Steve Lein

The Scottsdale Scorpions, whom host Twins prospects this season in the Arizona Fall League, had a dominant week with a 5-1 record. They outscored their opponents 41-21 and Twins prospects had a lot to do with that. The Scorpions are now tied with the Salt River Rafters atop the Eastern Division at 9-6. Taylor Rogers had a fantastic start on Wednesday but was betrayed by his bullpen (not his fellow Twins prospects), one catcher continued his hot hitting, and Adam Brett Walker came up big in multiple games. Read on to check out how each prospect did in week two of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season! (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Adam Brett Walker – 4 games, 5-15 (.333), 3 R’s, 1 2B, 2 HR’s, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K’s. Walker started the week off with a bang, collecting a home run and three RBI in his first two games. In Monday’s win, Walker punctuated the scoring with his three-run homer in the ninth inning to make the final score 10-3. He was also hit by a pitch in the game and singled in the seventh inning to reach base in three of six plate appearances. He struck out once. In his next game on Wednesday, Walker was even more pivotal for his team. His double in the fourth inning gave Scottsdale their first runs of the game and close the lead to 4-2. He would score the third run when the next batter (another Twins farmhand) followed with a double. The inning would end with the game tied 4-4. With the game still tied in the sixth, Walker sent a blast into the left field bleachers for a solo home run that proved to be the game winner, as the Scorpions went on to beat Glendale 5-4. Walker also singled in the game to finish 3-4. For the rest of the week, Walker cooled off with an 0-3 day in Scottsdale’s 4-2 win on Thursday, and 0-4 effort in their 6-2 win on Saturday. But positives from those games included the fact he struck out only once, and he also drew a walk in Saturday’s game. This is the type of week that one would want to see from Walker. Not many wasted at-bats, big impacts on a few games with his power, and clutch performances at that. Stuart Turner – 2 games, 2-7 (.286), 1 R, 1 2B, 2 K’s. Turner again made the start at catcher for the Scorpions in two games on the week, playing in the games on Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday he followed Walker’s double in the fourth inning with one of his own to drive him in and make the score 4-3, and came around to score the game-tying run on a single. He finished the day 2-4 with two strikeouts. In Thursday’s second consecutive win against the Glendale Desert Dogs, Turner was 0-3, but picked up an RBI when his fly ball in the second inning was turned into a force out of a runner at second base, but the runner on third scampered home. Turner had one base stolen on him in the two games, and did not get any other chances to throw runners out. Mitch Garver – 2 games, 3-9 (.333), 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 K. Garver saw action at catcher on Tuesday and Friday this week, and picked up hits in each contest. He has collected at least one-hit in each of his five games on the season, and has two in four of those contests. His average stands at .409. In Tuesday’s 9-4 loss to Salt River, Garver picked up an RBI on a single in the seventh inning to make the score 7-2, but did not reach base in any other plate appearance. On defense, he caught one runner stealing second base in the seventh inning. In Friday’s 12-1 blowout win for Scottsdale against Mesa, Garver got the three run fourth inning started with a double to right field. He would later score on Christian Arroyo’s three run home run to make the score 7-0. Then in the three run seventh inning, his single brought the tenth run of the game for the Scorpions. He finished 2-5 with the double, run scored, and RBI. Nick Burdi – 2 games, 2 IP, 0 R’s, 0 H’s, 0 BB’s, 2 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Burdi made two appearances on the week, pitching the ninth inning in Monday’s 10-3 win, and the eighth inning in Friday’s 12-1 win. He was flawless, recording one-two-three innings in both appearances. On Monday, he struck out the first two hitters he faced, one looking and one swinging, and a fly-out ended the game. On Friday, he got a quick three ground ball outs on just seven pitches. He’s allowed just one hit and walked none in his brief appearances so far, striking out one per inning. Trevor Hildenberger – 1 game, 2.1 IP, 2 R’s, 4 H’s, 0 BB’s, 1 K, 7.71 ERA. Twins Daily’s 2015 Minor League Relief Pitcher of the year got in on just one game this week, and it didn’t go as well as Hildenberger may have hoped as he was tasked with going multiple innings early in the game. Scottsdale’s starter Antonio Romero left the game after collecting just two outs in the first inning, as three consecutive walks scored the game’s first two runs. Hildenberger ended the early bases loaded threat by inducing a groundout. In the second inning, the leadoff man picked up an infield single, but was quickly erased on a double play ball, and another groundball ended the scoreless inning for Hildenberger. Hildenberger’s third inning is where he ran into trouble as his workload was extended. He struck out the first batter of the inning, but a double, triple, and single from the next three hitters brough in two runs and 4-0 lead for Glendale. He escaped the inning without any further damage by getting two more ground balls. Scottsdale came back to win the game 5-4 via the heroics of Walker detailed above. Jake Reed – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 3 BB’s, 0 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Reed made two appearances on the week, pitching the ninth inning in Wednesday’s 5-4 win to pick up his first Save, and the ninth inning on Saturday to close out their 12-1 win. It wasn’t particularly pretty at times, but Reed got the jobs done with scoreless innings. On Wednesday, Reed ran into trouble with two walks and a throwing error that moved the first of those runners to second base, but got a double-play ground ball to end the game and pick up the save. On Saturday, a ground rule double and a walk put runners on first and third with two outs, but a ground ball to short ended that game as well. Reed threw thirty-six pitches in those two games, with twenty going for strikes and did not pick up any punchouts. Taylor Rogers – 1 game started, 5.0 IP, 4 ER’s, 2 H’s, 2 BB’s, 3 K’s. 0.00 ERA. Rogers got the start in Tuesday’s 9-4 loss, but it wasn’t because of anything he did. He was effective and efficient in his five innings, leaving the game with his team up 1-0 and in line for the win before the bullpen imploded behind him. He allowed no runs on two hits and two walks, while striking out three to lower is ERA in the AFL to 3.46. He retired nine in a row at one point and did not really get into any trouble as he scattered the two hits and two walks. He finished the fifth inning with runners on first and second for the best chance Salt River had to that point in the game. QUICK HITS: - MLB.com’s prospect guru Jonathan Mayo was in Arizona this week, and filed a report on Twins prospects. His main topic, the focus on improved plate discipline for Adam Brett Walker. - More details of Walker’s monster day in the come from behind 5-4 victory on Wednesday. First line of the article: “Adam Brett Walker II is a strong man” (duh). - More Walker details from Twitter, as Seth tells you how far, and how fast, Walker’s home run from Wednesday’s game traveled, Bernie Pleskoff adds some confirmation, and another observer shows us just how far it went. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week!

Except you have to take into account their current MLB performance when clamoring for Buxton in the bigs to start the year. Hicks >>>>>>>>>> hitter than Buxton right now. Buxton > better fielder than Hicks right now... Potential is not the same thing as production.

Meyer to me, still has the two best pitches in the entire organization, so it's ridiculous to write him off. I still think he's the type where if he's on, he'll dominate, and if he's off, who knows what will happen. Frankly, i like that type of guy in a rotation for this team because it's such a difference to what everyone else brings. Will throw teams off a lot of the time. If he ends up as a reliever, I am not at all concerned about the elevated walk rate. There are endless examples of high walk relievers who also carry high strikeout rates, that are incredibly effective out of the bullpen. Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, Trevor Rosenthal, Craig Kimbrel, Will Smith, Kevin Seigrist, etc... and Meyer's stuff will play up even more in the 'pen.

Bigot is a term I don't think fits 100% correctly, and frankly goes right back to the person saying it by the very definition of it. (I'm not calling you one DaveW, it's just my opinion on the matter, which as I say, technically makes me one in reference to your own opinion. And this fact is also my reason as to why the term is an incorrect fit - we're not 'bigots'). It's as simple as that for me as well. Do I agree with Hunter's view on this or some other things? Hell no. How much do I care at this point? Pretty much the same amount that Nick outlines here. I learned very early that the player and the person are not the same, and it was in the best interest of myself to separate them. I will tell that to my children as well, and maybe then the guys they end up looking up to will fit both the on-field and off-field traits. There are far more guys like that in sports, believe it or not, and I will guide them towards those guys. That said, I would have no problem with my children looking up to a guy like Torii Hunter. They'll see the smile and fun he's having playing the game of baseball, and want to grow up doing that too.

Also, there's a lot of pitchers on the rosters (21 on the Scottsdale team), and they all essentially get a fair shake of the action. That means 1 start each week for starters, and a game or two for relievers usually. Just how it works, and gets them a bit more action against some better competition. Reed got 12.2 innings last year, Zach Jones got 11.1 for reference.

The Minnesota Twins club in the Arizona Fall League, the Scottsdale Scorpions, went 2-4 on the week to put their overall record at 4-5. Bullpen arms from the organization had a stellar week, one catcher continued to hit and another continued to showcase his defense, and all of Adam Brett Walker’s skills were displayed. Read on to check out how each prospect did in week two of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season! Image courtesy of Linwood Ferguson (Photo of Jake Reed) The Minnesota Twins club in the Arizona Fall League, the Scottsdale Scorpions, went 2-4 on the week to put their overall record at 4-5. Bullpen arms from the organization had a stellar week, one catcher continued to hit and another continued to showcase his defense, and all of Adam Brett Walker’s skills were displayed. Read on to check out how each prospect did in week two of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season! (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Adam Brett Walker – 4 games, 5-17 (.294), 2 R’s, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K’s. Walker started the week off with a game that could be considered a microcosm of his hit prospect profile, going 2-5 with a solo home run and two RBIs in Monday’s 10-6 win against the Mesa Solar Sox. The home run came in the eighth inning and provided an additional insurance run. In his first three at-bats of the game however, he was 0-3 with three strikeouts, two of the swinging variety. In the rematch with Mesa on Tuesday, Walker drew a walk in the fifth inning, and moved station-to-station around the bases to score a run from third on a single. He struck out swinging in his final two at-bats to finish 0-3. Walker was hitless again in Thursday’s 5-4 loss, reaching base once in five plate appearances by drawing a walk in the fifth inning. He struck out swinging in his final two at-bats again. Walker’s final game of the week provided some redemption, going 3-5 with three singles against Peoria on Saturday. All three of the singles were line drives into center field. He struck out swinging once. Stuart Turner – 2 games, 1-7 (.142), 1 R, 2 BB’s, 4 K’s. Turner started at catcher and batted ninth in two games for the Scorpions this week. On Tuesday, Turner drew a walk in his first at-bat, and scored on the Clint Frazier home run that followed. He singled in the seventh inning but was stranded, and struck out twice on the day. In Thursday’s 7-6 loss to the Surprise Saguaros, Turner was 0-4 with two strikeouts. In the sixth inning Turner drew a walk, but was erased at second base on a steal attempt. In the third inning, Turner gunned down a runner of his own, catching Minnesota native Michael Reed at second base. That’s 3-5 catching runners on steal attempts for Turner in three games. Mitch Garver – 2 games, 4-10 (.400), 2 R’s, 2 RBI, 2 K’s. Just like Turner, Garver made two starts at catcher on the week. He batted ninth in Monday’s 10-6 win, and eighth in Friday’s 10-1 win, going 2-5 in each contest. On Monday, Garver singled in his first at-bat and later scored on a double from Mike Gerber. His single in the eighth inning scored Christian Arroyo after Walker’s home run to add another insurance run. In the blowout win on Friday, Garver drove in a run with a single in the six-run third inning for the Scorpions as they blew the game open. In the seventh, his picked up his second single of the day and came around to score on a Frazier single for the 8-1 lead. Nick Burdi – 1 game, 1 IP, 0 R’s, 1 H, 0 BB’s, 1 K, 0.00 ERA. After not getting into any official action in the season’s first week, Burdi pitched the final inning of Wednesday’s blowout loss. The lead-off man picked up an infield single, but Burdi induced a four-six-three double play to the next hitter to bring up Yankees catching prospect Gary Sanchez, batting third in the Surprise lineup. Burdi sent him down swinging to end the inning on a high note. Trevor Hildenberger – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 0 R’s, 2 H’s, 0 BB’s, 2 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Hildenberger made two appearances on the week, pitching in the games on Monday and Friday. With the first game of the week tied at 3-3, Hildenberger worked around a one-out double to pitch a scoreless fifth inning. On Friday, after surrendering a leadoff single, Hildenberger mopped up the 10-1 victory by striking out the last two hitters of the game in the ninth inning. Jake Reed – 2 games, 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 BB’s, 3 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Reed also saw his first official action of the AFL season, appearing in the same two games as Hildenberger. On Monday, Reed was relieved by Hildenberger for the fifth, after entering the game with two outs in the third inning, after starter Austin Kubitza’s day ended by giving up a three-run home run. Reed got a groundout to end the inning and faced the minimum in the fourth by striking out the leadoff man and inducing a double play after one out single. Reed pitched the sixth inning in Friday’s win, bookending a tapper back to him on the mound with two strikeouts for a quick one-two-three inning. Taylor Rogers – 1 game started, 4.0 IP, 4 ER’s, 5 H’s, 3 BB’s, 4 K’s. 9.00 ERA. Pitching as a starter for the Scorpions, Rogers got the ball for- the game on Wednesday against Surprise. He got through the bottom of the first with a one-two-three inning, striking out lead-off man Dustin Fowler, and worked around a one-out single in the second inning with two strikeouts and the runner being erased at second base on a steal attempt (not by Turner or Garver). In the third inning, Rogers got into a bit more trouble. The lead-off man doubled to left field, moved to third on a groundout, and then scored on a single for the Saguaros first run of the game. Rogers would pick up another strikeout, and escape the inning with runners on first and second, by getting Gary Sanchez to ground out. It got worse for Rogers in the fourth inning however, as a single and walk put runners on for Aledmys Diaz from the Cardinals organization, who launched his first home run of the AFL season and gave his team a 4-0 lead. Rogers walked the next man he faced, but with a crafty lefty pickoff move, caught the runner attempting to steal. He finished the fourth and his day by getting a pop-out to second base. QUICK HITS: - Twins relief prospects combined to pitch 5.1 scoreless innings on the week, allowing just four hits while picking up six strikeouts. - Behind their pay wall, Baseball America posted their Minnesota Twins 2015 Draft Report Card on Thursday. They selected Travis Blankenhorn as the best pure hitter, Kolten Kendrick as the best power hitter, and Logan Wade as the fastest baserunner. Tyler Jay was noted throughout the pitching comments for his fastball, slider, and command. Also discussed is how the failure to sign second round pick Kyle Cody, a starter from Kentucky, hurt the Twins ability to get creative with their signings. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week! View full article

The Minnesota Twins club in the Arizona Fall League, the Scottsdale Scorpions, went 2-4 on the week to put their overall record at 4-5. Bullpen arms from the organization had a stellar week, one catcher continued to hit and another continued to showcase his defense, and all of Adam Brett Walker’s skills were displayed. Read on to check out how each prospect did in week two of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season! (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Adam Brett Walker – 4 games, 5-17 (.294), 2 R’s, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K’s. Walker started the week off with a game that could be considered a microcosm of hit prospect profile, going 2-5 with solo home run and two RBI in Monday’s 10-6 win against the Mesa Solar Sox. The home run came in the eighth inning and provided an additional insurance run. In his first three at-bats of the game however, he was 0-3 with three strikeouts, two of the swinging variety. In the rematch with Mesa on Tuesday, Walker drew a walk in the fifth inning, a moved station-to-station around the bases to score a run from third on a single. He struck out swinging in his final two at-bats to finish 0-3. Walker was hitless again in Thursday’s 5-4 loss, reaching base once in five plate appearances by drawing a walk in the fifth inning. He struck out swinging in his final two at-bats again. Walker’s final game of the week provided some redemption, going 3-5 with three singles against Peoria on Saturday. All three of the singles were line drives into center field. He struck out swinging once. Stuart Turner – 2 games, 1-7 (.142), 1 R, 2 BB’s, 4 K’s. Turner started at catcher and batted ninth in the lineup in two games for the Scorpions this week. On Tuesday, Turner drew a walk in his first at-bat, and scored on the Clint Frazier home run that followed. He singled in the seventh inning but was stranded, and struck out twice on the day. In Thursday’s 7-6 loss to the Surprise Saguaros, Turner was 0-4 with two strikeouts. In the sixth inning Turner drew a walk, but was erased at second base on a steal attempt. In the third inning, Turner gunned down a runner of his own, catching Minnesota native Michael Reed at second base. That’s 3-5 catching runners on steal attempts for Turner in three games. Mitch Garver – 2 games, 4-10 (.400), 2 R’s, 2 RBI, 2 K’s. Just like Turner, Garver made two starts at catcher on the week. He batted ninth in Monday’s 10-6 win, and eighth in Friday’s 10-1 win, going 2-5 in each contest. On Monday, Garver singled in his first at bat and later scored on a double from Mike Gerber. His single in the eighth inning scored Christian Arroyo after Walker’s home run to add another insurance run. In the blowout win on Friday, Garver drove in a run with a single in the six-run third inning for the Scorpions as they blew the game open. In the seventh, his picked up his second single of the day and came around to score on a Frazier single for the 8-1 lead. Nick Burdi – 1 game, 1 IP, 0 R’s, 1 H, 0 BB’s, 1 K, 0.00 ERA. After not getting into any official action in the season’s first week, Burdi pitched the final inning of Wednesday’s blowout loss. The leadoff man picked up an infield single, but Burdi induced a four-six-three double play to the next hitter to bring up Yankees catching prospect Gary Sanchez, batting third in the Surprise lineup. Burdi sent him down swinging to end the inning on a high note. Trevor Hildenberger – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 0 R’s, 2 H’s, 0 BB’s, 2 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Hildenberger made two appearances on the week, pitching in the games on Monday and Friday. With the first game of the week tied at 3-3, Hildenberger worked around a one-out double to pitch a scoreless fifth inning. On Friday, after surrendering a leadoff single, Hildenberger mopped up the 10-1 victory by striking out the last two hitters of the game in the ninth inning. Jake Reed – 2 games, 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 BB’s, 3 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Reed also saw his first official action of the AFL season, appearing in the same two games as Hildenberger on the week. On Monday, Reed was relieved by Hildenberger for the fifth, after entering the game with two outs in the third inning, after starter Austin Kubitza’s day ended by giving up three-run home run. Reed got a ground out to end the inning and faced the minimum in the fourth by striking out the leadoff man and inducing a double play after one out single. Reed pitched the sixth inning in Friday’s win, bookending a tapper back to him on the mound with two strikeouts for a quick one-two-three inning. Taylor Rogers – 1 game started, 4.0 IP, 4 ER’s, 5 H’s, 3 BB’s, 4 K’s. 9.00 ERA. Pitching as a starter for the Scorpions, Rogers got the ball to start the game on Wednesday against Surprise. He got through the bottom of the first with a one-two-three inning, striking out leadoff man Dustin Fowler, and worked around a one-out single in the second inning with two strikeouts and the runner being erased at second base on a steal attempt (not by Turner or Garver). In the third inning, Rogers got into a bit more trouble. The leadoff man doubled to left field, moved to third on a groundout, and then scored on a single for the Saguaros first run of the game. Rogers would pick up another strikeout, and escape the inning with runners on first and second by getting Gary Sanchez to ground out. It got worse for Rogers in the fourth inning however, as a single and walk put runners on for Aledmys Diaz from the Cardinals organization, who launched his first home run of the AFL season and gave his team a 4-0 lead. Rogers walked the next man he faced, but with a crafty lefty pickoff move, caught the runner attempting to steal. He finished the fourth and his day by getting a pop-out to second base. QUICK HITS: - How they draw it up in the future: Twins relief prospects combined to pitch 5.1 scoreless innings on the week, allowing just four hits while picking up six strikeouts. - If you’re behind their paywall, Baseball America posted their Minnesota Twins 2015 Draft Report Card on Thursday. They selected Travis Blankenhorn as the best pure hitter, Kolten Kendrick as the best power hitter, and Logan Wade as the fastest baserunner. Tyler Jay was noted throughout the pitching comments for his fastball, slider, and command. Also discussed, is how the failure to sign second round pick Kyle Cody, a starter from Kentucky, hurt the Twins ability to get creative with their signings. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week!

Not that at all Mike! There is no box score for this game, thus I thank Jokin for pointing it out and adding to the discussion! Keep on keeping on!

Good call! Nothing 'official' though as it was a 'postponement'!

The AFL season always carries some interesting story lines going into the offseason. Which prospects are ready to make the last step to the majors? What young talent does an organization want to protect on the forty-man roster for the Rule V draft? Which lesser known prospect can make a bigger name for himself heading into 2016? Image courtesy of Steve Mitchell, USA Today The AFL season always carries some interesting story lines going into the offseason. Which prospects are ready to make the last step to the majors? What young talent does an organization want to protect on the forty-man roster for the Rule V draft? Which lesser known prospect can make a bigger name for himself heading into 2016? All of these questions could apply to the collection of prospects the Minnesota Twins have sent to Arizona this October. The Scottsdale Scorpions played three games this past week, winning the next two in convincing fashion after falling in their season opener. The Scorpions game on Friday was postponed by rain. Let’s check out what happened in the opening week of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season! Adam Brett Walker – 2 games, 1-6 (.167), 1 R, 3 BB, 3 K’s. Walker’s performance in the AFL in 2015 could say a lot about his development as a prospect and perhaps more notably, his ability to control the strike zone and get on base. Two games never says much of anything, but so far so good as he’s gotten on base by drawing three walks. The former was on display as well, as this control of the strike zone resulted in three strikeouts.. Walker scored from first base on a double in the opening game of the season after drawing his first of two walks on the game. He struck out once and flew out in his two other plate appearances to finish 0-2. In Wednesday’s 13-3 Scorpions win, Walker reached base twice on a single and a walk, but was the only hitter in their lineup to not score a run or drive one in. He finished 1-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. Stuart Turner – 1 game, 1-2 (.500), 1 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 BB. Turner started the opening game of the season at catcher for the Scorpions, batting ninth. Despite going 1-2 on the game with two walks, it was his defense that perhaps stood out the most. Turner gunned down runners at second base in the third and sixth innings. In the fifth inning Salt River’s Christopher Bostick did manage to steal second and third, but Turner’s defense showed up plenty. Turner walked in his first plate appearance, then reached on a throwing error in the fourth. Unfortunately he got caught between first and second on the play for the inning's final out. His seventh inning double led to him scoring the Scorpions third and final run of the game on a sacrifice fly, and he drew his second walk in the ninth inning. Mitch Garver – 1 game, 2-3 (.667), 1 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB. Garver also started one game at catcher and batted ninth for the Scorpions in their 9-2 win on Friday. While he made a few defensive plays of his own, Garver showed up a little bit more on the offensive side. He reached base on an error from the shortstop to lead off the third inning, but was stranded. He drew a walk in the fifth but was stranded again. The sixth inning is where he made his biggest contribution. With runners on second and third and two outs, Garver launched a three run home run to left-center field, breaking the game open for the Scorpions at 6-2. And he added a double in the eighth inning. Nick Burdi – Did not play. With the rainout on Friday, Burdi did not see action in any games for the Scorpions in week 1. Trevor Hildenberger – 1 game, 2.0 IP, 0 R’s, 2 H’s, 2 K’s. 0.00 ERA. Hildenberger made his only appearance of the week in the season opener, pitching the final two innings of the Scorpions 5-3 loss. In the seventh inning, Hildenberger worked around two errors by the Scorpions second baseman by continuing to induce ground balls. Carlos Asuaje started a double play to end the inning and strand a runner to make up for the errors. In the eighth, the first two men singled, but Hildenberger bounced back with two strikeouts and a groundout to end the threat. Jake Reed – Did not play. Again because of the rain on Friday, Reed did not pitch, resulting in both draft picks and collegiate closers from the 2014 draft not seeing action for the Scorpions in the opening week (Burdi – 2nd round, Reed – 5th round). Taylor Rogers – 1 game, 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H’s, 1 BB, 5 K’s. 2.25 ERA. Rogers gave the Scorpions their best start of the opening week, allowing one earned run on two hits and a walk, while striking out five in their 13-3 win over his team from last AFL season, the Salt River Rafters on Wednesday. He retired the side in order in the first, including two strikeouts and faced just three hitters in the second by getting a line drive double play after a lead off single. In the third inning, Rogers issued a walk but retired the three other hitters, including another strikeout. In the fourth he got two quick outs but to the third batter in the inning Rogers allowed the only large contact of the day, a solo home run to the Desert Dog’s cleanup hitter, Gabby Guerrero, the nephew of former major league professional hitter, Vladimir Guerrero. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week! View full article

The AFL season always carries some interesting story lines going into the offseason. Which prospects are ready to make the last step to the majors? What young talent does an organization want to protect on the forty-man roster for the Rule V draft? What lesser known prospect can make a bigger name for himself heading into 2016? All of these questions could apply to the collection of prospects the Minnesota Twins have sent to Arizona this October. The Scottsdale Scorpions played in three games this week, winning the next two in convincing fashion after falling in their season opener. The Scorpions game on Friday was postponed by rain. Let’s check out what happened in the opening week of the 2015 Arizona Fall League season! Adam Brett Walker – 2 games, 1-6 (.167), 1 R, 3 BB, 3 K’s. Walker’s performance in the AFL in 2015 could say a lot about his development as a prospect and perhaps more notably, his ability to control the strikezone and get on base. Two games never says much of anything, but so far so good on the latter as he’s gotten on base by drawing three walks. The former was on display as well, as this control of the strikezone also resulted in three strikeouts.. Walker scored from first base on a double in the opening game of the season after drawing his first of two walks on the game. He struck out once and flew out in his two other plate appearances to finish 0-2. In Wednesday’s 13-3 Scorpions win, Walker reached base twice on a single and a walk, but was the only hitter in their lineup to not score a run or drive one in. He finished 1-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. Stuart Turner – 1 game, 1-2 (.500), 1 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 BB. Turner started the opening game of the season at catcher for the Scorpions, batting ninth. Despite going 1-2 on the game with two walks, it was his defense that perhaps stood out the most. Turner gunned down runners at second base in the third and sixth innings. In the fifth inning Salt River’s Christopher Bostick did manage to steal second and third base, but Turner’s defense showed up plenty. Turner walked in his first plate appearance, then reached on a throwing error in the fourth. Unfortunately he got caught between first and second on the play for the innings final out. His seventh inning double led to him scoring the Scorpions third and final run of the game on a sacrifice fly, and he drew his second walk in the ninth inning. Mitch Garver – 1 game, 2-3 (.667), 1 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB. Garver also started one game at catcher and batted ninth for the Scorpions in their 9-2 win on Friday. While he made a few defensive plays of his own, Garver showed up a little bit more on the offensive side. He reached base on an error from the shortstop to lead off the third inning, but was stranded. He drew a walk in the fifth but was stranded again. The sixth inning is where he made his biggest contribution. With runners on second and third and two outs, Garver launched a three run home run to left-center field, breaking the game open for the Scorpions at 6-2, add added a double in the eighth inning. Nick Burdi – Did not play. With the rain out on Friday, Burdi did not see action in any games for the Scorpions in week 1. Trevor Hildenberger – 1 game, 2.0 IP, 0 R’s, 2 H’s, 2 K’s. 0.00 ERA. Hildenberger made his only appearance of the week in the season opener, pitching the final two innings of the Scorpions 5-3 loss. In the seventh inning, Hildenberger worked around two errors by the Scorpions second baseman by continuing to induce ground balls to him. Carlos Asuaje started a double play to end the inning and strand a runner to make up for them. In the eighth, the first two men singled, but Hildenberger bounced back with two strikeouts and a ground out to end the threat. Jake Reed – Did not play. Again because of the rain Friday, Reed did pitch resulting in both top five round draft picks and collegiate closers from the 2014 draft did not see action for the Scorpions in the opening week (Burdi – 2nd round, Reed – 5th round). Taylor Rogers – 1 game, 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H’s, 1 BB, 5 K’s. 2.25 ERA. Rogers gave the Scorpions their best start of the opening week, allowing one earned run on two hits and a walk, while striking out five in their 13-3 win over his team from last AFL season, the Salt River Rafters on Wednesday. He retired the side in order in the first, including two strikeouts, and faced just three hitters in the second by getting a line drive double play after a leadoff single. In the third inning, Rogers issued a walk but retired the three other hitters, including another strikeout. In the fourth he got two quick outs, but around the pair of strikeouts to end the inning allowed the only large contact of the day, a solo home run to the Desert Dog’s cleanup hitter, Gabby Guerrero, the nephew of former major league professional hitter, Vladimir Guerrero. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week!

We're way ahead of you! q;) The AFL season has an off-day every week, look for them then...

If he could reach it, sure! Carter is often the guy who people do try to compare Walker too, but Carter has a career .283/.378/.535 line in the minors. Walker isn't close to that average or on-base percentage number. Carter's K-rate in the minors is 8% lower. His walk rate is 5% higher. This is why I say you won't find a comparison.

I think we've had enough of the Oswaldo Arcia in the outfield experiment with Hicks, Rosario, and Buxton now available. He's a DH, and unfortunately for him at the moment, we already have a DH. You can platoon Hicks with Arcia somewhat for RF, but instead of giving Arcia every start vs. righties, I'd give him maybe half of them. I'd bet it starts with Rosario, Hicks, Arcia in the OF next year, and as soon as Buxton is up, someone is out of here. I'd put my money on that guy being Arcia.

Fall. My favorite season. It’s always sad to see the summer go, but the colors in Minnesota, ducks and geese flying overhead, and deer rummaging through the woods are some of my favorite things. The fall season, October especially, also means it’s time for the MLB playoffs, another one of my favorite things. Whether that is because early in my childhood I got to stay up late to watch the Twins win the 1987 and 1991 World Series with my hero Kirby Puckett being magical, or getting to sit in the stands and watch as the Soul Patrol, Doug Mientkewicz, Johan Santana, Brad Radke, Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Eddie Guardado, Joe Nathan, and everybody else won six Central Division titles in the 2000’s. For me, that experience culminated by watching Game 163 in the ‘Dome from above the baggy. Fall baseball is the best. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs (photo of Adam Brett Walker) Fall. My favorite season. It’s always sad to see the summer go, but the colors in Minnesota, ducks and geese flying overhead, and deer rummaging through the woods are some of my favorite things. The fall season, October especially, also means it’s time for the MLB playoffs, another one of my favorite things. Whether that is because early in my childhood I got to stay up late to watch the Twins win the 1987 and 1991 World Series with my hero Kirby Puckett being magical, or getting to sit in the stands and watch as the Soul Patrol, Doug Mientkewicz, Johan Santana, Brad Radke, Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Eddie Guardado, Joe Nathan, and everybody else won six Central Division titles in the 2000’s. For me, that experience culminated by watching Game 163 in the ‘Dome from above the baggy. Fall baseball is the best. But in seasons where your favorite team just isn’t any good, or they just didn’t win quite enough games, it leaves a hole. As I’ve gotten older and experienced more Fall-baseball-envy however, I’ve also discovered minor league prospects can fill that hole! The Arizona Fall League is a short season league where every team in Major League Baseball sends some of their top prospects. It is used as a proving ground for players looking to take the final steps to their MLB dreams. Whether he is an elite talent looking to make a case for an early call-up the next season, or someone on the doorstep being evaluated for protection on the 40-man roster, these minor league games in October can determine a lot going into the offseason. Each team sends seven players to the league, and the Twins are represented on the Scottsdale Scorpions roster this season by catchers Mitch Garver and Stuart Turner, outfielder Adam Brett Walker, and pitchers Nick Burdi, Trevor Hildenberger, Jake Reed and Taylor Rogers. It will be the second trip to the league for both Reed and Rogers, as they pitched for the Salt River Rafters last season. Reed appeared in ten games, and put up a 0.71 ERA and 10/3 K-to-BB ratio in 12.2 total innings. Rogers appeared in just three games, as he took a line drive off his shoulder/arm in the third inning of his first start. He allowed one run in 5.2 total innings. Players on that same Rafters roster who made their MLB debut for the Twins this year included Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler. Rosario just missed winning the league’s batting title. While there may not be quite that much star power in this season’s selections, there is still plenty of intrigue, and another outfielder is at the forefront. Adam Brett Walker is not your typical prospect. He doesn’t hit for average. He strikes out too much. He won’t wow you in the field or with his arm…But he will amaze you with his power. When I had the privilege of traveling down to spring training again this season, it was hard to miss him on the back fields, because there was a mass migration to the fences where he was playing when it was his turn to bat. Just like there was for Sano and Buxton, and he didn’t disappoint. In a single day, I watched him hit one long blast (probably) out of the complex, and heard the fan reaction for his second one that got out of there in (probably) 0.5 seconds in his next at-bat. Power. He’s definitely got it. But as mentioned, he also has a few of what many would consider red flags in his game. He doesn’t hit for average: In four minor league seasons, he has batted just .254, with a season high of .278 in 2013 for the Low-A Cedar Rapids Kernels. In 2014 he hit just .246 moving up a level to High-A Fort Myers, and .239 this past season with the Southern League Champion Chattanooga Lookouts. He strikes out too much: In 1,747 career professional plate appearances and 452 games, he has made the walk of shame from the batter’s box back to the dugout 542 times, including 195 this season at AA in 133 games, a rate of 34.8%. Compared to his 31.0% career rate strikeout rate, this means it has gone from pretty bad to even worse as he’s moved up the ladder. He won’t wow you in the field or with his arm: As a pure corner outfielder thus far as a pro, he has a career fielding percentage .970. For context on this number, a stat which is hated to the sabermetricians of the world, of the eighty-one MLB-er’s who played 800+ innings in the outfield in 2015, only one had a fielding percentage below that. His name was Hanley Ramirez, and if you didn’t see some of his antics in the outfield this year around the Green Monster for the Boston Red Sox, you are missing out. His career high of seven assists in a season also doesn’t jump out at you when compared to say, the fact that Eddie Rosario’s sixteen in the MLB this season nearly led all of baseball. This was also a number that was driven by his accuracy and opposing team’s willingness to keep testing him, and not by a cannon-like right-arm coming off his shoulder like teammates Aaron Hicks and Byron Buxton possess. These current skills simply won't jump out at you, but is it possible any of these facts will even matter? I mean, there’s still that power… After all, in his four seasons in the Twins’ system he’s launched 14, 27, 25, and 31 home runs. Those totals have led his league each season. In 2015, the second place slugger had 17 compared to his 31. Not even phenom rookie Kyle Schwarber of the Cubs was keeping up with that pace while in the Southern League. He’s also driven in 45, 109, 94, and 106 runners in those seasons, leading his league in that category the past three seasons as well. It’s amazing to me that despite the room for improvement in these areas, the overall production remains. It is also notable that his on-base percentage has remained nearly stagnant throughout his development, meaning his walk-rate has also improved year-to-year, albeit not by much. If you’re into comparisons for his future prospects as a major league player, I hate to tell you this, but you won’t find one. It is also now four years into his development and he has neither moved the needle on his prospect floor nor on his ceiling in any direction. He could be the next Twins’ version of David Ortiz, washed out after some cups of coffee, or he could be the Red Sox version of the same player, a once-in-a-generation slugger. He could also be none of that. His time in the Arizona Fall League in 2015 could finally move those needles either way. That’s what I’ll be watching for. QUICK PREVIEWS: - Nick Burdi finished his 2015 season on a much higher note than it started, as a lack of control in AA led to a midseason demotion. To start the season in Chattanooga, Burdi made it through twenty games with a 3-4 record, 5.93 ERA, thirty-two hits and twenty-two walks allowed in 30.1 innings, while striking out thirty before the roster move was made. He rediscovered the same success in the Florida State League as he had in 2014, dominating the hitters of the league for five weeks before earning back his place at AA. In twenty FSL innings pitched, he racked up twenty-nine strikeouts compared to just three walks, and upon his recall to AA was 2-2 with a 2.25 ERA and two saves. He finished the year for the Lookouts by making eight more appearances, and was 0-0 with one save, a 1.35 ERA, eight hits and ten walks allowed in 13.1 innings, while striking out twenty-one in those games. Burdi does not have to be added to the 40-man roster, so his time in the AFL is a likely audition for AAA and a potential midseason MLB callup. - Trevor Hildenberger was Twins Daily’s 2015 Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year, and is a much similar situation to Jake Reed’s of last season going into the AFL: Can he continue his ascension in the reliever rankings after finding great success in the lower levels? For 2015, Hildenberger appeared in forty-one games for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Fort Myers Miracle. Everything about his numbers was otherworldly: 1.55 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, just thirty-nine hits and seven walks allowed, while striking out eighty. - Jake Reed makes his second trip to the AFL, but enters with a much different outlook than a year ago, as his 2015 season was very similar to that of teammate Nick Burdi’s He struggled in the Southern League to the tune of a 5.64 ERA upon his demotion, with several appearances of multi-run damage, including a June 1st appearance of misery where nine runs scored in just one inning pitched (five runs were earned). Like Burdi, his demotion proved only that he could dominate A-league hitters as in twelve innings he did not allow a single earned run. He was back up at AA to end the season, but it didn’t go well, as he raised his AA earned run average to 6.32 after two appearances to end his season. - Taylor Rogers, like Reed, makes his second consecutive trip to the AFL, and I’m sure he’d enjoy more of an opportunity than he had last year. 2015 was a very good season for the left-hander, and he spent all of it in AAA with the Rochester Red Wings. His 174 innings pitched trailed only teammate Pat Dean for the lead in all of the minor leagues in that category. What this trip might mean for Rogers however, is how he fits in the future plans of the parent club. He has been a starter all of his career, but it is only his dominance against same-sided hitters that has really stood out to this point. He had a 1.42 ERA, .177 batting average against, and 0.68 WHIP vs. left-handed hitters in 2014, while against righties those numbers ballooned to 5.23, 1.67, and .326. It’s been a similar pattern throughout his MiLB career, and could mean that a similar career path to another lefty on the Twins, Brian Duensing, could be in order. - Stuart Turner goes into the Fall League after spending all of 2015 in Chattanooga. It was a struggle for him, as his .223/.322/.306 triple slash line will attest, but he was much better in the second half, as he went .262/.363/.341 after the All-Star break. Notable, is he kept his Isolated Discipline (OBP minus BA) at .100 throughout the year, at least maintaining an ability to get on base through means other than hits. Turner has been sent to the level above the next player in this preview in each of the last two seasons, but their AFL performance this fall may shape the pecking order for 2016. -Mitch Garver did much more with the bat than Turner in 2014, but that was while being a level lower in the Midwest League and a year older than Turner. In 2015, he posted very similar numbers in the FSL to what Turner had done the year before (.688 OPS vs. .698 OPS) while those same conditions applied. They are both labeled as strong defenders, finishing one-two in the collegiate catcher of the year voting in 2013, which is where the competition for playing time in 2016 comparison comes in. It is also a bit odd to have two catchers from one MLB team on the same AFL roster, but this may be by design. The Twins likely want to learn a bit more about their depth at the catcher position going into the offseason, as this is one area they might look hard at improving through other means, and what better way to do so than side-by-side? QUICK FIX: The Scottsdale Scorpions are taking on the Salt River Rafters on opening night as I write this (Box Score), and Walker has contributed a walk, after which he scored from first on a double. Good luck to all of the players in the AFL for the Twins this season, and I’m looking forward to following along with everyone at Twins Daily! Please feel free to ask any questions about the AFL and discuss this week’s performances! View full article

Fall. My favorite season. It’s always sad to see the summer go, but the colors in Minnesota, ducks and geese flying overhead, and deer rummaging through the woods are some of my favorite things. The fall season, October especially, also means it’s time for the MLB Playoffs, another one of my favorite things. Whether that is because early in my childhood I got to stay up late to watch the Twins win the 1987 and 1991 World Series with my hero Kirby Puckett being magical, or getting to sit in the stands and watch as the Soul Patrol, Doug Mientkewicz, Johan Santana, Brad Radke, Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Eddie Guardado, Joe Nathan, and everybody else won six Central Division Titles in the 2000’s. That experience culminated for me by watching Game 163 in the ‘Dome from above the Baggy. Fall baseball is the best. But in seasons where your favorite team just isn’t any good, or they just didn’t win quite enough games, it leaves a hole. As I’ve gotten older and experienced more Fall-baseball-envy however, I’ve also discovered Minor League prospects can fill it! The Arizona Fall League is a short season league where every team in Major League Baseball sends some of their Top Prospects in October. It is used as a proving ground for players looking to take the final steps to their MLB dreams. Whether they are an elite talent looking to make a case for an early call-up the next season, or someone on the doorstep being evaluated for protection on the 40-man roster, these minor league games in October can determine a lot going into the offseason. Each team sends seven players to the league, and the Twins are represented on the Scottsdale Scorpions roster this season by catchers Mitch Garver and Stuart Turner, outfielder Adam Brett Walker, and pitchers Nick Burdi, Trevor Hildenberger, Jake Reed, and Taylor Rogers. It will be the second trip to the league for both Reed and Rogers, as they pitched for the Salt River Rafters last season. Reed appeared in ten games, and put up a 0.71 ERA and 10/3 K-to-BB ratio in 12.2 total innings. Rogers appeared in just three games, as he took a line drive off his shoulder/arm in the third inning of his first start. He allowed one run in 5.2 total innings. Players on that same Rafters roster who made their MLB debut for the Twins this year included Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton, and Max Kepler. Rosario just missed on the league’s batting title. While there may not be quite that much star power in this season’s selections, there is still plenty of intrigue, and another outfielder is at the forefront. Adam Brett Walker is not your typical prospect. He doesn’t hit for average. He strikes out too much. He won’t wow you in the field or with his arm…But he will amaze you with his power. When I had the privilege of traveling down to Spring Training again this season, it was hard to miss him on the back fields, because there was a mass migration to the fences where he was playing when it was his turn to bat. Just like there was for Sano and Buxton, and he didn’t disappoint. In a single day, I watched him hit one long blast (probably) out of the complex, and heard the fan reaction for his second one that got out of there in (probably) 0.5 seconds his next at-bat. Power. He’s definitely got it. But as mentioned, he also has a few of what many would consider red flags in his game. He doesn’t hit for average: In four Minor League seasons, he has batted just .254, with a season high of .278 in 2013 for the Low-A Cedar Rapids Kernels. In 2014 he hit just .246 moving up a level to High-A Fort Myers, and .239 this past season with the Southern League Champion Chattanooga Lookouts. He strikes out too much: In 1,747 career professional plate appearances and 452 games, he has made the walk of shame from the batter’s box back to the dugout 542 times, including 195 this season at AA in 133 games, a rate of 34.8% of his plate appearances. Compared to his 31.0% career rate strikeout rate, this means it has gone from pretty bad to even worse as he’s moved up the ladder. He won’t wow you in the field or with his arm: As a pure corner outfielder thus far as a pro, he has a career fielding percentage .970. For context on this number, a stat which is hated to the sabermetricians of the world, of the eighty-one MLB-er’s who played 800+ innings in the outfield in 2015, only one had a fielding percentage below that. His name was Hanley Ramirez, and if you didn’t see some of his antics in the outfield this year around the Green Monster for the Boston Red Sox, you are missing out. His career high of seven assists in a season also doesn’t jump out at you when compared to say, the fact that Eddie Rosario’s sixteen in the MLB this season nearly led all of baseball. This was also a number that was driven by his accuracy and opposing team’s willingness to keep testing him, and not by a cannon-like right-arm coming off his shoulder like teammates Aaron Hicks and Byron Buxton possess. These current skills simply won't jump out at you, but is it possible any of these facts will even matter? I mean, there’s still that power… After all, in his four seasons in the Twins’ system he’s launched 14, 27, 25, and 31 home runs. Those totals have led his league in every season. In 2015, the second place slugger had 17 compared to his 31. Not even phenom rookie Kyle Schwarber of the Cubs was keeping up with that pace while in the Southern League. He’s also driven in 45, 109, 94, and 106 runners in those seasons, leading his league in that category the past three seasons as well. It’s amazing to me that despite the room for improvement in these areas, the overall production remains. It is also notable that his on-base percentage has remained nearly stagnant throughout his development, meaning his walk-rate has also improved year-to-year, albeit not by much. If you’re into comparisons for his future prospects as a Major League player, I hate to tell you this, but you won’t find one. It is also now four years into his development and he has neither moved the needle on his prospect floor or on his ceiling in any direction. He could be the next Twins’ version of David Ortiz, washed out after some cups of coffee, or he could be the Red Sox version of the same player, a once-in-a-generation slugger. He could also be none of that. His time in the Arizona Fall League in 2015 could finally move those needles either way. That’s what I’ll be watching for. QUICK PREVIEWS: - Nick Burdi finished his 2015 season on a much higher note than it started, as a lack of control in AA led to a midseason demotion. To start the season in Chattanooga, Burdi made it through twenty games with a 3-4 record, 5.93 ERA, thirty-two hits and twenty-two walks allowed in 30.1 innings, while striking out thirty before the roster move was made. He rediscovered the same success in the Florida State League as he had in 2014, dominating the hitters of the league for five weeks before earning back his place at AA. In twenty FSL innings pitched, he racked up twenty-nine strikeouts compared to just three walks, and upon his recall to AA was 2-2 with a 2.25 ERA and two saves. He finished the year for the Lookouts by making eight more appearances, and was 0-0 with one save, a 1.35 ERA, eight hits and ten walks allowed in 13.1 innings, while striking out twenty-one in those games. Burdi does not have to be added to the 40-man roster, so his time in the AFL is a likely audition for AAA and a potential midseason MLB callup. - Trevor Hildenberger was Twins Daily’s 2015 Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year, and is a much similar situation to Jake Reed’s of last season going into the AFL: Can he continue his ascension in the reliever rankings after finding great success in the lower levels? For 2015, Hildenberger appeared in forty-one games between the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Fort Myers Miracle. Everything about his numbers was otherworldly: 1.55 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, just thirty-nine hits and seven walks allowed, while striking out eighty. - Jake Reed make’s his second trip to the AFL, but enters with a much different outlook than he a year ago, as his 2015 season was very similar to teammate Nick Burdi’s He struggled in the Southern League to the tune of a 5.64 ERA upon his demotion, with several appearances of multi-run damage, including a June 1st appearance of misery where nine runs scored in just one inning pitched (five runs were earned). Like Burdi, his demotion proved only that he could dominate A-league hitters as in twelve innings he did not allow a single earned run. He was back up at AA to end the season, but it didn’t go well, as he raised his double-A earned run average to 6.32 after two appearances to end his season. - Taylor Rogers, like Reed, makes his second consecutive trip to the AFL, and I’m sure he’d enjoy more of an opportunity than he had last year. 2015 was a very good season for the left-hander, and he spent all of it in AAA with the Rochester Red Wings. His 174 innings pitched trailed only teammate Pat Dean for the lead in all of the Minor Leagues in that category. What this trip might mean for Rogers however, is how he fits in the future plans of the parent club. He has been a starter all of his career, but it is only his dominance against same-sided hitters that has really stood out to this point. He had a 1.42 ERA, .177 batting average against, and 0.68 WHIP vs. left-handed hitters in 2014, while against righties those numbers ballooned to 5.23, 1.67, and .326. It’s been a similar pattern throughout his MiLB career, and could mean that a similar career path to another lefty on the Twins, Brian Duensing, could be in order. - Stuart Turner goes into the Fall League after spending all of 2015 in Chattanooga. It was a struggle for him, as his .223/.322/.306 triple slash line will attest, but he was much better in the second half, as he went .262/.363/.341 after the All-Star break. Notable, is he kept his Isolated Discipline (OBP minus BA) at .100 throughout the year, at least maintaining an ability to get on base through other means. Turner has been sent to the level above the next player in this preview in each of the last two seasons, but their AFL performance this fall may shape the pecking order for 2016. -Mitch Garver did much more with the bat than Turner in 2014, but that was while being a level lower in the Midwest League and a year older than Turner. In 2015, he posted very similar numbers in the FSL to what Turner had done the year before (.688 OPS vs. .698 OPS) while those same conditions applied. They are both labeled as strong defenders, finishing one-two in the collegiate catcher of the year voting in 2013, which is where my competition for playing time in 2016 comparison comes in. It is also a bit odd to have two catchers from one MLB team on the same AFL roster, but this may be by design. The Twins likely want to learn a bit more about their depth at the catcher position going into the offseason as this is one area they might look hard at improving through other means, and what better way to do so than side-by-side? QUICK FIX: The Scottsdale Scorpions are taking on the Salt River Rafters on opening night as I write this (Box Score), and Walker has contributed a walk, after which he scored from first on a double. Good luck to all of the players in the AFL for the Twins this season, and I’m looking forward to following along with everyone at Twins Daily! Please feel free to ask any questions about the AFL and discuss this week’s performances!

They fell in love with Brad Radke (who was an ace for several seasons) and tried to capitalize on what they thought was a unexploited pattern because of him: Command and Control (to limit walks) over velocity (strikeouts). The pitchers like Radke ended up being the outliers, not a vast resource to exploit. In my opinion, this "philosophy" is very well-documented. You hear it from opposing scouts, every prospect website and scout talker on the planet, exec's who've been here before, probably even Terry Ryan himself... The fact that they've targeted velocity early in drafts the last three seasons should be proof enough this existed, because it was such an obvious, and alternate to what every other team was doing (targeting RP's with velocity), change of course. Also keep in mind, where the "aces" we've had since Radke (and Since Ryan became GM in '94) have come from. (Hint: it wasn't the Twins drafts).

Tyler Duffey was on the mound for the Minnesota Twins on Sunday as the parent squad looked to avoid a home series sweep at the hands of the team that yesterday passed them in American League Wild Card standings. Duffey delivered, tossing seven shutout innings as the Twins won 8-1 to end the series with the teams tied in those standings. The Angels next series has them facing the Houston Astros. The Twins have an opportunity to make up some ground in the next few days while they face off against the Cleveland Indians, who are 1.5 games behind them. In the minors on Sunday, the Cedar Rapids Kernels looked to end their Midwest League Championship series at home, and Chattanooga Lookouts looked to send their Southern League series to a deciding Game Five. Both teams got quality starts from their starting pitchers, would it be enough to extend or win their respective series’? Image courtesy of Craig Gordon: Photo of Levi Michael Tyler Duffey was on the mound for the Minnesota Twins on Sunday as the parent squad looked to avoid a home series sweep at the hands of the team that yesterday passed them in American League Wild Card standings. Duffey delivered, tossing seven shutout innings as the Twins won 8-1 to end the series with the teams tied in those standings. The Angels next series has them facing the Houston Astros. The Twins have an opportunity to make up some ground in the next few days while they face off against the Cleveland Indians, who are 1.5 games behind them. In the minors on Sunday, the Cedar Rapids Kernels looked to end their Midwest League Championship series at home, and Chattanooga Lookouts looked to send their Southern League series to a deciding Game Five. Both teams got quality starts from their starting pitchers, would it be enough to extend or win their respective series’? Keep on reading about Sunday’s action to find out! CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Biloxi 2, Chattanooga 4 Box Score Lefthander David Hurlbut made the start for the Lookouts, as they came into the game down 2-1 in the series against the Biloxi Shuckers. He made quick work of the first and second innings, pitching a one-two-three frame in the second, but the Shuckers got on the board first in the third, as a two-out rally was capped by an RBI single from Orlando Arcia to make it 1-0. A solo home run from Brett Phillips in the fourth made it 2-0. Hurlbut didn’t allow any further damage, retiring the next seven batters he faced to finish six innings. He allowed the two runs on five hits and walk, while striking out six. The Chattanooga lineup finally came alive in the bottom of the sixth, as a single from Jorge Polanco and walks to Travis Harrison and Adam Brett Walker loaded the bases. Levi Michael tied the game at two with a single to left field, which was followed by a Heiker Meneses walk to again load the bases. Stuart Turner put them in front 3-2 with a sac fly to score Walker, and single from Shannon Wilkerson brought in Michael to make it 4-2. Chattanooga sent every hitter in the lineup to the plate in the big inning. The outburst put Hurlbut in line for the win, and the Lookouts summoned fireballer Nick Burdi from the bullpen to hold the lead. He walked one in the seventh inning, but retired the other three hitters, including a strikeout, to keep the lead at two. In the eighth, it got a bit more interesting. Burdi retired the first hitter, but then walked the next two to put the tying run on base. A groundout then put runners at first and third with two outs, before he walked another to load the bases. That ended his night and brought in J.T. Chargois from Chattanooga’s bullpen. He struck out Nick Ramirez to end the inning and the threat. After the Lookouts were held off the board in the bottom of the eighth, Chargois remained in the game to close it out. A single and a walk around a groundout and a strikeout again had the tying run on base, but again Chargois bore down and ended the threat and game with a strikeout to push it do a deciding Game Five tomorrow night in Chattanooga. The offense was led by Jorge Polanco, who picked up three hits and scored a run, and Michael who was 2-4 with two RBIs in his first start in their last eight postseason games. As a team the Lookouts did not have a single extra-base hit, but took advantage of six walks and got the runs when they could by going 3-8 with runners in scoring position. KERNELS NUGGETS West Michigan 2, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score After two and a half innings in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, the game was tied 0-0 as both starters had scattered two hits. The Kernels scored the first run of the game in the bottom of third, as Nick Gordon doubled and scored on a single from T.J. White to make it 1-0. It remained that way until the fifth inning, when Kernels starter Randy Rosario finally ran into some trouble he could not escape from unscathed. A single and a walk put two runners on with one out before consecutive singles each plated a run to put West Michigan up 2-1. Rosario came out again for the sixth, and put up another scoreless frame despite two hits to end his day. Michael Theofanopoulos came in from the bullpen for the seventh and eighth innings and kept the score 2-1. He gave up two hits in his two scoreless innings. John Curtiss came on for the top of the ninth and gave up a leadoff single, but a sacrifice bunt and consecutive swinging strikeouts kept the Shuckers lead at one for the home team’s final at-bat. Edgar Corcino worked a walk to put the tying run on base to start the inning. He was put into scoring position at second base when LaMonte Wade singled to center with one out. A Chris Paul strikeout put the Kernels down to their last out in the potential series clinching game. Max Murphy worked a walk to load the bases, and summoned the Shuckers closer Joe Jimenez into the game to face Kernels catcher Brian Navarreto, who played hero in last night’s Kernels win. It wasn’t meant to be this time, as Naverreto went down swinging to force a Midwest League Championship deciding Game Five Monday night in Cedar Rapids. Nick Gordon had a solid game for the Kernels, going 2-4 with a run scored and a double from the two-spot in the lineup. He is hitting .364 in the postseason for the Kernels. LaMonte Wade added two hits, Austin Diemer added a triple, and White had their only RBI. As a team Cedar Rapids was just 1-9 with runners in scoring position however, and left seven men on base. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – J.T. Chargois, Chattanooga Lookouts (Save, 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Levi Michael, Chattanooga Lookouts (2-4, R, 2 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15PM CST) – TBD West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article

Tyler Duffey was on the mound for the Minnesota Twins on Sunday as the parent squad looked to avoid a home-series-sweep at the hands of the team who has been chasing them in American League Wild Card standings. Duffey delivered, tossing seven shut-out innings as Twins won 8-1 to end the series with the Teams tied in those standings. The Angels next series has them facing the Houston Astros, whom they are both chasing. The Twins have an opportunity to make up some ground in the next few days while they face off against the Cleveland Indians, who are 1.5 games behind them. In the minors on Sunday, the Cedar Rapids Kernels looked to end their Midwest League Championship series at home, and Chattanooga Lookouts looked to send their Southern League series to a deciding game five. Both teams got quality starts from their starting pitchers, would it be enough to extend or win their respective series’? Keep on reading about Sunday’s action to find out! CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Biloxi 2, Chattanooga 4 Box Score Lefthander David Hurlbut made the start for the Lookouts, as they came into the game down 2-1 in the series against the Biloxi Shuckers. He made quick work of the first and second innings, pitching a one-two-three frame in the second, but the Shuckers got on the board first in the third, as a two-out rally was capped by an RBI single from Orlando Arcia to make it 1-0. A solo home run from Brett Phillips in the fourth made it 2-0. Hurlbut didn’t allow any further damage, retiring the next seven batters he faced to finish six innings. He allowed the two runs on five hits and walk, while striking out six. The Chattanooga lineup finally came alive in the bottom of the sixth, as a single from Jorge Polanco and walks to Travis Harrison and Adam Brett Walker loaded the bases. Levi Michael tied the game at two with a single to left field, which was followed by a Heiker Meneses walk to again load the bases. Stuart Turner put them in front 3-2 with a sac fly to score Walker, a and single from Shannon Wilkerson brought in Michael to make it 4-2. Chattanooga sent every hitter in the lineup to the plate in the big inning. The outburst put Hurlbut in line for the win, and the Lookouts summoned fireballer Nick Burdi from the bullpen to hold the lead. He walked one in the seventh inning, but retired the other three hitters, including a strikeout, to keep the lead at two. In the eighth, it got a bit more interesting. Burdi retired the first hitter, but then walked the next two to put the tying run on base. A ground-out then put runners at first and third with two outs, before he walked another to load the bases. That ended his night and brought in J.T. Chargois from Chattanooga’s bullpen. He struck out Nick Ramirez to end the inning and the threat. After the Lookouts were held off the board in the bottom of the eighth, Chargois remained in the game to close it out. A single and a walk around a groundout and a strikeout again had the tying run on base, but again Chargois bore down and ended the threat and game with a strikeout to push it do a deciding game five tomorrow night in Chattanooga. The offense was led by Jorge Polanco, who picked up three hits and scored a run, and Michael who was 2-4 with two RBI in his first start in their last eight postseason games. As a team the Lookouts did not have a single extra base hit, but took advantage of six walks and got the runs when they could by going 3-8 with runners in scoring position. KERNELS NUGGETS West Michigan 2, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score After two and a half innings in Cedar Rapids on Sunday, the game was tied 0-0 as both starters had scattered two hits. The Kernels scored the first run of the game in the bottom of third, as Nick Gordon doubled and scored on a single from T.J. White to make it 1-0. It remained that way until the fifth inning, when Kernels starter Randy Rosario finally ran into some trouble he could not escape from unscathed. A single and a walk put two runners on with one out, before consecutive singles each plated a run to put West Michigan up 2-1. Rosario came out again for the sixth, and put up another scoreless frame despite two hits to end his day. Michael Theofanopoulos came in from the bullpen for the seventh and eighth innings and kept the score 2-1. He gave up two hits in his two scoreless innings. John Curtiss came on for the top of the ninth and gave up a leadoff single, but a sacrifice bunt and consecutive swinging strikeouts would keep the Shuckers lead at one for the home team’s final at-bat. Edgar Corcino worked a walk to put the tying run on base to start the inning, and was put into scoring position at second base when LaMonte Wade singled to center with one out. A Chris Paul strikeout put the Kernels down to their last out in the potential series clinching game. Max Murphy worked a walk to load the bases, and summoned the Shuckers closer Joe Jimenez into the game to face Kernels catcher Brian Navarreto, who played hero in last night’s Kernels win. It wasn’t meant to be this time, as Naverreto went down swinging to force a Midwest League Championship deciding game five Monday night in Cedar Rapids. Nick Gordon had a solid game for the Kernels, going 2-4 with a run scored and a double from the two-spot in the lineup. He is hitting .364 in the postseason for the Kernels. LaMonte Wade added two hits, Austin Diemer added a triple, and White had their only RBI. As a team Cedar Rapids was just 1-9 with runners in scoring position however, and left seven men-on-base. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – J.T. Chargois, Chattanooga Lookouts (Save, 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K’s) Hitter of the Day – Levi Michael, Chattanooga Lookouts (2-4, R, 2 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15PM CST) – TBD West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games!

I wanted to give Wade the #1 spot on my ballot, he had stats across every offensive tool. Extremely good overall offensive performance. But the sheer number of hits from Palacios was too much to ignore. As for Palacios at SS, he also had 20 errors in 53 games. Just something to keep an eye on. Age had no bearing on my ballot.

Had the same thoughts on the Sano at-bat (as our Twitter exchange confirms). I sat there after that pitch going, "ugh...ahh...gah...dangit." It was absolutely the pitch to crush, but there was just no way you could also say he should have swung at it given the situations. The next two from Rodon were nasty, pitcher's pitches.