Steve Lein

Hey, I wrote this one! Seth doesn't write all of these, guys, haha! He'd be WAY overloaded!!! Jeremy Nygaard, Cody Christie, and Eric Pleiss also contribute q;-) Anyway, good catch on that. Not sure why it got changed here, it's not written that way in the original post on my own blog. It was the "flurry" of four singles that scored the runs, not walks. I wasn't able to find anything out on Lee's injury, just that he was on the 7-day DL to start the season, was placed there on April 6th.

In the minors on Sunday, Twins affiliates saw a solid rehab appearance from starter Ricky Nolasco in Cedar Rapids, and eight dominant innings from a left-hander in Rochester. Multiple games had dramatic finishes, but just one team would bring home a victory. Read on to find out what happened and where! RED WINGS REPORT Syracuse 4, Rochester 6 Box Score Rochester plated four runners in the third inning, and two in the fourth to provide just enough offense for the bullpen in the ninth, after starter Pat Dean delivered eight dominant innings. Dean allowed just six hits (all singles) and walked two, while striking out seven on the day. He retired the first ten Syracuse hitters of the game, and his is lone earned run against came in the fourth inning. Tony Gwynn Jr. singled with one out, and moved to second on a walk, before a Kila Ka'aihue single with two outs brought him home from second. Dean would strike out the next hitter to end the inning. Rochester's offense brought all nine hitters in the lineup to the plate in the third, resulting in their big inning. Aaron Hicks led off with walk, then stole second base and scored the first run of the game on a Josmil Pinto single. A Brock Peterson single later loaded the bases for Danny Ortiz, who's groundout went 3-2 to prevent a run but kept the bases loaded with two outs. Jose Martinez then single to bring in two runs, and chase starter Taylor Jordan from the game. James Beresford would bring Ortiz home with the final run of the inning with a double. A Reynaldo Rodriguez triple to left field in the fourth inning scored Hicks and Pinto to provide the needed offense in the ninth, when Stephen Pryor relieved Dean with a 6-1 lead. The first three batters would load the bases after a double, walk, and single. The Red Wings then conceded the run for a double play that made the score 6-2 with two outs and left a runner on third. The next hitter, Cutter Dykstra, hit his first home run of the season to make the score 6-4. Rochester went back to the bullpen for closer Michael Tonkin, and he struck out the final batter for his fifth save of the year. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 2, Tennessee 5 Box Score The Lookouts would score first and last in this one, but nothing in between handed them their sixth loss in their last seven games to put them at 7-9 on the season, and in fourth place in the Southern's Leagues North Division. Dalton Hicks hit his second home run of the year in the first inning for the early 1-0 lead, and a ninth inning double from Adam Brett Walker put runners on second and third. A Stephen Wickens groundout would then bring in the games last run. In between, the Lookouts managed just three singles, and Tennessee starter Frank Batista retired the last twelve hitters he faced to complete seven innings. Chattanooga starter Tyler Duffy ran into trouble with two outs in the fifth inning and the game tied 1-1. With runners on first and third, four consecutive singles would plate runs to put the Smokies up for good 5-1. Adrian Salcedo came on for the sixth inning, and pitched three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three to finish the game. MIRACLE MATTERS Palm Beach 4, Fort Myers 2 Box Score Starter Brett Lee came off the disabled list to make his first start of the season for the Miracle, and left the game down 4-0 after five innings. He surrendered the four runs on 11 hits, while striking out four. It was a flurry of singles that would cause problems for Lee in the fifth (and all game for the Miracle), when four of them ended up tallying three runs on the scoreboard. Dereck Rodriguez would make his Florida State League and 2015 season debut when he came on for the sixth inning. He pitched two innings of scoreless ball, allowing one hit and walking two, with two K's. Brandon Peterson would allow two hits while collecting the first two outs of eighth inning, before being replaced by Madison Boer who finished the game with 1.1 scoreless. The Miracle scored both their runs in the sixth, when with two outs a Jason Kanzler single moved Chad Christensen to second. Logan Wade would bring him home with a single of his own, and Marcus Knecht followed with a double to bring in Kanzler. The Miracle wouldn't collect another hit until there were two outs in the ninth inning when Mitch Garver singled to center. The next hitter, Bryan Harr would fly out to left to end the game. Despite all of the Cardinals hits being singles, the Miracle were outhit 14-7 on the game and fell to 6-12 on the season. Palm Beach got a complete game effort from Jimmy Reed, who improved to 2-0. KERNELS NUGGETS Kane County 3, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Cedar Rapids made a late effort to avoid a series sweep, but would leave a runner in scoring position in the ninth to be handed a series sweep by rival Kane County. Ricky Nolasco made the start in his first rehab appearnace, and was solid in five innings. He allowed just one run (unearned) on three hits and zero walks. while striking out five. He completed his outing with a 1-2-3 fifth inning, with the final two hitters of the going down looking. A Tanner English error in center field in the first inning led to the only blemish in the run column. The Kernels tied the game in the fifth, when Nick Gordon brought home English after he singled and stole second base (his seventh of the year) to tie the game at one, making up for the early misplay. It was then quiet until the seventh inning, when reliever Michael Theofanopoulus ran into some issues. A double from Fernery Ozuna would put the Cougars up 2-1, and then two consecutive wild pitches brought him home to make it 3-1. In the ninth inning Cedar Rapids had a chance after English led off the frame with his first home run of the year, making it 3-2. Zach Granite would draw a walk and move to second on a wild-pitch to put the tying run in scoring position, but Max Murphy groundout would end the game. English and Granite would each collect two hits to lead the Fort Myers offense, but as a team the Miracle were just 1-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded twelve men on base. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, Rochester Red Wings (W, 8.0IP, 1 R, 6 H’s, 2 BB, 7 K’s) Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Tanner English, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-4, 2 R's, HR, RBI, SB) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Columbus @ Rochester (5:35 PM CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers (1-0, 2.37 ERA) Chattanooga @ Tennessee (6:05 PM CST) – RHP J.O. Berrios (1-1, 3.94 ERA) Fort Myers @ Tampa (6:06 PM CST) – LHP Luke Westphal (0-1, 5.40 ERA) Cedar Rapids - Scheduled Day Off. Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games.

A bunt in the fourth inning shouldn't be an issue. If it's in the 6th or 7th inning or later, then it bothers me. But if the game is close in those late innings, that's also just a guy trying to help his team win.

I'm not overly worried about the K's yet. I still think they'll come because the fact is nobody has hit him hard at any level yet. In his 3 games so far this year (one that included 8 innings of 1 run ball, mind you), is only 3 of the 19 hits he's allowed have gone for extra bases, and only doubles. In his first start, he had 9 ground ball outs to 1 fly out. In his second start 12 to 3. In this one 11 to 5. He was my preseason pick to be the Twins MiLB starting pitcher of the year (being in the FSL doesn't hurt), and I'm sticking to it.

On Sunday afternoon Trevor May went six innings in his second start of the year for the Twins, holding the Cleveland Indians to just one run on four hits and zero walks. He struck out seven. Torii Hunter hit his first home run in a Twins uniform since 2007, a three-run shot in the sixth inning to help the Twins beat the Indians 7-2, closing their first home stand of the year with a 4-2 record and two series wins. Two of the Twins affiliates went into extra innings, with one collecting a walk-off victory and the other suffering a walk-off defeat.Read on to find out what happened to who in the Minor Leagues on Sunday. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Pawtucket 4 Box Score The Red Wings jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after Aaron Hicks led off the game with a single, and after an Eddie Rosario fly out and Josmil Pinto strike out, Brock Peterson stepped to the plate. He launched a 2-1 pitch over the center field wall for his fourth home run of the season, which is tied for first in the International League in the early going. Left-hander Pat Dean was on the mound for Rochester, and though his game started unnaturally as he loaded the bases after three hitters (hit batter, single, walk), he struck out the next two hitters and escape unscathed in the first after a fly ball to Rosario in center field. Dean dominated the rest of the outing, finishing six innings and allowing zero runs on just two hits and one walk, while striking out seven. Both lineups remained silent until the bottom of the seventh, after Dean had exited the game, when Pawtucket struck for two runs and a tie game after Ryan Presley entered. He struck out the first hitter he faced, but two walks, a Jackie Bradley Jr. single, and a wild pitch evened the scoreboard. Presley finished the inning with a strikeout, but the damage had been done. Rosario put the Red Wings back in front 3-2 in the top of the eighth, as he led off the inning with a triple and made his way home on a Reynaldo Rodriguez single. But it would not be enough. Presley came back out for the bottom of the eighth but after recording one out, surrendered two consecutive singles to put runners on first and third. Michael Tonkin was summoned, but unleashed a wild pitch to score the tying run, then an Argenis Diaz fielding error allowed the go-ahead run score. A 1-2-3 top of the ninth dropped the Red Wings to 5-5 on the year. Rochester hitters Hicks (2-5), Rosario (2-4, 3B), Rodriguez (2-4), and Danny Oritz (2-4), would each collect multiple hits, but Peterson (1-3, HR, BB) was the only other hitter in the lineup to reach base. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Birmingham, Chattanooga (postponed) Chattanooga and Birmingham’s game was rained out on Sunday afternoon and will be made up in a future meeting between the two teams. MIRACLE MATTERS St. Lucie 2, Fort Myers 3 (11 innings) Box Score Starter Ryan Eades was again stellar for the Miracle, giving a quality start effort in six innings. He allowed just one run on six hits and one walk, while striking out three. After two starts in the Florida State League the 2013 second-round pick out of LSU sports a 1-0 record and 0.75 ERA. Brandon Peterson came on in relief and pitched 1.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits and three walks, while striking out two. Righty Todd Van Steensel pitched into extra innings, striking out five in 2.1 innings of scoreless ball, before being replaced by J.T. Chargois in the eleventh. Chargois pitch a scoreless inning, allowing a double and a walk to put runners on first and third, before striking out Amed Rosario of the Mets to end the inning. Fort Myers ended the game in walk-off fashion, giving Chargois his first victory of 2015, after a single from a pinch hitter brought home the winning run from third base. Jason Kanzler started the rally with one out, bunting down the first base line for a single, and Engelb Vielma moved him to third with a single of his own before an intentional walk to load the bases prompted a pitching change from the Mets. Miracle manager Jeff Smith countered with pinch hitter Aderlin Mejia in place of Tanner Vavra, and he lined a one-hopper to the left side of the infield that turned into the game-winning single when it bounced away from a diving shortstops glove, scoring Kanzler. The offense was led by Kanzler who went 2-4 (GW run), while Mejia (1-1, GW RBI single) Max Kepler (1-5), Marcus Knecht (1-5), Alex Swim (1-5, SB), Chad Christensen (1-3, R, BB) and Vielma (1-4) collected the other six hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Burlington 2 (12 innings) Box Score The Kernels game against the Burlington Bees went twelve innings on Sunday afternoon, as pitching dominated the scoreboard. Felix Jorge was on the hill for the Kernels, looking to build off his strong 2015 debut where he shut out the Beloit Snappers for seven innings, collecting ten strikeouts along the way. He wouldn’t reach double digits in K’s, but totaled nine strikeouts in five innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits (all singles) and two walks in five innings. Cameron Booser came on to pitch two perfect innings, striking out three, and Trevor Hildenberger would bring them into extra innings while allowing just one hit in three innings, striking out four. Samuel Clay was next up in the bottom of the eleventh, and retired the first four batters he faced before Burlington’s Natanael Delgado lined his forth single of the game in the twelfth. A strikeout and walk put Delgado in scoring position for Miguel Hermosillo to provide the walk-off single. The Kernels lineup combined for just five hits on the night, with Tyler Kuresa collecting the only extra base hit, a double in the seventh. Zach Larson collected the only RBI of the night on a ground out in the sixth. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, Rochester Red Wings (W, 6.0 IP, 0 R’s, 2 H’s, 1 BB, 7 K’s) Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Brock Peterson, Rochester Red Wings (1-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (5:35 PM CST) – RHP Alex Meyer (1-0, 8.31 ERA) Chattanooga @ Mississippi (7:00 AM CST) – RHP Alex Wimmers (Has Not Pitched) Fort Myers @ Tampa (6:00 PM CST) – LHP Luke Westphal (0-1, 4.15 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Jared Wilson (1-0, 2.84 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games. Click here to view the article

On Sunday afternoon Trevor May went six innings in his second start of the year for the Twins, holding the Cleveland Indians to just one run on four hits and zero walks. He struck out seven. Torii Hunter also hit his first home run in a Twins uniform since 2007, a three run shot in the sixth inning to help the Twins beat the Indians 7-2, closing their first home stand of the year with a 4-2 record and two series wins. Two of the Twins affiliates went into extra innings, with one collecting a walk-off victory and the other suffering a walk-off defeat. Read on to find out what happened to who in the Minor Leagues on Sunday. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Pawtucket 4 Box Score The Red Wings jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after Aaron Hicks led off the game with a single, and after an Eddie Rosario fly out and Josmil Pinto strike out, Brock Peterson stepped to the plate. He launched a 2-1 pitch over the centerfield wall for his fourth home run of the season, which is tied for first in the International League in the early going. Left-hander Pat Dean was on the mound for Rochester, and though his game started unnaturally as he loaded the bases after three hitters (hit batter, single, walk), he would strike out the next two hitters and escape unscathed in the first after a fly ball to Rosario in centerfield. Dean dominated the rest of the outing, finishing six innings and allowing zero runs on just two hits and one walk, while striking out seven. Both lineups remained silent until the bottom of the seventh after Dean had exited the game, when Pawtucket struck for two runs and a tie game after Ryan Presley entered. He struck out the first hitter he faced, but two walks, a Jackie Bradley Jr. single, and a wild pitch evened the scoreboard. Presley would finish the inning with a strikeout, but the damage had been done. Rosario put the Red Wings back in front 3-2 in the top of the eighth, as he led off the inning with a triple and made his way home on a Reynaldo Rodriguez single. But it would not be enough. Presley came back out for the bottom of the eighth but after recording one out, surrendered two consecutive singles to put runners on first and third. Michael Tonkin was summoned, but unleashed a wild pitch to score the tying run, then an Argenis Diaz fielding error allowed the go-ahead run score. A 1-2-3 top of the ninth dropped the Red Wings to 5-5 on the year. Rochester hitters Hicks (2-5), Rosario (2-4, 3B), Rodriguez (2-4), and Danny Oritz (2-4), would each collect multiple hits, but Peterson (1-3, HR, BB) was the only other hitter in the lineup to reach base. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Birmingham, Chattanooga (postponed) Chattanooga and Birmingham’s game was rained out on Sunday afternoon and will be made up in a future meeting between the two teams. MIRACLE MATTERS St. Lucie 2, Fort Myers 3 (11 innings) Box Score Starter Ryan Eades was again stellar for the Miracle, giving a quality start effort in six innings. He allowed just one run on six hits and one walk, while striking out three. After two starts in the Florida State League the 2013 second round pick out of LSU sports a 1-0 record and 0.75 ERA. Brandon Peterson came on in relief and pitched 1.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits and three walks, while striking out two. Righty Todd Van Steensel would pitch into extra innings, striking out five in 2.1 innings of scoreless ball, before being replaced by J.T Chargois in the eleventh. Chargois pitch a scoreless inning, allowing a double and a walk to put runners on first and third, before striking out Amed Rosario of the Mets to end the inning. Fort Myers would end the game in walk-off fashion, giving Chargois his first victory of 2015, after a single from a pinch hitter brought home the winning run from third base. Jason Kanzler started the rally with one out, bunting down the first base line for a single, and Engelb Vielma moved him to third with a single of his own before an intentional walk to load the bases prompted a pitching change from the Mets. Miracle manager Jeff Smith countered with pinch hitter Aderlin Mejia in place of Tanner English, and he lined a one-hopper to the left side of the infield, that turned into the game winning single when it bounced away from a diving shortstops glove, scoring Kanzler. The offense was led by Kanzler who went 2-4 (GW run), while Mejia (1-1, GW RBI single) Max Kepler (1-5), Marcus Knecht (1-5), Alex Swim (1-5, SB), Chad Christensen (1-3, R, BB) and Vielma (1-4) collected the other six hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Burlington 2 (12 innings) Box Score The Kernels game against the Burlington Bees went twelve innings on Sunday afternoon, as pitching dominated the scoreboard. Felix Jorge was on the hill for the Kernels, looking to build off his strong 2015 debut where he shutout the Beloit Snappers for seven innings, collecting ten strikeouts along the way. He wouldn’t reach double digits in K’s, but totaled nine strikeouts in five innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits (all singles) and two walks in five innings. Cameron Booser would come on to pitch two perfect innings, striking out three, and Trevor Hildenberger would bring them into extra innings while allowing just one hit in three innings, striking out four. Samuel Clay was next up in the bottom of the eleventh, and would retire the first four batters he faced before Burlington’s Natanael Delgado lined his forth single of the game in the twelfth. A strikeout and walk would put Delgado in scoring position for Miguel Hermosillo to provide the walk off single. The Kernels lineup combined for just five hits on the night, with Tyler Kuresa collecting the only extra base hit, a double in the seventh. Zach Larson collected the only RBI of the night on a groundout in the sixth. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pat Dean, Rochester Red Wings (W, 6.0 IP, 0 R’s, 2 H’s, 1 BB, 7 K’s) Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Brock Peterson, Rochester Red Wings (1-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (5:35 PM CST) – TBD Chattanooga @ Mississippi (7:00 AM CST) – RHP D.J. Baxendale (2-0, 0.00 ERA) Fort Myers @ Tampa (6:00 PM CST) – LHP Luke Westphal (0-1, 4.15 ERA) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Jared Wilson (1-0, 2.84 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games.

There is a ton of upside in bringing up guys on this list like Buxton, Sano, Rosario, and Berrios, and before them Alex Meyer, Michael Tonkin, Lester Oliveros, A.J. Achter... Not only is there upside on the actual field (to have better OF defense, better pitching, better hitting..) but massive amounts of marketing and fan interest potential. All these guys that fans have heard about and make this farm system one of the best in baseball, could be there. You can't change a "losing environment" unless you give the guys with the potential to actually change it a chance. The guys that are there now just aren't going to do it. We've had 4 straight seasons that provide evidence of that fact. If the team had a "winning environment," this wouldn't even be a topic.

Just so we're clear, this is not a post about who should be here now, but who we could/should see make their MLB DEBUT during the 2015 season...

If the team is going to be this bad I, and I'm sure almost every other fan, would rather be watching the kids grow up with the Twins as that would actually provide some excitement.

Even though the Twins lost Monday, it’s hard not to be excited for baseball. The start of the baseball season means summer is just around the corner, and the prospect of spending afternoons and evenings at Target Field gets me all giddy, even if the Opening Day roster doesn’t.You see, despite the fact this roster is currently loaded with veterans and retreads, both new (Tim Stauffer, Blaine Boyer, Ervin Santana, Shane Robinson) and old (Torii Hunter) who don’t necessarily instill immediate confidence, the youth movement we’ve all been waiting for was finally taken out of neutral and eased into first gear late last season. Players who made their major league debut for the Twins in 2014 included pitchers A.J. Achter, Logan Darnell, Yohan Pino, and Trevor May, and position players Jorge Polanco, Danny Santana, and Kennys Vargas. It was May, Santana, and Vargas’ debuts in particular that signaled Terry Ryan was finally releasing the clutch on a farm system that could be the equivalent of a Ferrari. While they’re barely out of the starting gate, the performances of Santana (.319/.353/.472, 41 XBHs and 20 SB in 101 games) and Vargas (.274/.316/.456, 9 HR and 38 RBI in 53 games) in the latter portion of 2014 put some pretty good tread to tar on this track. While May needed an injurty to get back in the Twins rotation on this track, Santana and Vargas have been handed the keys to the 2015 revolution out of gate, and are poised to be infused with nitrous-boosters throughout the year. Top 100 prospects lists and team specific top 10s are always fun to read and one of my favorite parts of the baseball offseason, whether it’s reading the great capsules here on Twins Daily, or checking out the litany of lists available elsewhere. But since there are so many of them, I like to take a little bit of a different look at prospects coming into a new season, and that means throwing out names that you might have a chance to actually see in the majors during the upcoming season. Usually when I’ve done this list, there haven’t been a whole lot of top10-type prospects who have populated it because they’ve been so far away from the majors, but this year is different, and this Ferrari of a farm system is ready to roll with those types of players who are littering AA and AAA for the Twins. So let’s take a look at some players who could make (or have now made) their MLB debut for the Minnesota Twins in 2015: J.R. Graham Graham was the Twins' Rule 5 draft pick coming into the season which gave him a leg up on the competition to both make the roster, and his MLB debut. When healthy, which has been a big question mark in recent seasons, Graham brings legit velocity and was once a top 5 prospect for the Atlanta Braves. On my trip down to spring training last month, Graham registered the highest radar gun readings of anyone I saw, Twins or otherwise (including Alex Meyer), so the Twins are banking on the potential he has to evolve into a useful bullpen piece after flaming out as a starter with Atlanta. Eddie Rosario (TD’s #8 Prospect) A disappointing 2014 season for Rosario began with a 50-game drug suspension, and he did nothing to improve his stock going into 2015, with an underwhelming .672 OPS at AA when he finally got on the field. But he reversed that trend in a big way with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, which is a proving ground for top prospects. His performance there put him in the competition for the center field job this spring, but he didn’t do quite enough. If he’s strong out of the gate at AAA Rochester, Rosario could be the first outfielder called up to fill in for an injury. Jason Wheeler The big left-hander has gone a bit unnoticed in a farm system that includes top 100 pitching prospects like Meyer, Kohl Stewart and Jose Berrios, but has been a workhorse in the minors since being drafted out of Loyola Marymount University in the eighth round of the 2011 draft. He pitched at three levels in 2014, ending his season with a start in Rochester, and totaled 158 innings with a 2.68 ERA and 1.190 WHIP on the season. He doesn’t have big velocity for a pitcher his size (6’6”, 255) nor does he rack up strikeouts (6.6K/9IP), but he doesn’t issue free passes (2.1BB/9IP) and gets a lot of ground balls. He profiles as a back-end starter. He’s on the 40-man roster, so his route to a 2015 debut is easier than a few others on this list. I was also impressed watching one of his outings this spring on the backfields down in Fort Myers. Alex Meyer (TD’s #5 Prospect) If not for a (repeated) shoulder injury near the end of 2014, Meyer may not have been eligible for this list in 2015, but it wasn’t meant to be. There’s no denying his ability, as he brings mid-to-high 90s velocity and a wipe-out slider out of his 6’9” frame that have placed him high on top 100 lists since he was drafted. Teh Twins limited his in-game production (85 pitches or 6 innings) in 2014 to try and keep him healthy the entire season, but he still led the International League in strikeouts with 153 in 130.1 innings (10.6K/9IP). He can get wild as we all know, but when balanced by his penchant for strikeouts, he is able to limit the damage, as evidenced by his solid 3.52 ERA at AAA, which also ranked sixth in that league. Trevor May was in front of him on the call-up depth chart, but if Meyer doesn’t make his debut in 2015, something has gone extremely wrong. Miguel Sano (TD’s #2 Prospect) Sano was primed to burst onto the scene in 2014 after a season that saw him smash 35 home runs between Fort Myers and New Britain, but a cloud was also hanging over him that reared its head in his first spring training game, and that was his right elbow. After Tommy John surgery Sano is healthy heading in to 2015, and will be part of perhaps the scariest lineup in all of the minor leagues at Chattanooga. Thus far he has had zero setbacks, and though he only collected two hits in major league camp this spring, they were both mammoth HRs. He also displayed good patience and hit several other balls extremely hard, including one that prompted this reaction from me on the back fields after he was sent to the minor league camp. Sano is without a doubt THE GUY I’m looking forward to debuting in 2015, and let’s hope that the end to the second movie being made about him comes sooner rather than later. Jose Berrios (TD’s #3 Prospect) Berrios vaulted up prospect lists in 2014 as he burned through the Florida State League to the tune of a 1.97 ERA in 16 starts and 96 innings while striking out 109 hitters. He also made eight starts at AA and one at AAA, but was noticeably less effective as he climbed the ladder. He’s not on the 40-man roster yet, so his path to a 2015 debut is more clouded than others, but it’s also hard to put anything past him due to his work ethic and desire, which have been on full display this offseason, if you follow him on social media circles. His size will always be a question mark, as he lacks the prototypical height and fastball plane of a top of the rotation starter, but he also brings surprising velocity and a diverse mix over which he has full control. He’ll start the season in AA, but could easily find himself in Rochester by July, just a phone call away from the majors. Nick Burdi (TD’s #10 Prospect) Burdi is the closest thing to a blue-chip pure relief prospect you will find in all of the minor leagues, and that’s because of his 100+MPH heat and a slider that comes in at 90+. He had a very forgettable MiLB debut, where he walked all four batters he faced, but after that minor setback, he struck out 38 hitters in just 20.1 innings between Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers while allowing just 13 hits and 6 walks. I was able to catch him while he was with the Kernels last season, and he’ll give you as exciting an inning as you can imagine out of the bullpen. On several other teams, I have to believe he’d already be in the majors, but with the Twins we may have to wait until the All-Star break or longer. Byron Buxton (TD’s #1 Prospect) I honestly don’t actually believe that Buxton will make it to the majors this season, but there is a reason he’s one of the best prospects in all of baseball: He’s shown he can hit, has burgeoning power, can steal a ton of bases, run down fly balls with his speed, and has a big arm that he used to throw mid-90s from the mound in high school. He’s a genuine five-tool prospect. The reason I think it will be hard for him to debut in 2015 is because he was so incredible in 2013, then had most everything possible go wrong in 2014, that it would be hard to reproduce his 2013 success. Then again, the Twins outfield situation is dire, so it may become a necessity at some point if he’s doing anything close to what he did in 2013. Other Notable Names: RP Jake Reed – The Oregon closer made a name for himself after being drafted in the fifth round of last year’s draft by allowing just one earned run and 11 hits along with racking up 39 strikeouts over 31 innings for Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids. IF Levi Michael – The first forgotten first-round draft pick finally showed some life in 2014, though he wasn’t able to play a full season, hitting .313/.389/.387 across three levels, including .340/.444/.358 in 15 games at AA. SP/RP Alex Wimmers – The second forgotten first-round pick also was able to get his career back on track in 2014 while making most of his appearances as a reliever. In 84 innings at Fort Myers and New Britain, Wimmers struck out 97 hitters and improved as the season went on. RP J.T. Chargois – The first half of the former Rice University closer committee drafted in 2012 missed all of 2013 and 2014 due to injury, but is back to pitching and flashing the same 100 MPH velocity he did when the Twins selected him in the second round. Could be a fast mover if it all comes back. SP Tyler Duffey – The second half of the Rice University closer committee, drafted in the fifth round of 2012's draft, has been the Twins best reliever to starter conversion, and made three starts at AAA in 2014. Like Wheeler, he has the potential to be a back-end starter in the majors. IF James Beresford – The Australian native has spent the past two seasons at AAA in a utility role and has hit for a solid average. With the ability to field multiple infield positions, he could find himself in the same role with the Twins if the need arises. RP Ryan O’Rourke – O’Rourke is the unique LOOGY reliever who absolutely dominates same-handed hitters, but struggles to get anyone else out. It’s a luxury to be able to have his type of arm in a major league bullpen, but there are plenty of situations where it can be of use. SP Taylor Rogers – Rogers spent all of 2014 in AA, and will find himself in the rotation at AAA to begin 2015. He’s buried on the starting pitching depth chart, but is in the same position as Wheeler and Duffey as a future back-end starter candidate. Cheers to the 2015 MLB season, and to the potential debuts of the next great Minnesota Twins! Click here to view the article

In the majors on Sunday afternoon, Phil Hughes was out-dueled by Chris Sale who was making his first start of 2015 season, as the Twins lost the rubber-match of their three game series 6-2 in Chicago. In the minors, all four of the Twins full-season affiliates were in action on Sunday, and there were a lot of zeroes put up on the scoreboards.Read on to see how each of them fared. RED WINGS REPORT Buffalo 2, Rochester 0 Box Score On the mound for the Red Wings Sunday afternoon was big left-hander Jason Wheeler and he put forth a strong quality start effort. Unfortunately, he was also saddled with a loss as the home team lineup was unable to provide any offense to support him. In the losing effort, Wheeler tossed 6.2 innings and allowed just four hits, but four walks doomed him as both the Bisons’ runs were scored by batters who had been issued a free pass. In the third inning Wheeler walked the leadoff man who was sacrificed over to second base, then moved to third on a groundout before a Chris Dickerson single brought in the first run of the game. In the fourth inning, Chris Colabello drew another leadoff walk, and was brought home on a triple from Caleb Grindl. That was it for the offense from either side in this one. Lester Oliveros relieved Wheeler with two outs in the seventh inning, and struck out two while finishing the eighth. Stephen Pryor came in for the ninth and struck out one. The Red Wings outhit the Bisons 8-5 on the game, but were also 0-5 with runners in scoring position and left eleven men on base. Eddie Rosario (2-4, 2B) and Doug Bernier (2-4) each collected two hits on the day. Aaron Hicks was 0-5 with three strikeouts. LOOKOUTS LOOK-INS or CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Montgomery 0 Box Score It was another pitcher’s duel for most of the game in Montgomery, as the first twelve Lookouts hitters were retired in order, including five via strikeout, before Dalton Hicks led off the top of the fifth inning with a double. D.J. Baxendale started for Chattanooga, and kept the Biscuits lineup at bay in similar fashion, scattering six hits and one walk in 6.1 innings, while striking out four to pick up his first victory of 2015. Ryan O’Rourke came on and retired consecutive left-handed hitters, including one strikeout, to finish the seventh inning. Dallas Gallant got the save while pitching the final two innings, allowing two hits and striking out two. The Lookouts didn’t put any runs on the board until the seventh inning, when the Biscuit’s went to their bullpen. Miguel Sano drew a leadoff walk, Hicks singled him to third and advanced to second on the throw, then Travis Harrison brought them both home with a single to center field to take the lead 2-0. Harrison would later come around to score on a sac fly from Stuart Turner to make it 3-0. RBIs from Mike Gonzalez (double), Adam Brett Walker (sac fly), and Byron Buxton (single) would make the score 6-0 in the top of the ninth after Hicks and Harrison drew consecutive walks to start the inning. For the game, the Lookouts offense was led by Hicks (2-3, 2 R’s, 2B, BB) and Harrison (1-3, 2 R’s, 2 RBI, BB), but everyone in the lineup reached base at least once, and Sano was the only batter without a hit. Byron Buxton (1-5, RBI, 2 K’s) also notched his first steal of year. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 0, Charlotte 4 Box Score It was another shutout performance for a Twins affiliate, but this one also came on the wrong end and was the second time in the opening four game home-and-home series the Stone Crabs shut out the Miracle in Port Charlotte. The Miracle lineup managed just five hits and two walks on the night, and like their Red Wings brothers, struggled when they did have opportunities. As a team they went 0-10 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base for the game. Niko Goodrum was the lone standout, going 2-3 with a double and a walk, but was stranded in scoring position three times. Logan Wade (1-4, 2B), Alex Swim (1-3, BB), and Engelb Vielma (1-3) collected the other three hits. On the mound for the Miracle was Ethan Mildren, the Twins 12th round draft pick in 2013 out of the University of Pittsburgh. In five innings, the right-hander surrendered just two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out two. Alex Muren pitched two scoreless innings in relief (1 H, 1 BB, 2 K’s), while Brian Gilbert allowed the two other runs in the eighth inning on three singles and a double. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 3, Cedar Rapids 8 Box Score Cedar Rapids scored early and late en-route to a 8-3 home victory at Perfect Game Field to move to 4-0 on the season. To get the scoring started, Zach Granite led off the game for the Kernels with a single and scored on a Zack Larson ground out. Tyler Kuresa then doubled in Jorge Fernandez who had reached base with a walk to give the Kernels a 2-0 lead out of the gate. In the second inning, the Kernels loaded the bases with two outs, and right-fielder Zack Larson cleared them with a double. Video by SD Buhr Beloit closed the gap to 5-3, before the home team tacked on three insurance runs in the eighth inning. Jonatan Hinojosa and Brian Navaretto led off the frame with back-to-back singles and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Tanner English. Granite then brought them both home with a double before scoring himself on a single from Nick Gordon. Granite (2-3, 3 R’s, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Larson (2-5, 2B, 4 RBI) and Hinjosa (2-4, R,) collected multiple hits on the day. Kuresa and T.J. White added doubles to the effort. Hard throwing righty Michael Cederoth made the start for the Kernels and made it through four innings before being replaced by Sam Clay in the fifth. Cederoth allowed one run on three hits and three walks while striking out three. Clay lasted just one-third of an inning as he walked the bases loaded and gave up a bases- clearing double. Zach Tillery came on to finish the fifth, and then three more innings. He allowed just one hit and one walk, while striking out four in 3.2 innings. Cameron Booser finished the game for the Kernels, walking one but striking out the side to end the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – D.J. Baxendale, Chattanooga Lookouts (W, 6.1 IP, 0 R’s, 6 H’s, 1 BB, 4 K’s) Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Zack Larson, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-5, 2B, 4 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/Wilkes Barre (5:35 PM CST) – RHP Mark Hamburger Chattanooga @ Montgomery (10:35 AM CST) – RHP Alex Wimmers Fort Myers @ Tampa (6:00 PM CST) – RHP Ryan Eades Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Felix Jorge Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games. Click here to view the article

In the majors on Sunday afternoon, Phil Hughes was out-dueled by Chris Sale who was making his first start of 2015 season, as the Twins lost the rubber-match of their three game series 6-2 in Chicago. In the minors, all four of the Twins full-season affiliates were in action on Sunday, and there were a lot of zeroes put up on the scoreboards. Read on to see how each of them fared. RED WINGS REPORT Buffalo 2, Rochester 0 Box Score On the mound for the Red Wings Sunday afternoon was big lefthander Jason Wheeler and he put forth a strong quality start effort. Unfortunately, he was also saddled with a loss as the home team lineup was unable to provide any offense to support him. In the losing effort, Wheeler tossed 6.2 innings and allowed just four hits, but four walks doomed him in the box score as both the Bisons’ runs were scored by batters who were issued a free pass. In the third inning Wheeler walked the leadoff man who was sacrificed over to second base, then moved to third on a groundout before a Chris Dickerson single brought in the first run of the game. In the fourth inning, Chris Colabello drew another leadoff walk, and was brought home on a triple from Caleb Grindl. That was it for the offense from either side in this one. Lester Oliveros relieved Wheeler in with two outs in the seventh inning, and struck out two while finishing the eighth. Stephen Pryor came in for the ninth and struck out one. The Red Wings outhit the Bisons 8-5 on the game, but were also 0-5 with runners in scoring position and left eleven men on base. Eddie Rosario (2-4, 2B) and Doug Bernier (2-4) each collected two hits on the day. Aaron Hicks was 0-5 with three strikeouts. LOOKOUTS LOOK-INS or CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Montgomery 0 Box Score It was another pitcher’s duel for most of the game in Montgomery, as the first twelve Lookouts hitters were retired in order, including five via strikeout, before Dalton Hicks led off the top of the fifth inning with a double. D.J. Baxendale started for Chattanooga, and kept the Biscuits lineup at bay in similar fashion, scattering six hits and one walk in 6.1 innings, while striking out four to pick up his first victory of 2015. Ryan O’Rourke came on and retired consecutive left-handed hitters, including one strikeout, to finish the seventh inning. Dallas Gallant got the save while pitching the final two innings, allowing two hits and striking out two. The Lookouts didn’t put any runs on the board until the seventh inning, when the Biscuit’s went to their bullpen. Miguel Sano drew a leadoff walk, Hicks singled him to third and advanced to second on the throw, then Travis Harrison brought them both home with a single to center field to take the lead 2-0. Harrison would later come around to score on a sac fly from Stuart Turner to make it 3-0. RBI’s from Mike Gonzalez (double), Adam Brett Walker (sac fly), and Byron Buxton (single) would make the score 6-0 in the top of the ninth after Hicks and Harrison drew consecutive walks to start the inning. For the game, the Lookouts offense was led by Hicks (2-3, 2 R’s, 2B, BB) and Harrison (1-3, 2 R’s, 2 RBI, BB), but everyone in the lineup reached base at least once, and Sano was the only batter without a hit. Byron Buxton (1-5, RBI, 2 K’s) also notched his first steal of year. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 0, Charlotte 4 Box Score It was another shutout performance for a Twins affiliate, but this one also came on the losing end and was the second time in the opening four game home-and-home series the Stone Crabs shut out the Miracle in Port Charlotte. The Miracle lineup managed just five hits and two walks on the night, and like their Red Wings brothers, struggled when they did have opportunities. As a team they went 0-10 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base for the game. Niko Goodrum was the lone standout, going 2-3 with a double and a walk, but was stranded in scoring position three times. Logan Wade (1-4, 2B), Alex Swim (1-3, BB), and Engelb Vielma (1-3) collected the other three hits. On the mound for the Miracle was Ethan Mildren, the Twins 12th round draft pick in 2013 out of the University of Pittsburgh. In five innings, the right-hander surrendered just two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out two. Alex Muren pitched two scoreless innings in relief (1 H, 1 BB, 2 K’s), while Brian Gilbert allowed the two other runs in the eighth inning on three singles and a double. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 3, Cedar Rapids 8 Box Score Cedar Rapids scored early and late en-route to a 8-3 home victory at Perfect Game field to move to 4-0 on the season. To get the scoring started, Zach Granite led off the game for the Kernels with a single and scored on an Edwin Diaz groundout. Tyler Kuresa would then double in Jorge Fernandez who reached base with a walk to give the Kernels a 2-0 lead out of the gate. In the second inning, the Kernels loaded the bases with two outs, and right-fielder Zack Larson cleared them with a double. Beloit would close the gap to 5-3, before the home team tacked on three insurance runs in the eighth inning. Jonatan Hinojosa and Brian Navaretto led off the frame with back-to-back singles and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Tanner English. Granite then brought them both home with a double before scoring himself on a single from Nick Gordon. Granite (2-3, 3 R’s, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB), Larson (2-5, 2B, 4 RBI) and Hinjosa (2-4, R,) collected multiple hits on the day. Kuresa and T.J. White added doubles to the effort. Hard throwing righty Michael Cederoth made the start for the Kernels and made it through four innings before being replaced by Sam Clay in the fifth. Cederoth allowed one run on three hits and three walks while striking out three. Clay would last just one-third of an inning as he walked the bases loaded and gave up a bases clearing double. Zach Tillery would come on to finish the fifth, and then three more innings. He allowed just one hit and one walk, while striking out four in 3.2 innings. Cameron Booser would finish the game for the Kernels, walking one but striking out the side to end the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – D.J. Baxendale, Chattanooga Lookouts (W, 6.1 IP, 0 R’s, 6 H’s, 1 BB, 4 K’s) Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Zack Larson, Cedar Rapids Kernels (2-5, 2B, 4 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/Wilkes Barre (5:35 PM CST) – RHP Mark Hamburger Chattanooga @ Montgomery (10:35 AM CST) – RHP Alex Wimmers Fort Myers @ Tampa (6:00 PM CST) – RHP Ryan Eades Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) – RHP Felix Jorge Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Sunday games.

Nick Burdi!!!

Even though the Twins lost yesterday at the hands of David Price and the Detroit Tigers, it’s hard not to be excited for MLB Opening Day. The start of the baseball season means summer is just around the corner, and the prospect of spending afternoons and evenings at Target Field gets me all giddy, even if the opening day roster doesn’t. You see, despite the fact this roster is currently loaded with veterans and retreads, both new (Tim Stauffer, Blaine Boyer, Ervin Santana, Shane Robinson) and old (Torii Hunter) that don’t necessarily instill immediate confidence, the youth movement we’ve all been waiting for was finally taken out of neutral and eased into first gear late last season. Players who made their Major League Debut for the Twins in 2014 included pitchers A.J. Achter, Logan Darnell, Yohan Pino, and Trevor May, and position players Jorge Polanco, Danny Santana, and Kennys Vargas. It was May, Santana, and Vargas’ debuts in particular that signaled Terry Ryan finally releasing the clutch on a farm system that could be the equivalent of a Ferrari. While they’re barely out of the starting gate, the performances of Santana (.319/.353/.472, 41 XBH’s and 20 SB in 101 games) and Vargas (.274/.316/.456, 9 HR and 38 RBI in 53 games) in the latter portion of 2014 put some pretty good tread to tar on this track. While May will have to wait a bit longer to get back in the Twins rotation on this track, Santana and Vargas have been handed the keys to the 2015 revolution out of gate, and are poised to be infused with nitrous-boosters throughout the year. Top 100 prospects lists and team specific Top 10’s are always fun to read and one of my favorite parts of the baseball offseason whether it’s reading the great capsules here on Twins Daily, or checking out the litany of lists available elsewhere. But since there are so many of them, I like to take a little bit of a different look at prospects coming into a new season, and that means throwing out names that you might have a chance to actually see in the Majors during the upcoming season. Usually when I’ve done this list, there haven’t necessarily been a whole lot of Top-10-type prospects that populate it because they’ve been so far away from the Majors, but this year is different, and this Ferrari of a Farm System is ready to roll with those types of players littering AA and AAA for the Twins. So let’s take a look at some players that could make (or have now made) their MLB debut for the Minnesota Twins in 2015: J.R. Graham Graham was the Twins Rule V draft pick coming into the season which gave him a leg up on the competition to both make the roster, and his MLB debut. When healthy, which has been a big question mark in recent seasons, Graham brings legit velocity and was once a Top 5 prospect for the Atlanta Braves. On my trip down to Spring Training last month, Graham registered the highest radar gun readings of anyone I saw, Twins or otherwise (including Alex Meyer), so the Twins are banking on the potential he has to evolve into a useful bullpen piece after flaming out as a starter. Eddie Rosario (TD’s #8 Prospect) A disappointing 2014 season for Rosario began with a 50-game drug suspension, and he did nothing to help improve his stock going into 2015 with an underwhelming .672 OPS at AA when he finally got on the field. But he reversed that trend in a big way with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, which is a proving ground for top prospects. His performance there put him in the competition for the centerfield job this spring, but he didn’t quite do enough. If he’s strong out of the gate at AAA Rochester, Rosario could be the first outfielder called up to fill in for an injury. Jason Wheeler The big left-hander has gone a bit unnoticed in a farm system that includes Top 100 pitching prospects like Meyer, Kohl Stewart, and Jose Berrios, but has been a workhorse in the minors since being drafted out of Loyola Marymount University in the Eighth Round of the 2011 draft. He pitched at three levels in 2014, ending his season with a start in Rochester, and totaled 158 innings with a 2.68 ERA and 1.190 WHIP on the season. He doesn’t have big velocity for a pitcher his size (6’6”, 255) nor does he rack up strikeouts (6.6K/9IP), but he doesn’t issue free passes (2.1BB/9IP) and gets a lot of ground balls to profile as a back-end starter. He’s on the 40-man roster, so his route to a 2015 debut is easier than a few others on this list. I was also impressed watching one of his outings this spring on the backfields down in Fort Myers. Alex Meyer (TD’s #5 Prospect) If not for a (repeated) shoulder injury near the end of 2014, Meyer may not have been eligible for this list in 2015, but it wasn’t meant to be. There’s no denying his ability, as he brings mid-to-high 90’s velocity and a wipeout slider out of his 6’9” frame that has placed him high on Top 100 lists since he was drafted. And despite the limitations (85 pitches or 6 innings) put on him in 2014 in an effort to keep him healthy the entire season, he still led the International League in strikeouts with 153 in 130.1 innings (10.6K/9IP). He can get wild as we all know, but when taken together with his penchant for strikeouts, he is able to limit the damage, as evidenced by his solid 3.52 ERA at AAA, which also ranked 6th in the league. Trevor May is probably in front of him on the call-up depth chart, but if Meyer doesn’t make his debut in 2015, something has gone extremely wrong. Miguel Sano (TD’s #2 Prospect) Sano was primed to burst onto the scene in 2014 after a season that saw him smash 35 home runs between Fort Myers and New Britain, but a cloud was also hanging over him that reared its head in his first Spring Training game, and that was his right elbow. After Tommy John surgery Sano is back to being healthy heading in to 2015, and will be part of perhaps the scariest lineup in all of the minor leagues at Chattanooga to start. Thus far he has had zero setbacks, and though he only collected two hits in Major League camp this spring, they were both mammoth HR’s, and he also displayed good patience and hit several other balls extremely hard, including one that prompted this reaction from me on the back fields after being sent to the Minor League camp. Sano is without a doubt THE GUY I’m looking forward to debuting in 2015, and let’s hope that the end to the second movie being made about him comes sooner rather than later. Jose Berrios (TD’s #3 Prospect) Berrios vaulted up prospect lists in 2014 as he burned through the Florida State League to the tune of a 1.97 ERA in 16 starts and 96 innings while striking out 109 hitters. He also made 8 starts at AA and 1 at AAA, but was noticeably less effective. He’s not on the 40-man roster yet, so his path to a 2015 is more clouded than others, but it’s also hard to put anything past him due to his work ethic and desire, which has been on full display this offseason if you follow him on social media circles. His size will always be a question mark, as he lacks the prototypical height and fastball plane of a top of the rotation starter, but he also brings surprising velocity and a diverse mix that he has full control over. He’ll start the season in AA, but could easily find himself in Rochester by July, just a phone call away from the majors. Nick Burdi (TD’s #10 Prospect) Burdi is the closest thing to a blue-chip pure relief prospect you will find in all of the minor leagues, and that’s because of his 100+MPH heat and a slider that comes in at 90+. He had a very forgettable MiLB debut, where he walked all four batters he faced, but after that minor setback, he struck out 38 hitters in just 20.1 innings between Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers while allowing just 13 hits and 6 walks. I was able to catch him while he was with the Kernels last season, and he’ll give you as exciting of an inning as you can imagine out of the bullpen. On several other teams, I have to believe he’d already be in the majors, but with the Twins we may have to wait until after the All-Star Break or longer. Byron Buxton (TD’s #1 Prospect) I honestly don’t actually believe that Buxton will make it to the majors this season, but there is a reason he’s one of the best prospects in all of baseball: He’s shown he can hit, has burgeoning power, can steal a ton of bases and run down fly balls with his speed, and has a big arm that he used to throw mid-90’s from a mound in high school. He’s a genuine five-tool prospect. The reason I think it will be hard for him to debut in 2015, is because he was so incredible in 2013, and then had everything possible that could go wrong for him in 2014, that it would be hard to reproduce. Then again, the Twins outfield situation is dire, so it may become a necessity at some point if he’s doing anything close to what he did in 2013 with his bat. Other Notable Names: RP Jake Reed – The Oregon closer made a name for himself after being drafted in the fifth round of last year’s draft by allowing just 1 earned run and 11 hits along with racking up 39 strikeouts over 31 innings pitched for Elizabethton and Cedar Rapids. IF Levi Michael – The first forgotten 1st round draft pick finally showed some life in 2014, though he wasn’t able to play a full season, hitting .313/.389/.387 across three levels, including .340/.444/.358 in 15 games at AA. SP/RP Alex Wimmers – The second forgotten 1st round pick also was able to get his career back on track in 2014 while making most of his appearances as a reliever. In 84 innings at Fort Myers and New Britain, Wimmers struck out 97 hitters and improved as the season went on. RP J.T. Chargois – The first half of the former Rice University closer committee drafted in 2012 missed all of 2013 and 2014 due to injury, but is back to pitching and flashing the same 100 MPH velocity he did when the Twins selected him in the 2nd round. Could be a fast mover if it all comes back. SP Tyler Duffey – The second half of the Rice University closer committee, drafted in the 5th round of 2012's draft, has been the Twins best reliever to starter conversion, and made three starts at AAA in 2014. Like Wheeler, he has the potential to be a back-end starter in the majors. IF James Beresford – The Australian native has spent the past 2 seasons at AAA in a utility role and has hit for a solid average. With the ability to field multiple infield positions, he could find himself in the same role with the Twins if the need arises. RP Ryan O’Rourke – O’Rourke is the unique LOOGY reliever who absolutely dominates same-handed hitters, but struggles to get anyone else out. It’s a luxury to be able to have his type of arm in a major league bullpen, but there are plenty of situations where it can be of use. SP Taylor Rogers – Rogers spent all of 2014 in AA, and will find himself in the rotation at AAA to begin 2015. He’s buried on the starting pitching depth chart, but is in the same position as Wheeler and Duffey as a future back-end starter candidate. Cheers to the 2015 MLB season, and to the potential debuts of the next great Minnesota Twins!

I thought it was Pearce who hit him on his HR swing, but might not have been paying enough attention at the time. Thought trainers were looking at Pinto before Jones even stepped in the box. Jones at least was standing in and chatting as the trainer looked at him afterward, appeared concerned and sorry. I'm more worried that the Twins left Pinto in to finish the inning afterward.

Got that book for Christmas this year, lots of interesting stories in it!

Plouffe in the OF ala Cuddyer seems like the 2nd best course to me with all these guys. The first being, you trade somebody. Which sucks because I like all those guys and want them to make up the team of the future. So the weakest link among them by the time that team comes together will have to be gone to make it work, and that link might not even be 'weak'. But if we're talking 2016-2018 for that team, that link is just as likely to be Joe Mauer at that point as any of these young guys.

I'd keep him in Elizabethton I think. I'm quite certain he was drafted more for his offensive potential than his defense, though he gets great marks for his arm strength. Pretty sure Pinto was excellent at throwing out runners back then too, and look how that has worked out. But if it's his offensive ability that could be his calling card, I wouldn't push him to Cedar Rapids to start because he hasn't shown anything with his bat yet.

I wan't him to be (and think he will be) the next "20-20-20-20" guy (2B's, 3B's, HR's, SB's). There's only been 4 players in the history of major league baseball to accomplish that.

Haha, we always played this game in warm-ups. "Two-ball" we called it. You'd switch your hat to backwards the first drop, lose the hat the second, then were "out" on the third drop. I sucked at that game, haha, but it was fun and definitely challenged your hand-eye coordination.

You can read all kinds of opinions on how #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5 starters are defined (Kiley talks about this on fangraphs) But typically, I think you can say there are maybe 10 true "Aces" per season (this is greater than a #1). If you go by Kiley's scale, this would be guys with a >6.0 WAR. There were 6 such starters last season. There's probably a few more #1's than that, but not by much. If we classify them as >4 WAR, you come up with 9 pitchers in that range last year. Then you can probably double that total number of "aces and #1's" for #2's and #3's, which gives us about 30 names. Again, Kiley's scale classifies these as >2.5 WAR, and this gives 31 pitchers from last season. Then you have a boatload of #4's and #5's. The "league average" pitcher is what I'd typically describe as a #4 pitcher, or as an example from the Twins last year, Kyle Gibson (though he actually qualifies for a #3 in the exercise above, with exactly 2.5 WAR).