Steve Lein

I added the link above as well, but Jonathan Mayo has a nice article on Travis Blankenhorn's goals and experiences in the AFL so far that came out today: https://www.mlb.com/news/travis-blankenhorn-seeks-consistency-in-afl/c-299542504?tid=153494546 The unfortunate notes at the end are Luke Raley and Brent Rooker have been shut down. No updates on if the Twins will replace them on the Rafter's roster.

Grew up in Iowa, always has been a Twins fan. Good interview with him from Ben Chase @ Puckett's Pond: https://puckettspond.com/2017/07/13/interview-prospect-writer-minnesota-twins-fan-john-sickels/

*preceded, haha. But yes, thanks for pointing that out. You beat me to my morning edit run-through! (I probably wouldn't have caught it anyway)

They had depth like this on his list last year as well if I remember correctly, but what was missing was the A/B+ guys. So Looking even better right now. Arraez is very interesting, but basically all hit tool. Short and stocky. Not quite like Willians Astudillo, but is not a bad comp if you think of Arraez as the infield utility version. Not much power. The hit tool can carry anybody, though, and he's definitely got that. I'm guessing he's back in double-A to start next year but is one of the candidates to be placed on 40-man this offseason as he'll be Rule 5 eligible.

The Salt Rivers Rafters finished week two of the Arizona Fall League season with a 3-3 record, including going 2-1 in games decided by just one run. Their lone starting pitching representative made his first start of the AFL season, each reliever saw action in two games, and an infielder got his bat going. But along with Brent Rooker, another outfielder has ended up missing in action.As a staff the Twins pitchers combined for a 1.80 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 10 total innings pitched, while the hitters managed only a .153/.214/.192 slash line with three RBI, two walks, and eight K’s on the week. To find out everything that happened in week two of the AFL season for the Twins prospects, keep reading! (links provided to each player’s overall AFL stats by clicking their name) Brent Rooker: Did not play (ankle injury). I haven’t heard any updates on Rooker’s status since the injury news broke before opening day last week, so we’ll still have to wait and see if he gets healthy enough to play some games in Arizona. Griffin Jax: 1 start, Loss, 3.0 IP, 3 H, BB, 1 ER, K; 4.50 ERA, 1.75 WHIP (overall). After making a single relief appearance in week one, Jax got a starting opportunity on Friday of week two. He did well as far as the box score goes, but nonetheless was charged with the loss as he allowed the only run of the game in Salt River’s 1-0 loss to Glendale. He went one-two-three in the first inning, but the Desert Dogs got a two-out double to score a runner from first for the 1-0 lead in the second, and that would be enough as the Rafters were only able to muster five singles as a team. Back out for the third inning Jax allowed a single, but then finished his day with a double play ball. In the outing 26 of his 44 pitches went for strikes including three swinging, and he walked one and struck out one. Luke Raley: 1 game, 0-for-2, R, BB, K; .214/.333/.357 (overall). Raley began the week for Salt River on the right foot by leading off their game on Monday with a walk and scoring the game’s first run, but from there it went sideways for him and his team in a 13-4 loss to Peoria. After reaching first base, two wild pitches put him on third and a sacrifice fly brought him in for a 1-0 lead. The Rafters would stretch that to 4-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth, but it was all Javelina’s from there. Raley got two more at-bats including a strikeout and a ground out before he would be removed the game heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. There has been no status update I’ve been able to find, but since then Raley has not appeared in any more games. Whatever ails him, hopefully he is back in the Rafter’s lineup soon! Hector Lujan: 2 appearances, 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, K; 10.13 ERA, 2.63 WHIP (overall). Lujan bounced back well from his first appearance in the AFL last week, delivering scoreless outings in both of his appearances during week two. The first of those came in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over the Mesa Solar Sox. He pitched the bottom of the seventh inning with the game tied at one, setting down the opposition in order. Of his 12 pitches, nine went for strikes and he struck out the final batter he faced. His second outing of the week came on Friday against Glendale, and he pitched a scoreless sixth inning to keep his team within one run. He did allow singles to the first two hitters he faced but got a lineout and a double-play ball to erase the threat. He also threw just eight pitches to the four batters he faced, with seven of them going for strikes. Of interesting note for me, is the Twins relief pitchers each appeared in the same games on the week with Adam Bray going before Lujan, and Devin Smeltzer after, each time. Travis Blankenhorn: 4 games, 3-for-13, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K; .150/.261/.200 (overall). The infielder was a busy man in week two as he appeared in four of Salt River’s six games on the week, including three in a row from Thursday through Saturday. In Tuesday’s game against Mesa, Blankenhorn played second base and hit in the seventh spot in the order. He finished 0-for-3 with a walk and stole a base, but was still looking for his first hit of the fall after their win. He did get close, as his final at-bat of the day was a deep fly ball to center field that got run down, but also advanced runners to second and third. He would finally get that hit on Thursday in his first at-bat against Glendale in their 2-1 extra-inning win, a single up the middle with one out in the third inning. He’d go 0-for-2 including a strikeout in his other at-bats, but he got things moving in the right direction on this day. He was also the man in the batters box when the Desert Dogs pitcher balked in the winning run. The entire Rafter lineup was pitiful on Friday, but Blankenhorn did collect one of their five singles on the day in the 1-0 loss. He also stole his second base of the AFL season to put himself as one of the only runners to get in to scoring position on the game. Blankenhorn would make it a hitting streak on Saturday batting out of the leadoff spot, and nearly was able to tie the game for his team in the bottom of the ninth. With the score 6-3 in Peoria’s favor and a couple ducks on the pond with nobody out, he lined a double into left field to score them both and make it 6-5. In scoring position representing the tying run, he unfortunately was left stranded as the next three hitters went strikeout, fly out, fly out to end the game. I’m watching to see if he can continue the momentum he built in week 3. Devin Smeltzer: 2 appearances, 2.0 IP, H, BB, 2 K; 0.00 ERA, 1.25 WHIP (overall). As mentioned above, Smeltzer followed Lujan out of the bullpen in the Rafter’s games on Tuesday and Friday. In the win on Tuesday against Mesa, that meant he came on for the eighth inning with the game still tied at one. After two quick outs it got a little interesting as he gave up a single and a walk, but got the next batter to fly out to right field to give his offense the chance they needed in the ninth. Smeltzer threw 15 pitches in his inning of work, with nine going for strikes. He also picked up the win thanks to his offense in the top of the ninth. Following Lujan in Friday’s pitcher’s duel in Glendale, Smeltzer delivered a dominant one-two-three seventh inning. He needed just 10 pitches (seven for strikes) and struck out the first two batters he faced swinging before getting an infield popup on his first pitch to his final batter. Jaylin Davis: 3 games, 1-for-11, R, RBI, 5 K; .250/.250/.250 (overall). Week 2 didn’t go nearly as well for Davis as week 1, but he still made a big impact in one his games. On Monday Davis got the start as the designated hitter batting seventh in the lineup. He ended up 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts, but there wasn’t much to talk about all around in the 13-4 blowout loss to Peoria where Salt River collected just three hits as a team and struck out 13 times. It was better for Davis and the Rafter’s on Thursday, as he singled in the eighth inning before being stranded on second with the score knotted at zero, before getting another opportunity in the tenth. With the bases loaded, one out, and his team now down 1-0, Davis managed to tie the game at one with an RBI grounder to short. It was of the RBI variety because he beat the double-play turn to first that would have ended the game. The balk with Blankenhorn at the plate to win it for Salt River came next. Friday’s 1-0 loss against Glendale was again a tough one for all the Rafter’s lineup, with Davis contributing an 0-for-3 effort along with two more strikeouts. Davis will look to get back to his early hitting ways in week three. Adam Bray: 2 appearances, 3.0 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 K; 1.80 ERA, 1.00 WHIP (overall). Bray’s first appearance on the week preceded Lujan and Smeltzer in Wednesday’s 2-1 win against the Solar Sox. He was the first reliever summoned with a 1-0 Salt River lead after their starter went five innings. He ended up charged with a blown save as a one-out triple was followed by a single to tie the game before he got the next two hitters. Of his 11 pitches, eight went for strikes and he also threw a wild pitch. It was nearly an all-Twins-pitchers game on Friday with Jax making the start and the relievers following him, and they were all very good, but the Glendale staff was just a little better in the 1-0 loss. Bray came on in relief of Jax for the fourth inning and went the next two frames. He allowed just one hit and struck out two. He retired the side in order in the fourth and faced only seven hitters total in his two innings. 20 of his 28 pitches went for strikes, including five swinging. Other AFL and Minor League Links: - The highly regarded John Sickels of MinorLeagueBall.com, has started his offseason top 20 prospects lists like he always does, by leading off with his look at the Minnesota Twins. Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff get A grades. Also higher on 2018 first round pick Trevor Larnach than I’ve seen elsewhere and mentions that the system is loaded. - Travis Blankenhorn talks about working on his consistency in the AFL with MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo. Also some unfortunate updates on a couple of players included in that link: Luke Raley has been removed from the Rafters roster but the reason is not specified (I would assume an injury). The Twins have also decided to shut down Brent Rooker, so he will not participate as hoped. Please feel free to ask questions about the AFL and the players who are there! Click here to view the article

I don't think he has above average base stealing type of speed, but he's racked up enough triples to suggest he moves pretty good when under way and the amount of runs he scores suggests an excellent baserunner. I see him as a potential leadoff type for that reason and because of the above average on-base percentage.

The AFL season’s first week was a little lacking on opportunities for Twins pitchers and the well-known name among their position players is currently missing in action (for good reason), but a couple of outfielders had big games to stand out amongst their organizational peers. The hometown prospect also notched one of the Salt River Rafter’s two victories on the week in extra innings.So how did each of the Twins prospects fare in the first week of the AFL season? Keep reading to find out! (links provided to each player’s overall AFL stats by clicking their name) Brent Rooker: Did not play (ankle injury). Unfortunately Twins fans are going to have to wait a little while for Rooker to appear in the AFL, as news broke before opening day that he was dealing with an injury: Hopefully he is able to play some games soon! Griffin Jax: 1 appearance, 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 Earned), 0 BB, 0 K; 9.00 ERA (overall). In their 6-2 loss to the Scottsdale Scorpions on Friday, Jax was the first man summoned from the bullpen to start the bottom of the third inning. He was greeted by a triple from the first batter he faced and found himself in trouble immediately. That runner scored on a groundout to the next batter and he’d get another ground ball for the second out before more trouble came. A single, wild pitch to move the runner into scoring position, and another single to score him soured his line before he got a fly out to end the inning. Of his 30 pitches, just 18 went for strikes and those included one swinging strike and nine foul balls. If he’s not starting I’d expect Jax to be tabbed for more than one inning, but 30 pitches early in the AFL season is on the high end for anybody. I will be curious to see if he starts any games moving forward. Luke Raley: 3 games, 3-for-12, 2 R, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, SB; .250/.357/.417 (overall). Raley made the start in three games on the week, playing left field for one of those and right field in the others. In the season opener on Tuesday the 9th, Raley was a big contributor to the Rafters 10-8 win against the Surprise Saguaros out of the leadoff spot. He finished 2-for-4 and drove in three runs to lead the offense. His first single of the game came in the top of the third with two outs, then he capped a five-run fourth inning with a sacrifice fly that put Salt River out front 5-3. In the top of the eighth with the score 7-6 in favor of the Rafters, Raley added some insurance with a two-out single that drove in two runs to cap a solid AFL debut. I said in last week’s AFL preview that you could see a leadoff profile in there, so it will be fun to see how much time he spends there during this season. When he was back in action on Thursday for Salt River’s 7-6 win against the Scottsdale Scorpions, he wasn’t back in the leadoff spot, but it also says a lot about a guy when he’s penciled in the three-hole instead. In six plate appearances he didn’t pick up any hits but did draw two walks and scored a run. It just so happens that one of those walks came while he led off an inning (then he promptly stole second base), and the other was of the intentional variety with the game on the line in the 11th inning. Before that intentional walk, Raley also erased the runner starting the 10th on second base with an outfield assist from right field. Raley finished his week with a 1-for-4 effort in the 6-2 loss against Scottsdale on Friday, where he again batted third in the lineup. With two outs in the top of the 6th, he clubbed his first extra-base-hit of the AFL season, a triple to right field and would score on a single from the next batter. He did strike out twice in this game, but overall a solid first week from an outfielder new to the Twins organization. Hector Lujan: 1 appearance, 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, BB, K; 40.50 ERA (overall). Lujan made just one appearance in the AFL season’s opening week, and I’m sure it’s one he’d like to put out of his mind as soon as possible. Though they would end up winning the game in extra innings, Lujan was charged with a blown save after coming on for the top of the seventh in Thursday’s tilt versus Scottsdale. The first four hitters he faced all reached base, and his first out of the frame also resulted in his third earned run that gave the Scorpions a 5-3 lead. He picked up a strikeout before another single ended his day. His numbers will likely appear skewed for the rest of his time in the AFL because of this game, but a positive sign is 17 of his 23 pitches went for strikes in the outing, including topping out at 96 MPH on the radar gun with his fastball. Travis Blankenhorn: 2 games, 0-for-7, R, 2 BB, 2 K; .000/.222/.000 (overall). Blankenhorn played in two games on the week, leading off in Wednesday’s 11-9 loss to the Saguaros, and batting seventh in Friday’s 6-2 loss on Friday. He played second base in both contests. In his debut on Wednesday, he led off the game by striking out on a pitch in the dirt but reached first base after a throwing error from the catcher. He would get to third on a single from the next batter and score the first of four runs in the inning on a pickoff attempt gone awry for Surprise. He also drew the fourth walk of six total in the eighth inning that led to another four runs, but that was as close as his team would get. Against Scottsdale on Friday he drew a walk in the seventh inning as Salt River tried to claw their way back into the game but ended up stranded on third base. Blankenhorn will look to pick up his first hit in week 2. Devin Smeltzer: 1 appearance, 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 K; 0.00 ERA (overall). Another new player to the Twins organization, Smeltzer made a single appearance in Salt River’s 11-9 loss to Surprise on Wednesday. He was one of the two Rafter’s pitchers out of six to not allow a run in the game, and as a feather in his cap that came across two innings pitched. He worked around an infield single in the fifth, and a pair of singles in the sixth to complete his scoreless outing. He finished with two strikeouts and 23 of his 35 total pitches went for strikes, including four swinging strikes. Glancing through his pitch log and correlating some of his scouting reports, he’s not ever going to be a power bullpen arm (no pitch over 90 MPH in this outing), but a deep repertoire and funky delivery has kept hitters off-balance to this point. Fangraphs also likes his curveball, changeup, and command enough to see some major league value in the future. Jaylin Davis: 2 games, 4-for-9, R, 3 RBI, 3 K; .444/.444/.444 (overall). Davis started two consecutive games during the week, once as the DH and once as the left fielder, batting eighth in both lineup constructions. In Wednesday’s loss to the Saguaros, Davis was a standout for the Rafters as the designated hitter. He finished 2-for-4 with two K’s, but also racked up three RBIs. He also came through in the clutch, as his two-out single in the bottom of the first drove in two runs, and another two-out single in the eighth brought in the first of four runs in the frame to bring the home team back within two. In Thursday’s win against Scottsdale he again picked up a pair of hits for the home team but wouldn’t get further than second base. After reaching base on a fielder’s choice in the sixth, Davis also picked up his first stolen base of the AFL season. He’ll look to pick up his first extra-base hit this week. Adam Bray: 1 appearance, 2.0 IP, 2 BB, 2 K; 0.00 ERA (overall). Bray made his lone appearance on the week in the Rafter’s win against Scottsdale on Thursday. He was also credited with the win as he took over in extra innings, completing both the 10th and 11th without allowing the runner starting on second base to score. He was assisted in the 10th inning by Raley’s outfield assist, then worked around a walk with a couple of strikeouts for a scoreless 11th before his team pushed the winning run across in the bottom half. Other AFL and Minor League Links: - One of the fun events that is part of the AFL is the Bowman Hitting Challenge, which Twins prospect Chris Paul won last year. Unfortunately for the 2018 version, rains owned the day and the event was cancelled: -Fangraph’s Eric Longenhagen took a look at the AFL rosters after they were announced, and singled out Brent Rooker’s ability to identify breaking balls as his lone note on Twins prospects. -MLB Pipeline announced their 2018 Twins Hitting and Pitching Prospects of the Year, with Alex Kirilloff and Brusdar Graterol taking home those honors. -In their 2018 Toolshed Power Rankings, MiLB.com ranks the Salt River Rafters at number five. A weakness called out is their lack of star power. Please feel free to ask questions about the AFL and the players who are there! Click here to view the article

There has also been this update from Jonathan Mayo: So we'll unfortunately have to wait a little while for Rooker to appear. Also, be sure to follow me on Twitter: @HangingSL I'll post daily updates and other AFL nuggets there before the recaps come out each week

I saw your other comment and was going to respond with that exact sentence, but figured I'd let it roll. So, I'm glad you found it here!

As an avid outdoorsman and hunter who grew up and remains in Minnesota, there’s no question for me that autumn is the best season. The ducks begin migrating south, deer go into their rut, and the colors of the tree leaves come out in full force. There’s nothing like spending time up at the cabin or out in the woods with nature this time of year. But when you’re also an avid baseball fan like me, the month of October also means its pennant season in the major leagues. It’s really the best of both of those worlds.I spent an autumn night this time last year at Target Field with all my friends watching the Minnesota Twins fall to the New York Yankees in the Wild Card game, but unfortunately the team didn’t continue trending upward as they fell well-short of the playoffs in 2018. The young guys on the team that were supposed to boost them forward never seemed got their footing during the season, and so we’ll have to wait at least another year to get back to that place. It’s still those young players that will get them there however, and for many of the game’s prospects the fall brings with it more than just the start of their offseason vacations. Many of them will keep playing in the various winter leagues, and they begin with the Arizona Fall League where many of the game’s top players once played. The list of current Twins players who have appeared in the AFL includes the likes of Byron Buxton, Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler, Mitch Garver, Taylor Rogers, Trevor Hildenberger, and most recently Stephen Gonsalves and Andrew Vasquez. The 2018 season kicks off at 1:35 CST this afternoon and eight Twins prospects will be participating. For anyone who doesn’t know, the AFL is a short season league where every team in Major League Baseball sends some of their prospects in October. It is often used as a proving ground for players looking to take the final steps to their MLB dreams. Many of the top prospects in baseball are sent here to make a final impression for a call-up next year, but there are also many experienced minor leaguers on the doorstep who are evaluated for protection on the 40-man roster, or those trying to make up some development time after an injury. These minor league games in October can determine a lot going into the next MLB season for these players, and that’s why I love following the league so closely. Each MLB team typically sends around seven players to the AFL, and they are split up among the six teams that make up the league. This year the Minnesota Twins prospects will be represented on the roster of the Salt River Rafters, with pitchers Adam Bray, Griffin Jax, Hector Lujan, and Devin Smeltzer; and position players Brent Rooker, Travis Blankenhorn, Jaylin Davis, and Luke Raley. They will join prospects from the rosters of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, and Washington Nationals. In a little bit of extra-fun news for Twins aficionados, Chattanooga Lookouts manager Tommy Watkins will also make the trip and serve as the Rafters manager. Of the seven players sent to the AFL last year for Minnesota, only one managed to make their MLB debut with the Twins during the 2018 season. That was reliever Andrew Vasquez, who was also named Twins Daily’s 2018 Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. That was a low total for Twins prospects in the AFL making their MLB debut the next season in recent history, but hopefully 2018’s group can get that back on track. Each week I’ll be recapping the action for all the Twins representatives during their time in the desert of Arizona, so who are the players they sent? How have their careers gone thus far and what will I be looking for from each of them in the AFL this October? 2018 Minnesota Twins Prospects in the AFL: — Brent Rooker, OF/1B/DH (23 years old) Drafted at number 35 overall in 2017 after a collegiate season in which he won the SEC triple crown, Rooker continued his power surge as a pro by clubbing 18 homers in 62 games between Elizabethton and Fort Myers. His prospect helium followed him to Chattanooga this year with high expectations. He started out slow but heated up with the weather by OPS-ing over 1.000 in the months of June and July. His 22 home runs ranked second in the Southern League, while his 79 RBIs paced the circuit. Although he didn’t really improve his strikeout rate as the year wore on, he did start connecting with more authority and drawing more walks. Despite the power he possesses, he batted number two in the lineup for basically the entire season with the Lookouts. Rooker will look to get back toward those midsummer numbers, as he hit below .200 over his final 30 games on the year with just two home runs. Despite that, Rooker is likely the most highly regarded of the Twins prospects participating in the AFL this year and could slot in the middle of the Rafters lineup. Twins Daily ranked him at #7 in our Midseason Top Prospect List and is a shoe-in for a spring training invite and promotion to Triple A to start in 2019. This is where the AFL season could be interesting for the slugger. The Twins have opportunities at all the positions Rooker has played as a professional including the outfield, first base, and designated hitter. A strong showing in the desert could only help his cause in relation to an early MLB debut next year. Something I’ll be watching for is if he can cut down a little on his strikeouts in a six-week sample size, while also continuing to provide some of his prodigious power. — Griffin Jax, RHP (23) The Twins selected Jax in the third round of the 2016 draft out of the Air Force Academy in Colorado. This made his professional development somewhat of a challenge in his first two seasons. He was able to appear in just four games with Elizabethton after being drafted before he was required to fulfill service obligations, and then in 2017 the Department of Defense reversed a policy that allowed graduates to pursue professional sports after graduating, putting his career back on hold after just five games. Fortunately for him and the Twins, that changed early in the 2018 season. Jax was accepted into the military’s “World Class Athlete Program,” which meant his job with the Air Force became training for the Olympics in baseball which would be coming back for the 2020 games. Jax reported to extended spring training in late April and made his debut with the Fort Myers Miracle on June 1st. That was one of only 3 games through the end of the year where he did not complete at least five innings. His next seven starts were all of the quality variety, and overall 11 of his 15 games were of that type (he went the final six innings in an Ervin Santana rehab start for one of those games). He finished the year with a 3.70 ERA and 66/15 K to BB ratio in 87 2/3 innings for the Miracle. The AFL season will help Jax make up some of the development time he’s had to miss and could also be a strong barometer to determine where he’ll start the 2019 season in the state of Florida —back with Fort Myers on the gulf side of the peninsula or along the northern panhandle in Pensacola. I’ll want to see Jax continue to post a strong walk-rate against what could be the best competition he’s faced to this point, as well as continuing the consistency start-to-start that he showed with the Miracle to make his case. — Travis Blankenhorn, IF (22) Selected in the third round of the 2015 draft out of Pottsville High School in Pennsylvania, Blankenhorn came in at number 13 in Twins Daily’s 2018 midseason top prospect list. Over the past two seasons with Cedar Rapids in 2017 and Fort Myers in 2018 he has split his time almost equally between third base and second base on defense. Touted for future power potential when drafted, Blankenhorn looks the part and even won the Florida State League home run derby this year, but hasn’t quite manifested it in games as much as he’d like yet. He hit 13 home runs in 118 games with the Kernels and added 11 homers this year with the Miracle. Unfortunately, his slugging percentage dipped from .441 to .387 in 2018, and his OPS fell below the .700 mark in the pitcher friendly confines of the FSL. He started the year off quite well, hitting .305/.347/.537 in April, but from there he only hit over .250 in one other month and his highest monthly OPS was just .645. Surprisingly, Blankenhorn did still lead the Miracle in doubles, triples, home runs, and RBI. The 2019 season will be Blankenhorn’s fifth in the organization and his time in the AFL could have a bearing on if he moves up to AA to start the year or finds himself back in Fort Myers looking to improve upon his prior year in the opening months. During his time in the AFL it will be interesting to see if he sticks at just one position or continues to be moved around. I’ll also be paying attention to his extra-base hit totals for an indication that his slugging numbers will rebound whenever he is promoted out of the FSL. — Hector Lujan, RHP (24) Like Blankenhorn, Lujan came to the Twins organization courtesy of the 2015 draft when he was selected in the 35th round. He was drafted out of Westmont College, where he was teammates with Andrew Vasquez who pitched in the AFL last year before making his major league debut with the Twins in 2018. Lujan will hope to follow that same path during the 2019 campaign. Lujan spent the 2017 season entirely with the Cedar Rapids Kernels and was a standout in their bullpen. In 54 innings he amassed 17 saves while posting a 1.33 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. He struck out a hitter per inning and was stingy with walks as he allowed just eight on the year. Moving on to Fort Myers for the 2018 campaign, Lujan was used more as a multi-inning weapon, as he appeared in four fewer games but pitched 17 2/3 more innings. He saved four games along with striking out 68 in 71 2/3 total innings pitched. He walked more hitters and raised his WHIP to 1.26 in the FSL, but still posted a solid 2.64 ERA with the Miracle. The competition inthe AFL will be a solid test for Lujan, but no matter how he fares he should find himself ticketed for AA to start in 2019. I’ll be watching to see if his career neutral splits against lefties (.625 OPS against in 2018) and righties (.641 OPS against) hold true in the AFL and if he’s used for multiple innings to try to maximize that trait. Lujan is also eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason, so could be making his case to be protected on the 40-man roster. — Devin Smeltzer, LHP (23) Smeltzer was one of the pieces that came to the Twins organization in the Brian Dozier swap with the Dodgers at the deadline. He was drafted by the Dodgers in the fifth round of the 2015 draft and while he’s struck out over a hitter per inning in his career, he’s also given up a bunch of hits to limit his upside. Midway through the 2018 season L.A. transitioned him to the bullpen in AA, and that is where he remained after coming over to Minnesota. With Chattanooga he made 10 appearances totaling 12 innings pitched, logging a 3.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP while striking out sixteen and walking just two. Since he is so new to the relief pitching routine, the AFL will be a fantastic environment for him to learn any tricks of the trade from a bevy of new coaches and teammates. As a former starter he had also been using a full pitching repertoire, so I’ll be curious to see if I can pick out whether he has dumped any pitches to focus on his best ones, which includes a plus changeup. — Luke Raley, OF (24) Also coming over from the Dodgers in that same trade, was outfielder Luke Raley who had an excellent season at the AA level in 2018. His .822 OPS ranked seventh in the Texas League and he started at DH in their All-Star Game, where he was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. He didn’t come over to the Twins early enough to be considered for our midseason prospect list, but MLB.com has slotted him at number 19 in their updated top 30. In 27 games after being placed on the Lookouts roster, Raley slashed .276/.371/.449 with three homers and 16 RBI. Before that he hit 17 home runs with the Tulsa Drillers, but he’s not all just home run power either. His 47 extra-base hits on the year included 19 doubles and 8 triples, helping him rack up 80 runs scored on the season after totaling 102 in the California League the year prior (ranked second). He’s also a solid outfielder with a strong arm who with can handle center field if needed and has also played first base. He strikes me as having the makeup and profile that could turn into leadoff hitter with some power in the future which sounds a lot like the guy the Twins traded away to get him, but to reach that type of ceiling Raley is going to have to cut down some on the strikeouts while also drawing a few more walks. I’ll be very interested to see how Raley follows up his excellent 2018 season in Arizona as he readies himself for triple-A next season and establishes himself in the organizational depth chart. — Jaylin Davis, OF (24) Davis was selected in the 24th round of the 2015 draft but didn’t make his debut until the following season as he recovered from a torn labrum he suffered during the college season with Appalachian State. He started his professional career with an astounding seven home runs in just twelve games with Elizabethton before they bumped him up to Cedar Rapids. He finished the year with an .808 OPS with the Kernels and continued that success the next year, earning his way to Fort Myers where he finally had some struggles. He started the 2018 season back with the Miracle but again earned himself a midseason promotion as he upped his OPS significantly by both drawing more walks and clubbing more extra-base hits. With the Chattanooga Lookouts he kept that same theme going, finishing with a better OPS than he had in Fort Myers. I’d venture Davis will start next year back in AA, but a strong showing in the AFL could accelerate his timeline to AAA. As a corner outfielder who has played almost exclusively right field the past two seasons, the pop he’s shown thus far is going to have to continue trending upward to crack a crowded Twins outfield situation and that is what I’ll be looking for from Davis in the AFL. — Adam Bray, RHP (25) Another one of the several 2015 draftees who will be eligible in the Rule 5 draft this winter, Bray does hold a distinction that none of the others do: He is #OneOfUs. He went to high school in Eden Prairie and was part of their 2011 team that won the American Legion National Championship. He also was the winning pitcher on the team that won the 2010 State Championship at Target Field. He went to college at South Dakota State University and is now the record holder in several categories there as a pitcher. Seth Stohs also caught up with him earlier this year to talk about those things and the rest of his career to that point, so be sure to check that out. Bray finally got on the mound in late June with the Fort Myers Miracle and was fantastic through the end of the season. He made 19 appearances totaling 38 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, posting a 1.88 ERA and 1.10 WHIP while striking out 9.4 per nine innings pitched. He also surrendered just seven walks as he maintained the upper echelon control and command he’s been known for (1.5BB/9IP for his career). Since he was on the disabled list for the first three months of the season Bray will be looking to make up some development time in the AFL and could also be a good gauge to determine his readiness for AA. I’ll want to see him maintain that low walk-rate along with striking out at least a hitter an inning. That’s a good formula for anybody, but it’s one Bray will need to keep up with due to his command and control profile as he continues his climb up the minor league ladder. Good luck to all the Twins players in the AFL this season, and I’m looking forward to following along with everyone at Twins Daily! Also, if there is anything specific you would like to see included in these recaps, let me know and I’ll see if I can work any such ideas into these recaps. Here is a link to last year’s final one to get an idea of what to expect! Other AFL and Minor League Links: -If you haven't already checked it out, Seth's conversations with all these guys playing in the AFL is must read material. -The Minnesota Twins announced their 2018 Minor League players of the year, with Alex Kirilloff taking home the player award, and Lewis Thorpe the pitcher. Congratulations to both! -MLB.com went through the biggest movers in their end of year prospect rankings, and Kirilloff tops the list as he moved from number 30 all the way to the top 10. -With the AFL season kicking off, MLB.com also picked out the top prospect from each team going, with Brent Rooker checking that box for the Twins. They did the same for sleeper prospects, with Griffin Jax the Twins selection. -After partnering with the Chattanooga Lookouts for the past four seasons, the Twins will be moving their double-A affiliation for the 2019 season to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, also of the Southern League. It sounds like a good step up in facilities for the organization, as the stadium was built in 2012 and is located on the harbor of the Gulf of Mexico. Please feel free to ask any questions about the AFL or the players who are there! Click here to view the article

No, but his job with the Air Force now is to train for the Olympics in baseball, so he does get to play all year.

It appears my votes for this were not tallied correctly... I had Willians Astudillo as my #3.

Dang, I won't be able to make it this year. However, First Draft is pretty awesome, people may not want to leave from there, haha. Have a blast ya'll!

I left it out, but Zoll did imply that Vasquez was not in double-A to start the year because of roster crunches there and in Rochester. I had these same feelings too, especially after he performed well in the AFL.

I tend to agree. He's always had strong ground ball rates as well.

Earlier this week, Twins Daily announced the Short Season Pitcher and Hitter of the Year, and tonight we switch to the full season awards, beginning with the Relief Pitcher of the Year. In recent history, this award has been an indicator of a player making the major leagues at some point—­John Curtiss won in 2017 and also made his MLB debut, and before that Trevor Hildenberger won in 2015 and 2016 before becoming the stalwart in the bullpen he is now with the Minnesota Twins.There were several standout strikeout arms in the Twins system when it came to relief pitchers, as you will see below. Some of them have spent time in the majors this season, while a few others appear ready for their opportunity. Short profiles of our top five are to follow, but first, some players worthy of honorable mention. These players also received votes. Others Receiving Votes Nick Anderson, Rochester Red Wings – 39 G, 8-2, 4 Saves, 3.30 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 60.0 IP, 49 H, 19 BB, 88 KGabriel Moya, Rochester Red Wings – 26 G, 1-1, 4 Saves, 1.90 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 42.2 IP, 38 H, 12 BB, 50 KJohn Curtiss, Rochester Red Wings – 38 G, 2-4, 10 Saves, 3.42 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 55.1 IP, 41 H, 31 BB, 61 KRyne Harper, Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings – 38 G, 1-5, 6 Saves, 3.60 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 65.0 IP, 61 H, 10 BB, 86 KThese are the top five players to receive votes for Twins Daily’s Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year #5 – Jake Reed, Rochester Red Wings – 30 G, 0-3, 2 Saves, 1.89 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 47.2 IP, 34 H, 21 BB, 50 K For a few years now, it has seemed like Jake Reed was knocking on the door to the major leagues, but in part due to some injuries, hasn’t yet made the jump. I’ll say quite frankly that he should have, at least for September of this year (and last year for that matter). The ERA to finish his season is great, but he really turned it on as the season wore on, appearing in both July and August’s Relief Pitcher of the Month entries. In that time frame Reed appeared in 16 games, pitching 26 total innings and allowing just four earned runs (1.38 ERA) on 10 hits and 10 walks (good for a 0.77 WHIP), while striking out 29. #4 – Alan Busenitz, Rochester Red Wings – 27 G, 2-3, 7 Saves, 2.48 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 40.0 IP, 32 H, 8 BB, 45 K Despite appearing in 28 games with the Twins in 2017 and delivering a 1.99 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, Busenitz has been on the Triple A shuttle several times this season, never quite being able to settle in. He was excellent in the minors again in 2018, including the month of May in which he didn’t allow a single run in eight appearances and 13 total innings. He was recognized in both May and June’s Relief Pitcher of the Month awards, and in that stretch over a period of 13 MiLB appearances, did not allow a run while striking out 27 in 23 innings pitched. #3 – Cody Stashak, Fort Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts – 37 G, 2-1, 4 Saves, 2.87 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 59.2 IP, 49 H, 15 BB, 74 K Stashak was a starting pitcher for the first two years of his professional career, and a decent one, after being drafted in the 13th round of the 2015 draft out of St. Johns University. But that changed in 2018, as the Twins put him in the bullpen for its entirety. He didn’t miss a beat, sustaining a sub 3.00 ERA, sub 1.10 WHIP, and sub .240 batting average against while increasing his K-rate. Stashak has always had good control, and that also didn’t leave him out of the ‘pen allowing him to have the best K/BB ratio of his career. From July through the end of the season, spanning 17 appearances and 23 innings pitched, Stashak allowed just two earned runs (0.78 ERA) on 19 hits and only 2 walks, while striking out 25. He was #2 in July’s Relief Pitcher of the Month entry and made honorable mention in two others during the season. #2 – Jovani Moran, Cedar Rapids Kernels/Fort Myers Miracle – 37 G, 9-3, 8 Saves, 2.49 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 76.0 IP, 45 H, 35 BB, 107 K If you paid attention during the year or have been clicking the links throughout this article, you know of the legend that is Jovani Moran already. He took home the monthly relief pitcher honors in June and July and received an honorable mention twice. The first thing you’ll notice with him is obviously the K’s. After striking out literally everybody with Elizabethton in 2017 (almost, his rate was 16.4/9IP) and taking home the Short Season Pitcher of the Year award, Moran continued that success with the Kernels and Miracle in 2018, finishing with a rate of 12.7K/9IP between his two stops. Surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow in 2016 seemingly ended his development path as a starter, but what they’ve found as a reliever is hard to ignore. Listed at 6’1” and 170 lbs, Moran hasn’t been known for his velocity, but may have kicked it up some in the bullpen. He has also improved the movement of his secondary pitches, led by a great changeup and improving breaking ball. Moran is one to watch closely moving forward. #1 – Andrew Vasquez, Fort Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings – 40 G, 1-2, 6 Saves, 1.30 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 69.1 IP, 50 H, 21 BB, 108 K If you thought Moran’s strikeout total was egregious, take a look at Andrew Vasquez’s. There’s a reason the left-handed Vasquez jumped from Fort Myers all the way to the Twins bullpen during the 2018 season—he has been as untouchable as his slider is elite. Like Moran, Vasquez made appearances on several of the monthly awards, including winning in August before his September callup to the majors. Leading to his recent MLB debut, Vasquez has had a standout minor league career since being drafted by the Twins in the 32nd round of the 2015 draft out of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA. His career minor league ERA is just 1.52 in four seasons and he has struck out 13.4/9IP. While his fastball will only touch the 90’s, as Twins farm director Jeremy Zoll noted to Twins Daily, “It’s all about the slider with Andrew.” Because of this pitch, he didn’t allow a single extra-base-hit to same-sided hitters during his 2017 season that ended with a trip to the Arizona Fall League (fun fact only I may know since I wrote about it: his first hit allowed in the AFL was a double to a lefty). His efforts during that 2017 campaign also landed him at #5 in this award category last year. Zoll went on to talk about how Brad Steil, Luis Ramirez (Vasquez’s pitching coach in rookie ball), and the Twins pushed him to rely on the pitch after turning pro. “The slider is your thing, make it your thing. He really owned that this year. I think he realized that not only lefties, but righties were having a really hard time hitting it too. Once he got to Double A it was like ‘All right, I’m catching a groove here’ and you could see his confidence boost. It’s been really fun to see him have that type of success, starting in high-A and ending up in the big leagues.” You can definitely see that boost in confidence talked about in his numbers on the year. With Fort Myers, Vasquez pitched 32.2 innings with a 1.38 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 37:13 K to BB ratio. With the Lookouts, those numbers improved to 31.0 innings with a 1.16 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and a 59:4 K to BB ratio. Then, before he was called up to the Twins he made four appearances with the Rochester Red Wings, pitching 5.2 innings and striking out 12 of the 28 hitters he faced (42.3%). It was an easy decision to add Vasquez to the 40-man when rosters expanded for September based on his numbers and the fact that he would have to be protected in the offseason anyway. Twins fans should be able to see that slider plenty of times over the final month and get an idea of what the future could hold for the 6’6” left-hander. It’s very apparent how much the Twins believe in Vasquez and his slider, as Zoll closed by recalling a conversation with Tim O’Neill, one of their national cross-checkers, who said, “How about the kid from Westmont?!” Zoll went on, “It’s an interesting story and situation to see that type of profile, having a reliever with that type of slider. Where did you learn that thing and how can we teach other people? Maybe there’s something in the water. We’ll have to ship that out to Fort Myers.” Definitely look into that, Mr. Zoll! Congratulations to Andrew Vasquez and the rest of the relievers recognized by Twins Daily for their efforts in 2018. Vasquez has the ingredients to stick around for a while, even if it’s just to devastate left-handed hitters. The Ballots In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers: Seth Stohs – 1) Andrew Vasquez, 2) Jovani Moran, 3) Jake Reed, 4) Alan Busenitz, 5) Cody StashakJeremy Nygaard – 1) Andrew Vasquez, 2) Jovani Moran, 3) Alan Busenitz, 4) Cody Stashak, 5) Nick AndersonCody Christie – 1) Andrew Vasquez, 2) Jovani Moran, 3) Gabriel Moya, 4) Cody Stashak, 5) Alan BusenitzTom Froemming – 1) Andrew Vasquez, 2) Jovani Moran, 3) Cody Stashak, 4) Ryne Harper, 5) Nick AndersonSteve Lein – 1) Andrew Vasquez, 2) Jovani Moran, 3) Cody Stashak, 4) Ryne Harper, 5) Nick AndersonTed Schwerzler – 1) Andrew Vasquez, 2) Jake Reed, 3) John Curtiss, 4) Alan Busenitz, 5) Jovani MoranWhat do you think? How would your ballot look? Click here to view the article

I also was at this game, and it was a major disappointment to see the Perfecto and No-hitter go away so quickly. I was definitely rooting for the pitcher at that point...

Don't think of it in terms of dimensions. Metrodome was completely enclosed, with air being sucked in/out throughout it. It also was, in general to demonstrate this idea, shaped like an upside down cone from the field up into the stands, and not at a very high angle. Imagine how the air flows in that situation... Target field, is essentially a coffee can from the field up into the stands, with one area cut out where air pushes in (plaza), and then swirls throughout it. This is from 2010 after just a few games in Target Field, but the average home run distance had gone down 14 feet from the Metrodome (they also go much further into the details I'm talking about): http://www.espn.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/4008/how-target-field-is-hurting-mauer-morneau That absolutely affected those balls Mauer hit. Instead of a row or two into the stands, they were warning track or shorter fly balls. But I do agree in a way with your last sentence.

Not the soft-liners I'm talking about. It's the ones he hits to within 30 feet of the wall. The ones that went out in the Metrodome but don't come close at Target Field. (he still hits a lot of those).

Just saying this to each of you who pointed it out: You missed my final sentence. "Have maintained he would have hit .400 there in his prime."

Didn't get my thoughts in for this one, but I agree with what seems to be the general consensus —he plays here or doesn't play at all. I think it's a good idea to bring him back as long as it's for the Twins price and their idea of his playing time, not his. I'm not convinced this front office thinks that way, though. I think they're more likely than anyone who has ever been in the Twins FO before, to just move on from him. I'd hate it if he kind of got 'forced' into retirement like that, but then I'd tell him go try and play for a contender. I always wanted to see him play a majority of games in Fenway Park. All those drives to left-center start hitting the green monster and turn into at least singles instead of outs. Have maintained he would have hit .400 there in his prime.