biloxi 3 Box Score Top prospect Brusdar Graterol continued his early season dominance for the Blue Wahoos with his best start yet. A brilliant seven inning performance where he carried a no-hitter into the fifth. A walk in the fourth was his first base runner, and a two-out single in the fifth ended his bid, but those two baserunners were surrounded by a stretch of retiring eleven straight to open the game, and seven straight to end it. He was at just 80 pitches when he left (55 for strikes), showing efficiency to go along with his eight strikeouts as he lowered his ERA on the year to 0.52 in 17 1/3 total innings. Unfortunately for the fireballing phenom, he was matched for the first six innings by his competition, who also carried a perfect game into the fourth before a Luis Arraez single tallied Pensacola’s first hit. The teams together didn’t push a run across in the scheduled nine innings, but that changed quickly in extras with a baserunner starting on second base. Pensacola loaded the bases with one out before a catcher interference play put the first run of the game on the scoreboard. Caleb Hamilton followed with a single to make it 2-0 before the Shuckers got a double-play ball to end any further damage. In the bottom of the tenth the Blue Wahoos stuck with reliever Cody Stashak who had retired six in a row, including four straight strikeouts in the prior two innings in relief of Graterol, but the scales did not tip in his favor this time. A leadoff triple was followed by a double to quickly tie the game back up and Tyler Jay was summoned to try to extend the game. He got a strikeout before intentionally walking a batter for a chance at a double play, but a fly ball into right field from the next batter was deep enough for the Shuckers to walk it off. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 1, St. Lucie 0 Box Score Fort Myers and St. Lucie combined for just five hits on the game and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position as pitching owned the day. For the Miracle it was left-hander Bryan Sammons who had yet to give up an earned run in his first two starts of the season. That streak stayed intact in his best fashion yet, as he finished six innings for the first time in his three turns. He allowed just two hits and two walks while picking up six strikeouts. He threw 57 of his 89 pitches for strikes on the game, with a noteworthy 15 of the swinging variety. Sammons has now allowed just one unearned run on the season, and in his last two games has pitched 11 2/3 innings with just four hits and five walks against, while racking up fourteen strikeouts. Fort Myers got all the offense they would need in the game’s opening frame, as Akil Baddoo led off with a walk, stole second base, then found himself on third after a groundout. Trevor Larnach then brought him home with a sacrifice fly and that was it. Baddoo added his first double of the season in the eighth inning. After Sammons exit, Alex Phillips came on and would finish the game, picking up a three-inning save in the process and his third of the season. He walked just one and struck out four and like Sammons, has yet to allow an earned run on the season in 8 2/3 innings and six separate appearances. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 11, Quad Cities 2 Box Score Unlike their cohorts on Tuesday, the Kernels didn’t have to fret about pitching when it came to the final score in their game. The offense turned it into a blowout late as they outhit the River Bandits 15-4 on the night. Trey Cabbage did most of the damage out of the cleanup spot in the lineup, finishing 3-for-6 with a home run (his fourth of the year), a triple, and five RBI. In addition Gabriel Maciel (3-for-5, 2 R, 3B, BB), Gabe Snyder (3-for-4, R, 2 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, BB), Jacob Pearson (3-for-5, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI), and Michael Davis (3-for-4, R, 2B, RBI) all collected three hits to account for all of the barrage of hits. They also didn’t have to fret about pitching, because they still got a strong performance from their starter. Right-hander Blayne Enlow took the mound and with the warmer weather, came out throwing some fire: He went six innings to pick up his second win of the year and his first quality start. He allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out six. He wasn’t as efficient than others on the day with 44 of his 84 pitches going for strikes (52%), but was also quite effective on the scoreboard. Brian Rapp added two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two, and Carlos Suniaga wrapped it up with a one-two-three ninth, including a strikeout. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Brusdar Graterol, Pensacola Blue Wahoos (7.0 IP, H, BB, 8 K) Twins Daily Hitter(s) of the Day – Trey Cabbage, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-for-6, 3B, HR, 5 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, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - 7.0 IP, H, BB, 8 K #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, RBI #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 1-for-4, 2 BB, K (2 games) #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - W, 6.0 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-3, R, 2B, BB #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, K #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-3, 3B #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - Did not play #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - Did not play #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (11:35AM CST) – LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-2, 15.58 ERA) Pensacola @ Biloxi (6:35PM CST) - LHP Devin Smeltzer (2-0, 0.00 ERA) Fort Myers @ St. Lucie (5:30PM CST) – RHP Jhoan Duran (0-1, 2.00 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:35PM CST) – RHP Jordan Balazovic (1-1, 2.79 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

Red Wings game reminded me of one I attended quite a few years ago at Coors Field. Was on the 4th of July, big comeback win by the Rockies: https://www.mlb.com/gameday/marlins-vs-rockies/2008/07/04/235052#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=235052

He gave up 9 runs in a start in early June, but after that he dialed it in and went 6-0 in his final 10 starts in Double A.

Yeah, that's what I'm getting at as well. I understand it, just don't necessarily agree with its application.

I was honestly trying to figure out why reading the box score. They say any run scored after there should be three outs is unearned, but I didn't like how it applied in this scenario. The first runner of the inning reached on an error, so that one unearned for sure. But after that I don't see it. I would have thought in a case like this, it's the potential third out that needs to be the qualifier, not the potential first out. But it will certainly help his stat line!

It has been a rough few days in the Minnesota Twins minor league system, as they haven’t won a game in the past two days, but I can spoil some of the following for you as the third day was the charm thanks to a walk-off. In addition to recapping the three scheduled games, as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos traveled home for the first time on Tuesday, I was able to catch up with perhaps their biggest fan for the upcoming season.Keep reading to check it all out! RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Syracuse 7 Box Score The Red Wings fell behind 1-0 after the first inning with right-hander Kohl Stewart on the mound, but quickly gave him a lead in the top of the second. The first four hitters in the lineup reached safely, with Adam Rosales’ single to center field scoring Luke Raley from third for Rochester’s first run. Later in the inning a Ronald Torreyes groundout brought in Zander Wiel for a 2-1 lead. In the top of the third a Wynston Sawyer double brought in two more runs, and Rosales followed with a double of his own to push their lead to 5-1. Unfortunately for Stewart and his defense, their hold on the game unraveled in the bottom half. A throwing error started the inning, then a hit batter, walk, three singles, a double, and a sac fly resulted in six runs for the Mets and they never looked back. All told Stewart was charged with seven runs, though only one was earned, in his 2 2/3 innings. He struck out three. Fernando Romero took over in the third for his second appearance of the season and finished 3 1/3 hitless innings. He struck out four and walked none (did hit a batter) on 40 pitches, with 25 going for strikes (63%). Jake Reed got the final two innings, going one-two-three in each, along with picking up three strikeouts. The Rochester lineup out-hit Syracuse 14-7 on the game, but after the third inning it was all about the pitchers for both teams. Eleven of the Red Wings hits came in those first three frames, as did all seven for the Mets. Six Red Wings batters picked up multiple hits including John Andreoli (2-for-4, BB, K), Randy Cesar (2-for-5, R, K), Raley (2-for-5, 2 R, 2 K), Zander Wiel (2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 K), Sawyer (2-for-2, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB), and Rosales (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI). Wiel and Brent Rooker also collected their first doubles of the year. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Scheduled Day Off. Pensacola finished their first weekend of the Southern League season by taking three of five against the Mobile Bay Bears on the road. They headed home to Blue Wahoo Stadium for the first time in 2019 on Tuesday for a five-game series with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp with fireballer Jorge Alcala on the mound, who struck out six in five scoreless innings in the team’s season opener. When they get there it also will be the first time fellow Minnesotan and Blue Wahoos PR Director Daniel Venn will get to see them in action at home as a Twins affiliate. With the off day, I caught up with Daniel about what he’s looking forward to covering the team this year and the prospects he will get know. Twins Daily (TD): Who has been the best prospect you’ve seen come through since you’ve been working in the minor leagues? Daniel Venn (DV): Both in the FSL and in spring training this year, Alex Kirilloff blows you away. I watched him twice this spring, once facing Blake Snell on a minor league backfield. The other against James Paxton and the Yankees at Hammond Stadium. Both times it was lefty-on-lefty, a tough enough match-up as it is, against two of the best left-handers in baseball. Against Snell, he stepped in and hit a wicked liner to left. Against Paxton, he flew out to the warning track. Even though both were outs, to see a kid with no experience above High-A step in, have great at-bats, and hit the ball hard against two elite-level major league pitchers is really impressive. I can't wait to watch him this year. TD: As a follow-up, who have been your favorite prospects? (If they’re different for any reason) DV: A couple guys who aren't considered 'top' prospects have really impressed me. Jimmy Kerrigan and Taylor Grzelakowski are two guys who might make it to the major leagues on grit and will and hard work alone. Both were undrafted and came out of independent baseball and play their hearts out every night. Twins fans should also know the names Devin Smeltzer and Griffin Jax. Both are great pitchers, great people, and great stories. Devin beat cancer as a young athlete and has dedicated his career to helping kids battling the disease. He took a perfect game into the fifth in his first outing of 2019 and K'd 9 in 5.2 IP. Jax is a second lieutenant in the US Air Force and missed most of the first two seasons of his career as an active duty member of the military serving his community. He's still active duty, but was able to resume his baseball career last year through a World Class Athlete Olympic exemption. TD: Who are you most excited about to see on the roster at the beginning of the year? DV: Obviously I'd be remiss if I didn't name Kirilloff first. I can't wait to watch him get back on the field and start hitting. He's such a mature hitter who just barrels everything up and never gets cheated on a swing. I'm also excited to watch this team's starting pitching every night. To have Alcala and Brusdar at the top of the rotation each throwing 98-100 is a luxury not many minor league teams have. But, then to have Devin Smeltzer, Griffin Jax, and Sean Poppen follow them? That is a deep, deep rotation that should put this team in a position to win every night. TD: What does it mean to you to have your “hometown” team be the parent club now? DV: It sounds cliche to say I have my dream job, but I really do. Following the Twins avidly as a fan, I've been checking box scores for years to see how guys like Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff and Luis Arraez and Brusdar Graterol do. Now they're part of my day job. It couldn't be more fun. TD: And finally, do you have a prediction for how the Blue Wahoos will do this year? DV: The whole Southern League is full of talent, but I like this team's chances. It takes high-end prospect talent to win in the minor leagues, which we have in guys like Kirilloff and Arraez and Graterol and Alcala, but it also takes some older, experienced guys who will grind for you all season long, and we've that too in Drew Maggi, Brian Schales, Grzelakowski, and Kerrigan. It takes a team and we've got that. Plus, if you take a look down a level at Fort Myers...they're absolutely loaded with talent, especially offensively. Knowing that at some point this season, there will be a wave of talent coming up from the Miracle also makes me really excited about Pensacola's chances this season. Big thanks to Daniel for taking the time to answer some more questions! MIRACLE MATTERS Dunedin 0, Fort Myers 1 Box Score It was a pitcher’s duel at Hammond Stadium on Tuesday night, with right-hander Randy Dobnak getting the start for the Miracle and his Florida State League debut. He went five scoreless innings, scattering five hits, walking one, and striking out two. Of his 89 pitches on the game, 54 went for strikes (61%) including 10 swinging. Hector Lujan came on for the sixth and went the next 2 2/3. He allowed one hit and struck out four including Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the eighth. But after consecutive walks, Tom Hackimer was brought in to snuff the threat and after loading the bases by hitting a batter, did so with a big strikeout. He finished the game by striking out the side in the ninth, but at that point the score was still tied at zero with the top of the lineup coming up for the bottom half. Royce Lewis got a rally started with a one-out single, then reached second on a wild pitch to put the winning run in scoring position. After an intentional walk to Trevor Larnach and an infield single off the bat of Jose Miranda, the bases were loaded for Lewin Diaz. On a 1-0 count he hit a sharp grounder through the right side for the walk-off win: Diaz was the only hitter to collect multiple hits on the day for the Miracle, while Travis Blankenhorn added a double. KERNELS NUGGETS Kane County 4, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score Cedar Rapids got a strong first four innings from their starter Luis Rijo, but after an error started off the fifth, he got a little wild with two hit-by-pitches around a two-run double and an RBI single that put Kane County out front 3-0. In his five innings, Rijo allowed three hits and a walk while striking out six. The Kernels got one back in the bottom half when a Gilberto Celestino double drove in Michael Davis who had walked a batter earlier. But that’s all the offense would be able to muster on the game despite outhitting the Cougars 9-5 as they were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Celestino (2-for-5, 2B, RBI), Chris Williams (3-for-4, K), and Trey Cabbage (2-for-4) each had multiple hits. After Rijo was done, it was right hander Tyler Palm who came out of the bullpen. He finished the final four innings, allowing one run in the ninth, but otherwise just two hits and two walks to go along with four strikeouts overall. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Fernando Romero, Rochester Red Wings (3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 K) Twins Daily Hitter(s) of the Day – Lewin Diaz, Fort Myers Miracle (2-for-4, game-winning-RBI single) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-3, R, BB #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, BB, K #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - 1-for-5, 2B, K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-4, K #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3 #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - Did not play #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-5, 2 K #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, 2B, RBI #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 1-for-5, K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-4 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (12:05PM CST) – RHP Sean Poppen (0-0, -.-- ERA) Jacksonville @ Pensacola (6:35PM CST) - RHP Jorge Alcala (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Dunedin @ Fort Myers (12:00PM CST) – LHP Bryan Sammons (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Kane County @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Blayne Enlow (0-1, 27.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article

It is my opinion, that throwing a lot of pitches in a single inning is far more detrimental to a players arm than the total number of pitches he throws in a game. I am glad the Twins have this as a rule. It's about how they get to that pitch count, not the total number. This isn't a real example, but speaks to the idea: I'd let my guy throw 150 if he's only throwing 10 pitches per frame.

Agree 100%. And I can't think of a reason why they would take it away, either.

They definitely switched it up a bit this year, but here's a few links: Scoreboard: https://www.milb.com/scores/twins/ All affiliate links: https://www.milb.com/team/affiliations MLB Affiliate news: https://www.milb.com/fans/affiliate-news Otherwise it seems they may have gotten rid of the page you're thinking, which like you, I'm going to miss if so.

This. Torii Hunter was graceful at the wall, always seemed to come down soft and easy. Buxton just crashes.

Can be a free agent after the 2021 season, if my math is correct.

My expectation is he's there to fill in for Kirilloff and English while they're on the IL and will be back in Fort Myers when they come back, but you never know.

Haha, decided to write the lineup with players currently able to play on opening day

For the first time since the 2015 season (and 1901-1960 before that when the franchise was the Washington Senators), the Minnesota Twins Double A affiliate for the upcoming season will not be the Chattanooga Lookouts (I’ll miss that logo…). That’s because the Twins struck a two-year Player Development Contract with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (also of the Southern League) in the offseason to perhaps further their minor league development expansion efforts to one of the best facilities in the minors.While the Lookouts finished at the bottom of the Southern League North division standings while with Minnnesota for the 2018 season, the Blue Wahoos won a wild card in the second half before losing to the Biloxi Shuckers in the first round of the playoffs while an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The Blue Wahoos appear to join the organization at a good time, as there’s a few top prospects in all the minor leagues that could spend a lot of time with them during the 2019 season. They appear to have a strong roster at the outset but may be even better in the second half if and when players are promoted. So here’s a look at the inaugural Pensacola Blue Wahoos roster and coaching staff for the 2019 season. Feel free to share any thoughts you may have on the team and as always, ask questions in the comments! COACHING STAFF Manager Ramon Borrego comes to Pensacola after spending seven years as the Twins manager in the Gulf Coast League, and then the 2018 season at the helm of the Fort Myers Miracle where he led them to the Florida State League championship. Steve Singleton will be the hitting coach and is very familiar with Borrego, as they’ve been together at both the GCL and FSL levels in the past few years. They’ll be joined by pitching coaches Cibney Bello and Justin Willard who worked together last year with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. ROSTER The Blue Wahoos will be represented on the Twins 40-man roster by two players to start the season. There is not a member of the team who has played in the majors yet, though eight players have spent some time at the Triple A level, with 11 more having spent at least some time with the Chattanooga Lookouts in 2018 or at Double A in the past. Note that this is a tentative roster and can be updated before the minor league season starts on Thursday. HITTERS Catchers: Brian Navarreto, Mitchell Kranson, Caleb Hamilton Infielders: Luis Arraez, Brian Schales, Drew Maggi, Jordan Gore, Taylor Grzelakowski (also Catcher) Outfielders: Jaylin Davis, Jimmy Kerrigan, Ernie De La Trinidad, Tanner English (IL), Alex Kirilloff (IL) PITCHERS: Starting Pitchers: Brusdar Graterol, Jorge Alcala, Griffin Jax, Devin Smeltzer, Sean Poppen, Tyler Wells (IL), Daniel Camarena (IL), Randy LeBlanc (IL) Relief Pitchers: Tyler Jay, Sam Clay, Jovani Moran, Jeff Ames, Adam Bray, Andro Cutura, Dusten Knight, Ryan Mason, Cody Stashak, Williams Ramirez (IL) POTENTIAL LINEUP: CF – Jimmy Kerrigan 2B – Luis Arraez OF – Jaylin Davis (Alex Kirilloff) 1B – Taylor Grzelakowski DH – Mitchell Kranson OF – Ernie De La Trinidad / Jaylin Davis 3B – Drew Maggi / Brian Schales SS – Jordan Gore C – Brian Navarreto TOP PROSPECTS: Alex Kirilloff (Twins Daily #2 Prospect) – Best hitter not named Vlad Guerrero Jr. in all of MiLB last season.Brusdar Graterol (Twins Daily #3 Prospect) – Graterol is the Twins top pitching prospect. Blessed with a triple-digit fastball as well as improving breaking ball and changeup.Jorge Alcala (Twins Daily #19 Prospect) – Like Graterol, Alcala can hit triple-digits with his fastball and will continue to work on his secondary offerings.Tyler Wells – Twins Daily’s 2018 MiLB Starting Pitcher of the Year. Has dedicated himself to fitness and diet as a pro and the big righthander will look to continue his rise among pitching prospects.Luis Arraez – Professional hitter with a .329 career batting average in the minors tied with only an 8.5% strikeout rate.Jovani Moran – Lefty reliever was nearly unhittable last year at Cedar Rapids, then improved when promoted to Fort Myers. Has a 12.6/9IP strikeout rate in the minors thus far. Arrow pointing firmly up.Taylor Grzelakowski – .828 OPS in pitcher friendly Florida State League in 2018. Standout in MiLB reports last year could improve that number even more in Southern League.Griffin Jax – Jax re-joined the organization in late-April as part of the Air Force’s World Class Athlete program. He joined the Miracle in mid-May and spent the rest of the season with the team. He posted a 3.70 ERA over 87 2/3 innings with the Miracle and then threw another 21 innings in the Arizona Fall league.Jaylin Davis – Strongly built outfielder will likely slot somewhere in middle of Blue Wahoos order. Power is tool to keep an eye on in 2019.STORIES TO WATCH: What else can one say about Alex Kirilloff at this point? He’s the must-watch prospect for Pensacola to start the season, and it’s fun to speculate on if he can repeat the success he had last year in the upper levels of the minor leagues. He’ll start the year on the injured list but shouldn’t be on the shelf long.Brusdar Graterol and Jovani Moran are being challenged with the assignment to Double A to start the year after fantastic campaigns in 2018, how will they respond?The Fort Myers Miracle won the FSL championship in 2018 in part because of several players added to the roster in the second half of the season. A lot of those same guys are starting the year back with Fort Myers, with the potential to make the same type of impact with the Blue Wahoos in the latter half of this summer. Hear it from the Championship organization themselves:Tyler Wells was fantastic during the 2018 season and is arguably the top pitcher on the staff to start the year. Will he be able to keep his arrow pointing upward as he faces stiffer competition in the Southern League?Can Tyler Jay reclaim any of his former top-prospect-shine in the mold of Kohl Stewart from the 2018 season?Please feel free to discuss this roster. Ask lots of questions and check back often. What stories will you be following? Click here to view the article

I played for the Cologne Coyotes, and thankfully they switched the nickname to the Hollanders after a few years, haha. Venues in their league (the Crow River Valley League) have hosted many-of-Class C state tournaments over the years and is one of the better in the state every year. That damn ACL tear ruined my "career year" though, hah.

Ryan Jeffers?

None of the pitchers who made their debut last year are on the opening day roster, but if Fernando Romero figures out what ailed him this spring he could be up pretty quickly. The rest are starters vying to be the guy who is pitching the best when the Twins need someone for a spot-start. Astudillo and Cave both debuted last year and have made the team. The big contribution you speak of is most likely going to come from the group of starters who debuted last year, I think.

Yes, that will definitely play a part as well, but if my memory has served me right Falvey and Levine haven't been the types to reward long-time minor leaguers with cup-of-coffee call-ups like Terry Ryan did. The last one like that I can think of is James Beresford in 2016 before Falvey was hired. Furthermore, everyone they brought up for September in 2018 had already made their MLB debut except Andrew Vasquez.

First off, thanks to all for the kind words. I love writing this piece every year! Definitely a logjam, and it will only get more cluttered moving forward I think. But the point you make about it lines up with what I think is the Front Office's plan as the summer wears on. They didn't go out and sign a Keuchel or Kimbrel in the offseason, but a move for someone along those lines at the trade deadline becomes a distinct possibility when you have these assets in the organization.

Larnach was in the theoretical "just missed" group when I was going through players. I would put him around the same spot as I had Rooker last year, but with all that depth and that he's probably starting this year in Fort Myers vs. Chattanooga, I don't see it happening, so I left him off. Kirilloff is simply higher up the ladder. Colina misses because he's so far away. It's been quite an eye-opener to read about that high-90's heat he's bringing now and I agree he's a reliever in the end. But he's another guy who is simply not far enough along the ladder if they're keeping him a starter, which I believe they are for now. I suspect he and Graterol will front the Miracle's rotation to start the season.

I'm with you on Raley, definitely looks the part. It was a bit disappointing he didn't get more run in the AFL but there is sneaky & solid athleticism in his body. He very likely could be a guy we're talking about! And I agree with you on the depth. There's a lot of names in this list, but I don't think there will be nearly as many MLB debuts this year as there has been the past few.