Jeremy Nygaard

'Tis the season for mock drafts and the one on ESPN Tuesday morning is sure to cause consternation around Twins Territory. Image courtesy of Gary Cosby Jr. - Tuscaloosa News Kiley McDaniel is ESPN's resident baseball draft expert and his entire mock draft sits behind a paywall so we're not going to give up too much of his article. But we're going to focus on two things... and they present both the good and possibly ugly possibilities of the upcoming draft. First off, McDaniel presents a scenario where the Pirates don't take the player most project to go first overall, LSU's Dylan Crews, and instead take prep outfielder Max Clark. In turn, the Pirates will save some money and be able to throw Top 15 money at a prep pitcher with their second pick (at 42 overall). However the dominos fall after that, there will still be one of the Top 5 unselected when the Twins come on the clock - remember, there are five big names in this draft - and in this iteration, it's Paul Skenes of LSU who is available. Skenes is the best college pitching prospect in recent memory and there is belief that, if a team desired, Skenes could make his major-league debut this summer. McDaniel mocks Paul Skenes to the Twins. This would be very, very good for the Twins. --- But here's where the ugly comes in. This is not the first suggestion that the Twins prefer a college bat. College shortstops Jacob Gonzalez and Jacob Wilson both are names that have been suggested. McDaniel also suggests the Twins are high on top prep pitcher Noble Meyer. So why would the Twins pass on one of the top five to take someone else? I'll give you a few reasons. Teams stack boards differently. The "Top 5" is where the prognosticators have settled. But it's certainly not a consensus among the 30 major league teams. It's possible the Twins Top 5 are just different. I'd confidently say that Crews and Wyatt Langford are probably 1 and 2 on the Twins board. After that, though, it's anyone's guess. (And I'll make my guess later.) The Twins are privy to far more information than any expert. Area scouting, as it's been described to me, has a very similar feel to college recruiting. The team is going to get as much information as they can on every potential pick and part of that information includes how much it's going to take to get a signature on the dotted line. And the reality is if a team thinks similarly of Player A and Player B, and Player B is going to sign for $500,000 less, the team is taking Player B. What gets more interesting is when a team likes Player A a little bit more than Player B and Player B a little bit more than Player C. And Player C is going to cost $1 million less than Player A and $500,000 less than Player B. Because now you can get Player C and turn around and with the savings draft Player D, who you also covet. Maybe the Twins simply just love hitters. Both Gonzalez and Wilson have great hitter profiles. And it's worked for them. It's a little different at #5, but drafting the Spencer Steers and Christian Encarnacion-Strands of the world have given the organization great trade assets. But my question is this... if drafting solid hitters give you the best chance at collecting tradable assets, at what point do you realize that Paul Skenes (or whoever falls to #5) has the most value to the rest of the league and is the best tradable asset you could acquire? I think that it might be true that the Twins do have Jacob Gonzalez in their Top 5, but at the expense of Max Clark, not Paul Skenes. I'd stack the "here's my guess at the Twins draft board" like this: 1) Crews 2) Langford 3) prep outfielder Walker Jenkins 4) Skenes 5) Gonzalez What do you think? (Aside from "I think the Twins are overthinking this"?) View full article

The first mock of the season was posted earlier. Here are some additional thoughts as to why players went where they did. View full video

For the second week in a row each affiliate either played .500 baseball or within a game of .500. There were some more big performances and we’re starting to see some performance-triggered promotions. Image courtesy of © Sam Navarro (photo of Hernan Perez) Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. TRANSACTIONS None as of publishing. RESULTS Tuesday (5/23): Carlos Aguiar Flexes His Mussels Wednesday (5/24): A Walkoff, a Blowout Win, a Loss, and a Rainout Thursday (5/25): Sanchez Slings for Saints Friday (5/26): Pitching Continues To Be Solid, Even in Losses Saturday (5/27): The Dog Days Are Over; a Near Clean Sweep for Minnesota's Affiliates Sunday (5/28): Royce Lewis Catches a Flight MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Carlos Aguiar Slugging His Way Into the Top Prospect Conversation Playing at 120 Percent, Royce Lewis is Ready for his Return to the Big Leagues These 3 Minnesota Twins Prospects Are Off to Disappointing Starts in 2023 Blayne Enlow is Out to Prove He Belongs Is Royce Lewis Going to be Here to Stay? TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - TBD Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) -RHP Blayne Enlow (2-1, 3.02 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (5:00PM CST) - RHP Jaylin Nowlin (2-3, 3.75 ERA) St. Lucie @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 4-2) Overall: 27-22, 2.5 games back in the International League West. Overview: A good week with four wins over Omaha only kept pace with the Iowa Cubs. 🔥: It hasn’t been a good year for Aaron Sanchez , but he had a very good start last week pitching six shutout innings. 🔥: Hernan Perez and Andrew Stevenson both had huge weeks at the plate. Perez totaled 17 total bases on 10 hits in 20 at-bats with 10 RBI and Stevenson had 18 total bases on the nine hits and scored nine runs. 🥶: Simeon Woods Richardson threw 8 1/3 innings over two starts and allowed 11 earned runs on 16 hits and five walks. He only struck out four. A hard reset may be in order. 🥶: Jose Miranda is floundering. Four singles in 24 at-bats. Six strikeouts. One walk. Two runs batted in and one run scored. What's Next: A trip to Buffalo (24-27) for six games. Both teams are 5-5 in their last ten. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 2-4) Overall: 20-24, 9.5 games back in the Texas League North. Overview: A poor week against Springfield dropped the Wind Surge even further behind Tulsa. 🔥: DaShawn Keirsey led the offense with nine hits (and three doubles). Brooks Lee had eight hits and hit his fourth home run of the season. 🔥: Aaron Rozek pitched seven one-run innings and struck out five while only walking one and allowing just three hits. 🥶: Will Holland was 3-for-16, but his three hits were two doubles and a triple. He struck out five times. 🥶: Andrew Cabezas struggled in his lone appearance of the week. He allowed four runs on four hits and three walks while only retiring three batters. What's Next: Wichita will host first-place Tulsa (30-15), who is on a six-game winning streak. Though dominant at home, the Drillers are only 8-10 on the road. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 3-3) Overall: 25-20, 1.0 game up in the Midwest League West. Overview: A 3-3 week was enough to propel the Kernels past a struggling South Bend team (losers of five straight). But Quad Cities has gone from 12-21 to 24-21 and are now just a game behind Cedar Rapids. 🔥: Marco Raya was perfect in his three innings, striking out five. 🔥: Jordan Carr pitched six innings and earned a win. He allowed only an unearned run on four hits and two walks. He struck out six. 🔥: Kala’i Rosario and Noah Miller led the offense. Rosario had two home runs among his six hits. Miller had seven hits including three extra-base hits. 🤩: Andrew Cossetti gets a write-up almost every week, so we should mention his promotion. He got three hits in 13 at-bats including two doubles. 🥶: Pierson Ohl had an interesting start. He was one out short of pitching six innings. He struck out seven… but he allowed nine hits and two walks which turned into seven runs (six earned). 🥶: Jose Salas . Man, it’s been a rough start for Salas. Nine strikeouts in a 2-for-20 week. What's Next: A road trip to Lansing (21-24). The Kernels have a better road record so far this year, so hopefully they can keep the lead in the West Division. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 3-3) Overall: 25-20, 6.5 games behind Clearwater in the Florida State League West. Overview: Fort Myers split with a decent Dunedin team and made up a half-game in the standings. 🔥: Ricardo Olivar’s nine hits were tied for an organizational high this past week. But his solid performance may have been overshadowed by Carlos Aguiar’s three-home run game and Jorel Ortega continuing to impress with his bat (two home runs) and legs (three stolen bases). 🔥: Zebby Matthews earned a promotion with six strikeouts in five shutout innings. He allowed two hits. 🥶: Maddux Houghton struck out six times in 10 hitless at-bats. 🥶: Jose Olivares is the youngest pitcher on the staff, but allowing seven runs on six hits (three home runs) isn’t great. What's Next: It should be a big week for the Mighty Mussels. St. Lucie (13-31) is the worst team in the entire league… but they are coming in with a three-game winning streak. 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, videos, 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: 7-24, 3 R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 9 K. (.279/.355/.526. .881 OPS), played his first game at second base this past week after playing exclusively at third base all season. 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Extended Spring Training 17. Blayne Enlow, RHP, Wichita: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 6 H, ER, 1 K. (1.13 WHIP, .237 BAA) 16. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 15. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 ER), HRA, 2 BB, 3 K. (1.41 WHIP, .292 BAA) 14. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 7.36 ERA, 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. (1.37 WHIP, .227 BAA) 13. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 7-21, 2 2B, 3B, 5 RBI, R, 4 K, SB. (.216/.293/.302. .595 OPS), played shortstop in four games (35 total) and committed no errors in 21 chances (four errors in 151 total chances); played no games (six total) at second base (no errors in 16 total chances). 12. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 2-17, 2B, RBI, R, 2 BB, 9 K. (.154/.231/.215. .446 OPS), didn’t play shortstop (three errors in 29 chances in nine games total), played one game (nine total) at third base with one error in five chances (three errors in 22 total chances). He played four games (18 total) at second base with no errors in 12 chances (one error in 72 total chances). 11. Austin Martin, SS: Martin is still recovering from an arm injury. 10. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Extended Spring Training 9. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: (.271/.392/.486. 878 OPS); Minnesota: 7-11, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, SB (.368/.520/.579. 1.099 OPS) 8. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 5 K. (1.49 WHIP, .260 BAA) 7. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 11.88 ERA, 8.1 IP (2 starts), 16 H, 11 ER, HRA, 5 BB, 4 K (1.88 WHIP, .329 BAA); Minnesota: (2.14 WHIP, .350 BAA) 6. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 5 K. (0.74 WHIP, .138 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: (.287/.442/.481. .923 OPS), has played all 27 games at second base and has committed two errors in 119 chances; Minnesota: 4-17, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 8 K. (.224/.316/.510. .826 OPS) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 3-22, 2B, HR, 6 R, RBI, 5 BB, 7 K, SB. (.160/.316/.362. 678 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: St. Paul: 5-17, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 5 K, SB. (.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). 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 8-26, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 4 K, CS. (.261/.335/.418. .753 OPS), played five games (38 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 25 chances (three errors in 161 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 - Marco Raya, Cedar Rapids (Raya 42%, Matthews 35%, Rozek 15%, Sanchez 7%) HITTER - Hernan Perez, St. Paul (Perez 68%, Rosario 23%, Keirsey 5%, Olivar 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

Last year the Rangers reached for Kumar Rocker and with their savings were able to push arguably the top prep pitcher to them for their next pick in the fourth round (at #109). They had clearly negotiated that tactic in advance with Scott Boras. So they're a wildcard at #4 for sure. But the Twins have done good business with Boras lately, too, and could certainly have a conversation with him. I don't know if he reps any of Wilson/Gonzalez/Teel or the Top 5. (I'm sure he does, but not sure who.) He could certainly play that game. For example, the Twins could push up a college bat (Tommy Troy, Matt Shaw, etc) and then could conceivably push down two prep arms if they wanted to. Would you trade 5, 34, 49 and shave money off a few later picks to draft 17, 18 and 19? I think there's at least an argument that could be made there. I *know* that in 2009 - after drafting Parmelee, Revere and Hicks in the previous three drafts - the Twins didn't want to get burned by taking another high school outfielder. Sure, it was really early in those players careers (and they all turned out to be major leaguers) but there was some skepticism about them. They went the safe route (Kyle Gibson). An available high school outfielder: Mike Trout. (Don't take this as a "The Twins were deciding between the two" because that's not what I'm trying to say.) Sometimes you're just hesitant to go back to the tree that didn't bear fruit. Keoni Cavaco still stings and guys they were convinced were more true bats and less to be dreaming on (Lee, Kirilloff, Larnach) have all seemed to work out ok. I have no idea how the Twins will eventually stack their board, but Crews and Langford at the very top make sense. I don't know where Skenes will fit in and I truly believe they prefer Jenkins to Clark (and by a decent margin). And, honestly, whoever they have at 6 might be closer to Clark than Clark is to whoever they have at 4. And if the money makes sense, I get it. I just really hope Langford or Jenkins fall to 5.

Mock Draft season is upon us. We're still a solid seven weeks from having any clarity, but it's always fun to start to speculate. Last year's draft got crazy early. Even crazier than normal when you consider two pitchers went in the Top 7 and barely anyone saw a pitcher going in the Top 15. Other players fell to teams who were elated to take someone they never thought they'd have a chance to select. Mock Drafts and speculation are a lot of fun. When the Twins 'won' the first Draft Lottery and got the fifth overall draft pick in the 2023 draft, it allowed Twins fans to get excited. Many believe that it is a good year to have a Top 5 pick. A year after getting Brooks Lee with the eighth overall pick, the Twins will have a chance to get another premium prospect. Here is my first mock draft of the 2023 season. More to come, and much, much more detail on the potential top picks. Please share your thoughts on this mock draft. How would you feel about the pick we made for the Twins at #5? 1.) Pirates – Dylan Crews, OF, LSU - Arguably the best hitting prospect since Bryce Harper, Crews should be a no-doubt pick for Pittsburgh. 2.) Nationals – Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU - This is the highest Washington has drafted since having back-to-back first overall picks in 2009 and 2010. Skenes is the best pitcher available by a relatively wind margin and the Nationals would be wise to add such a highly regarded prospect. 3.) Tigers – Walker Jenkins, OF, North Carolina prep - Remarkably, this is going to be the fifth year out of the last six that the Tigers have had a top five pick. And they have very little to show for it. They’ve missed on both high school and college pitchers. They’ve had a little more success recently with prep hitters and Jenkins is the highest-ceiling hitter available. 4.) Rangers – Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida - The Rangers have went the collegiate route the last four years and the SEC in three of those four years. Langford fits the bill and is more than deserving of being picked here… or higher. 5.) Twins – Max Clark, OF, Indiana prep - There are certainly reasons and rumblings why the Twins would go a different direction here. But, at this point, it’s more of a “just make the easy choice” and that’s whichever of these top five names are available. The Twins have definitely been a college-bat lean recently. Langford would likely be preferred. Is this too early for Teel? Gut says yes (in late May anyway). 6.) A’s – Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Vanderbilt - The A’s are a mess and a team I’ve never been able to peg down - which is ok because they’ve struggled to hit on first-round picks. Bradfield has game-changing speed and the A’s have the third most stolen-base attempts in the league. Bradfield can help with that. 7.) Reds – Kyle Teel, C, Virginia - With the exception of Nick Lodolo in 2019, the Reds have gone hitter each year dating back to Hunter Greene in 2017. Either Chase Dollander or Rhett Lowder would make sense here too. 8.) Royals – Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest - It’s hard to really see a trend with the Royals. They’ve taken from each of the four demographics in the first round the last four years. Lowder has done well for himself and is the second college pitcher drafted here. 9.) Rockies – Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee - I’ve long believed the Rockies best chances to add difference-making pitchers come in the draft. Dollander hasn’t lived up to the preseason hype, but he’s still a Top 10 pick. 10.) Marlins – Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Mississippi - The Jacob Berry selection last year was a head-scratcher to me. This would be a chance to get it right. 11.) Angels – Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon - A small-school hitter is one of the few things the Angels have done well in identifying in the draft lately. 12.) Diamondbacks – Arjun Nimmala, SS, Florida prep - Consider me someone who thinks Nimmala breaks into the Top 10. Arizona has gone the prep route in four of the last five years. 13.) Cubs – Tommy Troy, SS, Stanford - Maybe he doesn’t stick at shortstop, but the bat plays at second base. There’s a mix of players here would could go anywhere in the next 20 picks so it’s going to be a lot of mixing team preference with price tags. 14.) Red Sox – Colin Houck, SS, Georgia prep - Houck seems to be doing well for himself as the draft gets closer. And the Red Sox have gone this route recently. 15.) White Sox – Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Florida - It seems like it’s always college pitchers for the White Sox. 16.) Giants – Bryce Eldridge, 1B/RHP, Virginia prep - Maybe too high for Eldridge, but they may have reached for Reggie Crawford last year too. 17.) Orioles – Noble Meyer, RHP, Oregon prep - The Orioles are in a good position to add to their depth of prospects and here the top-rated prep pitcher falls into their lap. 18.) Brewers – Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland - The profile of a hitter who probably can’t stick at shortstop and his last name is Shaw. Sure seems to fit with the Brewers. At this point in time it becomes a “here are some other guys I think go in the first round.” 19.) Rays – Thomas White, LHP, Massachusetts prep 20.) Blue Jays – Brayden Taylor, 3B, TCU 21.) Cardinals – Kevin McGonigle, SS, Pennsylvania prep 22.) Mariners – Blake Mitchell, C, Texas prep 23.) Guardians – Jack Hurley, OF, Virginia Tech 24.) Braves – Brock Wilken, 2B, Wake Forest 25.) Padres – Aidan Miller, 3B, Florida prep 26.) Yankees – George Lombard Jr., SS, Florida prep 27.) Phillies – Colt Emerson, SS, Ohio prep 28.) Astros – Chase Davis, OF, Arizona 29.) Mariners – Nolan Schanuel, 1B, Florida Atlantic 30.) Mariners – Colton Ledbetter, OF, Mississippi State What do you think? Any names missing? Would you want the Twins to take a prep outfielder if Max Clark is available with that pick? Discuss in the COMMENTS below. View full article

A pretty average week as two teams went .500 and the other two were a game above or below. There were some standout performances and you can get the entire week in a glance right here. Image courtesy of Tim Grubbs Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. TRANSACTIONS None as of publishing. RESULTS Tuesday (5/16): Guess Who's Back? Back Again, Royce is Back, Tell a Friend Wednesday (5/17: Tough Day for the Twins Organization Thursday (5/18): Enlow Excites Again Friday (5/19): Prospects Put on a Show Saturday (5/20): The Only Way to Win is With Mother Nature Sunday (5/21): Winkel Wins it for Wichita MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT One Pitcher From Each Minor League Level That Deserves a Promotion Twins Daily Updates Top 20 Prospect Rankings Bring on Balazovic Rankings Update: 4 Twins Prospects Crack MLB's Top 100 It’s Time to Jump on the Yunior Severino Hype Train TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (11:07AM CST) - TBD Wichita @ Springfield (6:355PM CST) - TBD Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Pierson Ohl (2-3, 3.60 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30PM CST) - TBD WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 2-4) Overall: 23-20, 2.5 games back in the International League West. Overview: The Saints dropped four of six at Columbus and will start a homestand on a two-game losing streak. 🔥: It sure is nice having Royce Lewis back playing. He hit three home runs among eight hits for the Saints. He looks back to his normal self and will be ready for activation around the first of June. 🔥: Brent Headrick struck out seven in his start. He gave up two runs on four hits in six innings. 🥶: Matt Wallner struck out 15 times in six games. He still had six hits in 25 at-bats, including two doubles. But a 60% strikeout rate is… yikes. 🥶: Last season, Jose Miranda turned his season around with a demotion that included taking zero at-bats at Triple-A. This week, he went 3-22 with two runs and three RBIs. With Lewis’ return imminent, Miranda could find himself buried even further down the organizational depth chart. 🥶: Randy Dobnak made two starts. He allowed nine hits and five earned runs in only four innings. What's Next: The Saints will host Omaha (18-24). Omaha has the worst record in the International League West and is only a game and a half out of last place in the entire International League. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 3-3) Overall: 18-20, 6-5 games back in the Texas League North. Overview: The winning streak has ended with a split with a Arkansas, so no ground was made up in the race for the division. 🔥: Alex Isola collected eight hits including two home runs in twenty-five at-bats. 🔥: Blayne Enlow keep getting it done. In 5 1/3 innings, he struck out 10, walked none and gave up one run (a home run) on six hits. 🔥: Jordan Brink collected two saves, allowing only one hit in four shutout sinnings. He walked one and struck out three. 🔥: Aaron Rozek struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed only one run on two hits and two walks. 🥶: David Festa has really come down after such a hot start to the season. Festa couldn't make it out of the third inning in his last start and gave up five runs on five hits, three walks and a hit batter. 🥶: After being on top of the world, Yunior Severino came back down to earth. He was 6-25 with no extra base hits and eight strikeouts. What's Next: A trip back on the road to Springfield (16-22) who is in last place. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 4-2) Overall: 22-17, 0.5 games back in the Midwest League West. Overview: The Kernels took four of six from a Peoria team who was also competing in the division. 🔥: Kala’i Rosario had two home runs and a double while batting 7-20. He drove in five runs. 🔥: Jaylen Nowlin stuck out four and allowed three runs over six innings, issuing no walks but allowing one home run among the three scored. 🤔: Misael Urbina didn't exactly tear it up, but five hits and three walks is a huge improvement over how he's been playing. He's still 21, so there's time... but the ticking is louder than it was when he wasn't hitting at all in Fort Myers in 2021. 🥶: Alejandro Hidalgo struggled to locate in his lone start. He walked six and only got four outs. 🥶: Ben Ross was 2-20. He scored three runs and drove in one. He struck out five times and had a team-low OPS of .236 (minimum five at-bats). What's Next: Next up is the last place Timber Rattlers (11-27) who are 11 games out of first place. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 3-3) Overall: 22-17, 7.0 games behind Clearwater in the Florida State League West. Overview: The Mighty Mussels split with Lakeland but remain in second place. 🔥: Andrew Cossetti led the team with seven hits on the week and was one of seven different hitters to triple. 🔥: Christian McLeod allowed one run on a hit and two walks over four innings. He struck out seven. 🔥: Zebby Matthews and Cory Lewis both had pretty good performances. Both were hurt by unearned runs, but struck out nine and eight, respectively. Both have been setting themselves up for a summer promotion. 🤔: Jorel Ortega had three extra base hits, but struck out eight times in 22 at-bats. Ortega has been playing a pretty solid third base, but he'll have to lower his strikeout numbers, which are just a tick below 30%. 🥶: Dalton Shuffield went hitless in 14 at-bats over the week. The 10th-round pick came out on fire after being drafted, but hasn't hit for average or power like he did last year. He has taken more walks though. What's Next: The road trip continues in Dunedin (21-18) who are tied with Bradenton and are one game behind Fort Myers. 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: 6-25, R, BB, 8 K. (.277/.356/.546. .902 OPS) 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Extended Spring Training 17. Blayne Enlow, RHP, Wichita: 1-0, 1.69 ERA, 6.1 IP, 6 H, ER, HRA, 10K. (1.15 WHIP, .235 BAA) 16. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 15. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 3.00 ERA, 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, HB, 7 K. (1.27 WHIP, .277 BAA) 14. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, HRA, 5 K. (1.29 WHIP, .210 BAA) 13. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 4-21, HR, RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K. (.199/.288/.270. .558 OPS), played shortstop in five games (26 total) and committed one error in 27 chances (four errors in 130 total chances); played one game (six total) at second base and committed no errors in one chance (16 total). 12. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 3-17, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, 4 K, SB, CS (.159/.236/.221. .457 OPS), played one at shortstop and had one error in three chances (three errors in 29 chances in nine games total) and one game (eight total) at third base with no errors in one chance (two errors in 17 total chances). He played three games (14 total) at second base with one error in 19 chances (one error in 60 total chances). 11. Austin Martin, SS: Martin is still recovering from an arm injury. 10. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Extended Spring Training 9. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: 6-25, 2 2B, BB, 15 K. (.271/.392/.486. 878 OPS); Minnesota: (.000/.273/.000. .273 OPS) 8. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 19.29 ERA, 2.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, HRA, HB, 3 BB, 1 K. (1.50 WHIP, .273 BAA) 7. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 3.60 ERA, 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 3 K (1.67 WHIP, .294 BAA); Minnesota: (2.14 WHIP, .350 BAA) 6. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, H, 2 K. (0.89 WHIP, .170 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: 4-10, 2B, R, 4 BB, 4 K. (.287/.442/.481. .923 OPS), has played all 27 games at second base and has committe two errors in 119 chances; Minnesota: 1-5, B, 2K (.219/.286/.406. .692 OPS) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 3-17, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI, 5 BB, 7 K, SB. (.167/.322/.375. 697 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: St. Paul: 6-16, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 5 K, SB, CS. (.333/.500/.500. 1.000 OPS), played two games (three total) at shortstop and committed no errors in four chances (no errors in eight total chances). Lewis played two games (three total) at third base and committed no errors in one two chances (no errors in three total chances). 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 4-19, HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, SB, CS. (.252/.331/.403. .734 OPS), played five games (33 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 24 chances (three errors in 136 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 - Blayne Enlow, Wichita HITTER - Royce Lewis, St. Paul 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 Twins have found out there is so much risk when drafting pitchers high that I think they've (at least temporarily) moved on from doing it. And it's worked out for them. They've dealt so many bats for arms and still have pretty good hitter depth in their system. With the exception of Skenes falling, I don't see any scenario that it's a pitcher at #5. But I've been wrong and I'm willing to be wrong again.

Drafting pitchers is fraught with risk. It's also the most important position on a baseball team. The pitching position is, in most people’s opinions, the most important position on a baseball team in terms of having both quality and depth. Yet, the term “there is no such thing as a pitching prospect (TINSTAAPP)” is one that is used quite frequently. What you see as a high schooler or collegiate pitcher isn’t always what you get as a professional. Cases in point: Danny Hultzen was drafted second overall in the 2011 draft out of Virginia as one of the “safest” pitchers in recent memory. He made a six-game cameo in the majors and is out of baseball. Mark Appel is another great example of a sure thing being less than that. Brendan McKay was going to rival Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player. He briefly made the majors in 2019. These are only a handful of the hundreds examples that can be used. High school pitchers is even more of a mixed bags. And therein lies the rub. Teams need great pitchers and teams need a lot of pitchers. Yet drafting a pitcher can prove fruitless. The Twins have taken an approach lately where they will use their top pick (or picks) to draft bats. And then deal from their surplus of bats to land major-league ready pitching. In fact, their Opening Day rotation was made up exclusively of arms acquired by trade. 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 that’s what you’ll see here. In the first five installments, we covered players from the midwest, catchers, shortstops, third baseman and outfielders. Today, we’ll look at some pitchers. And, again, as a warning, my radar isn’t reflective of any single team’s preferences or draft board. It would be really easy to just devote the next five minutes of reading to write-ups about Paul Skenes, LSU’s ace who could go as high as #2 overall and could be helping an MLB rotation in relatively short order. It would also be easy to write about the consensus top prep, Noble Meyer, the Oregon kid committed to stay in state and play for the Ducks, but much more likely to begin his pro career after going in the first round. But let’s look at some pitchers who are flying lower on the radar who may have a chance to make a big impact later. Kiefer Lord, Washington: Despite being far out west, there’s a midwest connection in that Lord transferred from a small D3 school in Minnesota. And he has been on an upward trajectory. The tough part about drafting anyone who has really improved their stock over a short period of time is that you can either take them while they’re still climbing (great!), as their progress starts to plateau (good) or right before they come back down to earth (bad). The track-record here is recent, but the velocity has risen and the secondaries have flashed. Joe Whitman, Kent State: A lefty equipped with a high-spin slider, Whitman throws in the mid-90s but lacks the third pitch to project him as a starter. There might not be a ton of projection left, but there’s enough present ability to potentially be a Day 2 pick. Jason DeCaro, New York HS (committed to North Carolina): DeCaro is unique in that he recently reclassified so there is going to be less scouting done on him and that he is extremely young (he just turned 17). He’s got a great pitcher’s build already (6’ 4”, 205), but there is plenty of development yet to come. Josh Knoth, New York HS (committed to Ole Miss): Knoth is going to be highly sought-after potentially on Day 1 but definitely early on Day 2 if he has any desire to go professional. In addition to increased velocity, Knoth has a curveball with freaky high spin rates. And if that’s not enough for the analytical crew to fall in love with, he also doesn’t turn 18 until August. Knoth could certainly go the route of college and be drafted in three years, but there’s too much helium here to think that’s the most likely scenario. Travis Sykora, Texas HS (committed to Texas): Sykora is a big-bodied righty with a really big fastball. The hardest-throwing prep in the draft is old for his grade and could be drafted again in two years if he goes to Texas. There are plenty of cautionary tales about players throwing 100 mph in high school. Sykora could be the next… or he could be the next big thing. And everything is bigger in Texas. Next week we will have our first mock draft of the season and later in the series we will take a look at more pitchers. 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

Appreciate it!

What a difference a week makes. Two affiliates go undefeated and one of the Twins top prospects makes their long-awaited return. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Yunior Severino) Don't forget to check out Nick's Week in Review. TRANSACTIONS Dereck Rodriguez was claimed off waivers by the Braves. Rodriguez was optioned to St. Paul on Saturday and it appears the Twins tried to slide him through waivers. There is now an open spot on the 40-man roster. Royce Lewis had his rehab transferred to St. Paul. He'll need to be re-added to the 40-man before being activated. He cannot come off of the 60-Day IL until June 1st. RESULTS Tuesday (5/9): Helboy? No, He Is a Helman! Wednesday (5/10): Big Bats, Big Innings, and Big Returns Thursday (5/11): Royce Returns Friday (5/12): Power Hitting and Solid Pitching Leads to Affiliate Wins Saturday (5/13): Offense Continues to Surge for Wichita Sunday (5/14): No-No for the Moms! MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Minnesota Twins 2017 Draft Retrospective: Lewis Early, Ober Late Respect Michael Helman It's Louie's Time to Shine The Twins Shouldn't Ask Brooks Lee to Save the Team's Offense TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (6:05PM CST) - RHP Jose De Leon (0-2, 3.62 ERA) Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - TBD Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Lakeland (5:30PM CST) - TBD WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 3-3) Overall: 21-16, 2.0 games back in the International League West. Overview: The Saints split with Indianapolis, who is below .500 on the season but is one of the hottest teams in the International League as they game into the series on a five-game winning streak. 🔥: Trevor Larnach came back to St. Paul and had seven hits with four extra base hits (two doubles and two home runs) in four games and 14 at-bats before heading back to Minneapolis. 🔥: Michael Helman continued his hot stretch before going on the injured list with a shoulder injury. He collected six hits in 12 at-bats and had a double, triple and home run. He drove in eight runs over three games. 🥶: Neither Ronny Henriquez, Simeon Woods Richardson nor Josh Winder had memorable weeks. They combined to give up 18 runs on 22 hits in only 10 2/3 innings. Their combined seven walks matched their combined seven strikeouts. 🔥: …on the flip side of that, the bullpen (minus Henriquez, Winder and Connor Sadzeck) combined to throw 17 2/3 shutout innings. That’s quite impressive. 🥶: Jose Miranda played in only three games, but in his 12 at-bats only had two hits. He walked once and struck out twice. After appearing to be the third baseman of the future recently, there is plenty of competition for that title currently. What's Next: The Saints head to Columbus who, like Indianapolis, is 18-20. But their +41 run differential and 22-16 expected win-loss record suggests they’re a better team than their record shows. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 5-0) Overall: 15-17, 6.5 games back in the Texas League North. Overview: The only thing that could stop the Wind Surge from going 6-0 this week was the weather as Sunday’s game was rained out. So the team will have to settle for 5-0. 🔥: Yunior Severino deserves more than one fire emoji. He had 11 hits in 22 at-bats with a double and four home runs. He drove in eight and scored nine times. With all the attention on Brooks Lee and Royce Lewis, Severino has flown under the radar. He’s played mostly at third base but is also dabbling in left field now. He went hitless in 14 at-bats earlier this month but is now hitting .286/.375/.619 on the season. 🔥: David Festa allowed four hits and two walks in five innings. He took struck out four and the lone run scored was unearned. 😏: Royce Lewis. He’s back! 🥶: Brooks Lee went 1-for-18 this week. He’s going to get back to hitting soon, but a good sign that his team can win five games without getting much of any production from Lee. What's Next: At home against Arkansas (22-11) who is tied for first place. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 5-2) Overall: 18-15, 2.5 games back in the Midwest League West. Overview: The Kernels dropped two of their first three, but ended with a four-game winning streak. 🔥: Jordan Carr threw six shutout innings in his lone start, striking out six while allowing four hits and two walks. 🔥: Noah Cardenas was limited to only 15 at-bats, but tied for a team-high with six hits. 🔥: Marco Raya is still on a short leash, but he struck out four in three one-hit innings. 🥶: Noah Miller got only two hits in 25 at-bats. He also struck out seven times. 🥶: Emmanuel Rodriguez struck out 12 times and has now struck out 32 times in 55 at-bats. What's Next: A two-week homestand, which begins with Peoria (18-15). Cedar Rapids and Peoria are in a second-place tie behind Beloit. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 6-0) Overall: 19-14, 5.0 games behind Clearwater in the Florida State League West after making up three games in the standings. Overview: Fort Myers got the brooms out against Tampa and ended the series with an exclamation point when they no-hit the Tarpons on Sunday. 🔥: Cory Lewis faced 17 batters and retired every one of them, striking out seven (including four on his knuckleball). He was the first leg of a no-hitter. The bullpen didn’t give up a hit, but they blew the perfecto (on a strikeout/wild pitch). 🔥: After a week of being human, Andrew Cossetti got back to doing ridiculous things. In 14 at-bats, he got five hits (including a double and two home runs), plus he walked six times, drove in seven runs and stole a base. His OPS was 1.381. It’s time to promote him. 🔥: Speaking of promotions, Jorel Ortega was 9-23 with two doubles, a triple and a home run. He did strike out eight times, but drew two walks and also stole a base (in two tries). He should move up too. 🔥: Danny De Andrade shouldn’t move up because he’s so young, but a 7-for-19 week is what he needed. He doubled, homered, stole a base and struck out five times versus four walks. 🔥: C.J. Culpepper wasn’t perfect, but was really good. He struck out eight in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed a run on four hits and a walk. 🔥: Develson Aria bounced back after a poor showing. He struck out seven in five innings. He walked three and gave up two hits, but no runs. What's Next: The Mighty Mussels will hit the road for two weeks, beginning with a stop at Lakeland (13-20). 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 several times 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. Misael Urbina, OF, Cedar Rapids: 5-for-21, 2B, 3 RBI, R, 2 BB, 8 K. (.150/.239/.240. .479 OPS) 19. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Extended Spring Training 18. Tanner Schobel, 2B, Cedar Rapids: 6-for-23, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, 5 R, 5 BB, 5 K. (.239/.315/.389. .704 OPS), played one game at second base (12 total) and committed no errors in four chances (two in 50 chances total); played six games at third base and had one error in 10 chances (has committed one error in 32 total chances in 15 games). 17. Ronny Henriquez, RHP: St Paul: 0-0, 10.80 ERA, 3.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K. (3.30 WHIP, .533 BAA) 16. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 3.52 ERA, 7.2 IP (2 starts), 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 K. (1.29 WHIP, .200 BAA) 15. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 14. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 2-for-25, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 K, 3 SB. (.200/.287/.258. .545 OPS), played shortstop in six games (25 total) and committed one error in 29 chances (three errors in 103 total chances); played one game (five total) at second base and committed no errors in no chances (15 total). 13. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 47 K. (1.34 WHIP, .257 BAA) 12. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Extended Spring Training 11. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: 5-for-14, 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, BB, 4 K. (.280/.423/.537. 960 OPS); Minnesota: (.000/.273/.000. .273 OPS) 10. Austin Martin, SS: Martin is still recovering from an arm injury. 9. Louie Varland, RHP, St. Paul: 1-0, 1.69 ERA, 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 8 K. (1.27 WHIP, .263 BAA); Minnesota: 1-0, 4.30 ERA, 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 HRA, BB, 7 K. (1.23 WHIP, .247 BAA) 8. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 3-for-20, 2 2B, 3RBI, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 1 CS (.156/.250/.219. .469 OPS), played one at shortstop and had no chances (two errors in 26 chances in eight games total) and one game (seven total) at third base with an error in four chances (two errors in 16 total chances). He played four games (11 total) at second base with no errors in 18 chances (no errors in 41 total chances). 7. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: On the injured list, but expected to resume throwing. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 6. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 10.38 ERA, 4.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 HRA, 1 BB, 4 K (1.59 WHIP, .295 BAA); Minnesota: (2.14 WHIP, .350 BAA) 5. Edouard Julien, 2B, St. Paul: 6-for-28, 2B, 5 R, 5 BB, 6 K. (.276/.427/.480. .907 OPS), has played all 23 games at second base and has committed two errors in 106 chances; Minnesota: (.222/.276/.444. .720 OPS) 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, H, 4 K. (1.84 WHIP, .184 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 4-22, R, 3 BB, 12 K, 2 CS. (.164/.309/.382. 691 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: Wichita: 2-6, 2B, RBI, 3 R, BB, 3 K, 2 SB. (.333/.500/.500. 1.000 OPS), played one game (one total) at shortstop and committed no errors in four chances. Lewis played one game (one total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 7-for-22, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, 3 K. (.263/.323/.439. .762 OPS), played three games (27 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 12 chances (three errors in 112 total chances). Lee played one game (one total) at third base and committed one error in three chances. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (as voted on by fans on Twitter... except for this week, where 81% of voters agreed it was "obviously these two.") PITCHER - Cory Lewis, Fort Myers. The following tweet says it all. The Mighty Mussels combined for a no-hitter on Sunday, but when Lewis left the game he had retired all 17 batters he had faced. He had a perfect week... and it's hard to not be recognized for that. HITTER - Yunior Severino, Wichita. Severino wasn't perfect... but he was as close as a hitter is going to get in a week's worth of games. 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

He's certainly in an area that the Twins scout heavily. High school pitchers that aren't solidly projected to go in the first round are tough to peg down. BA has him at 181. MLB has him at 123. I would *guess* if teams have in that range on their boards that he'll end up at UCLA. But all it takes is one, right?

Oh this is a fun question.... (and subject to change). If I knew I was getting an outfield bat (and likely a high school one), I'd probably aim towards sliding pitcher and college hitter. If Juaron Watts-Brown was available at #34, I'd be a big fan of that. Transfer from Long Beach to Oklahoma State and has a very good slider, which fits the Twins mold. At #49, there would hopefully be some options like Colton Ledbetter (Ms St OF), Jack Hurley (Va Tech OF) or Cole Carrigg (SDSU utility). After that, I would guess the Twins round out the Top 10 round by taking (in no particular order): C, P, P, P, P, P, P and P.

We’re moving to the outfield in this week’s #PersonalCheeseballs installment. We’ve looked most recently and players who project to play the left side of the infield. Now we shift to the grass. The outfield group can certainly be an eclectic group. There will be your burners at centerfield. The group that is athletic enough to play shortstop, but are either so fast or slightly-built that they are best suited for the middle of the outfield. You’ll have your really big-bodied corner outfielders that still move well enough to have a chance to stay in the grass (before moving to first base). There’s also the group that has played in the dirt but probably needs to be moved down the defensive spectrum. And, of course, there is a group of just really good outfield prospects who may sort of fit into one of those categories… or just be a really good baseball player who plays best in the outfield. 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 that’s what you’ll see here. If the first four installments, we covered players from the midwest, catchers, shortstops and third basemen. Today, we’ll look at some outfielders. And, again, as a warning, my radar isn’t reflective of any single team’s preferences or draft board. Before getting into other names, it should go without saying that the trio of Wyatt Langford (Florida), Walker Jenkins (South Brunswick, NC HS) and Max Clark (Franklin, IN HS) are all definitely in play for the Twins first pick (#5 overall). If there was a line on it, the Twins selecting one of these three would be heavily favored at this point in time. We will cover these three plenty over the next two months, but for today we're going to look at some other outfielders in the draft. Enrique Bradfield, Vanderbilt: Bradfield isn’t the highest-ranked college outfielder. Or even the highest-ranked SEC outfielder (or second for that matter). But he’s the fastest. He’s a safe bet to have a long major league career, but there’s a floor for any prospect who may not ever develop power and has an arm better suited for left field. But if that floor is Billy Hamilton - and I’d buy Bradfield’s hit tool over Hamilton’s any day - that’s still a very usable player. Will Gasparino, Harvard-Westlake HS, California (committed to Texas): A big (6-6) above-average runner will turn heads. Sprinkle in some power and a father with a background in baseball and Gasparino will have plenty of people’s full attention. There is so much to like about the son of the Dodgers scouting director, but there’s also plenty of questions about the hit tool. Plus, a hand injury over the winter limited the views people could get of him. But the potential is there… so, like Gasparino, maybe you take a swing for the fences. Parker Picot, Rochester Adams HS, Michigan (committed to Alabama): This young, super athletic outfielder who also plays quarterback for his football team has plenty of untapped potential. It might be difficult to keep from the SEC - and could really help his stock in three years - where the currently 17-year-old could skyrocket with a singular focus and college coaching. Kyle Henley, Denmark HS, Georgia (committed to Georgia Tech): If you’re a fan of Bradfield, then you’re also a fan of Henley. He’s got elite speed which translates to the outfield, but hitting is a question mark. If you believe he can be a productive hitter, the sky’s the limit. JonJon Vaughns, UCLA. Vaughns is a unique collegiate two-sport athlete playing baseball and football. But even more unique that it’s as a outfielder/linebacker! Maybe Vaughns doesn’t go the baseball route. I’d simply suggest, in a 20-round draft, you could find a spot to take a chance on a stud athlete with raw tools. Next week, we will take a look at some pitchers, though there will be a second installment of pitchers later in the process as well. 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 #personalcheeseball, leave in the comments! View full article

It was a pretty rough week for two of the affiliates. But one of the top prospects in the system made his return from injury. Another one is starting his rehab this week. You can read about those topics and more. Image courtesy of William Parmeter You can also read Nick's Twins Week in Review for a look at their previous week. TRANSACTIONS RHP Jose Bravo has been transferred from St. Paul to Wichita. RESULTS Tuesday (5/2): Errors and Extras Wednesday (5/3): Hidalgo, Rozek Pitch Great; Wallner, Prato, Fedko Deliver Big Hits Thursday (5/4): May the Fourth Be With Them Friday (5/5): History Made in St. Paul Saturday (5/6): Blayne Enlow Dominates and Emmanuel Rodriguez Returns Sunday (5/7): Split Day on the Farm MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month - April 2023 Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month - April 2023 Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month - April 2023 5 Scenarios That Could Open Up Regular Playing Time for Alex Kirilloff One Twins Pitching Prospect is Quietly Putting Himself on the Prospect Map Baseball is Bringing the Best Rule Change Yet TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ St. Paul (6:37PM CST) - TBD Wichita @ Frisco (6:05PM CST) - LHP Aaron Rozek (0-1, 9.19 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30PM CST) - RHP Alejandro Hidalgo (0-1, 1.29 ERA) Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 3-3) Overall: 18-13, 1.0 game back in the International League West. Overview: After dropping two of the first three games of the series, the Saints were faced with imperfect weather. Friday’s night was suspended and finished Saturday. Then Saturday’s game was postponed to Sunday for a doubleheader. The Saints were able to win two of those three games to salvage a series split. 🔥: Kyle Farmer looks poised to rejoin and give a jolt to the Twins lineup. In four games with the Saints, Farmer had two doubles and a home run among his four hits. He drove in three runs and took two walks. 🔥: Edouard Julien was back to looking like himself with eight hits, six runs and walking as much as he strikes out (three each). He had three doubles and two home runs. 🔥: Jordan Balazovic got a start and pitched 3 1/3 innings. He struck out six, while walking three and allowing on one hit and one run. 🔥: Cody Laweryson pitched twice and in his 4.2 innings, allowed only two hits (one home run) and struck out eight. 🥶: Matt Wallner struck out six time in 12 at-bats, though he was able to drive in two runs in his 3-for-12 week. What's Next: Indianapolis (15-17) comes to town as the Saints continue their homestand. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 1-5) Overall: 10-17, 7.0 games back in the Texas League North and currently has the worst overall record in the whole Texas League. Overview: It’s been a rough go for the Wind Surge, who have dropped every single one of their nine day games this season. 🔥: Yoyner Fajardo is on an 11-game hitting streak and totaled eight hits in his six games this week. He continues to stuff the box score. He scored two runs, hit a double and a triple, walked twice, struck out three times and was successful in three of his five stolen base attempts. 🔥: Brooks Lee had eight hits on the week including four doubles. He walked and struck out three times. 🔥: It’s hard not to appreciate what Blayne Enlow is doing this year. He struck out nine over six innings in his start this week. He took the loss, but he only gave up one earned run. 🥶: Seth Gray has power. His home run was one of only four hit by the team all week. But his home run was also his only hit in 11 at-bats and he struck out six times. What's Next: Wichita will continue their road trip against Frisco (13-14) High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 4-2) Overall: 13-13, 3.0 games back in the Midwest League West. Overview: It hadn't been a great opening month for the Kernels, but a 4-2 week against a good South Bend team helped them get back to .500 despite being without arguably their top hitting and pitching prospect. 🔥: Kala'i Rosario led the organization with 11 hits this week and also walked six times. Getting on base 59% of the time is a very good thing. 🔥: Ben Ross isn’t getting the attention he probably deserves. With an OPS north of 1.000, Ross had nine hits (including a double and home run) to go with five walks. 🔥: Both Alejandro Hidalgo and Pierson Ohl struck out nine. 😏: Emmanuel Rodriguez is playing again. He didn't get an hits, but he's back! 🥶: Noah Miller struck out 10 times while going 4-for-24. 🥶: It’s not fun pointing it out almost every week, but Misael Urbina continues to really struggle. He was 1-for-14 with a double this week and struck out four times. What's Next: The Kernels hit the road for seven games (including a doubleheader on Thursday) against Quad Cities (10-16), who just dropped five of six to Great Lakes. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 1-5) Overall: 13-14, 8.0 games behind Clearwater (who is on a 13-game win streak) in the Florida State League West. Overview: After taking the series opener, the Mighty Mussels dropped five in a row to Dunedin. The first four losses were of the one-run variety which makes a 1-5 week even harder to stomach. 🔥: Jorel Ortega had seven hits including four extra base hits (three doubles and a home run). He’s still got to cut down on his strikeouts (eight this week) though. 🔥: Cory Lewis was the only starter who limited his opponent to less than two runs. He struck out five in five innings. 🥶: Andrew Cossetti hit .263/.391/.263 this week which is way below his season average of .600/.800/.800. Ok, that’s not actually his season line, but it sure seems like it. 🥶: Zebby Matthews struck out eight, but gave up nine hits (.429 BAA) in four innings. What's Next: Another week of games in Fort Myers against Tampa (11-16) before heading out on the road for a two-week trip. 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. Misael Urbina, OF, Cedar Rapids: 1-14, 2B, 3RBI, R, BB, 4 K. (.127/.213/.228. .441 OPS) 19. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Extended Spring Training 18. Tanner Schobel, 2B, Cedar Rapids: 7-21, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB, 2 K. (.233/.287/.378. .665 OPS), played one game at second base (eleven total) and committed no errors in four chances (two in 46 chances total); played three games at third base and was perfect in eleven chances (has not committed any errors in 22 total chances in nine games). 17. Ronny Henriquez, RHP: Rehabbing with the Mighty Mussels. Will join the Saints this week. 16. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 2.70 (2.45) ERA, 3.1 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K. (1.27 WHIP, .1967 BAA) 15. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 14. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 4-22, 3B, RBI, BB, 10 K, SB. (.232/.315/.305. .620 OPS), played shortstop in four games (19 total) and committed one error in 16 chances (two errors in 74 total chances); played one game (four total) at second base and committed no errors in no chances (15 total). 13. David Festa , RHP, Wichita: 0-1, 12.46 (5.40) ERA, 4.1 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. (1.37 WHIP, .267 BAA) 12. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Extended Spring Training 11. Matt Wallner , OF, St. Paul: 3-12, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB, 6 K. (.265/.432/.471. 903 OPS); Minnesota: (.000/.273/.000. .273 OPS) 10. Austin Martin, SS: Martin is still recovering from an arm injury. 9. Louie Varland , RHP, St. Paul: (1.27 WHIP, .263 BAA); Minnesota: (1.17 WHIP, .250 BAA); Did not pitch. Recalled to Minnesota 8. Jose Salas, INF: 4-20, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K, SB, CS (.158/.256/.211. .467 OPS), played two games at shortstop and had one error in nine chances (two errors in 26 chances in seven games total) and no games (six total) at third base (one error in 12 total chances). He played two games (seven total) at second base with no errors in nine chances (no errors in 23 total chances). 7. Connor Prielipp , LHP, Cedar Rapids: After good news last week, all was quiet around Prielipp this week. The plan is for him to slowly ramp up. . (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 6. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 9.00 (6.35) ERA, 3.0 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, HRA, 2 BB, 4 K (1.59 WHIP, .294 BAA); Minnesota: (2.14 WHIP, .350 BAA) 5. Edouard Julien, 2B, St. Paul: 8-23, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 K, SB. (.273/.417/.519. .936 OPS); Minnesota: (.222/.276/.444. .720 OPS) 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 0.00 (5.19) ERA, 3.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K. (1.27 WHIP, .214 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 0-6, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K, SB. (.152/.326/.515. .841 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: Lewis is expected to join Wichita this week. Reports suggest he’ll be playing shortstop and third base. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 8-23, 4 2B, 4 RBI, R, 3 BB, 3 K, SB. (.294/.357/.461. .818 OPS), played all five games (24 total) at shortstop and committed one error in 21 chances (three errors in 105 total chances). PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (as voted on by fans on Twitter) PITCHER - Blayne Enlow, Wichita. After injuries and being removed from the 40-roster, it would have been easy to move on... for the Twins, for the fans, and for Enlow himself. Instead, Enlow is getting better results than he's gotten as a pro. His WHIP is 1.01 and he's holding opponents to a .202 batting average plus he's struck out 33 in 26 2/3 innings. If he keeps this up, his name will return to the Top 20 list. (Enlow 59%, Ohl 32%, Laweryson 9%) HITTER - Edouard Julien, St. Paul. After a cold stretch in Minnesota and a slow start in his return to St. Paul, Julien is starting to reheat. Playing exclusively at second base and with Polanco back healthy, the pressure is off. Julien can relax and just get back to hitting.... and he has. His eight hits last week were tied for third in the organization. And no one else had more home runs than Julien (2) and only Brooks Lee (4) had more than Julien's three doubles. (Julien 50%, Rosario 38%, Lee, 12%, Ortega 1%) 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

We’re moving around the infield in this new #PersonalCheeseballs installment. After looking at shortstops this week, we’ll be be focusing on third basemen. Or at least, those who project to play third base as professionals. Like last week, with shortstops who end up moving off the position, third base is more of the same. The difference, of course, is that a move off third base is a move even further down the positional totem pole, which likely ends at first base. 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 that’s what you’ll see here. If the first three installments, we covered players from the midwest, catchers and shortstops. This list will look at projected third basemen. And, again, as a warning, my radar isn’t reflective of any single team’s preferences or draft board. You will notice the position is heavier on the college side, but that’s because of the aforementioned defensive totem pole. Most college third basemen were likely high school shortstops. Most high school third basemen find a new defensive home. Mac Horvath, North Carolina: I was asked why Horvath didn’t make the local list. It’s possible that his exclusion really fired him up because he’s been on a heater lately. Just a few weeks removed from an 8-RBI game, Horvath currently has a .312/.418/.726 slashline plus great speed and should now likely hear his name called on Day 1. LuJames “Gino” Groover III, North Carolina State: Groover began his collegiate career at Charlotte before transferring to NC State after a prep career in Georgia. After a slow start to his junior season, he’s been on a tear. After starting his season on a 6-for-30 slump, he’s hit 52-for-140 (.371). Though he’s showing slightly less power than last year, he’s drawing walks almost twice as frequently as striking out. It’s a toss-up where Groover ends up defensively. He doesn’t necessarily have the offensive power profile to fit in a corner, but third base is as good of bet as any. Kyle Karros, UCLA: It’s hard to ignore the son of a former big leaguer. It’s also hard to ignore a 6-5, 220-pound specimen. Karros hasn’t put up the power numbers that you may expect from such a large human, but he’s drastically improved his strikeout and walk numbers throughout his career and is currently sporting an OPS over .900. Bryson Ware, Auburn: Ware has kind of come out of nowhere after a relatively non-descript collegiate career. But in his senior season Ware has unlocked a ton of power (18 home runs in 170 at-bats) while reducing his strikeout rate and improving his walk rate. It will be interesting to see where he is drafted, considering he’s played his way up draft boards, yet will likely come at a discounted rate. Aidan Miller, Florida high school (committed to Arkansas): The lone prep on the list, Miller is well-known as a longtime U.S. National team player. He’s got a great bat that will fit the profile to play in any corner. Miller certainly has the arm to be a third baseman and despite an Arkansas commitment should be a pro later this summer as a first-round pick. Next week we will take a look at some outfielders, though there will be a second installment of outfielders later in the process as well. 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