Steve Lein

"Baseball teams, in general, seem to be losing their thirst for power. It's the name of Dozier's game, but the home run doesn't carry the same appeal it once did." I don't think this necessarily is it. A quick glance back at the history of player's receiving qualifying offers shows a lot of sluggers. It's not as appealing to sign these guys because of the cost of doing so. And I'm not talking about the money, I'm talking about the draft pick. With the picks that are lost basically determining a good chunk of a teams draft budget, if a team is going to sign that player, they absolutely aren't going to invest as much money in the player. Edwin Encarnacion demonstrates that pretty well. I would expect players to start accepting their Qualifying offer after how this offseason has gone. They won't get paid like they should on the open market until they don't have that anchor tied to them.

"I'll admit that I'm probably lower than most on Jay, as I find it rather concerning that the collegiate reliever's arm couldn't even hold up through even 100 innings in his first year as a starter." Don't understand why this specifically is what makes you lower on him. I would have pegged him to maybe pitch 100 innings total if everything went right in his first year starting. Now, it didn't exactly, but nothing catastrophic happened either. Follow-up question: How do you then rate Fernando Romero?

I don't see any need for Berrios to be in AAA, even with the other guys in the rotation you've pegged here. If he's not in your rotation at the start, have him in the 'pen. I would do this with the pitchers we currently have - Starters: Santana, Gibson, May, Santiago, Berrios Bullpen: Kintzler, Hughes, Duffey, Pressley, Chargois, Rogers, O'Rourke. If we really like Haley, make the trade to keep him in AAA. But I really hope it ends up looking more like this - Starters: Santana, Gibson, De Leon, May, Berrios Bullpen: FA-closer reclamation, Hughes, Duffey, Chargois, Rogers, 2nd-Lefty, Pressley

Exactly the type of thing I would be alluding to...

So the Twins just traded the #1 pick for the #10 pick? I don't think that's how this works...

Love the move. Think it will help the pitcher more than many realize. Not a world-changer in that regard, but will help move their needle. I didn't dislike Suzuki because of his hitting ability, or lack therof, just like I won't dislike Castro because of his hitting. I didn't like Suzuki because he was a bad defensive catcher. I probably disliked him even more because the front office tried to keep telling us he was good. As a lefty hitter, he'll also make a pretty good platoon with Murphy or Garver I think. Can keep each hitter away from their weaknesses, and keeps Castro as the primary catcher.

So you're saying Johan Santana was only ever a #2? He and his Cy Young's and everything?! (FYI: they're both 6'0")

Never should have been moved out of the rotation at the time he was. His stuff plays up in a relief role, but that doesn't matter if he's hurt all the time because of it. He was a workhorse starter throughout his minor league career and never was hurt. It is not hard to make this correlation. I think he should finally get a legitimate shot in the rotation. If it doesn't work out, bullpen is still a fall back plan. Also, Duffey should be in the bullpen, and I would say this fact was far more apparent than it ever should have been for May.

The Surprise Saguaros headed into the final day of the AFL season needing to win their game with the Salt River Rafters to clinch a spot in the AFL Championship game, and were able to do so with contributions from four of the Twins players. Stephen Gonsalves punctuated his shortened time in the AFL with a six strikeout effort in his start on Tuesday, Nick Gordon finished the year near the top of several statistical categories, and a couple of the bullpen arms closed out their showings with good weeks. To see how all of the Twins prospects fared in the final week of the AFL season, and how the title game against the Mesa Solar Sox went, read on! (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – 1 game started, 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H’s, 6 K’s, 8.31 ERA (overall). Gonsalves made his final start of the AFL season in Tuesday’s tilt against the Glendale Desert Dogs. After the leadoff man singled to start the game, Gonsalves came back with a strikeout for the first out of the game. A wild-pitch to the next batter put the runner on second base, but he got out number two with a fly ball to left field. Gonsalves then gave up a run-scoring single before he struck out another batter to end the inning. Unfortunately, that one run would loom large as it would be the only scoring for the game from either team. In the second inning, Gonsalves settled in nicely, striking out the side in a one-two-three inning. In the third, he gave up a leadoff single, but a flyout, caught stealing play, and another strikeout ended that inning with just three hitters stepping into the batters box. Gonsalves threw thirty-eight pitches in this one, with twenty-five of them going for strikes. He finishes his injury-shortened AFL on a high note, and pitched a total of 8.2 innings in his time with the Saguaros. Overall, he allowed eight earned runs on ten hits and four walks, while striking out seven. Nick Gordon – 4 games (3 started), 5-14, 2 R’s, RBI, 4 K’s. Gordon saw action in all four regular season games on the week, though he started three of them. In Monday’s 9-3 win over Peoria, Gordon was a big reason why as the leadoff man. In their three run second inning, Gordon delivered his first hit of the game to put two runners on with one out. A double later in the inning would score him and another runner to make it 5-0. In the fourth he added another single to right field, but was then caught stealing second base. In the bottom of the sixth he led off the inning with the first of three consecutive singles, and would score on the third to make it 8-2 Saguaros. He finished this one 3-5 with two runs scored. In Tuesdays 1-0 loss, Gordon was summoned as a pinch-hitter with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and a runner on first, but he grounded out to end the game. Back into regular action on Wednesday, Gordon finished the game 1-4. He singled in the top of the fifth, but was then picked off at first base. He also had a fielding error in the eighth that led to both of Peoria’s two runs in the inning being unearned. In Thursday’s 4-2 win over Salt River to clinch a AFL Championship appearance, Gordon contributed to the effort with an RBI single in the fifth inning to give his team the lead for good at 3-2. Gordon finished the AFL season by leading his team in batting average (.346), on-base percentage (.418), stolen bases (5), and triples (2); and was second on the team in runs scored (15) and OPS (.862). Mitch Garver – 4 games (3 started), 2-12, 2 R’s, 2B, RBI, BB, 3 K’s. Garver also played in all four games on the week with one of those appearances coming as a pinch-hitter. He was the catcher for Stephen Gonsalves start, and designated hitter in the other two games. In Monday’s 9-3 win, Garver was the DH and batted fifth. In the bottom of the first his double scored one to make it 2-0 Saguaros early. His fifth inning walk started a two-out rally, and he would later score the first of their two runs in the inning to extend their lead to 7-0. He finished 1-3. Catching on Tuesday, Garver went 0-4 out of the five-hole in the lineup. He also was in the boxscore for a caught stealing (though it’s not clear if he threw the runner out). In Wednesday’s loss to Peoria, Garver came in as a pinch hitter to lead off the top of ninth with his team down 5-2, but he flew out to center field and the next two hitters also went down to end the game. Back in the lineup as the DH for Thursday’s final regular season game and a trip to the AFL Championship on the line, Garver caught the comeback started for the Saguaros in the fifth inning. Down 2-0, he led off the inning with a single and found his way to third after another single and a wild pitch. He would score after a throwing error on a ground ball to third from an organizational teammate, and then Gordon capped off the three run inning with his single. Garver was 1-4 with the run scored on the day. Garver finished the AFL season with a .229/.299/.457 tri-slash line and led his team in home runs with four. He was also second on the team in RBI’s with fourteen. Tanner English – 3 games, 1-9, BB, 3 K’s. English made the start in center field in three of the four games on the week, and batted ninth in each. In Monday’s 9-3 win, he was 0-4. He flew out three times and struck out once but made a bigger impact in his next game on Wednesday. In the loss to Peoria English finished 1-2 with a walk. He singled in the second inning and drew a walk in the sixth to put two runners on with two-outs in both innings, but Gordon wasn’t able to follow with a hit to do any more damage. He also added an outfield assist in the seventh, nabbing a runner at third base. In the clincher on Thursday, English played a pivotal role despite being 0-3 in the box score. His catch-and-throw to nab a runner at home in the second inning kept the Salt River lead at 2-0 (such plays turning into a theme for English). In the fifth, his ground ball to third made the fielder rush his throw and the resulting error scored two runs to tie the game before Gordon put them in front. English finished his showing in the AFL by batting .239/.333/.338 overall and played in twenty-two of the Saguaros thirty-two games, good for second on the team. Mason Melotakis – 1 game, 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H’s,1.64 ERA (overall). Melotakis made just one appearance on the week, and in came in Surprise’s 5-2 loss to Peoria on Wednesday. He pitched the seventh inning with his team down 2-1, and for only the second time in the AFL season, did he allow a run to score. Three singles around a line-out loaded the bases with one out, but he did well to limit the damage with the ever-rare sacrifice-double-play to the innings final hitter. In case you need to know how such a thing is possible, the fly ball out was hit to center fielder Tanner English. Knowing the situation, English fired his throw toward third base instead of home and caught the runner there dead-to-rights. But the runner tagging for home also made the smart play and hustled to cross home before that out was recorded. Melotakis had a strong showing overall in the AFL and looks to be in a similar position going into 2017 as J.T. Chargois was coming into 2016. He finished the AFL season with 11.0 IP, and allowed just two earned runs on twelve hits and one walk, while striking out eleven. AAA could be his destination at next year’s outset, but even if he’s back in AA to start with he likely won’t be there long and could be knocking on the MLB doorstep all season. Randy Rosario – 1 game, 1.0 IP, 2 R’s (0 earned), H, BB, 2 K’s, 4.26 ERA (overall). Rosario also made one appearance on the week, and it was the inning that followed Melotakis’ appearance in Wednesday’s loss. Unfortunately for Rosario, his inning started on a bad note as Gordon misplayed a ground ball for an error. He struck out the next batter, but a hit-by-pitch and wild pitch later there were runners on second and third. He got a groundball for the innings second out (would have been the third, making any runs afterward unearned), but then a walk and single scored two to give Peoria the 5-2 lead. Rosario pitched a total of 12.2 innings in the AFL season, and allowed eight runs (six earned) on eighteen hits and five walks, while striking out ten. His best appearance came on November 11th when he went two innings, allowing no hits or walks, and struck out three. John Curtiss – 1 game, 2.0 IP, 0 H’s, BB, 2 K’s, 2.84 ERA (overall). Curtiss pitched in the season final on Thursday, going the sixth and seventh innings for his team after they had taken the lead. Hi faced the minimum in the sixth by picking up two strikeouts and his defense erasing the other runner trying to stretch an error to an extra base. In the seventh he walked the leadoff man, but got a double play ball and line-out to end his day with the Saguaros up 3-2. He earned his second hold of the season in doing so. After allowing three runs in his first two games of the AFL season, Curtiss settled in well and allowed just one more in his final 10.2 innings pitched. Over that time he allowed just seven hits, two walks, and struck out fourteen. He also saved one game. AFL Championship Game: Surprise 1, Mesa 6 Box Score With their win on Thursday the Saguaros clinched the West division with a 17-14-1 record, beating out Glendale by half a game and virtue of their tie. All three Twins position players started the game with Nick Gordon at shortstop and batting leadoff, Mitch Garver as the designated hitter and batting fourth, and Tanner English in center field batting ninth. Two Twins pitchers also made an appearance out of the bullpen. There wasn’t much to talk about on the hitting front as the hitters combined to go 0-10 on the day with four K’s, but a couple of performances did stand out. The first, was the defense from Tanner English. He made two standout plays in centerfield, a diving stab to prevent an extra-base hit, and cutting down a runner at home for another outfield assist on the week. Mitch Garver hit a long drive in the fifth, but was robbed on the warning track of extra bases when the score was 5-0 Mesa. Mason Melotakis was summoned for the start of the seventh inning, and gave up a home run to the Cubs Ian Happ (who was the robber of Garver, and was 4-4 with two HR’s to claim the MVP award) to start the inning. He retired the next three hitters in order, including a strikeout to end the inning. In the eighth it was John Curtiss, and he put down the Solar Sox in order, bookending the one-two-three inning with Strikeouts. Curtiss was also singled out in the game as the most impressive of the six Surprise pitchers by MLB.com’s Jim Callis, saying he worked 95-97 MPH with his fastball and getting both K’s with hard sliders. English’s defensive play was also called out in that link. So while it’s disappointing their team didn’t come away with the Championship Game victory, it had to be a fun season out in Arizona for all of the Twins prospects! Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week!

Twins prospects playing with the Surprise Saguaros helped their team to a 4-2 record in Week 5, and their (current) record of 16-13 overall is tops in the West Division. On the position player front, Nick Gordon continued looking like a legitimate leadoff man, Mitch Garver stood out defensively, and Tanner English continued to pose as a piranha at the end of the Surprise Saguaros lineup. On the pitching side of the coin, the bullpen stood out and made up for the hiccup from Stephen Gonsalves. (Author Note: Apologies on the late report again this week, but it’s still hunting season)To see how they all fared in week 5 of the AFL season, keep reading! (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – 1 game started, 0.2 IP, 4 ER’s, 3 H’s, 3 BB, 11.12 ERA (overall). Gonsalves got the start in Wednesday’s game against the Scottsdale Scorpions, and before he even took the mound his teammates had spotted him a 3-0 lead. Unfortunately for the lefty, that is the most positive thing that came out of this one. He walked the first hitter he faced, threw a wild pitch and allowed a single to the next, then made an errant pickoff throw that scored the first run of the game for Scottsdale. Another walk and single loaded the bases before he got a double play ball and a chance to limit the damage to just two runs. But it was another walk followed by a two-run triple that ended his day without finishing an inning. Gonsalves racked up thirty-one pitches with just thirteen of them going for strikes. He will look to bounce back next week! Nick Gordon – 4 games, 5-14, 3 R’s, 2 2B’s, 3B, RBI, 2 BB’s, 3 K’s. Gordon picked up a hit in each of his four games on the week, and also reached base multiple times in all of them, proving quite useful as a leadoff man. In Monday’s 8-5 win over Salt River, he was hit by a pitch to start the game as the leadoff man, but it was his single in the third inning that led to him scoring the Saguaro's first run of the game. The play included a throwing error that moved him into scoring position, and he would later score on a single. He also drew a walk in the fifth inning to reach base in three of five plate appearances on the day. On Wednesday Gordon was again the leadoff man, and again reached base to start the game. This time it was a single to right field and he went on to score the first of three runs in the inning. That would be it for runs until the ninth inning in the 5-4 loss to the Scorpions, but in between Gordon doubled and struck out twice in his other three trips to the batters box. Gordon started the game off with a bang on Thursday, when he drove a triple to center field as the first hitter. He scored the first of Surprise’s three runs in the inning on a double from the next batter. He drew a walk in the second to reach base for a second time, but was left stranded and did not reach base again in any of his final three at-bats. In Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Mesa Solar Sox, Gordon finally failed to reach base in his first plate appearance but would come through late for his squad. Up 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Gordon followed a leadoff double from Tanner English with one of his own to drive him in and make the final score of 4-2. Gordon was also hit by a pitch in the fourth inning and was thrown out trying to steal third after his double. After another strong week, Gordon’s .343 batting average was good for fifth on the AFL leader board and his .429 on-base percentage was fourth. Mitch Garver – 3 games, 3-13, R, 2B, RBI, 2 K’s. On Monday, Garver hit the ball hard in three of his four plate appearances, but only had a single to show for it. His line drive deep to center field in the second inning allowed the runner to tag up from first and advance a base, and he lined out to third in the fourth. His single in the two-run sixth inning put runners on the corners and helped tie the game at three, then he went down looking in his final plate appearance in the eighth. In Thursday’s 3-1 win over Glendale, Garver played a bigger role. He drove in the second run of the first inning with a single, and scored the third on a ground-rule double later in the inning. That was all the lineup’s scoring for the game, but Garver led off the third inning with a double and reached base in the seventh after the ball got away from the catcher on a strikeout. He finished his day 2-5. Back at catcher after DHing on Thursday, Garver had his quietest day of the week on offence with an 0-4 effort, but made a big impact on defense. Four men attempted stealing second base, but only one was successful. This included killing two runners after singles in the third inning and another in the fourth that directly prevented scoring opportunities in the 5-3 for his team. As Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press points out, Garver knows his time in the AFL could have a big impact on his future, and is not taking anything for granted. Tanner English – 5 games, 5-13, 3 R’s, 2B, RBI, BB, 4 K. English started four games on the week, and also got into action in another as a defensive replacement late in the game. He did not get an at-bat in that one. In Monday’s 8-5 win, English was 1-3 with an infield single that came in the eighth inning and also scored a run after a throwing error. He also picked up an outfield assist with a force out at second base, catching the runner in no man’s land on a liner. He was also caught stealing after being hit by a pitch in the fifth. In the Saguaro's 5-4 loss on Wednesday, English had just three plate appearances as Scorpions pitchers retired fifteen in a row at one point, and was in the on-deck circle for the game’s final out. He was 0-3. After entering the game in the eighth inning for defensive purposes in Thursday’s 3-1 win, he was back to starting in center field on Friday. Batting eighth, English notched a single and a run scored in each of the second and sixth innings in the 5-3 win. To cap off the week on Saturday, English again notched two hits in a win for his team. Back to batting ninth (second leadoff!), he delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning, and later stole third base for his second steal of the AFL season. He led off the eighth inning with a double and scored the insurance run when Gordon followed with one of his own. Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 0 H’s, 0 BB’s, 3 K’s, 0.90 ERA (overall). Making two appearances on the week, Melotakis extended his scoreless streak to seven games, and has allowed just one run in ten appearances thus far. In Tuesday’s loss to the Mesa Solar Sox, he pitched the seventh inning with his team down 10-5. It was a one-two-three inning with eight of his twelve pitches going for strikes, and he picked up two K’s. On Thursday Melotakis got the sixth inning in Surprise’s 3-1 win over Glendale. Again the opposition went down in order, and he picked up his third hold in the process. He struck out one in this one and needed just seven pitches. Randy Rosario – 2 games, 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H’s, BB, 3 K’s, 4.63 ERA (overall). Rosario pitched in two games on the week, and went two innings in each. On Monday he pitched the seventh and eighth innings in their 8-5 victory, picking up the win after his offense exploded for five runs in the bottom of the eighth. He went one-two-three in the seventh, but a walk and two singles in the eighth accounted for his one earned run. Of his twenty-six pitches in this one, seventeen went for strikes. In the Saguaro's 5-3 win on Friday, Rosario pitched the sixth and seventh innings, retiring all six men he faced on twenty-two pitches. He struck out two in the sixth, and one in the seventh in the process. John Curtiss – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s, 3.38 ERA (overall). Like his fellow bullpen Twins, Curtiss also made two appearances on the week, his coming in the games on Tuesday and Friday. With his team down 10-6 against Mesa, Curtiss pitched the bottom of the eighth inning to finish the game for Surprise. It was a quick and easy one-two-three effort that took just five pitches. On Friday with his team up by two, Curtiss was summoned for his first save opportunity. After striking out the first two hitters he faced, he allowed a single, but a ground ball back to him on the mound secured the victory for his team. After a slow start to his AFL season (3 ER’s and 6 H’s allowed in his first two innings), Curtiss has now allowed just one run on seven hits and a walk in his last eight appearances, totaling 8.2 innings pitched. He has also struck out twelve over that time, and has racked up multiple K’s in seven of ten overall appearances. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week! Click here to view the article

(Author Note: Apologies on the late report again this week, but it’s still hunting season) Twins prospects playing with the Surprise Saguaros helped their team to a 4-2 record in Week 5, and their (current) record of 16-13 overall is tops in the West Division. On the position player front, Nick Gordon continued looking like a legitimate leadoff man, Mitch Garver stood out defensively, and Tanner English continued to pose as a piranha at the end of the Surprise Saguaros lineup. On the pitching side of the coin, the bullpen stood out and made up for the hiccup from Stephen Gonsalves. To see how they all fared in week 5 of the AFL season, keep reading! (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – 1 game started, 0.2 IP, 4 ER’s, 3 H’s, 3 BB, 11.12 ERA (overall). Gonsalves got the start in Wednesday’s game against the Scottsdale Scorpions, and before he even took the mound his teammates had spotted him a 3-0 lead. Unfortunately for the lefty, that is the most positive thing that came out of this one. He walked the first hitter he faced, threw a wild pitch and allowed a single to the next, then made an errant pickoff throw that scored the first run of the game for Scottsdale. Another walk and single loaded the bases before he got a double-play ball and a chance to limit the damage to just two runs. But it was another walk followed by a two-run triple that ended his day without finishing an inning. Gonsalves racked up thirty-one pitches with just thirteen of them going for strikes. He will look to bounce back next week! Nick Gordon – 4 games, 5-14, 3 R’s, 2 2B’s, 3B, RBI, 2 BB’s, 3 K’s. Gordon picked up a hit in each of his four games on the week, and also reached base multiple times in all of them, proving quite useful as a leadoff man. In Monday’s 8-5 win over Salt River, he was hit by a pitch to start the game as the leadoff man, but it was his single in the third inning that led to him scoring the Saguaros first run of the game. The play included a throwing error that moved him into scoring position, and he would later score on a single. He also drew a walk in the fifth inning to reach base in three of five plate appearances on the day. On Wednesday Gordon was again the leadoff man, and again reached base to start the game. This time it was a single to right field and he would go on to score the first of three runs in the inning. That would be it for runs until the ninth inning in the 5-4 loss to the Scorpions, but in between Gordon doubled and struck out twice in his other three trips to the batters box. Gordon started the game off with a bang on Thursday, when he drove a triple to center field as the first hitter. He would score the first of Surprise’s three runs in the inning, and for the game, on a double from the next batter. He drew a walk in the second to reach base for a second time, but was left stranded and did not reach base again in any of his final three at-bats. In Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Mesa Solar Sox, Gordon finally failed to reach base in his first plate appearance would come through late for his squad. Up 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Gordon followed a leadoff double from Tanner English with one of his own to drive him in and make the final score of 4-2. Gordon was also hit by a pitch in the fourth inning and was thrown out stealing third after his double. After another strong week, Gordon’s .343 batting average was good for fifth on the AFL leaderboard and his .429 on-base percentage was fourth. Mitch Garver – 3 games, 3-13, R, 2B, RBI, 2 K’s. On Monday, Garver hit the ball hard in three of his four plate appearances, but only had a single to show for it. His line drive deep to centerfield in the second inning allowed the runner to tag up from first and advance a base, and he lined out to third in the fourth. His single in the two-run sixth inning put runners on the corners and helped tie the game at three, then he went down looking in his final plate appearance in the eighth. In Thursday’s 3-1 win over Glendale, Garver played a bigger role. He drove in the second run of the first inning with a single, and would score the third on a ground-rule double later in the inning. That was all the lineup’s scoring for the game, but Garver led off the third inning with a double and reached base in the seventh after the ball got away from the catcher on a strikeout. He would finish his day 2-5. Back at Catcher after DH-ing on Thursday, Garver had his quietest day of the week as a hitter with an 0-4 effort, but made a big impact on defense. Four men attempted stealing second base throughout the game, but only one was successful. This included killing two runners after singles in the third inning and another in the fourth that directly prevented scoring opportunities in the 5-3 for his team. As Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press points out, Garver knows his time in the AFL could have a big impact on his future, and is not taking anything for granted. Tanner English – 5 games, 5-13, 3 R’s, 2B, RBI, BB, 4 K. English started four games on the week, and also got into action in another as a defensive replacement late in the game. He did not get an at-bat in that one. In Monday’s 8-5 win, English was 1-3 with an infield single that came in the eighth inning and also scored a run after a throwing error. He also picked up an outfield assist with a force out at second base, catching the runner in no man’s land on a liner. He was also caught stealing after being hit by a pitch in the fifth. In the Saguaros 5-4 loss on Wednesday, English had just three plate appearances as Scorpions pitchers retired fifteen in a row at one point, and was in the on-deck circle for the game’s final out. He was 0-3. After entering the game in the eighth inning for defensive purposes in Thursday’s 3-1 win, he was back to starting in center field on Friday. Batting eighth, English notched singles and a run scored in each of the second and sixth innings in the 5-3 win. To cap off the week on Saturday, English again notched two hits in a win for his team. Back to batting ninth (second leadoff!), he delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning, and later stole third base for his second steal of the AFL season. He led off the eighth inning with a double and would score the insurance run when Gordon followed with one of his own. Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 0 H’s, 0 BB’s, 3 K’s, 0.90 ERA (overall). Making two appearances on the week, Melotakis extended his scoreless streak to seven games, and has allowed just one run in ten appearances thus far. In Tuesday’s loss to the Mesa Solar Sox, he pitched the seventh inning with his team down 10-5. It was a one-two-three inning with eight of his twelve pitches going for strikes, and he picked up two K’s. On Thursday Melotakis got the sixth inning in Surpise’s 3-1 win over Glendale. Again the opposition went down in order, and he picked up his third hold in the process. He struck out one in this one and needed just seven pitches. Randy Rosario – 2 games, 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H’s, BB, 3 K’s, 4.63 ERA (overall). Rosario pitched in two games on the week, and went two innings in each. On Monday he pitched the seventh and eighth innings in their 8-5 victory, picking up the win after his offense exploded for five runs in the bottom of the eighth. He went one-two-three in the seventh, but a walk and two singles in the eighth accounted for his one earned run. Of his twenty-six pitches in this one, seventeen went for strikes. In the Saguaros 5-3 win on Friday, Rosario pitched the sixth and seventh innings, retiring all six men he faced on twenty-two pitches. He struck out two in the sixth, and one in the seventh in the process. John Curtiss – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s, 3.38 ERA (overall). Like his fellow bullpen counterparts, Curtiss also made two appearances on the week, his coming in the games on Tuesday and Friday. With his team down 10-6 against Mesa, Curtiss pitched the bottom of the eighth inning to finish the game for Surprise. It was a quick and easy one-two-three effort that took just five pitches. On Friday with his team up by two Curtiss was summoned for his first save opportunity. After striking out the first two hitters he faced, he allowed a single, but a ground ball back to him on the mound would secure the victory for his team. After a slow start to his AFL season (3 ER’s and 6 H’s allowed in his first two innings), Curtiss has now allowed just one run on seven hits and a walk in his last eight appearances, totaling 8.2 innings pitched. He has also struck out twelve over that timeframe, and has racked up multiple K’s in seven of ten appearances overall. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week!

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!