Dman

This offense stinks especially when it comes to clutch at bats. Maybe Morneau can come out of retirement and show them how it is done. Glad I didn't watch this one.

I watch off and on but this team seems just snakebite this year so not invested as heavily. it feels like last year to be honest they start out OK get reeled in and now will likely go in the tank. If they can go on a winning streak and look like a decent team I could jump back on the bandwagon but for now I am just on the periphery box score watching and reading articles on Twins Daily. Paying more attention to the minor leagues right now. I actually have been watching Saints games on MiLB.TV because that teams offense is so fun to watch. My disappointment with this current team is high. They should be better than this especially on offense but since they aren't it looks like a lost season to me. Always going to follow but not really watching games with the offense so bad there isn't much to watch.

Grace is a good story. I was pretty much ready to give up on him. It shows that pitchers are often times just a refined pitch away being OK to great. Hoping he finishes strong we desperately need dominant pen arms. Seems like a lot people on the board were Lewis believers even before the season started and he hasn't disappointed. Williams and Wallner look like monster bats but really like what Cossetti, Ortega and especially what Rosario have done the first half. High A has almost half the top 30 in it and if these breakouts hold the top 30 is going to change. I really like Cardenas's bat but I think Cossetti has him beat. Should be a good battle all the way up. Hopefully some the younger guys bats catch fire in 2nd half. Need more breakouts. St Paul and Cedar Rapids are must watch affiliates right now.

I like the top 4 guys the best in Skenes, Crews, Langford and Clark. I haven't been on the Jenkins bandwagon but I could be very wrong there. If Jenkins is the one who is left and I presume he will be then I would prefer Teel at number 5. An athletics catcher with good enough wheels could be a difference making pick if he turns out well at catcher. I will say that for all the hype about college position players most of the Twins players started as high school or IFA's. Look at the roster. The High school picks are Buxton, Correa, Kirilloff, Lewis, Miranda, Gordon and IFA's are Polanco, Kepler, and the now departed Arraez. So a lot of the starters\star power for position players seems to come from the high school ranks at least for this team. Yeah Jeffers, Jullian and Gallo are college bats but the vast majority lie in kids that started pro young. Last years draft had the first 4 picks as high schoolers. So while high school picks can take some time and not everyone of them works out there are a lot of starters on this team that came into the system young. Doesn't mean college picks don't work out or work out as well but high school picks can be high reward picks. I don't love the idea of Langford as a likely left fielder but he does have plus wheels so he should be able to play all three positions granted his arm is the weakest link in his profile and makes right field a stretch for him. Still I like the speed power profile and he isn't the typical plodder the Twins tend to pick. H e could be the one to fall depending on how the draft goes. I think that Texas will end up going with Teel or a pitcher in the end. They traded for Garver a while back and I think Teel would be a good fit for them and his bat plays almost as well as the top 5. I also wouldn't be surprised to see them take Texas sized swing at Lowder or Dollander as they like premier pitching. I think it all just depends on who falls.

Been thinking about this a fair bit and who do we have that would be much better at this time? I would love to trade him at the deadline but all the young guys haven't really grabbed the role and I don't love Jovani Moran and his walk heavy 1.47 WHIP. Sands hasn't been great and is on the IL. Alcala, De Leon, Henriquez and Thielbar are all on the IL. Ortega didn't look all that great in his one shot. Balazovich was OK in SSSS but has a 1.61 WHIP in AAA so I can't see depending on him at the MLB level. Winder was horrible early on but maybe he has righted the ship? Still a wild card though. Headrick has been pretty good but got hammered his last time out and they seem to be saving him as a backup starter at this point. SWR hasn't been good at AAA all year. Jorge Lopez is out and hasn't been good since the first month of the year. If it wasn't for Brock Stewart this pen would be teetering on disaster. There are no realistic options in the minors that I can see. Maybe Enlow but he hasn't looked as good at the AAA level as he did at AA. Granted SSSS there. So Pagan is it unless they are trading for someone else. It might be why they were desperate to bring Kuechel in as maybe he can be an option? I think we are stuck with Pagan to the end of the year unless they can work out a one for one trade with some other team or pull another Brock Stewart out of their hat.

Yeah I don't know that, that excites me much at number 5 with E-Rod, Rosario and Jose Rodriguez already young and on the way up and the Twins have invested lot's of their pool in outfielders in international free agency it doesn't feel like the best use of draft capital if he is the one that is left. Still he is highly regarded by virtually every outlet so what do I know. Teel has a nice batting line and plays a position where it is hard to find quality offensive output so that has a special value all its own. I know lots of people don't like Wilson's lack of power but he is not too far of from Brooks Lee with the bat IMO and he is a faster runner with a decent chance to stick at short another position of need for Minnesota. I think I like both better than Jenkins given how the farm is setup. However, if Jenkins turn into the next Tucker then that decision could go sideways. Thanks for the response! 🙂

Seems like just too many good bats to go pitcher at number 5 unless Skenes drops. Too much variance in results to want Dollander at number 5. Been burned there before with Tyler Jay hoping to refine pitches. The bats look like better bets to me. I still think Pittsburgh should take Skenes number 1. They will need an ace to compete and there should be good bats all the way down to pick 60 or so. If ever there was a perfect pitcher to take number 1 he would be it. I get them looking at Clark and doing a (Royce Lewis) type move. He is a 5 tool player that in time could be as good or better than any player in the top 5 but I am pretty certain they will regret passing on Skenes as he seems like such a unicorn pitcher. A Verlander like pitcher IMO. Jeremey what more can you tell me about Jenkins? I hear he was looked at pretty hard by Washington and Texas really likes his bat as well. Is he sort of a Bryce Harper comp with the quick stroke and power or not quite that level? There also are rumblings about Teel being top 5 in some mocks if teams view offensive catcher as scarce and his bat and eye a plate seem to play well but maybe just under the main top 5. I know for the most part all the mocks have the main top 5 in various orders but I still think teams might want more than a big corner outfield bat as those can be found lower in the draft as well. Usually the top is saved for up the middle bats and high end pitching but Crews and Langford do look special and others would add Jenkins to that list. Clark looks solid for up the middle and Skenes the best pitcher I have seen at the top in quite a while so maybe it just stays set. Should be an interesting 1st round for sure.

Really enjoy these reports!! Rosario still no top prospect love and he is young for his level at 20 years old and is at the top of league in OPS and HR's. K rate to walk ratio is solid as well. He should be in TD's top 20 prospects by now if you ask me and Twins top 30 at MLB.com. I know he doesn't play up the middle like Miller and Salas but he is essentially the same age (slightly older) and performing much better offensively which is a must to reach MLB. He kept those number the entire first half so time to show him some prospect love IMO. Jose Rodriguez hasn't slowed down in the FCL. Hoping he keeps that bat hot and is on his way to A ball at some point. A lot of interesting bats in the FCL this year especially outfielders. Should be a nice group at Fort Meyers next year.

I really like how Castro fits this team. As mentioned in the OP he can play almost anywhere can bat from both sides and has speed. If the bat holds up he is an absolute must have player as he he fits the super utility role to a tee. I am still skeptical of his plate approach but given the Twins approach in general he can't be much worse. Have to say I didn't have him making the team out of spring training but probably lucky he got some chances to prove he belongs and he could be a big part of this team again if the bat stays productive. Really glad he chose the Twins after the Tigers let him go. He has been fun to watch and a difference maker for this team in many ways.

Kuechel hasn't been good since 2020 but it was nice to see a solid first outing with the Saints. Hopefully he has a good month of work and can help the Twins in some way down the line.

I said it in the last minor league thread and now Cespedes has upped his OPS to 1.068 in June. He has been hitting the ball hard slugging .649. A tough May is keeping his overall numbers down but if can keep things going in July maybe he has turned a corner? Schobel with double digit HR's now and top top 10 in the Midwest league in OPS behind Rosario and Rodriguez. Lot's of good hitters at High A so no wonder their record as a team is so good. Pitching has been pretty good at that level as well. Several players look like they could move up but might be hard to find room. Nice to see the bats getting hotter.

Generally don't wait for an 0 for 5 night to brag on a guy but Cespedes is having a very good June with a .300/407/586 slash line which gives him a .993 OPS for June thus far. Granted his overall numbers haven't picked up much because he had a comically low .370 OPS for the month of May and that is OPS not batting average. A lot of tough at bats in May but hopefully he is on to something and turning a corner as it would be nice for him to up his prospect status. Lot's of good hitters at St. Paul there games are really fun to watch as they are always just one big inning away from blowing games open. Fun year to be a Saints fan.

Brooks Lee with a perfect 2 for 2 day with a couple of walks. Was nice to see the HR. His approach has been solid all year but he has been hitting it right at people so his BABIP is not real high. Still with the K rate under control and his ability to take walks I think he always going to be a tough out. Just needs more time to adjust and he will be OK. When Prato is hitting well I see solid utility player. The thing is he might need to move to another team because that role is packed right now and he isn't getting any younger. He can steal a base and when he is "on" he has a very solid batting line. Honestly not that much different than Lee numbers wise. Consistency is key for him if he is going to make it though. Nice to see the St Paul bats rebound after a really tough game Thursday. Wallner keeping that average up and seems to be K'ing less. He still looks ready for another shot at the Majors but I guess we will have to wait for the trade deadline to see what happens.

I didn't even have Grant making it to the FCL this year even though he did have a good year last year in the DSL. Lot's of players got over shadowed by Mercedes and Rodriguez last year. Isaac Pena is another player I don't know much about whose bat has been hot to start the year as well. I agree with @roger that it would be nice if someone could get a bit more info on some of the new FCL players that are hitting well.

Happy they were able to win despite battling the ump who desperately wanted to help the Tigers out of a tough bases loaded situation. He proceeded to call strike three on Kirilloff on another pitch out of the zone. He gave Kenta a K that wasn't a K as well but those calls with the bases loaded were rally killing. They still found a way to win despite the ejections but that ump needs to look in the mirror and call a better game. People get upset when bad calls are made and there were plenty in this one IMO. The ejections prove the problem especially in key situations for the Twins.

Ump with a grudge K there just to show them that yes he really is that bad.

Sorry not directed at you directly as who you picked looks exactly like a FO pick. I would like to see them go high school as much as makes sense this year as there is a nice group of IFA's in the GCL that they could move up with and create another big wave of really good prospects in the next 4 years. I also don't feel like they necessarily need a fast moving bat at this time so this seems like a good draft to go high school if you believe in the player. Not sure how their modeling works and maybe you get more data points with a college player so the modeling gives you greater confidence in the outcome working out as predicated? Not sure how all that works and I don't have as much info as they have to make decisions I just like to think my opinion means something lol.

I agree why not pick Hurley there? He has the about same rated bat a better arm and better speed. Who cares if he is a centerfielder and they already picked Clark that just means he can play anywhere in the outfield. I don't know why this FO is allergic to speed. Tampa is always trying to get tooled up players and generally have guys that run well. It helps for defense and position versatility. Take the slower guys later in the draft they will be there (i.e. CES, Ortega, Cossetti etc.). Speed helps and is generally gone early take it while you can especially when attached to a decent bat.

I like that you have them taking Clark. I think that is the right play. They don't need a college bat to get to the Majors right away. They have plenty in the pipeline and a 5 tool high schooler with a good bat that could be a superstar player seems like a really good choice at number 5. I could see Teel and Wilson in that spot as well but it feels like a slight step down talent wise. The consensus is strong on the top 5 so it would be hard to move off of that IMO. I just don't see the Twins going pitcher that high with all the great bats available at 5. Will be interesting to see what they decide to do there.

Interesting numbers on Bechtold. Those fastball numbers with a solid slider could make him dominant. I think he should explore the pitching side because while he is a solid hitter I don't know if it is "good enough" to get him to MLB. The arm just might. E-Rods .572 OPS in May was starting to make me wonder if he was going to come back as the same player. As others have noted he has had a monster June with what I calculate as a 1.059 OPS. Also as mentioned earlier as many walks as K's. Looks like he is back to the super star numbers at least for now. He and Rosario are quite the 1, 2 punch for Cedar Rapids. Olivar back to an .800 OPS. He is holding his own in A ball. Just needs a few more extra base hits and he would be ready to move up. He looks like the best hitter on that team for now. Would be nice to see De Andrade get things going again as well. The bats are coming around.

Yeah they still need pitching help but I believe they just put together a 10 game winning streak so they must be limping by better than the Twins are.

I think I would skip. Adding around the margins isn't going to change this teams trajectory. I don't think turning into the MinniCinci Twins is going to work well that is why Cincinnati is getting rid of these guys and building a better younger team. One that already looks like it might be better than this current Twins team.

With the Arraez trade it just kind of feels like the baseball gods are pissing on us. Look I always knew he was going to be a .300 hitter and I thought there might be a few years in there where he hit .350 or so but never in my wildest dreams did I see him hitting near the .400 mark 3 months into any season let alone the first season. The math for me was he was likely a high 700 to low 800 OPS player. He had been that the 4 years prior. Throw in the fact that his knee's were always giving him problems in MN and if he declined physically he had little to no value left. The positions that the farm was producing in abundance were utility, 2nd, 1st, DH type players which is right where Arraez played. Someone had to go and Miami targeted Arraez and only Arraez and the Twins as pretty much proven this year needed one more legit starter and Miami threw in a top 10 prospect and a nice lottery ticket DSL player to get the deal done. We all loved Arraez there isn't a fan who wouldn't love the hard working blue collar guy he was. I loved watching him hit we all did and while maybe the Twins couldn't replace all his production it seemed logical that they could come close. Just look at Donny Solano's numbers right now they are just under what Arraez's were the preceding 4 years. It didn't seem like the Twins were really giving up something that couldn't be close to replaced OPS wise. The math made this an almost no brainer trade to me even though I loved Arraez the player This trade is only three months in and I have to say it has been unbearably bad to this point. Arraez is off the charts good right now and in his prime for 4 more years and with his skills probably longer. Still I am not ready just yet to over react as the season isn't over and who knows how this all turns out in the end. Just look at Baddoo or any player for that matter and things can change from year to year. For now I am willing to admit it looks like the math didn't work out the way I thought it would and Arreaz is making me look really bad. Still I don't think he keeps this kind of hot streak up forever and yet knowing Arreaz maybe he will.

I hate to be that giver upper guy this early but I was thinking along the same lines as the OP. I don't know if we can get anything for the spare parts guys we have on a team that just isn't gelling but there is way too much wrong to save the season. I Would listen on any and every vet we have and trade as many as possible as long as the return is worth it. If the return is low I would go with a lower floor higher ceiling FCL or A ball prospect because average isn't cutting it or helping in any way. For guys with value try to get close to top 100 value back. There is still time to turn this train around and go on a run but even if they would happen to luck out and win the division this team is likely worse than the last place East team so what is the point. They need to find better talent and most of the vets they have aren't helping. Might as well see if any of the young guys can get it done and if not then start the rebuild in earnest again. The mess we have now isn't working. The way one aspect of the team has failed in games makes this team feel cursed. Starting pitcher and pen do well and the offense can't score runs. Offense scores runs and pen gives up the game. Starter gives up the game before it even begins. One area always fails and gives the team no chance. It feels like this team should be better than it is but alas the results say otherwise. FWIW I was all in on most of the FO moves. Trading to get Gray, Mahle, Paddack, and Lopez. I thought getting jorge Lopez at the deadline last year was a great get even though the price was high. I didn't love Trading Arraez but it seemed to make sense and now he is off to a record breaking start. It just feels like no matter what is done it seems to be the wrong thing and or certainly not enough to make this team competitive with other top teams. I guess the only consolation I have is the whole division is just as bad.

Schobel has really turned it on in the month of June with a 306/405/574 slash line which gives him a 979 OPS for the month of June so far. He batted .300 in May with an .800 OPS as well so if not for a really bad April and early May his numbers would be outstanding. His current .800 OPS puts him tied for 10th in the Midwest league just a tick below 1st round pick Jayce Jung who has 3 more more HRS (11) than Schobel but Schobel is hitting better. Right now he looks like a really good pick for a supplemental 2nd rounder. Chris Williams and Matt Wallner appear to be in a Home Run battle. They just keep on hitting long balls and getting on base. I agree with OP that Dobnak had a day. He was randy and looked like the old Randy keeping things down in the zone with little or no damage. Hope he keeps that up. We could use him as a reliever if not a starter. That High A lineup is looking pretty strong with Rosario, Schobel, Cardenas, Cossetti, Rodriguez, Morales and Ross. All those hitters have been tough outs this year. Miller and Salas bats are bordering on inept but hoping to see improvement in the second half.