Jeremy Nygaard

Kiley McDaniel has really explored some... well, alternate ideas for this draft. Yankees blowing through their spending limit and taking the penalties that come with it. I don't think that would alter the Twins thinking much. Today he explored Crews not going first. Reading between the lines, it seems as though Boras may be trying to push Crews to Washington. He doesn't say Boras by name, however. He also suggests that Jenkins wouldn't go 1 either because it's the same rep. Boras spent last year in bed with with Rangers. It could all be leverage plays to squeeze as much money out for his guys as possible, but there are worse scenarios than the Pirates going underslot with Clark. Crews to the Nationals. The Tigers choosing between Skenes and Langford (actually that does suck for the Twins). Jenkins going 4 to the Rangers and the Twins *hopefully* getting Skenes or Langford dropped into their lap. It's crazy season for sure.

You're right. I'll have Rosario in my Top 20 in my next update, I'd assume. There will be some first-half awards getting posted in the next couple of days. I voted Rosario as my #1 hitter; curious to see where he ends up when all the votes are counted.

I'm not super high on Dollander, tbh. He'll probably prove me wrong by getting drafted by the Royals and holding the Twins to like a 0.34 ERA over the course of his long and illustrious 14-year MLB career... but he just doesn't do it for me. Skenes, absolutely. Lowder, yes. Meyer, I could be convinced. Dollander, nope. But like I said on Twitter, commenters always want to talk Dollander, so we obliged.

Chase Dollander is a name that many Twins fans began to familiarize themselves with when they were fortunate enough to make a leap up in the lottery. At that time, Dollander was considered the top pitching prospect. Also at that time, fans were far less concerned with the Twins lineup and the hitters in the system than they were with a suspect starting rotation. Image courtesy of Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel Over the next two weeks, we're going to be providing you with profiles of 10 players the Twins could take with the fifth pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Who is He? Chase Dollander is currently ranked as the 7th overall prospect on the latest edition of the Consensus Big Board. Dollander is a 6' 3", 195-pound right-handed pitcher from Tennessee. After spending his freshman season at Georgia Southern (and striking out nearly 12 per nine innings), Dollander transferred to Tennessee and went 10-0. He struck out 108 in 79 innings (12.3 K/9) and only walked 13 batters. He entered the off-season as the top pitching prospect and possibly the top overall prospect. But in 2023 Dollander looked much more human. He was 7-6 and his ERA increased from 2.39 to 4.96. His strikeout numbers were similar (12.1 K/9), but he walked twice as many batters (from 1.5 to 3.0 BB/9). He was much more hittable (WHIP increased from 0.797 to 1.270) and gave up twice as many home runs. If he didn't have the near-perfect 2022 to lean on, Dollander's "stuff" still probably gets him drafted on Day 1 in 2023. But who Dollander was in 2023 was not the best pitcher in college baseball. According to JD Cameron: Why the Twins Will Draft Him It's extremely difficult to acquire a top-of-the-line starting pitcher. If the Twins were dead-set on adding a pitcher - and nothing indicates they are - Dollander would be a top-four option after Paul Skenes is selected. The upside on Dollander is significant. He's got an overpowering fastball, multiple breaking balls, and a change-up; all of which project to be usable in the big leagues. Dollander would likely become the club's highest-ranked starting pitching prospect when you consider risk and proximity to the major leagues. He also would likely appear on the back half of some Top 100 lists. You could do worse than giving yourself a top pitching prospect, right? Why the Twins Won't Draft Him Dollander's stock has dropped since the Twins' stroke of lottery luck. The Twins are suckers for sliders and Dollander's has regressed. It's totally within the realm of possibilities that the Twins could tinker with his mechanics and get the 2022 version of Dollander back, but in the world of "what have you done for me lately?" there are other college pitchers, specifically, that have done a lot more than Dollander has. And as the saying goes, "there's no such thing as a pitching prospect." What do you think? Would you take Dollander if you were making the call? View full article

The minor-league review is back after a one-week hiatus. Now that we’ve reached the halfway point - some levels have started their second halves already - let’s take a look at what we’ve missed. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints Since it’s a unique time of the season, full-season affiliates don’t play again until Wednesday and because we didn’t have the same recap last Monday, this week’s report will look a little bit different. Next week’s will be back to the normal report. Stats will be from the last 15 days. Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 43-31 Overview: The Saints finished the season a half-game out in the International League West, but five games behind first-half IL champ Norfolk. Norfolk will advance to the IL best-of-three League Championship Series. The best second-half record - aside from Norfolk - will advance to play Norfolk. All teams start with a clean slate. 🔥: Chris Williams went on a run that was quite impressive. In his last two weeks, he’s hit eight home runs and driven in 18 runs, along with scoring 14 runs of his own. Only three teammates scored more runs than he had home runs. And only two teammates drove in more runs than he had home runs. He also managed nine walks, but did strike out 14 times. He’s seen a little time behind the plate this year, but has mostly played first base. 🔥: Randy Dobnak has battled injuries for quite some time, but his last three starts have been glimpses of the old Randy. In 12 innings, he’s struck out 13 while only walking one. Though he’s allowed 14 hits, he’s only allowed one earned run. 🔥: Andrew Stevenson’s been overshadowed by Williams, but has been on a nice run himself. Over his last 10 games, he has three home runs, two triples, a double and 12 singles. He’s also stolen four bases and has walked five times while only striking out four times. 🔥: Kody Funderburk ended out the first half with six performance spanning 7 1/3 innings. He struck out 12, walked two and only allowed a single run on four hits. 🔥: Matt Wallner has put up a .279/.439/.488 line while Jose Miranda hasn’t been as good at .268/.348/.439. 😉: Dallas Keuchel threw four innings of one-run ball in his organizational debut. 🥶: Aaron Sanchez struggled over his last three starts. He walked 13 and yielded 16 hits that resulted in 14 earned runs over 12 1/3 innings. 🥶: Trevor Larnach has struck out time 14 times in 30 at-bats since being sent down. His .639 OPS doesn’t have a great path to go anywhere but up. What's Next: The Saints will kick off their second half against Gwinnett on Wednesday. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 28-40 Overview: Wichita finished with the lowest winning percentage in the Texas League. 🔥: DaShawn Keirsey slashed .319/.396/.596 over his last 12 games and 47 at-bats. He homered three times, stole three bases and both walked and struck out six times. He’s more than deserving of a promotion, but there’s a logjam of outfielders at St. Paul, so he’ll have to remain in Wichita until there’s room. 🔥: Aaron Rozek struck out 11 in 10 2/3 innings. He allowed only two runs on four hits and two walks (and two hit batters). 🔥: When Alerick Soularie is healthy, he’s very good. He hit three home runs and added a double in 32 at-bats the last two weeks. He also stole three bases with more walks (7) than strikeouts (5). 🤔: Regi Grace is something. He’s got serious stuff, but he walked four in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out seven. 🤔: Yunior Severino gets a lot of hits (12 in 43 at-bats), but also strikes out a ton (14 in 42 at-bats). 🤔: Pierson Ohl completed 12 innings in his two starts. He only allowed 10 hits and a walk for a WHIP of 0.92, but he struggled keeping the ball in the yard, surrendering three home runs and having an ERA of 5.25. 🥶: David Festa allowed seven runs on 10 hits and four walks in 11 1/3 innings. He did strike out 15 though. 🥶: Yoyner Fajardo’s season started with a bang, but he’s cooled off. In his last 10 games, he’s got an OPS of .512. What's Next: Wichita’s second-half will start at home against Northwest Arkansas. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 2-1 in the second half. Overview: The Kernels clinched a post-season berth on account of winning the Midwest League Western Division with a 40-26 record. 🔥: Emmanuel Rodriguez is the team’s top prospect and he’s starting to play like it. Sixteen hits in 46 at-bats over his last 12 games, including three doubles, a triple and three home runs. He drove in nine, scored 14 and stole four bases. He still struck out a lot (12 times), but drew nine walks. 🔥: Cory Lewis has made three starts since his promotion. In the last two weeks, he made two of those starts and allowed five hits and three walks in 10 innings. He struck out 12 and allowed a single earned run. 🔥: Kala’i Rosario continues to tear up High-A. Three more home runs, two more doubles, double-digit runs and RBI in his last 11 games… and more walks (12) than strikeouts (8). 😉: Newly-promoted Jorel Ortega only has 20 at-bats, but he has an OPS north of 1.000 so far. 🥶: Keoni Cavaco ended his half 1-for-11 and was placed on the Development List. 🥶: Jaylen Nowlin allowed 11 runs on 15 hits and seven walks in 8 2/3 innings. He struck out 11. What's Next: The Kernels will visit Peoria this week. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 1-1 in the second half. Overview: Fort Myers finished 34-32 in the first half, but missed the playoffs by 10.5 games. 🔥: Rubel Cespedes has three home runs in his last 12 games. He also leads the team with nine RBI, five doubles and 13 total hits. 🔥: Ben Ethridge (12 2/3 innings, six hits, two walks, eight strikeouts), C.J. Culpepper (11 innings, six hits, three walks, 12 strikeouts), Andrew Morris (11 innings, six hits, three walks, eight strikeouts) all started multiple games and had WHIPs below 1.00 and opponent batting averages under .170. 🔥: Jorel Ortega (before promotion), Maddux Houghton and Danny De Andrade all had 10 hits over the last 12 games. 🥶: Rafael Cruz and Dylan Neuse both had sub-.200 batting averages over the last 12 games. 🥶: Develson Aria allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings over two starts. What's Next: Fort Myers will host Lakeland. Rookie: FCL Twins Overall: 9-5, 1.5 games behind the FCL Pirates in the FCL South. Overview: Riding a four-game winning streak and being tied for least runs allowed are two signs of a good baseball team. It’s hard to look at individuals even over a two-week period because they’re given so much time off. Only three players played nine games, so we’ll focus on those three hitters. 🔥: Jose Rodriguez and Isaac Pena both had 11 hits and are hit .297 and .314, respectively. 🔥: Luis De Leon struck out 20 in 14 innings. He allowed nine hits and seven walks. 🤔: Bryan Acuna was brutal in his first handful of games but has rebounded nicely with eight hits in his last eight games. He did strike out 10 times though. Rookie: DSL Twins Overall: 5-10, 6-5 games back in the DSL South. Overview: Going .500 for 10 games is considerably better than the 0-5 start. The filter isn’t working properly, so I can only see full-season stats. 🔥: Dameury Pena has 18 hits in his first 12 games. He’s batting .391 and has four walks and four strikeouts. He’s listed as a second baseman. Is that enough to make a really early player comparison? 🔥: Yilber Herrera has walked 15 times already. He’s only struck out seven times and despite only having eight hits on the year, he’s scored 13 runs. 🔥: Miguel Cordero has 19 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings and WHIP of 1.11. 🥶: Cristian Hernandez has made three starts spanning 9 1/3 innings. He’s allowed 15 earned runs on 16 hits and eight walks. 🥶: Ariel Castro and Moises Lopez both have 22 strikeouts and sub-.200 batting averages. PROSPECT SUMMARY will return next week as will the PLAYERS OF THE WEEK as we will go in-depth with half-season awards later this week. View full article

It's more about who they get cute with, if that's the route. Rhett Lowder or Noble Meyer do way more for me than the group of college hitting infielders that are mentioned. If taking Lowder at #5 saves enough money to push another Top 20 player later, I'd consider it... Lowder is really, really good. I think a lot of people who didn't know are realizing it after last night. The gap between him and Skenes isn't as great as has been perceived. (There's still a gap, obviously.)

Yep. I think that's a possibility for sure.

The latest mock featured here is a dual mock draft done by Jamie Cameron and me. We alternated back and forth for the Top 39 selections in the upcoming draft. Image courtesy of Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK. (Max Clark pictured) Our inaugural attempt was met with minimal success. We didn't strike out, though; you can check it out for yourself here. Additionally, you'll notice an uptick in draft coverage beginning Monday with potential draftees' profiles. 1. Pirates (JN) - Dylan Crews, OF, LSU Crews is simply too good to consider playing money games with any other prospect. Slam-dunk, open-and-shut. Crews to the Pirates and straight to the Top 10 prospects in all of baseball. 2. Nationals (JC) - Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU Skenes is the best pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg. He’s had a historical season and represents an incredibly rare opportunity to draft an ace. Mike Rizzo likely won’t pass up the chance to draft a generational pitching talent. 3. Tigers (JN) - Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida If it wasn’t for the giant shadow that Crews casts, Langford would have a great shot to hear his name called first overall. A boon for the Tigers. Langford will immediately be their #1 prospect. 4. Rangers (JC) - Walker Jenkins, OF, South Brunswick HS, NC The Rangers, who don’t have a ton of financial flexibility coming into this draft, have been all over Jenkins this spring. Jenkins and Clark form an impressive prep tandem at the top of this class. It’s simply a matter of what your preferred profile is. 5. Twins (JN) - Max Clark, OF, Franklin HS, IN All indications suggest the Twins aren’t going to simply take whoever remains from the “top 5,” but Clark is the top prospect available and, aside from overthinking it, should be a relatively easy choice for the Twins. 6. Athletics (JC) - Kyle Teel, C, Virginia The Athletics are surely hoping one of the consensus top-five drops to them at six. That’s not what happens in this scenario, so they target someone from the next group of college bats. Teel showed development in all aspects of his game this spring. A left-handed hitting catcher with a great offensive profile is hard to find. 7. Reds (JN) - Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest After going pitch-for-pitch with Paul Skenes, Lowder has elevated his profile enough to the point where he seems like the definite second college pitcher off the board and a Top 10 pick. 8. Royals (JC) - Arjen Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest HS, FL The Royals are miles away from competing and have shown a propensity to the highly productive prep shortstop demographic in the past. Nimmala fits the dual profile of ‘incredible tools with a high ceiling’. The Royals have time to let him develop. 9. Rockies (JN) - Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Florida The Rockies went the college pitching route last year when it didn’t seem like the obvious move. Fortunately, even after seeing two college pitchers come off the board early, they still have a choice between Waldrep and Dollander. 10. Marlins (JC) - Chase Davis, OF, Arizona I think Davis will be this year’s Kumar Rocker. The Marlins have a stable of excellent young starting pitching talent but have struggled to develop bats. Davis is one of the best upside plays in the draft, with underlying numbers that rival Crews and Langford. 11. Angels (JN) - Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland After hitting on Zach Neto last year, the Angels are focused on college hitters. Enrique Bradfield is another name to consider, but Shaw can be a quick-moving hitter who become Neto’s double-play partner in the near future. 12. Diamondbacks (JC) - Aidan Miller, 3B, Mitchell HS, FL Miller has been ‘out of sight out of mind’ a little this spring due to injury, but he’s one of the most physical, highest-upside preps in the class. An injury-free Miller would easily have been a top-ten pick in this loaded draft class. 13. Cubs (JN) - Colin Houck, SS, Parkview HS, FL Would be a natural stopping point for Dollander’s fall or a place to consider Noble Meyer. But all indications are that the Cubs are focused on a hitter. Shaw and Miller may both be higher on their board, but Houck is an excellent consolation prize. 14. Red Sox (JC) - Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee The slide stops here. It’s hard to predict where Dollander will end up after an uneven 2023, but the middle of the first feels like the floor. He’s shown front-of-the-rotation potential and lots of the buzz on his 2023 season has been that his issues are mechanical. This pick could end up a steal. 15. White Sox (JN) - Enrique Bradfield, OF, Vanderbilt Bradfield hasn’t been linked to the White Sox much, but the value of an 80-grade runner and defender is too much to pass up at this point in the first round. 16. Giants (JC) - Tommy Troy, 2B, Stanford Troy is the eighth overall player on the Consensus Board, so this is both a value play and a logical fit. The Giants have been linked to college bats all spring, and Troy has a solid all-around profile and a high floor. 17. Orioles (JN) - Bryce Eldridge, 1B/RHP, James Madison HS, VA The Orioles are loaded and can take somewhat of a gamble on a potential two-way player in Eldridge. There’s a lot of smoke behind this pairing. 18. Brewers (JC) - Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Mississippi Once a consensus top-five prospect in the class, Gonzalez’s stock has been hurt by a 2023 season in which Ole Miss failed to qualify for the postseason and his power production was down from 2022. There’s a ton to like here, excellent bat-to-ball skills and a good approach. This is great value at 18. 19. Rays (JN) - Brayden Taylor, 3B, TCU Taylor’s stock was much higher before the season, then fell off… before rebounding after a strong close to this season. He may be off the board by this point, but the Rays are getting great value if he drops to them. 20. Blue Jays (JC) - Noble Meyer, Jesuit HS, OR The Blue Jays have been linked with both prep and college players. After drafting Brandon Barriera with their first pick in 2023, they land comfortably the best prep arm in the 2023 class. Meyer has nasty stuff and a ton of upside. 21. Cardinals (JN) - Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Florida Atlantic The Cardinals have been a giant disappointment this season and maybe be sellers at the deadline. Schanuel isn’t going to help immediately but may be the first baseman of the future in the post-Goldy era… which is coming sooner than anyone expected. 22. Mariners (JC) - Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon The Mariners control the latter end of the first round, with three picks in quick succession. Wilson is a unique talent with elite bat-to-ball skills (he struck out 12 times over two seasons for Grand Canyon). The Mariners are another team that has developed pitching well but needs more bats in the system and Wilson is great value here. 23. Guardians (JN) - Thomas White, LHP, Phillips Academy, MA Whenever I have to choose for Cleveland, I look for a pitcher I would want my favorite team to pick. There wasn’t a great college option in my opinion, so I was torn between White and Charlee Soto. When in doubt, go with the southpaw. 24. Braves (JC) - George Lombard Jr, 3B, Gulliver Prep HS, FL The Braves have been linked to a bunch of prep hitters. Lombard is one of the best of the bunch. He should develop excellent power and stick at a corner infield spot. 25. Padres (JN) - Blake Mitchell, C, Sinton HS, TX There is no high-profile injured pitcher to take, so it’s the highest-upside hitter. Mitchell could go much higher; Preller will stop the fall. 26. Yankees (JC) - Kevin McGonigle, SS, Monsignor Bonner HS, PA The Yankees have been linked with all kinds of players this spring, particularly prep hitters. This is a sweet spot in the draft for that demographic. Lombard and Walker Martin would also be good fits here. McGonigle has a great hit tool to build on. 27. Phillies (JN) - Charlee Soto, RHP, Reborn Christian HS, FL Philadelphia always seems to have pitchers fall into their laps. I’m not sure which pitcher they prefer of the next wave available, but Soto has the potential to be very good. 28. Astros (JC) - Brock Wilken, 3B, Wake Forest The Astros went with a good value college hitter in 2022 with Stillwater’s Drew Gilbert. Wilken has had an outstanding 2023, matching his power output with newfound patience at the plate. He’s a great fit coming from an analytically friendly college program. 29. Mariners (JN) Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick - Dillon Head, OF, Homewood-Flossmoor HS, IL Wanted to pair Seattle with a tumbling prep pitcher with their added picks and money, but sniped myself with White and Soto. Head is the top prep still available. Competitive Balance Round A 30. Mariners (JC) - Walker Martin, SS, Eaton HS, CO The Mariners have a huge bonus pool available and are in a position to pick back-to-back from the prep-rich bats portion of the draft. Martin is an incredibly talented shortstop prospect who developed prodigious power in 2022. 31. Rays (JN) - Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami Doubling up on college third basemen may seem redundant, but it’s the Rays and they have a special way of going about things. 32. Mets (JC) - Roch Cholowsky, SS, Chandler HS, AZ The hard luck Mets finally got a pick. Cholowsky is an impressive two-sport athlete who might be a tough sign away from UCLA. He does everything in the infield well and put up some gaudy numbers at the combine. 33. Brewers (JN) - Steven Echavarria, RHP, Millburn HS, NJ There are a number of arms that could come off the board in this range and finding the right prep pitcher is going to be very dependent on price tags. The Brewers would have to keep Echavarria from a Florida commitment, but there is a high upside here. 34. Twins (JC) - Colton Ledbetter, OF, Mississippi State A strong floored college bat makes sense for the Twins at 34. Ledbetter has an elite approach at the plate and burgeoning power after transferring to the SEC in 2023. He has some of the best analytical markers of any college bat in the class. 35. Marlins (JN) - Cole Carrigg, C/SS/OF, San Diego State The Marlins are reaping the benefits of having hitters without defined (or - you could argue - strong) defensive positions. Carrigg had a strong combine and can provide both a bat and strong defense at multiple positions. 36. Dodgers (JC) - Sammy Stafura, SS, Walter Panas HS, NY Stafura is a helium cold-weather shortstop who does everything well. He’s gone from anonymous to a borderline first-round prospect in a matter of months and the Dodgers' player development is second to none. 37. Tigers (JN) - Travis Sykora, RHP, Round Rock HS, TX Sykora is a big, strapping, explosive pitcher with enormous upside. Allowed to pick a safe pick in Langford earlier, the Tigers can take a big swing with the young Texan. 38. Reds (JC) - Joe Whitman, LHP, Kent State Whitman is another prospect who has zoomed up draft boards in the late spring. After struggling at Purdue he transferred to Kent State and dominated before a promising start on the Cape. Hard-throwing left-handed college pitchers are a sought-after demographic and Whitman has overtaken Hunter Owen as the best in the class. 39. Athletics (JN) - Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech After drafting Teel in the first round, the A’s get another strong college bat (among other tools as well) in Hurley. He has had success in front of big crowds - something he’ll hopefully get to play in front of again someday. What do you think of our mock draft of the first round? Who will get more selections correct? Which picks are most wrong? Discuss in the COMMENTS today. View full article

I don't think it's out of the question to see the top two picks be prep players or two of the top three. The Twins will likely save money on their first pick and save more money at the end of the second day. Their comp and second round picks are prime spots to throw money at a tumbling prep.

This will be the final installment in the #PersonalCheeseball series as we look at five pitchers who should expect to be off the board in the Top 10 rounds. Could any of these five pitchers exceed expectations and lead a rotation in the future? The term “personal cheeseball” (better represented by #personalcheeseball) originated over twenty years ago in the Baseball America offices when former writer and current Twins scout John Manuel started using it as “shorthand for a personal favorite that does not reflect the popular consensus.” And, again, as a warning, my radar isn’t reflective of any single team’s preferences or draft board. It’s pretty amazing that 10 of the 12 top active pitchers in career bWAR were first-round draft picks. Clayton Kershaw (7th overall), Justin Verlander (2nd), Zack Greinke (6th), Max Scherzer (11th), Cole Hamels (still active? Hmmm; 17th), Adam Wainwright (29th), Chris Sale (13th), Madison Bumgarner (10th), Gerrit Cole (1st) and Stephen Strasburg (1st) all went in the first round. Amazingly, all but two went in the top 13 picks. A vast majority of the elite pitchers in the game today never even had the opportunity to be drafted by most teams. There are only two others - Corey Kluber (4th round) and Jacob deGrom (9th round) - who are outliers to that trend. When teams draft a pitcher (or any player really) on the second day of the draft, they’d love to find someone who will eventually contribute at the big league level. Most don’t. And very few become stars at the major league level. But that doesn’t means teams don’t try. Today, we’ll look at five pitchers expected to go either late on Day 1 or on Day 2. Will any of them make a major league impact? That’s a question we won’t be able to answer for many years. Charlee Soto, Florida prep (committed to Central Florida): Soto has been trending up, so much so that he’s likely to be drafted on the first day, if not the first round. A long, young dude with a big arm, it’s easy to dream about Soto being at the front of a rotation in the future. Soto could be a prime candidate to “fall” to a team who just happens to have some extra money banked up and someone I'd put near the top of potential draft candidates at #34 or #49. Zander Mueth, Illinois prep (committed to Mississippi): It would be easy to say many of the same things about Mueth, who is also a big, young right-hander with electric stuff. Mueth trends a little lower as he battles control, but should hear his name called early on Day 2. At some point after that, he’d likely honor his college commitment and re-enter the 2026 draft. Sean Sullivan, Wake Forest: Sullivan will be pitching in the upcoming College World Series, so the lefty still has some time to make an impact on his draft stock. His stuff doesn’t jump out at you, but his results do as he has a K/9 of over 15 on the season. Some may consider him the best college lefty in the draft, while others don’t have him in the Top 100. For my money, he’d be a steal if he falls to the fourth round. Connor O’Halloran, Michigan: Another lefty who doesn’t have eye-popping stuff, but gets results, O’Halloran will probably come off the board during the second half of Day 2. I think there might be more in the tank, though, and with the right development, you could see a mid-rotation starter. And if not, he’s a serviceable bullpen arm. Lebarron Johnson, Texas: Johnson has the ideal pitcher build and a repertoire to support it. His mid-to-high 90s fastball works well with his low-90s slider. But there are enough other question marks to push Johnson to the second day. Some team is going to hope to develop him into a starter, knowing that even if that doesn’t pan out, the fastball/slider combo is playable. There are plenty of others that could have been listed here. This isn’t to say anyone is or isn’t going to be a good draft or baseball prospect. If you have your own local #personalcheeseball, leave it in the comments! View full article

With the MLB Draft less than a month away and the Twins having the fifth pick overall, there are five big names on the board. One has to be there for the Twins to take. View full video

There are a number of players making rehab appearances throughout the system. Two affiliates just began their season. Two teams remain in first place as season's first half is winding down. It was a busy week down on the farm. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. TRANSACTIONS None as of publishing. View Monday's transactions here. RESULTS Monday (6/5): Complex Opening Days! Tuesday (6/6): Saints Celebrate Grand Old Day Wednesday (6/7): Camargo Continues to Clobber for Saints Thursday (6/8): Lewis Dominant in Kernels Debut Friday (6/9): Raya and MacLeod Handle Business in Dayton Saturday (6/10): Maeda Crushes Rehab Assignment in Odd Day on the Farm Sunday (6/11): Soularie Slugs in Wichita, Cardenas Clobbers for Kernels MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Is the Next Joe Ryan Already in the Twins System? One Prospect Might Be Developing Into Minnesota’s Catcher of the Future Jordan Balazovic, Coming to a Bullpen Near You TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (5:35PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez Wichita @ Midland (6:30PM CST) - TBD South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30PM CST) - TBD See Pitching Probables here. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 4-3) Overall: 36-26, 0.5 game ahead in the International League West. Overview: The Saints won the series against Iowa, keeping them at bay. But the bigger week awaits… 🔥: Jair Camargo had a huge week. He hit four home runs and drove in 11. 🔥: Brent Headrick allowed two home runs, but struck out four and only allowed four total hits in seven innings. He would be next up if the Twins need a starter, but… 🔥: Kenta Maeda gave up only three hits in four innings and struck out five. He will be ready to return to the Twins in the next couple of weeks. 🔥: The rest of lineup was also very good. Andrew Stevenson led the organization with 13 hits. Joey Gallo (on rehab) and Andrew Bechtold both had two home runs. In total, eight hitters had double-digit total-base weeks. In the rest of the organization, there was only ten. (Though in fairness, the Saints did play seven games.) 🤔: Jordan Balazovic is going to be a passenger on the long-man shuttle soon. He struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings over two appearances. He did issue six walks, which is a problem. 🥶: Three potential contributor for the big club - Simeon Woods Richardson, Ronny Henriquez and Randy Dobnak - were all bad this week. I’ll spare you the gross details, but in nine combined innings, they allowed 23 hits and 12 walks resulting in 21 runs. 🥶: Ryan LaMarre was 0-for-11 with five strikeouts. What's Next: A showdown at Louisville (35-26) for IL West supremacy. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 2-4) Overall: 23-33, 13.5 games back in the Texas League North. Overview: Wichita couldn’t gain ground on San Antonio, dropping four of six, but does end the week with a win. 🔥: Alerick Soularie has struggled to stay in the lineup consistently, but returned from a brief absence to hit two home runs on Sunday. He hadn’t hit a home run since April 15, though he missed a few weeks in early May. 🔥: David Festa and Blayne Enlow have been better, but they were the best of the team’s starters. Both allowed one earned run while striking out four. Enlow went a full five inning, while Festa recorded two less outs. 🤔: Yunior Severino tied for the team-lead in total bases (12), but led the team with eight strikeouts. 🥶: Welcome to AA, Pierson Ohl . In his first start since being promoted, Ohl allowed five runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out two. 🥶: Anthony Prato went hitless in 11 at-bats. What's Next: Wichita will head to Midland (26-31) who does have a positive run differential, but has dropped nine of their last 10. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 3-3) Overall: 32-25, 3.5 games up in the Midwest League West. Overview: Kernels settle for a split with Dayton, but increase their lead in the division. 🔥: Emmanuel Rodriguez would be here for only striking out once in 24 plate appearances. But he also had six hits, a home run, stole a base and drew five walks. 🔥: Welcome to high-A, Cory Lewis ! Eight strikeouts in five shutout innings is an impressive feat. 🔥: Marco Raya gave up a run, but he threw a season-high four innings. 🔥: Ben Ross continues to hit. His team-leading eight hits included two doubles and two home runs. 🥶: Zebby Matthews had a great debut, but didn’t make it out of the first inning in his start this week. He gave up eight runs on eight hits and only retired two batters. 🥶: It’s not new, but Jose Salas (1-for-13, 6 K) and Misael Urbina (1-for-15, 2 K) continue to not look equipped to handle this level of baseball. What's Next: It’s another showdown. Second-place South Bend (28-28) will look to make up ground on Cedar Rapids as the end of the first half quickly approaches. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 2-4) Overall: 30-27, 10.5 games behind Clearwater in the Florida State League West. Overview: It could have gone worse against the league’s top team. 🔥: Rubel Cespedes has rebounded after a bad May. This past week he led the team with eight hits, 13 total bases, five RBI and tied for the team lead in runs (4), doubles (2) and home runs (1). 🔥: A.J. Labas struck out eight in 4 1/3 innings over three appearances. He walked one and allowed two hits. 😏: Austin Martin is back on rehab. Not doing much yet production-wise, but it’s nice to have him back. On Thursday, he made a catch in left field to end the third inning. Unfortunately, he collided with shortstop Danny De Andrade and didn't play the rest of the week. They will see how he progresses this week to determine if they will restart his 20-day rehab timeline. 🥶: Develson Aria walked five in 1 2/3 innings. It resulted in four runs. What's Next: Fort Myers will go to Bradenton (30-27) to battle it out for second place. Rookie: FCL Twins (Week: 3-2) Overall: 3-2, in a three-way tie for first place in the FCL South. Overview: The complex teams kicked off their season. This will be a fun team to follow. 🔥: Jose Rodriguez led the team with eight hits in 21 at-bats. He doubled twice and drove in two runs. 🔥: Local product John Klein struck out 11 in four innings in his season debut. 🥶: Bryan Acuna - you may have heard of at least one of his brother - has had a cold start to this season. One hit in 15 at-bats. Eight strikeouts. 😉: Connor Prielipp struggled in his rehab start, but him throwing again is a good sign. Rookie: DSL Twins (Week: 0-5) Overall: 0-5, 4.0 games back in the DSL South. Overview: Not a great start to the season. Only a few of these players will ever make it stateside, but we’ll still cover the good… and less good. 🔥: Hendry Chivilli is going to be one of the more-watched prospects on this team. He got two hits in his first game, but then hit the injured list. 🔥: Adrian Bohorquez - who you have likely never heard of - accumulated all nine of his outs by strikeout. He allowed three hits and a walk which resulted in two runs (one earned). 🥶: Yency De Jesus is one of the oldest players on the roster and struggled in his lone outing. He recorded two outs, but issued two walks, allowed four hits and seven runs (three earned). 🥶: Angel Trinidad and Jesus Peraza were the only two hitters not hit safely this week. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated on the first of each month throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. (Season-long stats will be in parenthesis.) 20. Michael Helman, UTIL, St. Paul: On the Injured List with a dislocated shoulder. (.333/.434/.711. 1.145 OPS) 19. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 6-27, 3 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, 8 K. (.274/.348/.527. .875 OPS). 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 8-21, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K. (.381/.417/.476. .893 OPS) 17. Blayne Enlow, RHP, Wichita: 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 7 H, ER, 2 HB, 4 K. (1.13 WHIP, .236 BAA) 16. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 15. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 2.57 ERA, 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 HRA, BB, 4 K. (1.30 WHIP, .270 BAA) 14. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 4.26 ERA, 6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, HRA, 6 BB, 10 K. (1.53 WHIP, .250 BAA) 13. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 4-16, RBI, 2 BB, 3 K. (.208/.283/.279. .562 OPS), played shortstop in five games (45 total) and committed one error in 13 chances (five errors in 179 total chances); played no games (six total) at second base (no errors in 16 total chances). 12. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 1-13, RBI, R, 6 BB, 6 K, 2 SB, CS. (.155/.253/.211. .464 OPS), played one game at shortstop (11 total) and committed no errors in three chances (three errors in 36 chances total), played no games (10 total) at third base (three errors in 22 total chances). He played four games (25 total) at second base with one error in 16 chances (two errors in 100 total chances). 11. Austin Martin, SS, Fort Myers: 0-4, BB, K. FCL Twins: 1-2, HR, RBI, R, SB. Martin has played two games at second base and one game in left field so far. 10. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: 3-21, 2B, RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K, SB, CS. (.143/.240/.190. .430 OPS) 9. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: 8-27, 3 2B, 3 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 9 K. (.299/.405/.549. 954 OPS); Minnesota: (.368/.520/.579. 1.099 OPS) 8. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 2.08 ERA, 4.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 4 K. (1.42 WHIP, .255 BAA) 7. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 16.20 ERA, 3.1 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, HRA, 4 BB, 3 K (1.96 WHIP, .322 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 6. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 4.0 IP, 3 H, ER, HB, 3 K. (0.73 WHIP, .157 BAA) 5. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: On a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. Pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks. He struck out four. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 4. Edouard Julien, 2B, St. Paul: 4-14, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K. (.293/.435/.496. .931 OPS), has played all 34 games at second base and has committed three errors in 158 chances; Minnesota: 3-7, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB, 3 K, SB (.246/.338/.478. .816 OPS) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 6-18, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 6 R, 5 BB, K, SB. (.198/.355/.397. .752 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: Minnesota: 8-16, 3 RBI, R, 4 K (.317/.317/.488. .805 OPS). 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 5-19, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R, 5 BB, 7 K, CS. (.262/.349/.416. .765 OPS), played five games (48 total) at shortstop and committed one error in 18 chances (five errors in 197 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (as voted on by fans on Twitter) PITCHER - Cory Lewis, Cedar Rapids. (Lewis 53%, Headrick 31%, Labas 8%, Klein 8%) HITTER - Jair Camargo, St. Paul. (Camargo 83%, Ross 14%, Centeno 3%) Who would have been your picks? Any early season surprises or disappointments? Ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects in the COMMENTS below. View full article

The most specific thing I've heard is concerns about his social-media presence and how he portrays himself. That seems weird to me. But, on the flip side, no one is saying *anything* publicly unless they've heard that more than once, if that makes sense. I probably wouldn't pay any mind to it, but the Twins really value character. So if they think he's even a 40 character guy, they probably don't take him... at least that's my gut reaction.

We’ve covered all the positions in this series, so we’re going to circle back and look at three under-the-radar outfielders as well as two outfielders that are very much on the radar. The term “personal cheeseball” (better represented by #personalcheeseball) originated over twenty years ago in the Baseball America offices when former writer and current Twins scout John Manuel started using it as “shorthand for a personal favorite that does not reflect the popular consensus.” And, again, as a warning, my radar isn’t reflective of any single team’s preferences or draft board. Chase Davis, Arizona: Davis being projected as a late first-round pick or comp round pick is baffling to me. He put up ridiculous numbers with in-game power while walking more than he struck out. Even the behind-the-curtain numbers are really good. He may be a victim of a strong draft, but if a team gets him after #20 it will be an absolute steal. Duce Robinson, Arizona prep (committed to USC): But it’s a lot more complicated than that. Robinson isn’t committed to playing baseball at USC. He’s going to be a Trojan tight end. But he does sound committed to playing pro baseball… too. Whatever team drafts him - if he signs - will only have Robinson from spring training through July. He’ll then spend the rest of the year being a college football player. He hasn’t played a ton of baseball, but when he has he’s impressed. There’s certainly enough there for a team to take a risk, because there’s high-reward upside. Wyatt Langford, Florida: Langford is clearly an on-the-radar player in this draft. But probably underrated in that everything he does is in the shadow of Dylan Crews. This is an extremely strong draft and in a normal year, Langford has a strong debate to go first overall. There’s been so much talk about Crews and Paul Skenes that Langford hasn’t gotten the pub he deserves. Unfortunately, he’s probably gone before your favorite team drafts at #5. Over the past twenty years, teams have tried to find value in skills that other teams don’t. It was the basis for Moneyball. It’s been analytic-driven, for sure. From on-base percentage to exit velocities and spin rates. I suggested many years ago that I thought speed and stolen bases would become the next “market deficiency.” It hasn’t come to full fruition yet, but we’ve seen an uptick in teams stealing bases and I expect that trend to continue. Enrique Bradfield, Vanderbilt: I’ve written about Bradfield a few times and for good reason. He offers 80 speed and can be the catalyst for the next trendy idea to take the league by storm: super speed. Bradfield is not a power/speed combination player, so there will be plenty of opportunities to steal second (and third) base… assuming he can reach base. He’s a better-fielding version of Billy Hamilton as a floor and even as he ages - and Hamilton has - his speed should be a weapon for a long time. Tampa Bay has stolen 14 more bases than any other team, but doesn’t draft until nineteenth overall. I expect Bradfield to be long gone by then. I think the A’s (#6) and Reds (#7) to the Diamondbacks (#12) are the sweet spot for Bradfield. Zyhir Hope, Virginia prep (committed to North Carolina): Hope has elite speed. But the rest is, well… a lot of hope. I’d imagine teams are trying to get Hope in for private workouts to get a better gauge on him as a player and if someone believes enough in the bat, they may be willing to buy him out of what’s expected to be a strong commitment to the Tar Heels. And if not, he could always pitch too. Next week will be the final installment of the series. We’ll look at some pitchers who have raised their stock. There are plenty of others that could have been listed here. This isn’t to say anyone is or isn’t going to be a good draft or baseball prospect. If you have your own local #personalcheeseball, leave in the comments! View full article

The Twins now have two affiliates in first place. Which two are they? Who’s been hot? Who’s not? All those questions are answered within. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review (written by Nash Walker) to catch up on the Twins week. TRANSACTIONS RHP Miguelangel Boadus promoted from FCL Twins to low-A Fort Myers. RHP Cory Lewis promoted from low-A Fort Myers to high-A Cedar Rapids. RHP Orlando Rodriguez activated from development list for high-A Cedar Rapids. RHP Pierson Ohl promoted from high-A Cedar Rapids to AA Wichita. RHP Regi Grace promoted from high-A Cedar Rapids to AA Wichita. RHP Chad Donato placed on AA Wichita's development list. RHP Seth Norlin released from the organization. RESULTS Tuesday (5/30): Major Leaguers Pitch and Hit Saints to Victory Wednesday (5/31): Wallner Wallops the Baseball Thursday (6/1): Saints March In, Cedar Rapids Did What? Friday (6/2): Affiliates Struggle Saturday (6/3): Schobel Racks Up Four Hits in Average Night on the Farm Sunday (6/4): Zebby Deals and Schmidt Rakes MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Minnesota Twins 2019 Draft Retrospective: Late-Round Steals Edouard Julien Has a Blueprint to Work On Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month - May 2023 Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month - May 2023 Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month - May 2023 Minnesota Twins 2020 Draft Retrospective: Raya Sunshine TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - TBD Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05PM CST) - TBD Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD FCL Twins @ FCL Rays (11:00AM CST) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Phillies Red (10:00AM CST) - TBD WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 5-1) Overall: 32-23, 0.5 game ahead in the International League West. Overview: An excellent week for the Saints took them from second-place into the lead and they’ll look to extend that league this week. 🔥: Matt Wallner has been on fire since being sent down. He had eight extra-base hits (with three home runs) with 10 RBIs among his 11 hits. 🔥: Brent Headrick pitched ten innings across two starts, with 11 strikeouts and four walks. He allowed three runs on 10 hits. 🥶: Mark Contreras struck out 11 times and went 5-23. 🥶: Randy Dobnak made a start and threw 4 1/3 innings allowing seven hits and four walks. He struck out two. What's Next: The Saints host the Iowa Cubs (31-23) in a battle for a first-place in the division. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 1-5) Overall: 21-29, 13.5 games back in the Texas League North. Overview: A rough week for the Wind Surge dropped them four games further back in the standings. 🔥: Curtis Taylor pitched 4 1/3 perfect innings over two relief appearances. 🔥: DaShawn Keirsey led the team with seven hits and four stolen bases. Yunior Severino and Alex Isola both hit two home runs. 🥶: Aaron Rozek, Travis Adams and Chad Donato all struggled in their starts this week. Donato lasted five innings, but gave up six runs. Rozek gave up four runs in 2 2/3 and Adams gave up two runs in one inning. 🥶: Seth Gray got a hit in a one-game mid-week cameo for St. Paul, but went 0-11 for the Wind Surge this week. He struck out six times. What's Next: Wichita will head to San Antonio (27-24) who sits a top of the South Division. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 4-2) Overall: 29-22, 2.0 games up in the Midwest League West. Overview: A four-win week - highlighted by a 24-run performance on Thursday - keeps the Kernels in first place. 🔥: Kala’i Rosario keeps crushing it for the Kernels. He had four home runs on eight hits and drove in nine runs. 🔥: Tanner Schobel deserves his own fire emoji too. He had 14(!) hits in 29 at-bats this week, including two home runs. He drove in 10 and scored seven runs. 🔥: Zebby Matthews made his first start at High-A and was great. He struck out six in six innings, only allowing three hits and one run (on a home run). 🥶: Misael Urbina went 1-for-19. He appears to have been a victim of BABIP, as only three of his 18 outs came via strikeout. 🥶: Christian MacLeod gave up four hits and four walks in four innings. He only allowed one earned run (a home run), but putting two runners on per inning is not a recipe for success. What's Next: The Kernels travel to Dayton (26-25). Dayton is 8-2 in their last ten, so it will be a battle of two of the hottest teams in the league. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 3-3) Overall: 28-23, 8.5 games behind Clearwater in the Florida State League West. Overview: The Mighty Mussels split with St. Lucie, but lost two games in the standings. 🔥: C.J. Culpepper threw five shutout, hitless innings and struck out six. He did walk three. 🔥: Kyle Schmidt led the team with six hits (in only 12 at-bats) and five RBIs. He had three extra-base hits as well. 🥶: Cory Lewis walked three and only recorded two outs in his lone start of the week. 🥶: Danny De Andrade, Carlos Aguiar and Jorel Ortega combined to go 5-51 with a double, two home runs, four RBIs, 11 walks and 22 strikeouts. Hopefully it’s a better week ahead for this young trio. What's Next: Clearwater (36-14) will come to Ft. Myers. Hopefully the mussels are mighty against the top team in the league. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated on the first of each month throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. (Season-long stats will be in parenthesis.) 20. Michael Helman, UTIL, St. Paul: On the Injured List with a dislocated shoulder. (.333/.434/.711. 1.145 OPS) 19. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 6-20, 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K. (.282/.359/.540. .899 OPS). 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Extended Spring Training 17. Blayne Enlow, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 4.91 ERA, 7.1 IP (two games), 4 H, 7 R (4 ER), HRA, HB, 3 BB, 13 K. (1.10 WHIP, .225 BAA) 16. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 15. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 2-0, 2.70 ERA, 10 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 11 K. (1.41 WHIP, .285 BAA) 14. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 13.5 ERA, 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, HB, 5 K. (1.41 WHIP, .243 BAA) 13. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 2-19, 2 R, BB, K. (.204/.279/.282. .561 OPS), played shortstop in five games (40 total) and committed no errors in 15 chances (four errors in 166 total chances); played no games (six total) at second base (no errors in 16 total chances). 12. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 4-18, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, BB, 4 K, SB. (.162/.240/.223. .463 OPS), played one game at shortstop (10 total) and committed no errors in four chances (three errors in 33 chances total), played one game (10 total) at third base no chances (three errors in 22 total chances). He played three games (21 total) at second base with no errors in 12 chances (one error in 84 total chances). 11. Austin Martin, SS: Martin has an arm injury, but is expected to resume playing shortly.. 10. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Extended Spring Training 9. Matt Wallner , OF, St. Paul: 11-26, 4 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R, BB, 5 K. (.299/.405/.577. 982 OPS); Minnesota: (.368/.520/.579. 1.099 OPS) 8. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 4.91 ERA, 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, HRA, 3 K. (1.45 WHIP, .262 BAA) 7. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 4.15 ERA, 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 K (1.88 WHIP, .329 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 6. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 3.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 2 H, ER, HRA, 4 K. (0.73 WHIP, .145 BAA) 5. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: On the injured list, but expected to resume throwing. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 4. Edouard Julien, 2B, St. Paul: 4-11, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, R, 3 BB, 3 K. (.294/.447/.513. .960 OPS), has played all 30 games at second base and has committed two errors in 140 chances; Minnesota: (.210/.296/.435. .731 OPS) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 5-19, HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, 6 BB, 7 K, 2 SB. (.177/.338/.372. 710 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: (.333/.395/.692. 1.087 OPS), played one game (four total) at shortstop and committed no errors in four chances (no errors in 12 total chances). Lewis played one game (four total) at third base and committed one error in five chances (one error in eight total chances); Minnesota: 5-25, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 8 K (.200/.200/.480. .680 OPS), played five games at 3B (five total) and had no errors in 16 chances. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 5-18, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R, 4 BB, 6 K, SB. (.262/.341/.415. .756 OPS), played five games (43 total) at shortstop and committed one errors in 18 chances (four errors in 179 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (as voted on by fans on Twitter) PITCHER - Brent Headrick, St. Paul (Headrick 50%, Matthews 22%, Culpepper 17%, Taylor 11%): I don't think Headrick is who I would have voted for, but it's nice to see that despite the injuries and the lack of progress from other AAA arms, that the Twins still do have some stater-depth in St. Paul. HITTER - Matt Wallner, St. Paul (Wallner 90%, Rosario 6%, Schmidt 3%, Keirsey 1%): Wallner is on one of the best runs of a hitter in recent memory. After reaching base eight straight times with the Twins before being demoted, he handled the step down by absolutely crushing AAA pitching. Considering all the Kirilloff/Larnach talk coming into the season, it's now fair to say that Matt Waller deserves just as much publicity as anyone. Who would have been your picks? Any early season surprises or disappointments? Ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects in the COMMENTS below. View full article

After taking a week off of the Personal Cheeseball series to post our first mock draft of the season, we’re back to look at some first basemen. Drafting a first baseman - especially early - can be one of the most polarizing decisions in all of sports. It’s not that it never works out. It’s that it almost never works out. Prince Fielder (7th overall in 2002) is an exception. Adrian Gonzalez (1st overall in 2000) is an exception. Beyond that, it’s been pretty brutal. Matt LaPorta, the 7th overall pick in 2007, was a complete bust. Eric Hosmer (3rd overall in 2008) helped the Royals win a ring in 2015, but has always been attached to a terrible contract since. Michael Aubrey, Justin Smoak, Allan Dykstra are other examples of first-round busts. The latest wave of Spencer Torkelson and Andrew Vaughn, who went 1st and 3rd overall, has been disappointing so far. When the bat doesn’t play as expected, what’s left? Well, maybe that has teams viewing players differently. Let’s take a look at some of my favorite first basemen this year. -- The term “personal cheeseball” (better represented by #personalcheeseball) originated over twenty years ago in the Baseball America offices when former writer and current Twins scout John Manuel started using it as “shorthand for a personal favorite that does not reflect the popular consensus.” We’ve covered almost every position so far in this series. And, again, as a warning, my radar isn’t reflective of any single team’s preferences or draft board. Tre’ Morgan, LSU: If you’ve watched any LSU baseball this year, you’ve definitely noticed Morgan. And that’s probably because of the long curly bleached-blonde hair that can’t be contained by his hat. He’s also nothing like a typical first baseman. He’s sleek and athletic and likely has the ability to play other places around the diamond. There isn’t the power in the bat to play first, but he’s so good defensively that it works. It will be very interesting to see where he’s deployed at the professional level. Morgan probably comes off the board early on Day 2. Nolan Schanuel, Florida Atlantic: Schanuel will be the first pure first baseman to get drafted, but will he sneak into Round 1? At this point, it appears so. Schanuel profiles as more of an all-around hitter than power hitter despite putting up good power numbers. Teams that buy into analytics will appreciate him and his ability to put up impressive exit velocities. Brock Vradenburg, Michigan State: Vradenburg is sort of the opposite of Schanuel. He’s not going to be put up silly exit velocities, but his almost 1.300 OPS this season is an indication of how much power he has in his bat and his ability to work the zone. Vradenburg will likely go in the middle third of the second day. Drew Williamson, Alabama: The back half of the second day is going to be littered with seniors and that almost assuredly is where Williamson goes. He’ll save the signing team six figures and in return they’ll get a powerful first baseman who has a good eye and the potential to be more than organizational filler. He won’t have time on his side as he’ll make his pro debut as a 23-year-old, but there is potential here. Sam Harris, Iowa prep (committed to Duke): Harris will likely make it to campus and be a high pick in three years. He’s got the power profile and depending on how he develops may be able to spend some time in the outfield. If a team can bank up some money to throw at an early Day 3 pick, Harris would be a good option. Next week we will look at some more outfielders who didn’t make the first list. There are plenty of others that could have been listed here. This isn’t to say anyone is or isn’t going to be a good draft or baseball prospect. If you have your own local #personalcheeseball, leave in the comments! View full article