Dman

Yeah no overly dominant arms at AAA or AA except maybe Canterino in small doses. Sands, Henriquez and Balazovich look like AAAA arms right now. SWR seems ready for another swoon like last year. Enlow is just getting back. Varland has been OK but not dominant and looks more and more like a pen arm to me. Canterino had control problems early but seems to be getting back to his dominant self but that would be the only arm I trust out of that bunch and they are keeping his number of pitches down so not really a candidate to start IMO. Things suddenly don't look quite so good for starting pitching help from the farm. Hopefully the pitching coaches can identify some issues and help those arms change course.

I don't know if I have pen envy or what but it seems like our division for the most part has better pen arms than we do. Or maybe phrased a better way is arms that throw harder. I know the Tigers pen arms had some trouble yesterday as well but it also seems like they had shinny 1.00 or 2.00 ERA's most of the time. Probably just a case of grass is greener for me but it would be nice to have a few high octane arms in the pen. Ultimately it was the pen that gave that game away for us and won it for Detroit. So maybe that is skewing my perceptions as I know our pen had a top WPA rating it just seems so shaky to me though.

I don't have the numbers to know for sure but it seems like Buxton is seeing a lot of pitches low and outside. In the dirt over the plate etc. They are staying away from pitching him inside it seems to me. He still gets a pitch or two in his hotspot or close to his hotspot generally early in the count. I think he is going to need to adjust to low and away.

Nice to see Keoni making good contact. Maybe he can turn his season around. The two 19 year old's are still going strong. Rodriguez is looking to get his OBP to .500 and OPS to 1.000. Man he is talented. High A better find room for him as he is headed there soon. Probably around draft time if not before. Miller still getting hits, drawing walks and playing good defense. Still only lacking power which is pretty normal for the FS league and 19 year old's in general. Lewis continues to hit. I think our concerns about his bat can pretty much be put to rest now. His bat has been great at AAA and good at the MLB level as well. Just a matter of finding space for him at the MLB level now. High A and AA bats just couldn't get it done but hopefully they come back better tomorrow.

I would be fine if the Twins got Collier there. Big bat, big arm and young. Like others have mentioned would be nicer if an up the middle talent fell to them. I am not sold on Greene's bat but if he does get better at the plate what a monster (Buxton) type player he would be. I was almost kind of hoping that Young would fall to 8. He looks like a slightly more tooled up player than Miller at short. Still I think Collier could be a pretty fast mover for a high school pick. Just have to see how well he adjusts to better Sliders, curves and changes. Going to be interesting to see what teams decide to do in the end.

Been watching Hamilton for a while. He had a big June and August last year but was average to pretty bad most of the other months. If he can get more consistent with the hit tool I believe his defense is MLB ready. I think he would make a good third catcher but with Isola right behind him who can hit well he looks like he could be the odd man out. Still I think he is good call out pick for AAA. I really like the Bechtold pick. His bat has been better this year and his defense has always been good. I just think he is buried by depth right now. Maybe changing to catcher will give him a better chance? Hard to say but if his bat stays solid he looks like a guy that could make it. For High A I think Prato or Mack would be better picks. Macks bat has dropped off since the beginning of the season so he might not be doing well enough to highlight but Prato is an under the radar pest at High. Prato can steal bases, can be a tough out, and can play solid defense. Festa while a lower pick just recently got promoted to High A and seems less under the radar than Prato IMO. For A ball I would have went with Mikey Perez. He was drafted in round 15 and has really come on strong with the bat recently. If he bumps that OPS into the 900 range I think he follows Fedko to high A. Rodriguez is a great story and likely a great player but he got a lot of love last year and he was a highly rated international pick. There are several players that are playing well this year that might opt out of the system next year. I think Palacios, Bechtold Helman and Hamilton should probably follow in Whitefield and Cabbages footsteps and move to an organization with a better chance for a call up. They are on the cusp players but pretty blocked in the Twins system.

Pierson Ohl has had a tough start to his pro ball career. In April he had ERA of 7 and WHIP of 2. In May he was close to those same numbers until something clicked last night for him. If you haven't seen Seth's interview with Pierson you should watch it. You will really like what you see. I have been waiting for him to have a breakout game and am hoping this is the first of many more really good pitching performances for Pierson Ohl. Emmanual Rodriguez might only be batting .250 right now but his OBP is .484 so approaching .500. That seems like a crazy good eye at the plate. He is also a kid that has power in his bat when he wants to use it. If he keeps his K rate down he looks special to me at least in the batters box. I was wondering why the Twins had Schulfer up in spring training so much given how short spring training was but I think now I am beginning to realize why. So far he has a 0.42 ERA and 0.60 WHIP with 30 K's in 21 innings pitched. Time to move this guy up to AAA IMO. I know he hasn't been added to the 40 man but he might be an arm that could help down the stretch this year if he is for real. A quick shoutout to Michael Helman who had a nice year least year and who is putting up good numbers again this year. He is older at 26 and in most years would be a solid utility player candidate for the Twins but with all the players in front of him his numbers will need to be really, really good to get a chance. At any rate his numbers are solid and he has been an important bat at AA. Prato finally got back on track and was back to his pesky ways. Camargo was trying to steal the OPS lead from CES but then CES went and hit a triple and a HR. Camargo doesn't walk much and has a 30% K rate so he has things to work on to be a more well rounded hitter he hasn't had a .700 OPS since 2018 so he is off to a good start this year. Man this system is so much fun to watch with so many players doing so well.

Arraez has been locked in this year. I know they have put him in better spots to succeed but he is a very difficult out right now. If you are an umpire and he doesn't swing at a pitch at the edge of the zone you are better off calling it a ball than a strike if you want to be right. His eye is just that good. And to think I was one of the brainiac's who thought trading him this offseason might make sense. If he keeps on like this (OPS catching up to Byron Buxton) then his eye and bat are just too valuable to trade. I wasn't a huge fan of the Gray trade and thought he might be headed for regression but so far he looks better than I thought he would. With Gray, Ryan and Ober maybe the Twins have enough on the front end to keep the wins coming. Won't feel safe until the end of the season though because the White Sox have a cake walk schedule in September and could reel the Twins in if they don't have a buffer.

Doesn't the trade of Donaldson really include Mitch Garver to some degree as well? The Twins couldn't get Kiner-Falefa without giving up Garver so in the end the trade was. Garver, Kiner-Falefa, Rortvedt and Donalson for Sanchez, Urshela and Henriquez? I don't think you can completely leave the loss of Garver out of that trade IMO. That seems like a lot to give up to get rid of Donaldson. Personally I think the Twins were closer to using Royce Lewis at short to start the season or maybe even Palacios than we might realize. Story was pretty set to go to Boston and it looked like Boras shopped Correa before coming to the Twins who were one of very few teams desperate enough to get something done there. It all worked remarkably well and maybe you could add Correa in the trade scenario above as the Twins wouldn't have the money to sign him without moving on from Donaldson but getting Correa feels more like luck than any real kind of FO plan as they looked like only team left that hadn't filled their massive shortstop need. I like the Twins clubhouse and given the reports I have seen so do the players.

I think the premise is the team isn't really a World Series contender so why not trade an elite player for assets that might make the team stronger for next year and the years after in the hopes that the Twins are better positioned to win it all in 2023. The flaw in that theory though is that this team won't have devastating injuries next year and or players won't regress etc. etc. If 2021 taught us anything it is that the best laid plans can go awry for various reasons. I get his concept and Tampa dabbles in that type of trading but it could cost you a WS title because Atlanta reminds us you never know how things are going to play out in the end.

If the Twins are in it I can't see them trading Correa. Just having the chance to win the division would make it worth keeping him. There is also the problem of lining up with a trading partner. The Dodgers, Astro's, Tampa Bay, Blue Jay's, Met's, San Diego, are all pretty much set at short and I don't think the Yankee's really want Correa on their team since they feel Houston cheated them out of being in the World Series. Even the few teams that might want him as an upgrade if they can't afford to extend him would be hard pressed to give up the prospect capital necessary to get him. There is a reason he wasn't signed over the offseason. I think the odds are low he gets moved at the deadline.

This was a great read! Thanks! It is a SSS so regression is likely coming. Pitchers will be throwing him tougher stuff to hit in the zone. Things are about to get harder. We will see if Mr. Garlick can handle the changes that will be made.

Very Happy for Spencer Steer and it is a well deserved promotion. If I am calculating it correctly he has 15% K rate which is outstanding. He has more K's than walks but not by much so a good eye and balanced approach. He has a 300 average but it is the slugging that is exciting and could make him special if it translates. Right now he is slugging .591 which is around the elite category. So just looking at the numbers there was no good reason to keep him down. He needs a bigger challenge and will get it at AAA where he will be just a call away. AAA starters Balazovich, Henriquez and Sands have all looked pretty bad at AAA so far. St. Paul seems to be a place where good arms go to die at this point. Hoping they can all make some adjustments and come out better pitchers. I have a hunch they will be needed later in the year given guys going down or needing some extra rest. Improvement is needed though. Was a bit surprised at just how good Kirilloff was this past week. I hate to get too excited too early but am very encouraged by how well he is doing to this point. I know Derek Rodrigues isn't a prospect but his AAA numbers seem too good for him to be in AAA and his major league numbers seem to be not good enough for MLB. Could he be a weapon in the pen? Not sure if he has an elite pitch or not but there is talent there. Just seems like starting pitcher might be a stretch but he looks good this year at AAA to me. Fun fact about Emmanuel Rodriquez he has 41 walks and 41 K's. So a very balanced approach especially for a 19 year old. Now I am getting a little concerned about him making contact. Still that type of balance is really good to see and I have to believe the contact will come in time. I still think he has Super Star potential but will have to wait and see how things shake out as he moves up levels. Tons of good performances that could be highlighted which is good to see. The system seems pretty balanced right now. If anything might be nice to see more high potential impact bats and better up the middle talent but I really like this system and three of the four teams are doing very, very well.

Dang old habits die hard. Thanks for the reminder.

Once they were down 6 to nothing and wasted some scoring chances I stopped watching. Came back to see how bad the loss was and had to make sure I was on the right web page. Couldn't believe they came back and won. Well my loss I guess for not hanging in there. That is a really big win to take the sweep they really cannot afford to let up because the White Sox and Guardian's have been playing the East teams and their schedules will soften while ours toughens up. Can't believe they won, just can't believe it but I am glad they came back and won it.

As a fan I hate seeing the automatic ball or Strike going against my team. I do, however, like that it speeds up the pace of play. I get that sometimes a hitter or pitcher could use a few more seconds at times to take a deep breath\focus or whatever but I don't know how to fix that. I think I am still more for moving play along than keeping the status quo but I can see it placing extra pressure on players at times.

Call me your typical Minnesotan waiting for the other foot to drop but it feels like once the Twins hit June and face the teams in the east the White Sox and Indians will likely make up some ground. There are lot's of good statistical signs pointing to the Twins being a good team on both sides of the ball but I just have this bad feeling things will fall apart. Honestly I am Surprised and happy the Twins are in first place and I have enjoyed the ups and downs of the season so far. It is nice that the games still matter and my team is in it. I should be happy and yet that feeling that this won't last remains.

I was going to write something but since he is just getting back up to speed was going to give a bit more time before worrying about him. You are correct it is a big deal if an arm we are somewhat depending on or at least projecting to be an option in the starting rotation around mid year hasn't looked real sharp out there yet. Still given his track record I think he will come around but he needs better stuff against lefties IMO. He has been too hittable last year and so far this year which make me wonder about his stuff. It is made more concerning because Sands has been hit hard at AAA and Henriquez is still giving up home runs and lots of hits and walks, and if those guys are not options then you have to head to guys not yet added like SWR, Canterino and Varland. So yeah if Jordan doesn't get going the Twins don't look like they will have great AAA arm depth options.

I really appreciate dark mode. When in a dark room it is nice not to be blinded by the light. Thanks much for this added feature it is a game changer IMO.

Yeah it looks like the Twins are going to have options and depth. Should be a good thing moving forward.

Smeltzer has worked hard for this opportunity. He has been successful in the past and we don't have much for left handed pitchers. I really hope he succeeds and makes the starting 5 or 6 pitchers in the rotation. If not I still think he could be a really good pen arm as well. We will know more by the end of the month. We sure could use him right now as our depth in thinning out.

Steer, Isola and Wallner are all on hot streaks right now. Steer doesn't seem to want to give his OPS edge to those guys as he hit the 1.000 mark after last night. As posted above Wallner is on fire. After a massive slump to start the season to have an .887 OPS is just crazy. I have been a non-believer but he is starting to force me to change my mind. As a somewhat non-prospect Michael Helman is having a good year with an .843 OPS and Bechtold has been more consistent with the bat as well having a .800 OPS. Wichita has a really tough lineup for opposing pitchers to get through. Fedko is holding his own at High A right now which is good to see. Prato has been slumping with the bat recently so hopefully he gets back on track. Willie Joe Gary JR. has been moving his number up and finally has a .726 OPS. May has been a tough month for CES so far he has a .211 BA, .303 OBP and .313 slugging, Ouch. That is quite the fall from where he started the year. While he has worked his OBP up to almost 100 point above his average it hasn't seemed to pay off as far as hits are concerned. I guess becoming a well rounded hitter is a process. I still think he is a great prospect. Povich finally getting back to the dominant arm we saw earlier in the year. Only 2 hits and one walk over 5 innings. Headrick and Povich will have to duke it out for best lefty in the system right now. Lot's prospects are doing well even under the radar guys. It has been a fun season to stat watch this year.

Nice article. I like both guys but Urshela isn't quite holding up his end of the bargain offensively. IMO he is too valuable with extra year of control to dump but unless his bat improves dramatically I see Royce Lewis at his spot. I think the Twins would still like to get value for Urshela at the deadline so they will keep him there and trade him and maybe another prospect at the deadline for something the team can use now or in the future. I just don't see the Twins keeping him as there doesn't seem to be room and unless his bat improves dramatically there is no reason to hang onto him. I did not like Sanchez but given the fact that he is currently hitting better than Mitch Garver and playing pretty well it makes me wonder if the Twins will bring him back after this year. They don't have much after Jeffers and I think Sanchez is good enough to be a backup catcher. He needs to keep hitting but I think he will. I do like both players more than I expected I just think Lewis fits better in Urshela's spot until Correa is gone.

I think I am with most posters on here in that I would love to see a good high school bat fall to us. Would love it to be Holliday but pretty sure he will gone. I also like Collier, Johnson and even Cole Young if they can work out a deal for less money. I think Collier is going to be the real deal at third base. I think you get Cavaco with an actual bat. I wonder if Johnson might be falling down boards because they doubt the power potential? He has a 70 bat so should be good there but it also looks like 2nd might be the only position he can play well. He could be Altuve with less speed though. Young seems to be heating up. He kind of reminds me of Noah Miller with a slightly higher rating on the bat and speed rankings. he would be a lefty batter at the shortstop position. I hope they go high school because right now the Twins are trying to squeeze in Larnach, Kirilloff, Miranda, Lewis, and Celestino at the MLB level. They have Martin, Steer and maybe Wallner and Jullien on the way as well. I don't see that they need a fast moving bat as they have plenty of bats just getting started at the MLB level right now. Would be nice to create a second wave of bats with Rodriguez, Miller, Urbina, Rosario, and maybe Cavaco if he ever hits consistently. Also college bats CES, Fedko and maybe Mikey Perez and whoever they pick in this draft. I am with the Twins going bat first this year as the system is graduating some more bats and the system strength is pitching right now. Also the Twins have been able to find viable pitching later in the draft finding hitting has been a bit more hit and miss IMO.

Miller must be reading my posts. I just said he was doing well but had no power. I guess hitting that HR was the best way to give me the middle finger, lol.