Steve Lein

I'd keep the top 3 from this list if we're not taking anyone else off. I wouldn't fret about losing Jorge, but I also don't think he'd stick anywhere the whole year. That's how I'd make my decision to not add him. Granite and Vielma I would consider more than him, he was not the same guy at AA.

(Try to) Sign Castro. He'd be a good platoon with whoever else is there. As you can see he's a very decent hitter vs. righties, and would think Murphy or Garver could hit somewhat well for a catcher vs. lefties.

Yeah, I tried to demonstrate it in a way that made it as confusing for you as it was for me (haha), because no information I found made it apparent how the second runner would have even been in a position to score. There were no mentions anywhere I could find of that runner moving beyond first base before that single. No error, no steal, no balk... (shrugs shoulders)

Author Note: Apologies on the late report this week, but it’s hunting season! q:-) The Surprise Saguaros went 3-2 in the fourth week of the AFL season, and all of the Twins prospects were back in action on the week as Stephen Gonsalves made his return to the starting rotation after sitting out with a sore back. Their squad was also no-hit in one of those losses on the week, but we can take solace in the fact that none of the Twins players contributed to that effort! To see how each of the Twins prospects performed in Week 4, read on! (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – 1 game started, 2.0 IP, 2 ER’s, 1 H, 1 BB. Gonsalves made his return to the starting rotation for Friday’s contest against the Salt River Rafters. As he had not pitched in a couple weeks, it was a short appearance for him and he had to shake off a little rust. He walked the first batter of the game, and then hit the second with a pitch to put two runners on. A lineout to right field from the next hitter advanced the lead runner to third, and then a fielder’s choice groundout scored the first run but got an out at second. This means the batter ended up on first base and this is where the game recap gets a little confusing. With two outs, the next batter singled to centerfield, and the runner whom was on first…scored? However this anomaly went down this accounted for the two earned runs allowed in Gonsalves’ line. His second inning went much better and was of the one-two-three variety, with all three outs coming via groundouts to third base. Gonsalves threw thirty-three pitches total in his return to AFL action, with nineteen of those going for strikes. Nick Gordon – 3 games, 4-12, 3 R’s, 3B, RBI, BB, 6 K’s, SB. On Halloween, Surprise and Glendale were locked in 0-0 pitching staff duel until the eighth inning, when two Twins prospects broke the tie. Tanner English led off the frame with a single, and Gordon promptly drove him in for the game’s first run with a triple. Gordon would score his team’s second run on a double later in the inning and that was it in the 2-0 win. In a somewhat scary play to start the game, Gordon shook off a 90-MPH fastball to his helmet to stay in the game and then stole his fifth base, but was left stranded. On Wednesday, Gordon again was in the leadoff spot for the Saguaros 6-0 win over Peoria, but he didn’t factor into the boxscore much in this one. His 0-4 day included two strikeouts. He would make up for that on Friday, though his team came out on the losing end in the extra-inning affair against Salt River. Down 2-0 after the top of the inning started by Gonsalves, Gordon led off with a single in the bottom half. He would later score on a double that also tied the game at two. After strikeouts to end each of the second and fourth innings, Gordon led off the seventh inning with a single, and trotted the bases on a home run from the next batter. With the game tied at six in the eighth, Gordon again reached base with a single, but was caught stealing second for the innings final out. Gordon was also the Twins lone representative in Saturday’s Fall Stars game, which his West division squad won 12-4. He was the leadoff man, and finished 0-3 with three groundouts before the mass substitutions came into play. For some more reading, check out Baseball America’s feature on Gordon, where it discusses what he’s working on in the AFL. Mitch Garver – 3 games, 1-11, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 4 K’s. It was a bit of a quiet week for Garver, but his lone hit was a big one that came in the first inning of Wednesday’s game against Peoria. With a runner on second, Garver blasted his fourth AFL home run to make it 2-0, and they never looked back in the 6-0 win. He was the designated hitter in this one. Earlier in the week on Hallow’s Eve, Garver was 0-4 with a pair of strikeouts while playing catcher. He did however, cut top Dodgers prospect Cody Bellinger down at second on a steal attempt late in the game. On Thursday Garver was back behind the plate, but finished his day 0-3. He drew a two-out walk in the third inning, but advanced no further than that. He also had a throwing error on the defensive side. Tanner English – 3 games, 2-9, 2 R’s, 3B, RBI, BB, 4 K’s. English saw action in the same three games as Garver during the week, playing centerfield in each. As mentioned above, in their Halloween win English broke the stalemate with single leading off the eighth inning and came around to score the first run of the game on Gordon’s triple that followed. In Wednesday’s shutout victory, he drew a walk in the second inning but played a bigger part in the Saguaros three run fifth to break the game open. His triple drove in the first run of the inning, and he would score the second on a wild pitch. In Thursday’s 3-1 loss to Mesa, English moved up a spot in the batting order to eighth, but went 0-3 with a pair of strikeouts to halt his hitting streak at six games. Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 4 H’s, 2 K’s, 1.00 ERA (overall). Melotakis picked up the win on Halloween as he pitched the top of the eighth inning before his organizational teammates accounted for Surprise’s two runs in the bottom half. He got through the inning without allowing a run, but it wasn’t quite that easy. Cody Bellinger led off with a single, but that’s when Garver cut him down trying to move into scoring position. An error and a single later put runners on first and third, but he got the final out on a pop-out to end any threat. In Thursday’s loss to Mesa, Melotakis again got the eighth inning, and again he had to work out of a jam. The first two batters reached on ground ball singles to centerfield, but that’s when he bucked up. Two strikeouts and a grounder later he was out inning and had lowered his Fall League ERA to an even 1.00. Randy Rosario – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 3 H’s, K, 5.59 ERA (overall). The lefty Rosario got the sixth inning on Halloween and kept the game tied at zero with a scoreless inning. He did allow two singles including one to the leadoff batter, but with two outs and runners on the corners he closed the door on the rally with a strikeout. Like Melotakis, Rosario also saw action in Thurday’s 3-1 loss, pitching the fifth inning in that one to relieve the Saguaros starter Tanner Anderson. The leadoff man again reached base with a single, but essentially two sacrifice bunts (one legit, one a weak tapper back to him on the mound) and can of corn later he had a scoreless inning in the book. John Curtiss – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 3 K’s, 3.72 ERA (overall). Curtiss had two solid appearances on the week, pitching in Wednesday’s win and Friday’s extra-inning loss. In the victory, he was the first reliever up after their starter finished the first four innings, and made quick work of the Javelinas lineup after the offense had made it 5-0 in the top-half. He bookended his inning with strikeouts and threw just ten pitches (seven for strikes). On Friday he pitched the seventh inning, again making short work of the opposing lineup to keep the game tied at six. On eleven pitches he picked up two ground ball outs to third, and ended the inning with a strikeout, his fourteenth on the AFL season in 8.2 innings pitched (that’s a good ratio, if you were wondering). Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week!

You have that exactly correct. The AFL All-Star game is not about the league's top performers. They want fans to watch, so it's going to be the players with name recognition. Garver might be a good bet as a fill-in if someone can't play, however.

(Like the regular season MiLB reports, these first get posted to the writer's own blog, and then get moved to the front page by our hosts!) I'll post here what I did back on my own blog: "Yeah. In general you get a lot of top-level talent and guys right on the doorstep of the majors. Very good level of competition throughout the league. I think Gordon was always a lock for AA. In the context of the Florida State League, he was very good there this last year. In my experience following guys, the top prospect types get a bump in their numbers when they move to AA just by getting out of the stadium environments in the FSL. It's not stated enough how hard it is to hit in that league for young guys. For reference, only 2 hitters in the entire league hit over .300 this year. Gordon's .291 mark was 6th." And, the leaguewide OPS was .677 this year. Also, if the Twins do nothing else at the position, Garver should at least get a loooooooooooooong look in Spring Training....

I mentioned this in the AFL preview, but Stuart Turner often gets the defensive catcher praise in the organization (and rightfully so), but Garver is also no slouch and has actually thrown out basestealers at a higher rate than Turner for their MiLB careers. They were also voted 1-2 for the Johnny Bench Award coming out of college (top collegiate catcher). Garver has been the better hitter in the minors by quite a ways.

Yeah. In general you get a lot of top-level talent and guys right on the doorstep of the majors. Very good level of competition throughout the league. I think Gordon was always a lock for AA. In the context of the Florida State League, he was very good there this last year. In my experience following guys, the top prospect types get a bump in their numbers when they move to AA just by getting out of the stadium environments in the FSL. It's not stated enough how hard it is to hit in that league for young guys. For reference, only 2 hitters in the entire league hit over .300 this year. Gordon's .291 mark was 6th.

Twins prospects playing with the Surprise Saguaros helped them to a 4-2 record on the week, and they currently sit in second place in the West Division with a 9-7-1 overall record, one-and-a-half games behind the Peoria Javelinas. Stephen Gonsalves remained sidelined this week, but it was one for the hitters anyway. One prospect collected at least one hit in all four games he played while another continued to show an all-around game, but the biggest week came from a player at a position the parent organization should be keeping a keen eye on this offseason. A left-handed member of the bullpen also continued to stand out. Read on to see how each player fared on the week!(links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – Did not pitch. Gonsalves continued to rest during the AFL season’s third week, but is still learning plenty while there with his teammates. Hopefully he can get back to adding some of those innings he’s looking for this week! Seth Update: Gonsalves threw a bullpen on Friday and it went just fine. He expects to throw another bullpen on Monday and hopefully make a start on Friday for Surprise. Nick Gordon – 4 games, 5-17, 2B, BB, 5 K’s, 2 SB’s. Nick Gordon started out the week very well, collecting two hits in each of his first two games on the week to raise his average to .406. In the small sample size that is the AFL, his 1-9 effort in the next two caused him to finish week 3 batting .341. Batting leadoff as the DH in Monday’s 7-2 loss, Gordon started the game with a single and added another with two outs in the seventh. He was left on base both times. Back to playing shortstop and hitting second on Wednesday, Gordon was instrumental in the Saguaros 6-1 win. His double in the first inning was the first of four consecutive hits in the frame, and he scored the first of three runs that would prove more than enough at the end. His two-out single in the second came before a home run off the bat of Jose Trevino that put Surprise up 5-0. He also drew a walk in the sixth to reach base in three out of five trips on the day. On Friday Gordon didn’t have quite as good of a day as he wore a sombrero with three strikeouts in five trips to the plate, but after his single in the fifth inning he also swiped second base for his third steal of the season. In the finale on Saturday Gordon was 0-4, but late in the game he beat out a double play ball to reach first, stole second base with two outs, and came around to score when a Twins teammate then lined a single to center field. The run put Surprise in front comfortably at 6-2. Mitch Garver – 3 games, 5-12, 2B, 2 HR’s, 5 RBI, 3 K’s. In his three games on the week, Garver again batted cleanup in each, and was behind the plate in two while the DH in another. In all three games the Saguaros were victorious, and Garver was a big reason why. In their 4-0 win against Glendale on Tuesday, Garver’s two-run home run in the fourth inning gave them a 2-0 lead. He had also singled in the first inning but was erased on a double play and finished the day 2-4. In Thursday’s tilt against Peoria, the score was 4-2 in favor of the Javelinas heading into the top of the ninth. After two quick outs, Garver ripped a double to left field that opened the flood gates. He moved to third on a wild pitch, then after a walk another wild pitch allowed him to scamper home to make it 4-3. Before the inning was over the Saguaros put up five two-out runs and take the lead 7-4. They held on to win 7-5. On Saturday Garver was part of a power display from the Saguaros as they took down Scottsdale 6-3. As the DH in this one Garver started with strikeouts in his first two at-bats, but would more than make up for those in his final two. With the score 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Garver blasted his third home run of the season, a two-run shot with two outs. In the seventh, after Gordon had stole second base, he added another two-out RBI with a single to left to drive him in. After week 3, Garver is one of five players in the AFL with an OPS above 1.000 and is tied for the league lead in home runs with three. Tanner English – 4 games, 5-15, 1 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 5 K’s, SB. English picked up a hit in each of his four games on the week, including a big one in Surprise’s win on Thursday. Batting eighth and playing center field in the week’s first game on Monday, English singled in the fifth, but he and another runner were left stranded in scoring position with their team down 5-0 at the time. His other three plate appearances resulted in a ground out and two K’s and he committed his first error on defense on a hard line drive to him. In Tuesday’s shutout win, English was 2-4 batting ninth but was caught stealing after his first single of the game in the fifth. After his second single in the eighth he made it as far as third, but was ultimately left stranded. In the Saguaros comeback win on Thursday, English put the final nail in the coffin for the Javelina’s in the top of the ninth. His two-run homer capped their two-out scoring at five and provided the insurance needed to close out the 7-5 win. Batting ninth and playing center field again on Friday, English reached base twice in four trips via a single and walk, and also stole his first base of the AFL season. Both times he reached base he was stranded in scoring position as Surprise fell to Scottsdale 6-3. Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s, 1.50 ERA (overall). Melotakis again pitched in two games on the week and for one inning apiece, pitching the seventh in Tuesday’s 4-0 win and the sixth in Friday’s 6-3 loss. On Tuesday in his team’s shutout victory, he needed just ten pitches to put the Desert Dogs down one-two-three, including one strikeout. On Friday he needed only nine pitches to finish his inning, but he did allow a two-out single before striking out the final hitter of his inning. In his six innings out of the Saguaros bullpen Melotakis has allowed just one run on five hits and a walk, while striking out six. He’s also been very efficient, throwing over fifteen pitches in just one of those appearances, and not more than eleven in four others. Fifty-five of his seventy-seven pitches have gone for strikes (71.4 percent). Randy Rosario – 1 game, 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H’s, BB, K, 7.94 ERA (overall). Rosario made only one appearance on the week, and it came in Wednesday’s 6-1 win over the Scottsdale Scorpions. Unfortunately for Rosario, he was the one responsible for the Scorpions lone run. Summoned for the sixth inning, he quickly got the first out on ground out before a single, double and walk loaded the bases. The next hitter got an infield single hit toward Gordon at short to score the run. He then struck out Tim Tebow and got a fly out to end the threat and limit the damage. John Curtiss – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 R, 3 H’s, BB, 5 K’s. Curtiss saw action in the games on Wednesday and Saturday, pitching an inning in each. In the 6-1 win on Wednesday, he was called upon for the eighth inning. He bookended his inning with strikeouts, and in-between he allowed a single but quickly picked off the runner at first base. On Saturday he again got the eighth inning, but ran into trouble early before recovering late. A walk and two singles scored a run before he was able to pick up his first out, and three strikeouts later he escaped the inning with limited damage. He also hit a batter after the first two strikeouts which loaded the bases, but got the final hitter looking to end the frame. In his 6.2 total innings pitched in the AFL thus far, Curtiss has now struck out eleven and lowered his ERA to 5.40 from 13.50 over his last four games (one run allowed in last 4.2 IP) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week! Click here to view the article

Twins prospects playing with the Surprise Saguaros helped them to a 4-2 record on the week, and they currently sit in second place in the West Division with a 9-7-1 overall record, one-and-a-half games behind the Peoria Javelinas. Stephen Gonsalves remained sidelined this week, but it was one for the hitters anyway. One prospect collected at least one hit in all four games he played while another continued to show an all-around game, but the biggest week came from a player at a position the parent organization should be keeping a keen eye on this offseason. A left-handed member of the bullpen also continued to stand out. Read on to see how each player fared on the week! (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – Did not pitch. Gonsalves continued to rest during the AFL season’s third week, but is still learning plenty while there with his teammates. Hopefully he can get back to adding some of those innings he’s looking for this week! Nick Gordon – 4 games, 5-17, 2B, BB, 5 K’s, 2 SB’s. Nick Gordon started out the week very well, collecting two hits in each of his first two games on the week to raise his average in the league to .406. In the small sample size that is the AFL, his 1-9 effort in the next two caused him to finish week three batting .341. Batting leadoff as the DH in Monday’s 7-2 loss, Gordon started the game with a single and added another with two outs in the seventh. He was left on base both times. Back to playing shortstop and hitting second on Wednesday, Gordon was instrumental in the Saguaros 6-1 win. His double in the first inning was the first of four consecutive hits in the frame, and he scored the first of three runs that would prove more than enough at the end. His two out single in the second came before a home run off the bat of Jose Trevino that put Surprise up 5-0. He also drew a walk in the sixth to reach base three out of five trips on the day. On Friday Gordon didn’t have quite as good of a day as he wore a sombrero with three strikeouts in five trips to the plate, but after his single in the fifth inning he also swiped second base for his third steal of the season. In the finale on Saturday Gordon was 0-4, but late in the game he beat out a double play ball to reach first, stole second base with two outs, and came around to score when a Twins teammate then lined a single to centerfield. The run put Surprise in front comfortable at 6-2. Mitch Garver – 3 games, 5-12, 2B, 2 HR’s, 5 RBI, 3 K’s. In his three games on the week, Garver again batted cleanup in each, and was behind the plate in two while the DH in another. In all three games the Saguaros were victorious, and Garver was a big reason why. In their 4-0 win against Glendale on Tuesday, Garver’s two-run home run in the fourth inning gave them a 2-0 lead. He had also singled in the first inning but was erased on a double play and finished the day 2-4. In Thursday’s tilt against Peoria, the score was 4-2 in favor of the Javelinas heading into the top of the ninth. After two quick outs, Garver ripped a double to left field that opened the flood gates. He moved to third on a wild pitch, then after a walk another wild pitch allowed him to scamper home to make in 4-3. Before the inning was over the Saguaros would put up five two-out runs and take the lead 7-4. They would hold on to win 7-5. On Saturday Garver was part of a power display from the Saguaros as they took down Scottsdale 6-3. As the DH in this one Garver started with strikeouts in his first two at bats, but would more than make up for those in his final two. With the score 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Garver blasted his third home run of the season, a two-run shot with two outs. In the seventh, after Gordon had stole second base, he added another two-out RBI with a single to left to drive him in. After week three, Garver is one of five players in the AFL with an OPS above 1.000 and is tied for the league lead in home runs with three. Tanner English – 4 games, 5-15, 1 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 5 K’s, SB. English picked up a hit in each of his four games on the week, including a big one in Surprise’s win on Thursday. Batting eighth and playing centerfield in the week’s first game on Monday, English singled in the fifth, but he and another runner were left stranded in scoring position with their team down 5-0 at the time. His other three plate appearances resulted in a groundout and two K’s and he committed his first error on defense on a hard line drive to him. In Tuesday’s shutout win, English was 2-4 batting ninth but was caught stealing after his first single of the game in the fifth. After his second single in the eighth he made it as far as third, but was ultimately left stranded. In the Saguaros comeback win on Thursday, English put the final nail in the coffin for the Javelina’s in the top of the ninth. His two-run homer capped their two-out scoring at five and provided the insurance needed to close out the 7-5 win. Batting ninth and playing centerfield again on Friday, English reached base twice in four trips via a single and walk, and also stole his first base of the AFL season. Both times he reached base he was stranded in scoring position as Surprise fell to Scottsdale 6-3. Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s, 1.50 ERA (overall). Melotakis again pitched in two games on the week and for one inning apiece, pitching the seventh in Tuesday’s 4-0 win and the sixth in Friday’s 6-3 loss. On Tuesday in his team’s shutout victory, he needed just ten pitches to put the Desert Dogs down one-two-three, including one strikeout. On Friday he needed only nine pitches to finish his inning, but he did allow a two-out single before striking out the final hitter of his inning. In his six innings out of the Saguaros bullpen Melotakis has allowed just one run on five hits and a walk, while striking out six. He’s also been very efficient, throwing over fifteen pitches in just one of those appearances, and not more than eleven in four others. Fifty-five of his seventy-seven total pitches have gone for strikes (71.4 percent). Randy Rosario – 1 game, 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H’s, BB, K, 7.94 ERA (overall). Rosario made only one appearance on the week, and it came in Wednesday’s 6-1 win over the Scottsdale Scorpions. Unfortunately for Rosario, he was the one responsible for the Scorpions lone run. Summoned for the sixth inning, he quickly got the first out on groundout before a single, double, and walk would load the bases. The next hitter got an infield single hit toward Gordon at short to score the run. He then struck out Tim Tebow and got a flyout to end the threat and limit the damage. John Curtiss – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 R, 3 H’s, BB, 5 K’s. Curtiss saw action in the games on Wednesday and Saturday during the week, pitching an inning in each. In the 6-1 win on Wednesday, he was called upon for the eighth inning. He bookended his inning with strikeouts, and in-between he allowed a single put quickly picked off the runner at first base. On Saturday he again got the eighth inning, but ran into trouble early before recovering late. A walk and two singles scored a run before he was able to pick up his first out, but three strikeouts later he escaped the inning with limited damage. He also hit a batter after the first two strikeouts which loaded the bases, but got the final hitter looking to end the frame. In his 6.2 total innings pitched in the AFL thus far, Curtiss has now struck out eleven and lowered his ERA to 5.40 from 13.50 over his last four games (one run allowed in last 4.2 IP) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week!

"Kirby Puckett was my last hero. I find it now important to separate what happens on the field of play and the person, even if that person is someone who does so much good in the community or owns a Roberto Clemente Award for community service." This paragraph is the clearest thing to me about pro athletes. It wasn't Kirby who taught me to do this necessarily, but this is absolutely how I treat players of professional sports. Most of the time when I talk about them here in forums, what I am saying is a reflection of how they have done on the physical surface the game is played. Any comment for something outside the game or them personally will be framed in that context. Another example for me is Randy Moss. LOVED him as a Wide Receiver/NFL player on my TV for the Vikings. Most exciting player in a long time to come to the NFL, was so fun to watch. But he was an absolute jerk off the field in his time(s) in Minnesota. If I ever have kids, this is what I'll teach them about professional athletes: Love the players for how they play the game and what they can teach you or inspire you about the game. Look anywhere else for people to look up to about anything else in life.

Quick update on this week: Nick Gordon went 2-4 as a DH batting in the leadoff spot on Monday. Tanner English was 1-4 in the 7-2 loss. Mitch Garver hit his second home run and leads Surprise in RBI's with 7. He was 2-4 in their 4-0 win on Tuesday. English went 2-4 in this one and was caught stealing. Mason Melotakis pitched a one-two-three seventh inning that included a strikeout.

Week Two of the AFL season saw the Surprise Saguaros go 3-3, with Twins prospects being quite a bit more quiet than in the first week. The three hitters managed just four hits among them after collecting fourteen in week one, and their prized pitching prospect unexpectedly got the week off for unknown reasons. That doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty of action between them in their team's six games, so read on to find out what happened with each player on the week.(links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – Did not pitch. Although Gonsalves was listed as the probable starter leading up to Wednesday’s game against Scottsdale, he did not pitch in the game, nor make any appearances during the week due to a mild strain in his back. Hopefully he’s back in action this week! Nick Gordon – 3 games, 2-11, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K’s. Gordon wasn’t nearly as hot in week two as he was in week one, but his first extra-base hit of the AFL season was a big one. It came in Monday’s 3-1 win over Salt River in the third inning. With two outs and runners on first and third, he ripped a double to center field to score them both and put his team ahead 2-0. It was one of just six hits on the day for the Saguaros, and Gordon also drew a walk in the game. Back to hitting third in the lineup on Wednesday, Gordon was 0-3 but hit a couple of balls hard right at defenders. One of those turned into a double play as the runner at first was doubled off by the second baseman. Gordon drew a walk in the fifth inning that helped load the bases with nobody out, but they scored just one and he was left stranded at third. In Thursday’s 6-4 loss to Peoria, Gordon batted second and was 1-5 on the day. His hit came in the third inning when he got an infield single on a grounder into the hole at shortstop. Unfortunately he was then picked off on a steal attempt, and went down swinging in his final two plate appearances. Mitch Garver – 3 games, 1-13, RBI, 3 K’s. Garver also had a week far less productive than his first, as he collected just one hit in his three games out of the cleanup spot in the lineup. Like week one, he caught two games and was the designated hitter in the other. On Tuesday he picked up his lone RBI on the week in the first inning, and it would be his team’s only run on the game. His fielder’s choice ground ball to third brought in Yoan Moncado and gave them the early lead, but they got nothing else from there. He also reached base in the sixth due to an error, but ended up stranded on third. He also threw out the only runner who attempted to steal on him. In Thursday’s loss Garver was 0-5 with a couple of strikeouts in the loss, but again threw out a runner at second base from behind the plate. As the designated hitter on Friday, Garver finally picked up a hit for the week and it came in the third inning after Surprise had scored a run. His single was their third consecutive hit on the inning, and they loaded the bases with two outs but pushed across no more. He finished his day with a pair of groundouts in the fifth and seventh. Tanner English – 4 games, 1-13, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 K’s. Monday’s game was one English surely would have liked to forget as soon as possible. Batting sixth, he was 0-3 on the day with three strikeouts. Tuesday’s game was better, as he picked up a single to lead off the seventh inning, but would be left at second base and this was his only hit on the week. He struck out twice in this one. After a day off he batted leadoff on Thursday, but was 0-4 with another pair of strikeouts. These two came in his last two plate appearances, but at that point his entire team wasn’t faring much better. Over the final four innings that included those two K’s, he and his teammates went a combined 0-12 with seven strikeouts. He finished his week with his best game on Saturday, where he drew three walks and scored a run in the Saguaros win over Glendale. He led off the game for Surprise with a walk, and moved to third on an errant pickoff attempt before being thrown out at home on a fly ball to center field. His walk in the third inning was part of their five run burst, and he came around to score on a bases-clearing double. His walk in the fourth loaded the bases again, but he would end up only reaching third. Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H’s, 1 BB, 1 K, 2.25 ERA (overall). Melotakis pitched in two games on the week, getting the sixth inning in both of his squads two losses to the Salt River Rafters. On Tuesday, he had a quick one-two-three inning, throwing eleven pitches and inducing a flyout, groundout, and pop out. At the time the game was tied at one. On Friday, Melotakis ran into his first trouble of the AFL season and it came after he retired the first two hitters of the inning, including a strikeout. A single and a walk put a runner in scoring position, and the next hit a single that brought him home for a 3-2 Rafters lead. He got the third out of the inning on a ground ball back to himself to limit the damage, but his run allowed held up as the game winner and Melotakis was saddled with the loss. Randy Rosario – 2 games 3.0 IP, 2 ER’s, 5 H’s, 0 BB’s, 2 K’s. Rosario pitched two important innings in the Saguaros 2-1 victor over Scottsdale on the 19th, holding them scoreless in the sixth and seventh. He allowed two hits and no runs, while striking out two to keep the game 2-1 going into the late innings. On Saturday he wasn’t as lucky, but was thrown into a bad situation by Trey Ball, who had started the inning but walked all five men he faced before Rosario was summoned. He got a sac fly out, and allowed an RBI single before he was tagged for a three-run home run. He got the final two outs around a single to finish off the seven-run inning for Glendale, but luckily for his team that outburst only left the game tied. Surprise scored two in the bottom of the seventh and would hold on to win 10-8. John Curtiss – 2 games started, 2.2 IP, 0 R’s, 3 H’s, 0BB’s, 2 K’s. In Wednesday’s win, Curtiss pitched the eighth inning with his team up 2-1. It didn’t start out that well as he gave up a leadoff double, but he retired the next three hitters to preserve the lead. Of his twelve pitches, ten of them went for strikes. In Saturday’s 10-8 win, Curtiss came on in the middle of the fourth inning to relieve starter Josh Staumont, who got a little wild to start the frame. With runners on first and second and one out, Curtiss allowed one inherited runner to score on a single, but got a fly out and strikeout to end the inning with his team up 6-1. He came back out for the fifth and pitched a scoreless inning, allowing just a single and picking up another strikeout. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week! Click here to view the article

Week Two of the AFL season saw the Surprise Saguaros go 3-3, with Twins prospects faring quite a bit quieter than the first week. The three hitters managed just four hits between them after collecting fourteen in week one, and their prized pitching prospect unexpectedly got the week off for unknown reasons. That doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty of action between them in their teams six games, so read on to find out what happened with each player on the week. (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – Did not pitch. Although Gonsalves was listed as the probable starter leading up to Wednesday’s game against Scottsdale, he did not pitch in the game, or make any appearances during the week due to a mild strain in his back. Hopefully he’s back in action this week! Nick Gordon – 3 games, 2-11, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K’s. Gordon wasn’t nearly as hot in week two as he was in week one, but his first extra-base hit of the AFL season was a big one. It came in Monday’s 3-1 win over Salt River in the third inning. With two outs and runners on first and third, he ripped a double to centerfield to score them both and put his team ahead 2-0. It was one of just six hits on the day for the Saguaros, and Gordon also drew a walk in the game. Back to hitting third in the lineup on Wednesday, Gordon was 0-3 but hit a couple balls hard right at defenders. One of those turned into a double play as the runner at first was doubled off by the second baseman. Gordon drew a walk in the fifth inning that helped load the bases with nobody out, but they scored just one and he was left stranded at third. In Thursday’s 6-4 loss to Peoria, Gordon batted second and was 1-5 on the day. His hit came in the third inning when he got an infield single on a grounder into the hole at shortstop. Unfortunately he was then picked off on a steal attempt, and would go down swinging n his final two plate appearances. Mitch Garver – 3 games, 1-13, RBI, 3 K’s. Garver also had a week far less productive than his first, as he collected just one hit in his three games out of the cleanup spot in the lineup. Like week one, he caught two games, and was the designated hitter in the other. On Tuesday he picked up his lone RBI on the week in the first inning, and it would be his team’s only run on the game. His fielder’s choice ground ball to third brought in Yoan Moncado and gave them the early lead, but would get nothing else from there. He also reached base in the sixth due to an error, but would end up stranded on third. He also threw out the only runner who attempted to steal on him. In Thursday’s loss Garver was 0-5 with a couple of strikeouts in the loss, but again threw out a runner at second base from behind the plate. As the designated hitter on Friday, Garver finally picked up a hit for the week and it came in the third inning after Surprise had scored a run. His single was their third consecutive hit on the inning, and they would load the bases with two outs but push across no more. He would finish his day with a pair of groundouts in the fifth and seventh. Tanner English – 4 games, 1-13, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 K’s. Monday’s game was one English surely would have liked to forget as soon as possible. Batting sixth, he was 0-3 on the day with three strikeouts. Tuesday’s game was better, as he picked up a single to lead off the seventh inning, but would be left at second base and this was his only hit on the week. He struck out twice in this one. After a day off he batted leadoff on Thursday, but was 0-4 with another pair of strikeouts. These two came in his last two plate appearances, but at that point his entire team wasn’t faring much better. Over the final four innings that included those two K’s, he and his teammates went a combined 0-12 with seven strikeouts. He finished his week with his best game on Saturday, where he drew three walks and scored a run in the Saguaros win over Glendale. He led off the game for Surprise with a walk, and moved to third on an errant pickoff attempt before being thrown out at home on a fly ball to centerfield. His walk in the third inning was part of their five run burst, and he came around to score on a bases clearing double. His walk in the fourth loaded the bases again, but he would only end up reaching third. Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H’s, 1 BB, 1 K, 2.25 ERA (overall). Melotakis pitched in two games on the week, getting the sixth inning in both of his squads two losses to the Salt River Rafters. On Tuesday, he had a quick one-two-three inning, throwing eleven pitches and inducing a flyout, groundout, and pop out. At the time the game was tied at one. On Friday, Melotakis ran into his first trouble of the AFL season and it came after he retired the first two hitters of the inning, including a strikeout. A single and a walk put a runner in scoring position, and the next single brought him home for a 3-2 Rafters lead. He got the third out of the inning on a ground ball back to himself to limit the damage, but his run allowed held up as the game winner and Melotakis was saddled with the loss. Randy Rosario – 2 games 3.0 IP, 2 ER’s, 5 H’s, 0 BB’s, 2 K’s. Rosario pitched two important innings in the Saguaros 2-1 victor over Scottsdale on the 19th, holding them scoreless in the sixth and seventh. He allowed two hits and no runs, while striking out two to keep the game 2-1 going into the late innings. On Saturday he wasn’t as lucky, but was thrown into a bad situation by Trey Ball, who had started the inning but walked all five men he faced before Rosario was summoned. He got a Sac Fly out, and allowed an RBI single before he was tagged for a three run home run, for which he was responsible for two of those runs. He got the final two outs around a single to finish off the seven run inning for Glendale, but luckily for his team that outburst only left the game tied. Surprise scored two in the bottom of the seventh and would hold on to win 10-8. John Curtiss – 2 games started, 2.2 IP, 0 R’s, 3 H’s, 0BB’s, 2 K’s. In Wednesday’s win, Curtiss pitched the eighth inning with his team up 2-1. It didn’t start out that well as he gave up a leadoff double, but he would retire the next three hitters to preserve the lead. Of his twelve pitches, ten of them went for strikes. In Saturday’s 10-8 win, Curtiss came on in the middle of the fourth inning to relieve starter Josh Staumont, who got a little wild to start the frame. With runners on first and second and one out, Curtiss allowed one inherited runner to score on a single, but got a flyout and strikeout to end the inning with his team up 6-1. He came back out for the fifth and pitched a scoreless inning, allowing just a single and picking up another strikeout. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week!

I'd probably keep Walker and Grossman on for now. Grossman can be okay in a platoon, but I would definitely limit his OF exposure. Centeno and Santana don't need to be there. Garver, Granite, Palka, and Vielma I would add. Escobar and Plouffe will probably stay too, but if I had to choose one it would be Escobar.

Of the bubble guys I'd only keep Tonkin and Wimmers on. Romero I would add. I wouldn't feel all that bad if Jorge was lost by not protecting him. Think Light and Kintzler could be left off as well. Kintzler likely won't be though, unless Falvey just blows it all up saying you guys have been doing this wrong for so long (which I hope he does in some way). The thing about bad teams, is that means there are bad players that can be replaced pretty easily. Kintzler was exactly that type of addition last year. I wouldn't just keep someone on at this point because they were there last year and performed okay. The Twins need to reach higher.

Haha! Obviously that doesn't mean everybody who is there. But I actually think this was a smart move by the Mets. Not only is he a $$$ attraction, you'll find out a lot about where he should start his career in the minors.

Yup, I said it in the AFL preview. The league is a proving ground for top prospects and those on the MLB doorstep!

I like the Holland, Storen, and Feliz names. In that order probably. Get May in the rotation unless you think his DL time this year was a fluke, and not due to pitching out of the bullpen. If you don't get one of those three above, don't assign a "closer." Let Kintzler, Chargois, Pressly, and Tonkin have shots at it and let the chips fall.

A lot depends on what the Twins do at the position in the offseason, obviously. Right now, they have Murphy, Centeno, and then: Garver. In this scenario I don't find it improbable that Garver could make the team out of Spring Training. But I also believe the Twins will search out a John Hicks type to slot in that group as well, putting Garver back at AAA until he forces the issue or a need pops up.

Twins prospects in the Arizona Fall League are playing for the Surprise Saguaros this season, and they started off in week one with two wins, two losses…and an extra-innings tie. Both victories were of the blowout variety, and they also experienced a blowout loss among those games. Two of the Twins position prospects had big weeks with their bats, and sit near the top of AFL leaderboards in several categories after five games. Stephen Gonsalves passed his first test with flying colors, while members pitching out of the bullpen had levels of success spanning from good to not so good.Read on to check out how all the Twins prospects fared in the first week of the 2016 Arizona Fall League season! (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – 1 Start, 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H’s, HR, 0 BB’s, 1 K. Gonsalves made the start in Thursday’s 5-4 loss, but Surprise was up 3-1 when he left after three innings. He was efficient, throwing just thirty-four pitches, with twenty-four going for strikes. In the first inning he struck out the first hitter he faced, and then got a fly out and grounder around a single for clean inning. In the second, he again faced just four hitters, but the third hitter of the inning took him deep for a home run, and his only run allowed. In the third inning, it was again four batters Gonsalves faced, but his aggressiveness in the strike zone kept hitters behind in the count. In his eleven pitches in the frame, just two went for balls. In his next start, look for Gonsalves to go a little deeper in the game, provided he has the same type of success, but his first AFL appearance was definitely a strong one coming off his spectacular 2016 season. Nick Gordon – 3 games, 7-13, 4 R’s, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K’s, 2 SB’s. Gordon came out hot, going 3-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, walk, and stolen base in the AFL season opener that Surprise won 11-2 over Mesa. He scored on a Mitch Garver groundout after his single in a three-run third inning, and again after another single in the four-run seventh. In the top of the eighth Gordon picked up his RBI, driving in Yoan Moncada who had led off the frame with a double. After a day off on Wednesday he stayed hot against Glendale on Thursday, collecting another three hits in five at-bats with a run scored, RBI, and his second stolen base in a 5-4 loss, but was a catalyst to some early scoring. Batting second to open the game, Gordon got the Surprise scoring started with a single for the team’s first hit and later scored their first run from second on a single. In the second inning, his two-out-RBI single gave them a 3-0 lead, but it wouldn’t last. He picked up another two-out single in the seventh, but was left stranded and Glendale tied it at three in the bottom half. In the top of the ninth, Gordon reached base on an error, then stole second to put insurance runners at second and third with nobody out, but both runners were left stranded and Surprise was unable to close the door in the ninth. He finished his week with a 1-4 effort in Saturday's 8-1 win against Scottsdale. He also scored a run and drew a walk so he has reached base multiple times in each game played so far. It did take until the sixth inning for Gordon to reach base with a single, but he and a mate would come around to score thanks to another one of his organizational teammates. After week one, Gordon sits near the top of the AFL leaderboard in average (.538, 3rd), on-base percentage (.600, 4th), and hits (7, 2nd). Not a bad first week out of the two-hole in the Saguaros lineup. Mitch Garver – 3 games, 4-9, 3 R’s, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB’s, 2 K’s. Garver made the start at catcher in two games during the week and DH in another while having an impressive week from the cleanup spot in the lineup. In the season opening win on Tuesday, Garver was 1-2 with a run scored, but also walked three times. His single in the third inning drove in Gordon, and it was all walks after that. On defense Garver had an error on a throw and allowed three stolen bases, but also got in the boxscore for a caught stealing at third when the runner with two of those steals got greedy. He was the DH in Friday’s 10-4 loss, and reached base only via a walk in an 0-3 effort with two strikeouts, but would make up for it on Saturday. Behind the dish again, Garver led the Surprise offense with a 3-4 night including two runs scored and three RBIs in the 8-1 win. He doubled in the bottom of the first to put runners on first and second, and they both scored when the next hitter ripped a single to right field. He added a walk in the third inning, and his big hit came in the fifth as a solo home run to make the score 4-0. With the bases loaded in the sixth, Garver delivered a two-run single to make it 7-0, but was thrown out at home later in the inning. Garver sits near the top of AFL leaderboards in on-base percentage (.643, 1st), slugging (.889, 3rd), and OPS (1.532, 4th) after a week of play. Tanner English – 3 games, 3-12, 2B, RBI, BB, 4 K’s. English played CF in all three of his appearances on the week, batting ninth, sixth, and leadoff in each of his appearances, respectively. He didn’t start out immediately hot like Gordon, but finished with two solid games to end his first week. In the opener, English was 0-4 with two strikeouts, but contributed in a big way with his defense with a diving catch that caught the eye of those in attendance. In Thursday’s loss, English picked up a single in the eighth inning for his first hit, and finished his day 1-4. Batting leadoff on Friday, English was one of three Surprise hitters with multiple hits on the day. He led off the game with a ground-rule double, but was left stranded on third when the next three hitters went down easily, including Garver on a K, to end the inning. He drew a walk in the fifth but was stranded again, before singling in the ninth to drive in a run and make the final just a little closer in the loss. Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 0 R’s, 2 H’s, 0 BB’s, 3 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Left-handed reliever Melotakis made two appearances on the week, pitching the sixth inning in the season opener, and the seventh in Friday’s loss to Mesa. On Tuesday, Melotakis got the first two hitters he faced out on groundouts before allowing a single to Bradley Zimmer, the top prospect in Cleveland’s system and one of the best in Arizona, before picking up a strikeout to end the inning and pick up a hold. He again got a groundout to start the seventh on Friday before allowing a single, but struck out the next two hitters in another scoreless frame and will look to continue that K-rate and the control he’s displayed so far (21 of 26 pitches for strikes) moving forward. Randy Rosario – 2 games1.2 IP, 2 ER’s, 4 H’s, 2 BB’s, 2 K’s. Like Melotakis, Rosario saw action in two games on the week, both coming out of the bullpen. In Wednesday’s 7-7 tie, Rosario was partially to blame for the game ending up as such after eleven innings. He came into the game to start the sixth inning with the score 4-3 in favor of Surprise but two walks, two singles, and a run allowed later, he was replaced by John Curtiss with the score tied 4-4. He did strike out the last hitter he faced before being lifted, but an inherited runner also later scored. In Saturday’s 8-1 win, Rosario pitched the seventh inning and though it wasn’t clean, came through with a scoreless frame. He allowed two singles but picked up a strikeout and got some help on a play at the plate with a runner trying to take advantage of an error to end the inning. Rosario will have to look to keep his pitch counts down this week, as he threw thirty-three (18 for strikes) and sixteen (9 for strikes) in his 1.2 innings on the week. John Curtiss – 2 games started, 2.0 IP, 3 ER’s, 6 H’s, 2 BB’s, 4 K’s. Like his fellow bullpen mates, Curtiss also made two appearances on the week. On Wednesday, he came in for Rosario with two outs in the sixth, and allowed one of his inherited runners to score on a wild pitch, and give the Javelina’s a 5-4 lead. In the seventh, it was three singles to load the bases and two walks that led to his two runs allowed on the game. He recorded two outs, one via strikeout, before he was removed. On Saturday he got the sixth inning, and again had some trouble keeping runners off the bases. He struck out the first hitter, but was tagged for a solo home run by the next. A ground ball out was followed by two singles before he struck out another to end the frame and his appearance. The four K’s in two innings pitched look nice in his line for the first week, but Curtiss would be the first to tell you it’s the hits and runs allowed that he’d like to improve. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week! Click here to view the article