Steve Lein

Looks to me like it was a combination of who missed a lot of innings, and is willing or wants to go. Danny De Andrade was probably the Twins top priority choice to play shortstop for Salt River, but since he wasn't able that may have been transferred to Ben Ross. I thought Prielipp was a good candidate, as well as C.J. Culpepper and Cory Lewis. Any one of them would have been a top name in the league as far as pitchers go.

Both Minnesota Twins hitters ended their Arizona Fall League campaigns with impressive hitting streaks, and those culminated with a battle for the AFL Championship on Saturday. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Kala'i Rosario) Game Results: Monday, 11/11 | Peoria 1, Salt River 7 Tuesday, 11/12 | Salt River 13, Peoria 10 Wednesday, 11/13 | Salt River 5, Surprise 8 Thursday, 11/14 | Surprise 10, Salt River 2 The Salt River Rafters entered Week 6 as one of five teams still vying for a place in the Arizona Fall League playoffs. They took care of the bottom-feeding Peoria Javelinas in the first two games of the week, but closed it out with two losses against the league-leading Surprise Saguaros. The 2-2 regular season finish put Salt River in a three-way tie at 16-14 overall, but because of tie-breakers, they were given one of the two spots in the Wild Card semifinal game. Could St. Paul Saints coach and Rafters manager Tyler Smarslok push his team into the title game, and perhaps an AFL championship? OF Kala’i Rosario Week: 4-for-15, 4 R, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K, SB (4 games) Overall: .291/.383/.430 Rosario finished his 2024 AFL season by extending his hitting streak to nine games to close it out. That includes a couple of games to be recapped later, but he did make starts in two of the Rafters four games before the playoffs. On Tuesday against Peoria, Rosario played in left field and batted fifth in the lineup. After the first two hitters of the game were outs, the Rafters plated eight runs for an early blowout lead. Rosario drew a walk to load the bases before any of those had been scored, and came all the way home on a bases-clearing double. In the second inning, Rosario reached on an error, but was promptly picked off of first base. Leading off the sixth inning, he sent a single into center field to keep his hitting streak alive. He was back in right field in Thursday’s 10-2 loss to Surprise, batting third in the lineup. The Rafters didn’t score any runs until the eighth inning, but Rosario was part of that. With a runner on second base, his single into center field brought home their first run of the game to make it 8-1. He later scored their second run from third, on a single from teammate Kristian Robinson. While Rosario didn’t display the same type of power that he did last year in the AFL, when he led the league in home runs (tied with Aaron Sabato), he finished this year with basically the same OPS. That was driven by a much better batting average and on-base percentage this time around, while he also struck out at a lesser pace. While I think he’s back in Wichita for the start of the season, expect Rosario at CHS Field at some point in 2025. IF Ben Ross Week: 5-for-14, 3 R, 4 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, SB (4 games) Overall: .280/.390/.427 While Rosario got the better of Ross with a nine-game hitting streak to close his season, Ross also ran a streak of his own up to eight games, continuing his solid play from the week before. In Monday’s win over Peoria, Ross played shortstop and batted eighth in the Salt River lineup. With the score 5-0 Rafters in the third, Ross brought in their second run of the inning with an RBI single before being stranded on third base. He drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the eighth and, two batters later, scored their seventh run of the game on a sac fly. He was back at shortstop on Wednesday, batting seventh in the lineup in a loss to the Saguaros. He clubbed a double in the second inning, and later stole home on a double-steal for an early 3-0 Rafters lead. That lead disappeared quickly in the bottom half of that inning, but Ross wasn’t done. He added another double in the eighth inning, but was left stranded as all other three hitters struck out around him. Ross finished his AFL season with a flourish, besting Rosario in the OPS category behind five doubles, two triples, and a home run to go along with 15 walks in 24 games. He’s likely back in Wichita to start next season, but if his bat comes around like this he could be in triple-A sometime during the summer. Before I forget, that two-double effort also wasn’t Ross’s final appearance of the AFL regular season, as he came into the game in the ninth inning on Thursday against Peoria. As the pitcher. He walked the first man he faced, but induced a double-play ball to the next hitter on a 69 MPH pitch. Unfortunately he wouldn’t get out unscathed after that, as a walk and three singles allowed two more runs to score before he got the final out. I’ll note he did top out at 84 MPH on the radar gun (with a “cutter”), while most of his other pitches were tracked as a curveball around 70 MPH. IF Danny De Andrade Week: Did not play. The Venezuelan infielder hit .243/.333/.359 in 29 games with the Cedar Rapids Kernels before injuring his ankle and spending the rest of the season on the injured list. He was added to the Twins AFL roster in the hope he would be able to make up a few at-bats, but unfortunately that did not materialize. RHP Devin Kirby Week: 3 1/3 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 3 K (2 appearances) Overall: 1-0, 9.53 ERA, 2.12 WHIP, .262 BAA, 13 BB, 8 K (11 1/3 IP) The knuckleballer made an appearance in one of the four regular season games on the week, pitching multiple innings against the Javelinas on Tuesday. He entered the game in the middle of the fourth inning after Peoria had closed the Salt River lead to within three. With a runner on third base, Kirby got his man with a swinging strikeout to get his team back in the dugout. In a scoreless fifth inning, he worked around a one-out walk by retiring all three other hitters he faced. Back out for more in the sixth, the Javelinas finally figured out his knuckleball. A leadoff walk was followed by a home run to make the score 11-1 Rafters. A single, double, and hit batter then loaded the bases before he got a double-play ball for the first two outs, but another run scored. A fourth run would cross the plate on a single before Kirby got out of it with his second strikeout of the outing. In all, he was charged with four earned runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out two in 2 1/3 innings. His second appearance of the week came against Scottsdale in the semifinal game, which we will get to shortly. Kirby pitched for the FCL Twins and Fort Myers during the 2024 season, and it will be interesting to follow his knuckleball moving forward. Obviously there is work to be done on that end, but I am looking forward to it. RHP Jack Noble Week: Did not pitch Overall: 1-1, 5.56 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, .282 BAA, 7 BB, 10 K (11 1/3 IP) The right-hander out of Long Beach State pitched himself into the Fall Stars game last week with his overall body of work, but did not make an appearance in any games to close out the AFL season. Except for one blip, where he allowed five earned runs while recording just one out, Noble was solid in his 11 other innings. In those other seven appearances he gave up just two earned runs on eight hits, while walking six and striking out nine. LHP Kade Bragg Week: 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (1 appearance) Overall: 2-1, 7.24 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, .180 BAA, 13 BB, 13 K (13 2/3 IP) Bragg received the starting nod in Tuesday’s high-scoring win over Peoria. He was even credited with a win after pitching just the first 1 2/3 innings, as the Rafters lineup batted around in the top of the first to jump out to 8-0 lead before he ever took the mound. He struck out two in a scoreless first, allowing just a single to the Javelina’s number three hitter. Back out for the second he ran into trouble immediately. After a leadoff walk he got a flyout, but then a single and another walk loaded the bases. Such is the luck of Twins pitchers the last two weeks, he then served up a grand slam to make the game 8-4. He’d get one more out before another walk and a plunking ended his day. One of those runners came around to score after his exit to account for the five runs given up. Overall the left-hander had mixed results in AFL play. He showed an ability to miss some bats at times, but also the strike zone. The biggest thing to take away from the AFL for Bragg however, is that he got some innings in after throwing less than 10 total for Fort Myers this season. It was also a bit of a step up in competition, so the results shouldn’t be held against him through that lens. RHP Jacob King Week: 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (1 appearance) Overall: 0-1, 7.71 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, .333 BAA, 6 BB, 10 K (9 1/3 IP) King finished his AFL season with one appearance in the Rafters' loss to Surprise on Thursday. He came on to start the seventh inning with the score already 6-0 in the Saguaros favor. He struck out the first man he faced, but a pair of doubles followed to allow a single run. He finished off the inning by bookending a walk with a pair of strikeouts. Back out for the eighth he walked the leadoff man and allowed another RBI double before getting a grounder and a strikeout to end his outing. Like the other Twins pitchers, King gave up some good contact and walks, but missed a bunch of bats as well in AFL play. So far in his career King has only pitched 2 1/3 innings in the rookie leagues, so getting on the mound against the solid competition of the AFL should be a great learning experience moving forward. RHP Liam Rocha Week: 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 3 K (1 appearance) Overall: 1-0, 4.26 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, .250 BAA, 9 BB, 12 K (12 2/3 IP) Rocha also had just one appearance in the final week of the AFL schedule, pitching multiple innings in Wednesday’s tilt with the Saguaros. The Rafter’s starting pitcher got into a bunch of trouble in the second inning, and it was Rocha who was brought in to stop the bleeding. After a two-RBI triple made the score 7-2, Rocha entered the game with two outs and got a strikeout to escape further damage. He also struck out the leadoff man in the third, and worked around a two-out single for a scoreless inning. A leadoff walk in the forth came back to bite him, as a stolen base and RBI single pushed a run across for Surprise, but a double-play ball put an end to the inning, and his AFL season. Along with King, Rocha has only appeared in the rookie leagues to this point, so expecting dominance should not have been the goal. He added some innings against quality competition to his overall ledger, and should make the jump to the Fort Myers bullpen in 2025. AFL Wild Card Semifinal Game Salt River 13, Scottsdale 4 Box Score As mentioned at the start of this article, the Salt River Rafters made it into the AFL playoffs thanks to their 16-14 record. They got to face off against the Scottsdale Scorpions in the wild card semifinal on Friday as the visiting team. They took little time to get going, putting up six runs in the first two innings for a big early lead they would never give up. Kala’i Rosario batted third in the lineup and drew a walk in the first inning. The next batter clubbed a three-run homer for a 4-0 lead. In the top of the second, Ben Ross dropped a double over the first baseman’s head in right field, and later scored their fifth run of the game on a double from Tommy Troy. Rosario followed with an RBI single and it was 6-0 Rafters after two. Salt River added two more runs in the fifth after Troy led off with a double, and Rosario moved him to third on a fielder’s choice play that included an error. Rosario then stole second base and they both came around to score on another Scorpions error to make it 8-0. Ross drew a walk in a three-run seventh inning, but those runs came before he could advance any further. Devin Kirby finished out the ninth inning for Salt River, coming into the game with a 13-1 lead. The knuckleball knuckled a bit too much, leading to the final score of 13-4 as Kirby walked two, allowed three singles, and a few balls got past the catcher en route to being charged with three earned runs. He struck out one. With the decisive win, the Rafters would move on to face a team they had just lost to twice earlier in the week. AFL Championship Game Salt River 3, Surprise 2 Box Score Perhaps it was appropriate that the two teams who tied atop the leaderboard during the regular season in runs scored, faced off against each other in the AFL Championship game. Rosario again was batting third in the lineup, playing right field, while Ross took his home at shortstop batting seventh. They both ended up playing key roles in the game. The Surprise Saguaros struck first with a two out rally in the bottom half of the first inning. A single, walk, and RBI single gave them a 1-0 lead. In the top of the second Robert Hassell III of Salt River clubbed a one-out triple, and Ross brought him in with a sac fly to tie the game at one. The top of the third started with a leadoff double for Salt River, and Rosario came to the plate later with two outs and that runner had yet to advance any further. That fact wouldn’t matter, as Rosario traded places at second with an RBI double of his own to put the Rafters in front 3-1. In the top of the fourth Salt River cost themselves a run when Ryan Ritter, who led off the inning with a single, was picked off at first base in front of Ross. That’s because Ross sent a double down the third base line, and he ended up at third after a throwing error, where he would be stranded. The Rafters added their third run in the top of fifth, and it again came on a batted ball from Rosario. Three walks loaded the bases with no outs in front of him, and though his grounder to second turned into a double-play, it did allow a run to score for a 3-1 lead. Surprise would get one back in the bottom half, but from there the bullpens of each team shut it down. Rosario drew a walk in the seventh to put runners on first and second, but that’s as close as Salt River would get the rest of the way. There was some anxiety in the bottom of the ninth, as a hit batter and a walk put the tying run in scoring position, but the Rafters were able to close out the victory and take home the Arizona Fall League Championship as Ben Ross fielded the final out to clinch it Congrats to manager Tyler Smarslok, all of the Twins prospects, and the rest of the Salt River Rafters roster on a job well done! This is the second time in the last five years that Twins prospects have taken home a title for Salt River, as Royce Lewis led the Rafters to a win in 2019. Edouard Julien and Austin Martin also helped the Glendale Desert Dogs reach the title game in 2022, falling 6-5 to Surprise in extra innings. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the prospects playing in the AFL this week! View full article

The pitching is so bad in the AFL this year (league ERA is basically 6.00) that the average OPS in the league is above .800. Rosario's is still above average in that regard, though pretty similar overall to 2023. This time being led by batting average and OBP instead of slugging. I'll take that tradeoff in determining any promotion readiness, but yeah, you're still looking at Double-A.

I think there is a chance for a callup, but also that Double-A is his likely starting spot, as he has only about a half-season under his belt there.

Week 5 of the Arizona Fall League season is its biggest one, as it includes the circuit's “Fall Stars” weekend. A pair of Minnesota Twins prospects took part in those festivities, but the biggest week as far as the Salt River Rafters were concerned came from a non-participant. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Ben Ross) Game Results: Monday, 11/4 | Glendale 11, Salt River 13 Tuesday, 11/5 | Salt River 13, Mesa 11 Wednesday, 11/6 | Mesa 9, Salt River 6 (7 innings) Thursday, 11/7 | Salt River 3, Peoria 10 Saturday, 11/9 | Fall Stars Game: American League 6, National League 5 With it being All Stars Week in the Arizona Fall League, the Salt River Rafters only played four games, going 2-2 on the week to finish it out at 14-12 overall. Minnesota Twins pitchers had a bit of a rough week, regressing to the mean as far as the league is concerned. The hitters, on the other hand, continued their solid play, with one launching a home run and the other being one of the toughest outs on the circuit for the week. The weekend also saw the American League face off against the National League in the Fall Stars Game with one Twins pitcher making an appearance, and a hitter attempting to defend his Home Run Derby title from last year. OF Kala’i Rosario Week: 3-for-10, 5 R, HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, SB (3 games) Overall: .296/.388/.451 Rosario opened the week as the designated hitter, batting seventh in the Rafters lineup on Monday in their win over the Glendale Desert Dogs. While he had just one hit in the game, it was a big one, as his home run in the bottom of the third inning closed the Desert Dogs lead to just one. The ball left his bat at 108 MPH and traveled 426 feet. Rosario also drew a walk to start the bottom of the second inning, and later stole third base for his third swipe of the season. He would score a run that inning on a balk. Then, in both the fourth and fifth innings, Rosario drew bases-loaded walks to pick up two more RBIs. He finished 1-for-2 with two runs scored and four RBIs. In Tuesday’s victory over the Mesa Solar Sox, Rosario moved back up to the cleanup spot in the lineup and roamed right field. He didn’t reach base in his first two at-bats, but picked up a single in the sixth to start a Salt River rally. Later, with the bases loaded, Rosario scored from third on a single to put them in front 5-2. Rosario reached on a fielder’s choice in the seventh, and later scored again on a double. He finished his day by drawing another walk in the eighth, and later scored the Rafters' 12th run of the game. After a day off on Wednesday, Rosario was back in right field and batting sixth for the Rafters. It took him until the eighth inning, but he was able to extend his hitting streak to five games with a single up the middle. While he hasn’t hit as many home runs this time around as he did last year, Rosario also got the opportunity this week to defend his Home Run Derby crown from last season. He had another strong showing, but the eventual winner, Garrett Martin of the New York Yankees, edged him out to reach the final with a tally of 16-to-15. IF Ben Ross Week: 7-for-11, 3 R, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, K (3 games) Overall: .269/.385/.397 Ross appeared in three of the Rafters' four games on the week, and was a menace to opposing pitchers, batting .636 in his 11 at-bats. In the Rafters' 13-11 victory over Mesa on Tuesday, Ross played shortstop and batted behind Rosario. He grounded out in the top of the second, but singles in each of the fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings led to his three runs scored in the game. His single in the top of the eighth also drove in two to make it 12-6, giving the Rafters what would turn out to be the winning run. On Wednesday, the Rafters again took on the Solar Sox, and Ross was at short again, batting fifth in the lineup. His single in the bottom of the first put the first run of the game on the scoreboard, and before the inning was over Salt River had an early 3-0 lead. He also drew a walk in the sixth inning to reach base multiple times. Batting seventh in the lineup and playing center field on Thursday, Ross led off the top of the second inning with his third double of the AFL season, but ended up being caught in no-man's land between second and third and wasn’t able to score a run. He led off the fourth inning with a walk and this time would end up stranded. He finished off this game with an infield single in the top of the eighth inning, but the Rafters would again leave him stranded as they finished this game 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. IF Danny De Andrade Week: Did not play. The Venezuelan infielder hit .243/.333/.359 in 29 games with the Cedar Rapids Kernels before injuring his ankle all the way back in May. He spent the rest of the season on the injured list and the hope was he would be able to make up a few at-bats in the Arizona Fall League. Unfortunately, that has not happened. RHP Devin Kirby Week: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (1 appearance) Overall: 1-0, 8.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, .219 BAA, 11 BB, 6 K (9 IP) Kirby’s knuckleball saw action in just one game on the week, as he pitched the seventh inning of Monday’s win over Glendale with the score 12-8 Salt River. The first four batters of the inning reached base (two walks, two singles) leading to a pair of runs before he got the innings first out with a fly ball. From there, his knuckler danced quite well, as he finished his outing with a pair of swinging strikeouts. RHP Jack Noble Week: 1/3 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, BB, K (1 appearance) Overall: 1-1, 5.56 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, .282 BAA, 7 BB, 10 K (11 1/3 IP) While Noble only made one (forgettable) appearance for the Rafters on the week, he also was the sole Minnesota Twins prospect to make the American League Fall Stars team. In Wednesday’s loss to Mesa, Noble was the first reliever summoned from the Salt River bullpen to begin the third inning. The Rafters had a 3-0 lead at the time, but they’d be behind by the time Noble was lifted. He recorded just one out after giving up a leadoff single, walk, and three-run home run to tie the game. He then picked up a strikeout for his only out, before giving up a pair of doubles and being sent to the showers. In total, he was charged with five earned runs on four hits and a walk, ballooning his ERA from sub 2.00 all the way to above 5.00. Such is the nature of the AFL and stat lines sometimes. But before that blowup, Noble had been good enough to earn his spot in the bullpen on the American League Fall Stars team; that showcase game was played on Saturday at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. With the game tied 5-5, Noble came on to start the bottom of the eighth inning. He got the first batter on a fly out to center, but then gave up a single to put the go-ahead run on base for the National League squad. He got a groundout from the next hitter that moved that runner to second, and Noble was lifted after recording two outs. The AL team would go onto win 6-5 thanks to a solo home run in the top of the ninth. LHP Kade Bragg Week: 2 1/3 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, K (1 appearance) Overall: 0-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, .143 BAA, 10 BB, 11 K (12 IP) Bragg's lone appearance of the week came in Tuesday’s win over the Solar Sox, when he came into the game to start the fifth inning. He put up zeroes in each of the fifth and sixth frames, allowing just a single and a walk in each. Back out for the seventh, however, he got into a bunch of trouble with the score 9-2 in favor of the Rafters. A single and a pair of walks loaded the bases with one out, and he gave up a grand slam to make the score 9-6 before being removed from the game. Although he gave up those four runs, he was credited with a hold for his efforts. RHP Jacob King Week: 2 1/3 IP, 7 H, 7 R (4 ER), 3 BB, K (2 appearances) Overall: 0-1, 7.04 ERA, 1.96 WHIP, .324 BAA, 4 BB, 6 K (7 2/3 IP) King was the only pitcher to see action in multiple games for Salt River during the week, but he’d rather move onto the final week and forget these. In Monday’s win over Glendale, he was the first reliever to come out of the Rafters bullpen, in the middle of the second inning. The Desert Dogs had already scored three runs to tie the game, but King was able to get a lineout to end any further threat. Back out for the third inning the first three hitters reached base on a double and a pair of walks, before he got a force out at home for the first out. He followed that up with a strikeout to give himself a chance at getting out unscathed, but an earlier error led to a bases clearing double to put the Desert Dogs out front 6-3 before he could. He recorded three outs in this one, and was charged with three unearned runs on two hits and two walks. In Thursday’s loss to Peoria, King was again the first reliever summoned for Salt River, and again in the middle of the second inning with multiple runners on base. He hit his first batter to load the bases, then allowed a two-run single to tie the game at three before getting the final out. In the third he loaded the bases with a walk and a pair of singles before giving up a grand slam of his own and the Javelinas a 7-3 lead. After that he worked around a single to finish the inning, but the damage was done. RHP Liam Rocha Week: 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (1 appearance) Overall: 1-0, 4.35 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, .250 BAA, 8 BB, 9 K (10 1/3 IP) Rocha’s single appearance of the week came in Wednesday’s loss to Mesa, and he was the pitcher to come in and clean up Noble’s mess in the top of the third inning. With the score 4-3 Mesa and one out, Rocha allowed an RBI double to the first hitter to score an inherited runner, before picking up a pair of strikeouts to escape the jam. Back out for the fourth, he walked the first two hitters and then let up an RBI double that made it 6-4 Solar Sox. A sac fly extended that lead to three, but he got a fly out and ground ball around a hit batter to limit any further scoring and finish the inning. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the prospects playing in the AFL this week! View full article

Bragg is certainly a guy to watch. His pitch mix is a lot like Joe Ryan's: a lot of fastballs. But he gets K's and the walks are likely a byproduct of having pitched less than 10 innings as a pro thus far before heading to the AFL.

I hope that Rosario makes the jump to triple-A at some point in 2025, maybe even starts there, so that is certainly a possibility. Let's hope he hits his way to that!

Week 4 of the Arizona Fall League season saw an infielder prospect channel the slugging prowess of his outfielder teammate, while a pair of pitchers excelled over multiple inning outings. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Ben Ross) Game Results: Monday, 10/28 | Salt River 3, Scottsdale 1 Tuesday, 10/29 | Glendale 7, Salt River 11 Wednesday, 10/30 | Peoria 5, Salt River 6 Thursday, 10/31 | Salt River 4, Mesa 17 Friday, 11/1 | Scottsdale 4, Salt River 1 Saturday, 10/26 | Mesa 3, Salt River 8 The Salt River Rafters went 4-2 on the week and sit at 12-10 overall on the season. This is tied for third in the Arizona Fall League standings, and they are a half-game out of second place heading into the season's penultimate week. One Twins prospect extended a hitting streak to five games, while another launched his first home run of the fall. On the pitching side a pair of hurlers combined to allow one earned run over 9 2/3 innings pitched between them. OF Kala’i Rosario Week: 3-for-15, 2 R, RBI, BB, 6 K (4 games) Overall: .295/.366/.426 (.792 OPS) Rosario continued to bat in the heart of the Rafters lineup while making appearances in each of the outfield corners and at designated hitter. His first action of the week was in Tuesday’s win over the Glendale Desert Dogs. The Rafters got on the scoreboard first thanks to his RBI single, their third in a row, in the bottom of the first. In the fifth he was hit by a pitch, and then was immediately driven in by his Twins teammate to make the score 5-4 Glendale. Rosario would not reach base again in this one, but Salt River got a big grand slam in the bottom of the seventh that put this one in the victory column. Rosario’s five-game hitting streak came to an end on Wednesday against the Peoria Javelinas, as he finished 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts, but he did reach base via a walk. The Rafters won this one in the bottom of the ninth courtesy of a Ryan Ritter walk-off home run. Thursday’s game against Mesa was over almost as quickly as it started, as the Solar Sox scored 11 runs in the bottom of the first inning. Despite that, Rosario did his best to start a new hitting streak with a single in a three-run eighth for the Rafters. Just like on Tuesday, his Twins teammate was able to bring him around to score as the next batter. Unfortunately, Rosario struck out in each of his three other plate appearances. Rosario closed his week with another 1-for-4 effort in Friday’s loss to the Scottsdale Scorpions. He singled in his first plate appearance but did not reach base again as the Rafters managed just three hits and two walks as a team. IF Ben Ross Week: 5-for-20, 4 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, BB, 4 K (5 games) Overall: .203/.329/.344 (.673 OPS) Ross collected a hit in four of his five games on the week, and as alluded to was responsible for bringing in Rosario on multiple occasions. He played shortstop in all four of his starts, and came in as an injury replacement to play third base in the other. In Monday’s win over the Scottsdale Scorpions he led off the fifth inning with a single. He scored all the way from first on a double from the next batter to put the Rafters up 1-0. Against Glendale on Tuesday Ross put together his second multi-hit game of the season, finishing 2-for-4 with a double, walk, run scored, and RBI. He drew his walk in the third inning to load the bases, and the Rafters would score two in the frame to make it 4-3 after three. In the fifth his two-out double scored Rosario and pulled the Rafters within one after five. Leading off the seventh inning Ross lined a single up the middle and would come around to score before Caleb Durbin put the Rafters in front for good with a grand slam. After a day off Ross was back in the lineup against Mesa on Thursday, and was responsible for 75% of the Rafters offense in the loss. Down 14-1 in the eighth inning, Ross came to bat after a walk and a single from Rosario put two runners on base. He hammered an 0-1 pitch over the wall in center for his first home run of the AFL campaign. He also reached base in the first inning on a fielder’s choice. Ross entered Friday’s game in the third inning for starter Gino Groover, playing third base. He finished 0-for-3 and struck out to end the game, but there wasn't much to talk about for any of the Rafters in the 4-1 loss to the Scorpions. He finished his week with a 1-for-5 effort in Saturday’s win over the Solar Sox, helping the Rafters get back at them for the big loss earlier in the week. He led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and promptly stole second base. With the bases loaded a few batters later, he was brought home with a sacrifice fly for the home team's eighth and final run. IF Danny De Andrade Week: Did not play. The Venezuelan infielder hit .243/.333/.359 in 29 games with the Cedar Rapids Kernels before injuring his ankle back in May. He spent the rest of the season on the injured list and the hope was he would be able to make up a few at-bats in the Arizona Fall League, but that has yet to happen. RHP Devin Kirby Week: W, 2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB (1 appearance) Overall: 1-0, 6.75 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, .185 BAA, 9 BB, 4 K (8 IP) The knuckleballer made one appearance on the week, picking up the win in Salt River’s defeat of Glendale on Tuesday. Kirby was brought in to start the sixth inning with the score 5-4 in favor of the Desert Dogs. He got a pair of groundouts from the first two hitters before giving up a single that was followed by an RBI triple to put the visiting team up by two. His offense tied the game up at six before he came back out for the seventh. Kirby gave up a pair of walks and a passed ball that put Glendale back out front, but his offense took a commanding lead with a five-run bottom of the seventh, putting him in line for the win. He surrendered two earned runs on two hits and a pair of walks in his two innings. Of his 38 pitches, 17 went for strikes (45%) and both of the hits he allowed came on his fastball. RHP Jack Noble Week: 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K (2 appearances) Overall: 1-0, 1.64 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, .206 BAA, 6 BB, 9 K (11 IP) Noble was the first reliever summoned from the bullpen in Tuesday’s comeback win over Glendale, pitching the fourth and fifth innings. He gave up a leadoff single to the first batter he faced, but erased him on a double-play ball, and faced the minimum three hitters as a result in a scoreless frame. With the score 4-3 Desert Dogs in the fifth, Noble walked a pair of hitters and gave up an RBI single, but also picked up a strikeout to close his outing. In Saturday’s revenge game against Mesa, Noble came on for the fourth inning and dominated the Solar Sox through the sixth. He went one-two-three in each of the fourth and fifth innings, picking up a strikeout in each. He allowed a one-out single in the sixth, but again erased that runner with an inning ending double-play ball. In his three innings he faced the minimum and lowered his ERA to 1.64 on the AFL season. He needed just 35 pitches in this one, with 24 of them going for strikes (69%). LHP Kade Bragg Week: 4 2/3 IP, H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K (2 appearances) Overall: 0-1, 1.86 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, .094 BAA, 7 BB, 10 K (9 2/3 IP) Like Noble, Bragg also pitched in two games on the week and was even more dominant from a stats perspective. The left-hander picked up a hold in Monday’s win over Scottsdale, coming out of the bullpen to start the fifth inning. He walked the leadoff man, but promptly picked him off at first base for the innings first out. He then retired the next two hitters for a scoreless frame. Back out for the sixth, he alternated three strikeouts around a walk and a single to complete a scoreless outing. His second appearance of the week came in Friday’s loss to the Scorpions, entering the game to begin the sixth inning. With his team already down 4-1, he retired the side in order, picking up a strikeout in the process. In the seventh he got two quick outs before a hit-by-pitch and walk put multiple runners on base, but closed it out with another K. Back out for the eighth inning, he picked up his third strikeout before being lifted with two outs. RHP Jacob King Week: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 K Overall: 0-0, 3.38 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, .200 BAA, 1 BB, 5 K (5 1/3 IP) King made his lone appearance of the week on Wednesday, coming on for the eighth inning against Peoria. The Rafters were leading 5-3 at that point, but before it was over he would be credited with a blown save. He gave up a leadoff single that was followed by an RBI double, then two batters later an RBI single to tie the game at five. He did settle down to strike out the last two hitters he faced, but it meant the Rafters now needed the walk-off home run they got in the bottom of the ninth. RHP Liam Rocha Week: 2 2/3 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K (1 appearance) Overall: 1-0, 3.12 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, .235 BAA, 6 BB, 7 K (8 2/3 IP) Rocha also had just one outing in week 4 but like Kirby, Noble, and Bragg before him, his was for multiple innings. Unfortunately for him, it came in their blowout loss to Mesa on Thursday. It wasn’t really his fault however, as 11 of the Solar Sox’s 17 runs came in the first inning and he didn’t enter until the fifth. He was summoned after a walk with one out in the fifth, and retired both hitters he faced to keep that frame scoreless. A leadoff double in the sixth led to an earned run on his ledger, but he struck out the final batter of the inning to keep the damage to one. He finished by allowing a walk in the seventh, but otherwise retiring the three other hitters, including a second strikeout to move the game along. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the prospects playing in the AFL this week! View full article

My personal nitpick of Walker Jenkins' season: He did not hit for power. My observations have been there is a lot more Joe Mauer in him than there is Justin Morneau (I think he takes a lot of swings geared for contact only). I'm not in any way saying that is a bad thing, just telling what I saw. Then I'll put an asterisk on all that by also noting he is still just 19 years old, so this is not in any way a suggestion that such power will never come.

I wish I had an answer for you, but there is no chatter on anything going on with De Andrade I have been able to find. I do hope he is actually there and will get some play time eventually! You and me both. The Twins seem to be changing how they use the AFL, and it is no longer a place they will send top prospects, whether they had at-bats to make up or not. I think E-Rod and Jenkins were both the perfect candidates, even pitchers like Cory Lewis and C.J. Culpepper had cases to make up innings here. It's a disappointing change in approach, for sure if that is the case. It also could be something like they just didn't want to go. And you're thinking of Brandon Winokur. He would have been an interesting choice as well!

The third week of the prospect showcase season is finished out in the Arizona desert, and one of the Minnesota Twins' top hitting prospects keeps rolling. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Kala'i Rosario) Game Results: Tuesday, 10/22 | Scottsdale 8, Salt River 6 Wednesday, 10/23 | Surprise 5, Salt River 6 Thursday, 10/24 | Glendale 9, Salt River 6 Friday, 10/25 | Salt River 7, Glendale 6 Saturday, 10/26 | Salt River 6, Peoria 7 (8 innings) In their five games of the week, the Salt River Rafters finished with a 2-3 record. For the miniature season, they are 8-8 overall. This is good for fourth in the standings, and they sit three games behind the league-leading Surprise Saguaros. The Rafters offense was certainly consistent in their five games, as they scored six runs in four of them, and seven in the other. This mirrored one of the Twins' hitting prospects, who picked up at least one hit in each game and pushed his batting average to over .300 in the process. It was a mixed bag for the pitchers, but overall, their performance continues to be a bright spot for the Rafters out in the desert. OF Kala’i Rosario Week: 6-for-15, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, SB Overall: .326/.389/.500 The slugging outfielder batted third or fourth in the Rafters order in each of his four games on the week, playing two games in left field, one in right, and DH in the other. He picked up a hit in each contest, though they were all singles, and also walked just as many times as he struck out. In Tuesday’s loss to Scottsdale, Rosario drew a leadoff walk in the fourth inning but was left stranded. In the fifth, he struck out with the bases loaded, but a Twins teammate picked him up a little bit afterward. With a runner on third and the Rafters up 6-4 in the sixth, Rosario wasn’t able to get them a needed insurance run, again striking out to end the inning. An encouraging note, however, is that that would be his last punchout of the week. Down 8-6 after a two-run top of the ninth from Scottsdale, Rosario smoked a two-out ground-ball single at 107 MPH to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom half, but it wasn’t meant to be. Rosario played a big role in Wednesday’s win over the Saguaros. Batting third as the DH, he reached base in all four of his plate appearances, taking one for the team with a hit-by-pitch in addition to three singles. With two outs and the game tied at three in the bottom of the fourth, Rosario’s single into center field brought in two runners to give the Rafters a 5-3 lead. He did end up getting caught at second base on a throw home to end the inning, however. In addition to the three hits and two RBI in this one, he also scored two runs. On Friday the Rafters beat the Glendale Desert Dogs 7-6, and while Rosario didn’t factor much into the runs on the scoreboard, he did reach base in two of five trips to the plate. His walk in the third inning moved a runner into scoring position, and one batter later the Rafters went up 2-0. Leading off the top of the ninth inning, Rosario delivered an infield single and later stole third base, but that’s as far as he got before the Rafters held on to win. In Salt River’s final game of the week on Saturday, Rosario again reached base two times, with one of those coming on a fielder’s choice grounder that unfortunately left a runner in no-man's land between third and home. Leading off the seventh with the score tied at 5-5, Rosario laced another grounder that the third baseman couldn’t handle to pick up his sixth single of the week. He moved to third on a double and put the Rafters up 6-5 by scoring on a grounder. This one went to “extra” innings to start the eighth, and the Javelinas won in walkoff fashion in the bottom half. IF Ben Ross Week: 2-for-14, 2 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K Overall: .182/.345/.295 Ross also appeared in four games on the week, starting at shortstop in three of those contests and center field in the other. He batted in the fifth or sixth spot in the Rafters lineup in each game. In Tuesday’s loss to Scottsdale, he did not get a walk or a hit, but his fielder’s choice gave him an RBI and tied the game as part of a five-run fifth inning. This at-bat came with the bases loaded and followed Rosario's strikeout. He also just missed on one in the seventh, sending a liner 400 feet to center field that was run down at the wall. Playing center field on Wednesday, Ross finished 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. That walk came in the bottom of the first inning and loaded the bases for the Rafters. They would go up 2-0 after the sac fly that followed. He didn’t see much action in center, tallying just one putout and fielding one other hit, but it is a position he is not unfamiliar with, having started there 28 times this season with the Wichita Wind Surge. Back at shortstop on Thursday, Ross picked up a hit and drew a walk in the Rafters' 9-6 loss to Glendale. His hit came in the bottom of the second inning, on a fastball clocked at 99.2 MPH from top pitching prospect Andrew Painter. He returned it to sender, right up the middle at 103 MPH for a line-drive single. His walk came in the seventh inning and loaded the bases with the score 9-0 in favor of Glendale, but a fly ball turned into a double play and they were unable to push a run across. Ross capped his week with his best game on Saturday, scoring two runs and reaching base twice in Salt River’s loss to Peoria. His single in the fourth inning put runners on the corners and before it was over, Ross had crossed the plate for a 3-1 Salt River lead. Leading off the top of the sixth he drew a walk, and two batters later scored again to make 4-2. On defense, Ross also tallied an unassisted double play, snagging a liner and doubling up the runner at second base to end a threat against one of his fellow Twins pitchers. IF Danny De Andrade Week: Did not play. The Venezuelan infielder hit .243/.333/.359 in 29 games with the Cedar Rapids Kernels before injuring his ankle back in May. He spent the rest of the season on the injured list and the hope was he would be able to make up a few at-bats in the Arizona Fall League, but that has yet to happen. RHP Devin Kirby Week: 1 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (1 appearance) Overall: 0-0, 6.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, .158 BAA, 7 BB, 4 K (6 IP) Kirby’s lone appearance came in Thursday’s loss to Glendale with the score 5-0 Desert Dogs in the seventh inning. To say his knuckleball was doing a bit too much knuckling would be a bit of an understatement. He walked the first two hitters of the inning to make some trouble before picking up a strikeout. Then a single, wild pitch, walk, and double put Glendale up by eight. Another run would score on a groundout before he got the type of placement from his knuckler he wanted, getting the third out on a three-pitch strikeout. Twenty-four of his 36 pitches were knuckleballs on the day, and 13 of those went for called balls. RHP Jack Noble Week: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB (1 appearance) Overall: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, .222 BAA, 4 BB, 6 K (6 IP) Noble’s only appearance of the week was against the Desert Dogs on Friday, in the back half of a home-and-home scheduling quirk. He was the first reliever summoned after three scoreless innings from the Rafters starter. He was credited with a hold, as he delivered a scoreless inning with Salt River up 2-0. He issued a pair of walks but they were in between three fly outs. Of his 22 pitches, just 10 went for strikes. He continues to sit 93 MPH with his fastball, and his breaking stuff is a slush right now, in need of better definition and command to turn the corner. LHP Kade Bragg Week: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (1 appearance) Overall: 0-1, 3.60 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, .111 BAA, 4 BB, 4 K (5 IP) Bragg was tasked with the sixth inning in the Rafters' loss to Glendale on Thursday for his single pitching appearance of the week. The score was already 5-0, so all the lefthander wanted to do was keep any more runs off the scoreboard against the middle of the Desert Dogs lineup. He did that much better than any of the other three pitchers to that point, delivering a one-two-three outing and striking out one. The Rafters offense did put up six runs in the eighth inning to make this game interesting late, but it was not enough. Bragg has interesting secondaries, but as a soft-tosser who only scrapes 90 MPH, he'll have to show great command of them. RHP Jacob King Week: 2 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 2 K (2 appearances) Overall: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.46 WHIP, .071 BAA, 1 BB, 3 K (4 1/3 IP) King was the only Twins pitcher to see action in multiple games on the week, being credited with a hold in each appearance for his efforts. On Tuesday against Scottsdale, he came in for the sixth inning with the score 5-4 Salt River. He gave up a one-out walk, but retired everyone else he faced, including striking out top-100 prospect Termarr Johnson of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization to end the frame. His second appearance came in Saturday’s loss to Peoria in extra innings. He began the fourth inning with the score 3-1 in favor of Salt River and went one-two-three, with another strikeout to end the inning. Back out for the fifth, he got into a little bit of trouble after a one-out single and an error that led to a run for the Javelinas. He was lifted after that run scored, getting two of the three outs in the frame, but was also given a hold for his efforts as they came out of it with a one-run lead still intact. RHP Liam Rocha Week: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K Overall: 1-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, .280 BAA, 4 BB, 5 K (6 IP) Rocha was called upon for the third inning of the Rafters' bullpen game against Peoria on Saturday. The game was tied 1-1, and would remain so after he was done. He gave up a leadoff walk, and an error from his defense led to having the bases loaded with just one out, but he got some help from Twins teammate Ben Ross, whose unassisted double play put an end to the threat and the inning. Rocha threw 25 pitches in his outing, with 12 of them going for strikes. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the prospects playing in the AFL this week! View full article

https://www.mlb.com/news/twins-arizona-fall-league-overview-2024?t=arizona-fall-league-coverage

The second week of the Arizona Fall League wasn’t as loud as the first one for Minnesota Twins' hitting prospects, but their pitchers continue to keep the volume from opposing teams down as well. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Kala'i Rosario) Game Results: Tuesday, 10/15 | Salt River 4, Surprise 6 Wednesday, 10/16 | Salt River 1, Scottsdale 3 Thursday, 10/17 | Mesa 5, Salt River 9 Friday, 10/18 | Peoria 4, Salt River 14 Saturday, 10/19 | Salt River 0, Glendale 1 (7 innings) Sundary, 10/20 | Salt River 4, Scottsdale 2 The Salt River Rafters finished the week 3-3, and are now 6-5 overall, one game behind the leader in the Arizona Fall League standings. While there wasn’t as much offense this week for Salt River, there still were some big outputs on the scoreboards. When it comes to Twins prospects, a slugger kept a bit of a hot hand, but there were also solid pitching results. In Minnesota farmhands' 13 innings pitched on the week, they allowed just three earned runs; teams on the circuit are averaging six and a half runs per game. OF Kala’i Rosario Week: 6-for-19, 3 R, 3B, 3 RBI, BB, 8 K (5 games) Overall: .290/.333/.548 Rosario didn’t launch any more home runs in week 2, but he stayed hot to start the week, racking up six hits in his first three games. He was again plugged into the heart of the Salt River lineup, and played right field in three games, while DH-ing in the other two. His first game of the week came on Wednesday, and with his team down 3-0 in the eighth, Rosario delivered a two-out RBI triple to score their lone run of the game. In Thursday’s win over Mesa, Rosario’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first put the Rafters in front 2-1. He added a single in the third inning and drew a walk in the fifth, coming around to score a run later that made it 5-4 Salt River. In the blowout of Peoria on Friday, Rosario finished 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. His single in the bottom of the sixth drove in a run to make it 9-4 Salt River. He did cool off in his final two games, going 0-for-7 with 3 K’s and putting an end to his modest four-game hitting streak, but still batted a solid .316 in his 20 plate appearances on the week. IF Ben Ross Week: 2-for-15, 2 R, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 4 K (5 games) Overall: .200/.366/.367 Ross wasn’t able to match his output from Week 1, but still got on base at a decent clip in his five games. He played shortstop in four of those and third base in the other, batting primarily in the middle of the Rafters lineup. He was 0-for-7 in his first two games of the week, drawing one walk while striking out twice. He picked up his first hit in Thursday’s win over Mesa, driving in Rosario with the go-ahead run on a single in the fifth inning. On Friday, he finished 0-for-2, but drew a pair of walks and came around to score both times. In Saturday’s 1-0 loss against Glendale (in which both teams had just four hits), Ross was responsible for one of those from the Rafters. His single in the fourth inning moved a runner into scoring position, but they weren’t able to put one on the scoreboard. IF Danny De Andrade Week: Did not play. De Andrade has yet to get on the field for the Salt River Rafters. The infielder hit .243/.333/.359 in 29 games with the Cedar Rapids Kernels before injuring his ankle and spending the rest of the season on the injured list. RHP Devin Kirby Week: 3 IP, 1 H, 2 BB (1 appearance) Overall: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .071 BAA, 4 BB, 2 K (5 IP) The knuckleballer ate three innings in Friday's domination of the Peoria Javelinas. He came out of the bullpen to start the sixth with the score 8-4 Rafters and froze Peoria there. He walked the first batter he faced, as he couldn’t get a knuckler to land in the zone, but induced a double-play ball to erase them. He also gave up his first hit in AFL play, but retired six in a row before his second walk of the outing in the eighth. He faced 11 hitters, and all 38 of his pitches were tracked as knucklers, with 20 of them going for strikes (53%). In reality, once again, there were seven pitches that clearly were either a fastball or a traditional breaking ball from him, but he's stumping Statcast. RHP Jack Noble Week: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 4 K (2 appearances) Overall: 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, .267 BAA, 2 BB, 6 K (5 IP) Noble made appearances in Wednesday’s loss to Scottsdale and Saturday’s loss to Glendale, coming in as the first reliever of the game for the Rafters in both contests. Against the Scorpions, this was in the fourth inning, with the game still scoreless. He gave up a leadoff single, but coaxed a double-play ball and struck out the last one to face the minimum. On Saturday, he went multiple innings versus the Desert Dogs, pitching the third and fourth frames. In the third, he gave up a single, but bookended it with strikeouts and they caught the runner stealing so he again faced just three hitters. In the fourth, a two-out walk was all Glendale would get, and he ended this appearance with his third strikeout. LHP Kade Bragg Week: 3 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 2 K (2 appearances, with 1 start) Overall: 0-1, 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .133 BAA, 4 BB, 3 K (4 IP) The left-hander pitched out of the bullpen in the Rafters first game of the week on Tuesday, then made the start in their last one on Sunday evening. In the game against the Surprise Saguaros early in the week, Bragg was charged with the loss. He allowed a pair of doubles, and his defense committed two errors leading to his three runs allowed. His fastball did touch 94.4 miles per hour, so there's something there with him, but he needs to be around the zone with quality strikes more consistently. In his start against the Scottsdale Scorpions, Bragg delivered a clean first inning, including a pair of strikeouts. Back out for the second after his team had taken a 1-0 lead, he had a bit of trouble finding the strike zone and ended up walking the bases loaded. Fortunately, he got a lineout to keep the Scorpions off the scoreboard. Because of those free passes, Bragg ran up his pitch count to 42 in the outing, with just 20 of them going for strikes (48%). RHP Jacob King Week: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, K (1 appearance) Overall: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, .000 BAA, 0 BB, 1 K (1 2/3 IP) Like in week 1, King was only called upon to make one appearance in the Rafters six games, and it came in their first one on Tuesday. He followed Bragg after Salt River had fallen behind 5-2, pitching a one-two-three sixth inning. He needed just 10 pitches and struck out one against the fifth, sixth, and seventh hitters in the Saguaros lineup. His fastball sat in the low 90s, but it did have decent carry, and his slider has real depth relative to it. A bit too old and too filled-out to project to add velocity, King needs to defy the odds to mature into a big-league arm, but his pitch shapes are intriguing. RHP Liam Rocha Week: 3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, BB, 2 K (2 appearances) Overall: 1-0, 3.60 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, .318 BAA, 2 BB, 5 K (5 IP) Rocha took the mound in Thursday’s win over the Solar Sox, and in Sunday’s win over the Scorpions. Against Mesa, he came on to begin the sixth inning with the Rafters up 5-4, after Ross had driven in Rosario in the bottom of the fifth. A leadoff walk and a single put the tying run in scoring position before he was able to get a double-play ball that stunted some of the threat, but still left a runner on third base. He gave up an RBI single to the next hitter and was charged with a blown save before getting out of the inning with a strikeout. Rocha has a very vertical four-pitch mix, with an interesting ability to tunnel those offerings off one another from his three-quarter slot. Once again, the question is whether he can find another few ticks of velocity on a fastball that currently sits just north of 90 miles per hour. On Sunday night, the righty was brought into the game to start the sixth again, this time with his team down by one. He gave up a leadoff single but retired the next three Scorpions, including one strikeout, to keep the Rafters in striking distance. Back out for the seventh, an error forced him to face a few more hitters than he would have liked, but kept Scottsdale off the scoreboard. In the top of the eighth the Rafters went up 4-2, and gave Rocha the win in his ledger. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the prospects playing in the AFL this week! View full article

While the pitching certainly lags behind the hitting in quality (I have stated that in general hitters are Double-A quality, while pitching is Single-A), this statement isn't completely true... Andrew Painter is there this season. Jackson Jobe and Ricky Tiedemann were there last year. Griffin Jax pitched there in 2018. Plenty of "MLB" pitchers still go through there, but you are right, that top end starting prospects really only go there if they need to make up innings.

He and Aaron Sabato tied for the league lead in HR's last year, with 7. But Rosario also took home the Home Run Derby title on the AFL Stars weekend. Twins pitchers were certainly very successful in comparison to the league overall!

The Arizona Fall League kicked off their 2024 campaign this week out in the desert, with Minnesota Twins prospects playing on the roster of the Salt River Rafters. The scores were big across the circuit in the opening week, and two Twins hitters had plenty to do with that. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Kala'i Rosario) Game Results: Tuesday, 10/8 | Scottsdale 9, Salt River 7 Wednesday, 10/9 | Salt River 4, Glendale 2 Thursday, 10/10 | Salt River 6, Mesa 4 Friday, 10/11 | Salt river 10, Surprise 11 (10 innings) Saturday, 10/12 | Surprise 1, Salt River 14 Before getting into how each Minnesota Twins prospect performed in Week 1 of this showcase season, be sure to get to know ‘em by reading Seth’s roster preview. Along with the Twins, the Rafters roster is made up of prospects from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, and New York Yankees. Salt River went 3-2 in the season’s opening week, powered by a prolific offense that outscored their opponents 41-27 in their five games. That being said, you’re likely going to see a bunch of big numbers on the scoreboards of AFL parks this year, as with all those runs, the Rafters didn’t even lead the circuit as a team in any major hitting categories. So buckle up and keep reading to find out how all the Twins prospects fared to open up the 2024 AFL season. OF Kala’i Rosario Week: 3-for-12, 3 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, SB (3 games) Overall: .250/.333/.750 (1.083 OPS) Rosario got the start in three games on the week, spending the first two in right field and closing out his week with one in left. He batted in the middle of the Rafters lineup and made loud contact worthy of those spots. In Tuesday’s season opener, Rosario wasn’t able to get a hit, but he did drive in one of the Rafters seven runs with a sac fly--and that spare description undersells him. The ball shrieked off Rosario's bat at 112 miles per hour, on a line, but right at the outfielder. On Wednesday, it was Rosario who got the scoring started. Leading off the fifth inning, he launched his first home run of the campaign, giving the Rafters a 1-0 lead; they’d go on to get their first win against Glendale. This one was thumped to the tune of 113 miles per hour, and while it had enough loft to sail 441 feet through the thin Arizona air, it, too, was as much line drive as fly ball. He also drew a walk among his four plate appearances. Moving up to third in the lineup on Friday against Surprise, Rosario flew out and drew a walk in his first two plate appearances as the Rafters fell behind 9-1 early. Once again leading off the fifth inning, Rosario hit his second home run of the season and kicked off the comeback for the Rafters. This was a measly 105 miles per hour off the bat, placing it fifth in the pecking order among the seven balls he hit at least 101 MPH in his first week. The Rafters would score three in that fifth inning, one in the seventh, and five more in the eighth to send the game to extras. In that game-tying eighth frame, Rosario delivered a bases-loaded single to score the first run of the inning (identical in exit velocity to the homer, just on a lower line), and a bunch of walks later, they had it tied at 10. IF Ben Ross Week: 4-for-15, 5 R, 2B, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 7 K, SB (4 games) Overall: .267/.429/.600 (1.029 OPS) While Rosario was hitting bombs, Ross was doing everything except hitting balls over the wall. He played shortstop in three of his games, and served as the DH in the other. In the season opener against Scottsdale, Ross finished 1-for-3 with an RBI batting second in the lineup. He was hit by a pitch in the third inning, singled in the seventh, and delivered a sac fly in the ninth for the Rafters seventh and final run of the game. Serving as the DH on Wednesday against the Desert Dogs, Ross had his only quiet game of the week, finishing 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. If I were him, I’m blaming that strictly on not being in the field, as this was the first time Ross has served as a designated hitter in his entire professional career, while he has played every other position except pitcher and catcher. Ross then went off in his final two games of the week, back to playing shortstop and batting fifth in the order. He went 3-for-7 with a double, two triples, three RBI, and a stolen base in the last two games of the week. In Friday’s extra-inning loss to Surprise, Ross led off the second inning with a triple, and scored their first run of the game. On Saturday, his triple in the bottom of the first scored the first two runs of a game they would go on to win 14-1. He also drew two walks, added a double, and scored two runs in that one. IF Danny De Andrade Week: Did not play. The Venezuelan infielder has not yet seen the field in AFL play. If Twins Daily is made aware of any information on why or why not this may be, we will be sure to share! De Andrade is a prospect with plenty of upside, and is thought to be able to stick at shortstop long-term. He injured his ankle back in May, and spent the rest of the season on the injured list, so making up some at-bats in the AFL will be plenty useful when he is able to get back on the field. RHP Devin Kirby Week: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K (1 appearance) Overall: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .000 BAA, 2 BB, 2 K (2 IP) Kirby made one appearance on the week, and it came in a less-than-ideal situation as part of Friday’s extra-inning loss. After four walks and a pair of singles had pushed the Saguaros lead to 8-1 in the third, the knuckleballer was summoned with the bases loaded and nobody out. He only allowed an additional sacrifice fly, getting out of the inning with an important effort that played a big part in the Rafters being able to come back and send it to extras. He added a scoreless fourth inning, finishing with two walks and two strikeouts. Two other Twins relievers would follow him after his exit. Though all 41 of his pitches were coarsely classified as knuckleballs in the Statcast readouts of the game, Kirby actually threw nine fastballs and one pitch that appeared to be a light experiment in the cutter. Obviously, for Kirby, the headliner is the knuckler. Six of them danced in with spin rates south of 100 RPM during the outing, which is nuts even for a knuckleball. Overall, he got three in-play outs, four whiffs, and two called strikes with the knuckleball--but if you're noticing that that leaves a lot of pitches that had to be either foul balls or balls, you're right. That's in the nature of the knuckler, too. RHP Jack Noble Week: W, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, BB, 2 K (1 appearance) Overall: 1-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .333 BAA, BB, 2 K (2 IP) Noble was credited with the win in the only game he pitched during the week, getting the fifth and sixth inning of the Rafters' 6-4 win over the Solar Sox on Thursday. He allowed one run after a walk, steal, and a wild pitch that allowed the leadoff man to score in the sixth, but surrendered just one other hit and struck out two to finish his outing. He also induced a double-play ball. LHP Kade Bragg Week: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K (1 appearance) Overall: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .000 BAA, BB, K (1 IP) Bragg was part of a middle-inning run of Twins relievers in Friday’s extra-inning clash with Surprise. He pitched the seventh inning with the score 10-5 Saguaros. He walked the first man he faced in the inning, but got a double-play grounder before closing his outing with a strikeout of Alejandro Osuna, the 16th-ranked prospect in the Texas Rangers organization and younger brother of former MLB closer Roberto Osuna. RHP Jacob King Week: 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R (1 appearance) Overall: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.00 WHIP, .000 BAA, 0 BB, 0 K (2/3 IP) King’s lone appearance of the week came in the Rafters' season opener against Scottsdale. He recorded the final two outs of the game for Salt River after entering with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the ninth. It was 9-6 Scorpions at that point, but he got a pop-out and a lineout to end the inning without any further damage to the scoreboard. RHP Liam Rocha Week: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, BB, 3 K (1 appearance) Overall: 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .250 BAA, 1 BB, 3 K (2 IP) Rocha was the middle man between Kirby and Bragg in Friday’s extra-inning affair with Surprise. He pitched the fifth and sixth innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and a walk, while striking out three. He bookended a scoreless fifth with a pair of strikeouts, but was greeted with a leadoff double in the sixth that led to his one earned run allowed. He left the game with the score 10-4 in favor of the Saguaros. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the prospects playing in the AFL this week View full article

If they sell the team for $1.4 BIL dollars, they will have averaged a profit of $34 MIL dollars each year they have owned them...

🤮 I like the suggestion of Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger... maybe Bill Murray would be on board, too 🤣

https://thesandiegosun.com/san-diego-padres-games-will-indeed-air-on-cable-tv-in-2024/ -> I think you are wrong on this part, but either way it's not going to change much when it comes to revenue for the team whether it's 20K or 100K, we can agree on that.