Steve Lein

He was a name in my original list, but due to the depth in the majors and the other names at Triple A I decided this wouldn't be his year. Although he looks the part and is definitely a strong defensive catcher, his bat needs to be better than Drew Butera to take that step forward. He can get there, but still needs more time to advance that part of his game.

I have been a fan of minor league baseball since I was 11 years old and my family brought us to watch the prospects of the Appleton Foxes, and later the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, on summer vacations. I was already a huge fan of baseball—­at that point in my life, the Minnesota Twins had won two World Series, and I couldn’t get enough of Kirby Puckett’s infectious smile.It was at those small stadiums in my youth where that same type of joy for the game was easy to spot. The environments were more intimate, and the teams promoted interactions between players and fans in fun ways the major leagues just didn’t. I also realized that these were guys trying to make the same dream I had come true—to be a professional baseball player. That was certainly a childish dream for me looking back, but I did love the game enough that I still played competitively until I was almost 30 and blew out my ACL roaming the outfields of town ball parks in Minnesota (I made the catch on that play, at least). I’ve also been able to expand my experiences in minor league stadiums to outside of the Midwest to places like the Florida peninsula, Georgia, and Missouri. Because of my interest in baseball’s up and coming prospects, the offseason news cycle of top prospect lists and organizational depth charts have always been must -read material for me. There are websites and publications everywhere dedicated to only the minors these days, and you’ll find some of the best individual team recaps and summaries right here at Twins Daily. While I’ve put out plenty of my own “top prospect” lists since taking up blogging (over 10 years ago now?! Wow, time flies…), there are so many incredibly detailed ones out there now that I’ve put my own spin on such a list for several years. It harkens back to the idea that all these prospects I’ve watched play are looking to fulfill their dream of playing in the major leagues, and delves into who those players may be in the upcoming season. Across Major League Baseball during the 2018 season, 247 players made their professional debut. The Minnesota Twins accounted for eight of those players, including pitchers Stephen Gonsalves, Tyler Kinley, Zack Littell, Fernando Romero, Kohl Stewart, and Andrew Vasquez. Joining them on the position player side were Jake Cave and everyone’s favorite, “La Tortuga,” Willians Astudillo. All of those names were profiled or mentioned in my preview heading into last season, but I only mentioned Astudillo’s name as MiLB depth, despite knowing he was a bit of a unicorn already at the time because he never struck out (3.3% career strikeout rate in the minors). The only name in that list who is no longer with the organization is Kinley, who was sent back to the Miami Marlins after a month with the team after being their Rule 5 draft pick. Romero was ticketed for a big role in the bullpen to start the year but struggled this spring and was sent to Triple A. Cave and Astudillo were among those fighting for backup roles on the Twins bench and have since secured them. Gonsalves, Littell, Stewart, and Vasquez are all near locks to contribute at some point and carry valuable MLB experience with them to Rochester to begin their seasons. With a strong stable of young hitters with experience and power making up a potentially strong lineup for opening day, the pickings might be slim this year for hitting prospects looking to make their debut. I suspect they’ll churn some pitchers though as the front office duo looks to cash in some of their technological developmental efforts on the mound. You also never know when the injury bug will strike, but if I had to make a prediction, I’d bet that no more than five players will wear an MLB uniform for the first time with the Twins in 2019. So, who are the next potential players to make their major league debut with the Minnesota Twins during the 2019 season? ON THE 40-MAN ROSTER: Ryne Harper (30 years old on opening day) – RHP Although he has been called up to the big leagues in his career, he never actually got an opportunity to pitch for the Seattle Mariners before being sent back down to Triple A in 2017. One of the best stories in camp this spring, Harper showed off a big breaking ball to the tune of a perfect ERA (has allowed two unearned runs) with 14 K’s, and zero walks in 11 innings pitched with the major league squad. He’s a top candidate for the #SireOfFortMyers and with the news coming out on Monday that he’s made the team, he’s no longer just the biggest dark horse among non-roster invites to head north with the Twins for Thursday’s Season Opener—he’s going to be at Target Field ready for his close-up. For fun, here’s some of those breaking balls he showed off this spring: Signed by Minnesota for the 2018 season, Harper began the year by closing for the Chattanooga Lookouts. He quickly picked up a pair of saves in mid-April before the Rochester Red Wings came calling. Roughed up a little in his first taste of Triple A with the Twins, Harper was returned to the Lookouts after four appearances. Chattanooga then started extending out his appearances, as he went two innings for each of his next three saves. This is when he really started to dial himself in as well. Over his final 34 2/3 innings in Double A, Harper struck out 44 while handing out a free pass to just five hitters. For his efforts, he finished the year back in Triple A where he continued to perform well enough to get his invite to spring training. Now, he’s not really a prospect by any means as he’ll take the mound for the first time this year as a 30-year-old (his birthday is on Wednesday), but stories like his are always awesome to follow. Since I’ll be at the home opener, I hope he gets his MLB debut out of the way early. Nick Gordon (23) – IF (Twins Daily's #12 Prospect) Gordon has had his ups and downs the past two seasons, starting each off scorching hot before falling off a cliff in the second half. Last year, that drop-off came when he was promoted to Rochester where he managed just a .544 OPS in nearly 100 games. With Jorge Polanco, Marwin Gonzalez, Ehire Adrianza, and Ronald Torreyes on board there’s already plenty of MLB depth around the Twins middle-infield, but if Gordon comes out hot again and maintains it, he could work his way into their plans mid-to-late summer if a need arises. Lewis Thorpe (23) – LHP (TD’s #8 Prospect) Thorpe took a little time to find his groove during the 2018 season as his WHIP was above 1.60 through April and May, but after surrendering nine earned runs on June 8th he dialed it in for the rest of the season. His WHIP was just 0.73 in July, and after that disastrous start went 6-0 in 10 starts before being promoted to Triple A for his efforts. In those final 49 innings with the Lookouts, Thorpe allowed just 12 earned runs (2.20 ERA) on 33 hits and 10 walks (0.88 WHIP) while striking out 66 (12.1 K/9). Download attachment: Lewis Thorpe (2).jpg With the Red Wings, Thorpe went 0-3 in four starts to end the year, but he was solid in three of them and picked up two quality starts. Overall, he finished his season with a 3.54 ERA and struck out 157 in 129 2/3 IP across the two levels. He’s got nothing left to prove in Double A if you ask me, and should begin the year as part of an impressive rotation in Rochester unless there’s too many bodies for it to make sense early on. It’s taken some time as he has had to deal with injuries and illness, but it appears Thorpe has gotten back most if not all of his impressive stuff I saw back when I interviewed him while he was with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. While he’s a bit far down on the depth chart with names like Kohl Stewart, Stephen Gonsalves, Chase De Jong, and Zack Littell already having some MLB experience at Triple A, at some point during the 2019 season a promotion could become all about who is performing or lined up to pitch on the right day as Thorpe is already part of the 40-man roster. LaMonte Wade Jr. (25) – OF (TD’s #18 Prospect) After posting a .397 OBP with Chattanooga during the 2017 season (his first year not above .400), it was a bit surprising to see him start back with the Lookouts for 2018. But he did show improvement back in the Southern League by raising his slugging percentage by 36 points before being promoted to Rochester for the season’s final 74 games. This is where Wade finally had some trouble, posting just a .229 batting average and striking out more than he walked for the first time in his career. His plate discipline was still there however, as he also posted a 13.2% walk rate that was good for a .337 OBP. Power is a tool that has yet to manifest much for Wade in his minor league career, but he did make the most of his opportunities this spring with two doubles, a triple, and a homer in 27 at-bats with the Twins. He also finished third on the team in RBI with 10. I’ve compared Wade to Denard Span as a potential leadoff hitter in the past, but he’ll have to show more with the bat in Rochester this year to reach that ceiling as a hitter. Added to the 40-man roster in the offseason, Wade has an easier path to an MLB debut than others if the Twins outfield depth is challenged at any point during the season. Luis Arraez (21) – IF Arraez spent about half of the 2018 season with the Chattanooga Lookouts, and is likely ticketed for Pensacola to start this year with that middle infield depth at Triple A I mentioned above. Arraez is only a second baseman, and not a particularly good one, but his bat has always been the carrying tool for him with a .329 career batting average in the minor leagues. He’ll draw an occasional walk, unlike fan-favorite Willians Astudillo, but like La Tortuga he puts the ball in play more often than not with just an 8.5% strikeout rate as a pro. TOP PROSPECTS WHO COULD FORCE THEIR WAY: Brent Rooker (24) – OF/1B/DH (TD's #6 Prospect) The slugging Rooker began the 2018 season with an outside shot to reach the majors if he continued to mash like he did after being drafted the previous summer. It didn’t quite start out that way for him as he hit below .250 in the first two months, but he started heating up with the weather in mid-May. Download attachment: Brent Rooker 6.jpg He hit six or more homers three months in a row and posted an OPS over 1.000 in June and July as he started making a strong case for a promotion. But just as quickly as he found his power, it was lost when August rolled around. Over the final 30 games of the season he slashed only .168/.299/.262. After the year was over, he was slated to get some more time in the Arizona Fall League, but a sprained ankle in mini-camp before the schedule kicked off resulted in the Twins shutting him down. Rooker has seen action in 11 games with the major league squad this spring and clubbed two home runs and a triple among his 22 at-bats. It would be surprising if he doesn’t start the season with the Rochester Red Wings and while the corner-OF/1B/DH situation appears to be cluttered with the Twins, he’s got the type of bat to merit a look when the need arises at any of those positions if he’s mashing taters at Frontier Field. Alex Kirilloff (21) – OF (TD’s #2 Prospect) After missing the entire 2017 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, Kirilloff burst back onto the prospect scene in 2018 by being the best overall hitter in the minor leagues not named Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He led all of MiLB in both extra-base-hits (71) and total bases (296), along with slugging 20 home runs and driving in over 100 baserunners. He’s on the top end of top 100 lists everywhere this spring, and if he duplicates his 2018 season with the Blue Wahoos he might not sniff Triple A a la Joe Mauer if an outfield spot opens up in the majors or C.J. Cron pulls a Logan Morrison at first base (I don’t think Alex would play there in this scenario, but a good backup plan is plugging Max Kepler there to open up RF). This is the best pure hitting prospect the Twins have had since Mauer, but where Joe paired this skill with elite plate discipline, Kirilloff instead brings a much bigger boomstick. And I mean, this is just pure hitting perfection: MINOR LEAGUE DEPTH: Ryan Eades (27) – RHP: The former second-round draft pick whose numbers never quite lived up to his stuff may have finally figured some things out in the bullpen at the tail end of the 2018 season. In his final 18 innings with Chattanooga, he allowed only five runs on 16 hits and just one walk, while striking out 20. He didn’t miss a beat after his promotion to Rochester, as he posted a 0.59 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and five-to-one K/BB ratio in 15 1/3 innings to finish his season. Eades strikes me as the type of guy who may benefit the most from the developmental teachings of new Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson. He pitched well with the big-league squad this spring, striking out nine, walking none, and allowing only one run in seven innings pitched. Jake Reed (26) – RHP: If there is anyone on this list who probably should have made his MLB debut already, Reed is that guy. He’s spent a few weeks with the MLB team during spring training the past four seasons now, and his ERA with the Rochester Red Wings in that time is a sterling 1.92 in 89 total innings. While he hasn’t racked up K’s at a necessarily elite level in Triple A (8.4/9IP), the movement on his sinker and slider combo tends to limit damage against him (only two home runs allowed) while also sometimes wreaking havoc with his command. That last note, along with some missed time due to injury the last two seasons, has probably combined to keep him out of the majors. Hopefully that changes in 2019. Luke Raley (24) – OF/1B: Raley was the prospect portion of the package the Twins received in sending Brian Dozier to the Los Angeles Dodgers last summer. He spent all the 2018 season in Double A, hitting .275/.350/.471 with 20 home runs for a bit of a breakout season much like Jake Cave of the previous year. With the Twins this spring, he clubbed two doubles, a triple, and a homer in 26 plate appearances. He’s a bit of a way down a depth chart full of options in the outfield for the Twins, but as a hitter ticketed for Triple A in 2019, he’s also a name that’s just a phone call away if he’s performing. Zander Wiel (26) – 1B/OF: Wiel has been an interesting guy to follow for me since being drafted out of Vanderbilt in the 12th round in 2015. He was arguably the top hitter on a Vandy team that won the 2014 College World Series and flies a little under the radar. While he’s filled up a stat sheet in aggregate every year in the minors, the numbers point more to consistency than a standout. In Double A in 2018, he broke out some by hitting .311/.382/.446. Those numbers were good for second in the Southern League in avg., and fourth in OPS. He’s a hitter who will sneak up on you with his athleticism if you don’t pay attention and should be ticketed for Rochester’s lineup to start the 2019 season, either at 1B or in a corner outfield position. DARK HORSES: Tyler Jay (24) – LHP: (Update: after middling results through early June, Jay was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for cash considerations) After investing the sixth overall pick on Jay in the 2015 draft, he has dealt with injuries and ineffectiveness that have stunted his once lofty profile. The hope here is the new pitching development staff can get him back on track and keep him healthy. As we’ve seen with Kohl Stewart last year, if at some point during the year the scouting reports come back better than expected, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have let bygones be bygones. Jovani Moran (21) – LHP: All you need to know about Moran is this number: 12.7. That’s how many hitters per 9 IP Moran set down at Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers last season. Equally impressive is that was tied to a solid 1.05 WHIP. He was effectively wild in his time with the Kernels but reined that in upon his promotion to Fort Myers. He was the runner up to Andrew Vasquez for Twins Daily’s 2018 Relief Pitcher of the Year award and if you’re looking for 2019’s version of Vasquez, you need only look in Moran’s direction. Cody Stashak (24) – RHP: Minnesota transitioned Stashak to the bullpen for the 2018 season, and the positive returns were immediate. With the Lookouts, his 2.57 FIP was good for fourth in the Southern League among pitchers who threw at least 50 innings. His 11.2 K/9IP and 5.31 to 1 K/BB ratio were also the best of his career, which was another arrow in the positive direction for a pitcher who has always had good control (2.2 BB/9IP for his career). Tyler Wells (24) – RHP: (Update: Wells underwent Tommy John surgery in May and will not pitch in 2019) Wells is your reigning Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year, and that’s because he combined to go 10-6 with a 2.49 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and struck out 121 in 119 1/3 innings between Fort Myers and Chattanooga. His improvement as a prospect has had a direct correlation with Wells dedicating himself to fitness and his diet as a pro, as he’s dropped nearly 60 lbs. from his big 6-foot 8-inch body in the process. Opposing hitters managed just a .544 OPS against him in 2018, and when you read about his story it reminds me of a lot of guys who came out of nowhere to have solid MLB careers. He’ll start the year back in Double A, but if he continues to show improvement, he has a great chance to vault up the depth chart as the season wears on. Jorge Alcala (23) – RHP (TD’s #19 Prospect): Alcala was one of the pieces to come to the Twins organization in the deal of Ryan Pressly to the Astros last summer. It’s likely his arm that got Minnesota interested as he’ll sit mid-90’s with his fastball and, when he wants, can reach back for 100+ mph velocity. He’s worked as a starter for most of his MiLB career thus far, but with his arm and lack of plus secondary offerings he could be a good target to transition to a power reliever. So, there you have it—my picks for the potential players to make their MLB debut with the Minnesota Twins during the 2019 season. When do you think any of these guys will show up at Target Field? Who will be the rookie to make the biggest impact this year? It’s also likely I’ve missed a few names, so who would be your own additions? Click here to view the article

Kepler may tell you first base is his "natural position" if you asked him. He actually never played the outfield until the Twins signed him to be a pro, was always a first baseman. Yes, he's a great outfielder and certainly more valuable there, but there also is literally zero downside to having him as an option at 1B. I'd personally love to see him fill in there about 20 times a season when a tough righty is on the mound and they have Cave they can put in the OF.

I think this jeopardizes Jake Cave on the 25-man more than it does Astudillo, and I also think that's the right call. Have to think it's Adrianza who ends up out.

I see an opener being used, but four out of six games in a week? I doubt that. That's twice as much as anybody else has used one to this point. The Rays did it in about 50 games last year, but that's a projection for over 100 games with an opener. The only starters I see this being used with are Mejia, Perez, and possibly Odorizzi. In other words, the back of the rotation. I don't see that happening with Berrios, Gibson, or Pineda.

Be careful with your final comparison, because it's not true. Quicker? Yes. Better? No. MiLB ERA: Berrios - 2.77 Gonsalves - 2.46 Romero - 3.02 MiLB K/9IP: Berrios - 9.6 Gonsalves - 9.5 Romero - 8.3 MiLB WHIP: Berrios - 1.08 Gonsalves - 1.10 Romero - 1.19 And it doesn't get better if you compare only AAA numbers or AAA and AA. The gap widens more if only looking there. He's still got work to do and I like the idea of him doing so out of the bullpen. Before last season I was on record here saying I didn't think he'd start a game for the Twins because of those few innings he had. Thought he was a great candidate to come up out of the bullpen when he approached any innings limit. I was happily wrong on that, but I still like this path for him in 2019 if he doesn't earn the starting gig. He is one of their best arms for sure. Definitely will be interesting to follow during spring training.

The only scenario he doesn't use an option is if he's on the opening day roster and they never send him down. Anyone on the 40-man who isn't part of the opening day 25-man active roster is using an option year. Does that change anything for you? Personally, I want him on the opening day roster. Hopefully that means he earned a starter spot, but I won't be disappointed if he's in the bullpen. He's not out of chances to be a starter, so I don't fret about that, even if I think he ends up in the bullpen for good eventually.

He can touch the mid-90's, but will sit in the low-90's range. From a scouting scale standpoint that would be above-average to plus (55-60) for a lefty. This was his self-scouting report from back when I interviewed him in Cedar Rapids before he missed so much time: "My go to pitch is mostly my fastball and changeup. And now, the curveball and slider have picked up astonishingly. I can throw those pitches now where I want them, they’re nice and hard, and good sharp break." http://twinsdaily.com/_/minnesota-twins-news/minnesota-twins-minor-leagues/color-me-and-joe-mauer-impressed-r2962 He was great in that start back then and it's my opinion he's been underrated, in part because he missed that time, since. Can't wait for him to reach the bigs, and I'll be at Target Field when he gets there!

Offer him a high dollar, short-term deal. Solves all the "can't sign their players" problems in the future He wouldn't do it (probably?), but I would be happy they attempted something. And, like his agent is saying, I don't think any of these reports are accurate. Owners are just asking for a strike if they are.

Definitely magnified because of all the walk-off losses last year, but "blown saves" don't just happen in the ninth inning. Ryan Pressly, Addison Reed, Zack Duke, Alan Busenitz, Matt Magill, and Gabriel Moya went a combined 0-for-16 in "Save Opportunities" that contribute to that stat as an example (they weren't closing games). Rodney and Hildenberger went a combined 32-for-42, Rogers was 2-for-4, and May was 3-for-3.

To me it's always been you push off the "3rd time through the order" curse to worse hitters in the lineup, not the three or four best. You still want them to face the same "amount" of batters (in an innings pitched sense, not actual batters). It doesn't by concept want them to go "longer". It could be a byproduct, but is not the intent (to me).

"The Venezuelan Winter League MVP candidate homered to give his team a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the eighth." Interestingly enough (or surprising?!), one of his main competitors for this award, is... Delmon Young. (He has 19 HR's to lead the circuit, Astudillo is 2nd with 10)

Agree wit High heat a bit. Lots of development time left and I know he's made big strides already so this is not a big deal yet. Definitely looks like he has the tools. Shows range. Arm looks strong, but there's definitely a lot of effort in his motion to show it off. Seems to me like he's throwing absolutely as hard as he can, and to borrow Heat's term, he's 'long' for it.

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: