Jeremy Nygaard

Walker JenkinsBrooks LeeEmmanuel RodriguezMarco RayaCharlee SotoTanner SchobelBrandon WinokurYasser MercedesDanny De AndradeDavid FestaLuke KeaschallBlayne EnlowAustin MartinJose RodriguezConnor PrielippSimeon Woods RichardsonBryan AcunaCory LewisKala'i RosarioJordan Balazovic

The Twins are in a pennant race. (Can we call it a race when you can win it if you just don't fall over?) But so are so many of the affiliates. The Saints are within striking distance of making the International League playoffs. The Wind Surge are a game out. The Kernels are already in. The others were all .500 or better last week. Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Danny De Andrade) It was a typically weird week for the Twins, which you can read about in Nick’s Week in Review. For all things minor-league related, keep reading. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 23-16 (5-1 last week) in the second half; In first place in the IL West by half a game; tied for third place in the International League. Overview: A huge week for the Saints, adding Royce Lewis to the newly-promoted prospects and taking five of six from Louisville. 😍: Hello Royce! Lewis hit two home runs in 13 rehab at-bats. It shouldn't be long until Minneapolis takes him back. Sorry St. Paul. 🔥: Austin Martin turned in another big week. His seven hits led the team and he also stole three bases while showing off his power by hitting a home run. He also doubled. May Martin be making his way into the centerfield conversation? 🔥: Louie Varland pitched the same day as Dallas Keuchel and showed, over 7 1/3 shutout innings, that maybe he deserves the spot with the Twins. He struck out six while allowing three hits and walking one. 🔥: Jair Camargo had a big week, homering twice and doubling twice in his five total hits. Trevor Larnach also added two home runs. 🔥: Ronny Henriquez (4 2/3 innings), Randy Dobnak (four innings), Patrick Murphy (four innings), Austin Schulfer (3 2/3 innings), Jovani Moran (2 2/3 innings), and Andrew Bechtold (two innings) all threw multiple shutout innings (in addition to Varland) for the week. 🥶: It wasn't a great week for Carlos Luna , who surrendered eight earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. 🥶: Kyle Garlick was 1-for-10 and struck out five times. Those wondering why Garlick wasn't the right-handed bat that was called up on just need to look at his stats. What's Next: The Saints will look to continue their dominance at home against Indianapolis (19-19) Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 19-20 (4-2 last week) in the second half; 1.0 game back in the Northern Division. Overview: Despite losing their best three offensive players last week, Wichita is 6-4 in their last ten games and creeping up the standings. 🔥: Pierson Ohl is dealing. In his eight-inning start this past week, Ohl allowed a single run on seven hits and no walks. He only had four strikeouts, but he continues to impress at the Double-A level. 🔥: Alex Isola led a balanced attack, pacing the team with 13 total bases on six hits, including a double and a team-leading two home runs. He was tied for second with six runs scored and had a team-high eight RBI. 🔥: Regi Grace remains an interesting bullpen arm. He pitched 6 1/3 innings over two appearances, allowing only one run on three hits, a walk, and a hit batter. He struck out only three. 🔥: Patrick Winkel had four doubles this week after two doubles and two home runs last week. Jake Rucker had two doubles and two triples. 🥶: Will Holland went hitless in 14 at-bats. 🦃: Marco Raya is here for the third straight week. He did get outs this week (three) and only gave up one run, but struggled with the walks (four). What's Next: The Wind Surge head to Springfield (20-19) to try to close the one-game gap in the Texas League North. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 26-16 (3-3 last week) in the second half, one game ahead of Peoria. The Kernels have clinched a postseason berth. Overview: The Kernels remain the drivers seat of the Midwest League West. 🔥: Carson McCusker has adjusted nicely to high-A ball, leading the team with 14 total bases on a team-high six hits. He had two doubles, two home runs and team-leading seven RBI. He did, however, strike out seven times without taking a walk. 🔥: It seems like there's always at least a 2012 draft pick starter or two that needs to be highlighted. Andrew Morris picked up another win, allowing only an unearned run on four hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out three. Cory Lewis struck out six over 4 1/3 innings. Of his four runs allowed, only one was earned. C.J. Culpepper - who might just end up being the best of the lot - struck out seven in five innings. Mike Paredes struck out eight in four two-hit innings. 🔥: Ben Ross also had two home runs and two doubles (among his five total hits). He drew seven walks and struck out nine times. 🥶: Two of the bigger disappointments this year have been former first-round pick Keoni Cavaco and recently-acquired Jose Salas . Cavaco was 1-for-10 with seven strikeouts. This year might be the end of the line for him. He was a swing-for-the-fences pick... and the team struck out. Salas is back with the team after going to the FCL for a bit. He was 2-for-18 with five strikeouts, but he did manage to steal two bases. A top-10 prospect in the organization to the start the year, he's really fallen off. 🥶: Zebby Matthews gave up six hits and issues two walks in 4 1/3 innings. It wasn't a typical Zebby performance, but he still struck out eight. What's Next: The Kernels host Wisconsin (21-21). The Timber Rattlers trail the Kernels by five games. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 18-24 (3-3 last week) in the second half, 10.0 games out of first place. Overview: Another split. The last-place Mighty Mussels have a +5 run differential though. The bad luck may be attributed to the franchise replacing the classic Miracle-palm-tree-M hat with... whatever is happening now. 🔥: Danny De Andrade - my personal #8 prospect - led Fort Myers with eight runs, nine hits and three doubles on his way to a 1.416 OPS. 🔥: Juan Mendez pitched 3 1/3 hitless innings over his two appearances. He struck out seven and allowed two walks. 🥶: Johnathan Lavallee had a week so bad, it has to be mentioned. In three appearances he pitched 2 1/3 innings. He allowed only two hits, but issued 11 walks and hit a batter. The result was eight earned runs. 🥶: Luke Keaschall was 2-for-16, but his line was made respectable by drawing four walks. He also stole four bases and tried out centerfield. What's Next: On the road to Palm Beach (19-21). Rookie: FCL Twins Overall: 21-27 (4-2 last week) on the season. 7.5 games behind the FCL Pirates in the FCL South. 😍: Walker Jenkins led the team in at-bats (21), hits (7), total bases (13), runs batted in (7) and stolen bases (2). It's not too early to call him the real deal. He's the real deal. It's also not too early to suggest a promotion. It's not going to harm him to see some low-A pitching before the end of the season. And, realistically, it's also not going to hurt him to be a part of the high-A playoffs. Is that too aggressive? Maybe. But Jenkins is that type of special. 🤔: Brandon Winokur strikes out too much (eight times this week), but getting time at shortstop is a fun development. Is he going to stay there? Noooooooo... but that's not to suggest he couldn't play third base. Versatility rules. 🤩: Five 2023-drafted pitchers made their professional debuts - Nolan Santos, Ty Langenberg, Xander Hamilton, Spencer Bengard and Hector Garcia Jr. - by pitching an inning each. Santos gave up a hit and struck out two. Langenberg allowed an unearned run on a hit and a walk while striking out two. Hamilton picked up a save despite giving up an earned run while striking out two. Bengard issued a walk and struck out one. Garcia gave up a run on a hit and walk and struck out one. Rookie: DSL Twins Overall: 14-33 (5-1 last week) on the season. 23.5 games back in the DSL South. 🔥: Junior Del Valle has been in DSL for three years. He's steadily improving. This past week, he had five hits in 12 at-bats. He stole two bases. 🔥: Yency De Jesus gets a nod every week. He struck out eight in five innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk. 🥶: Hendry Chivilli appeared to be turning the corner, but went only 1-for-16 last week with six strikeouts. 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 periodically 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. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 3-13, 2B, HR, R, 2 BB, 4 K. (.250/.317/.399. .716 OPS) 19. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: (1.42 WHIP, .271 BAA); recently optioned to St. Paul. 18. Jose Salas , INF, Cedar Rapids: 2-18, RBI, 2 R, 5 K, 2 SB. (.174/.257/.249. .506 OPS), played one game (14 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 11 chances (four errors in 154 chances total), played one game (15 total) at third base and committed one error in two chances (four errors in 34 total chances), played four games (44 total) at second base with two errors in 18 chances (five errors in 179 total chances). 17. Yunior Severino, 3B, St. Paul: 4-17, 2B, 3B, HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 3 BB, 3 K. (AA/AAA combined .281/.361/.552. .913 OPS). 16. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Cedar Rapids: 5-20, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 K. (.262/.375/.474. .849 OPS). 15. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.60 WHIP, .261 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 14. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 1-0, 4.76 ERA, 5.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R (3 ER), 4 BB, 3 K (1.62 WHIP, .266 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 13. Brandon Winokur, OF, FCL Twins: 3-20, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB, 8 K. (.275/.339/.569. .908 OPS), played four games at shortstop (eight total) and committed one error in 14 chances (two errors in 31 total chances) and played two games (four total) at centerfield and committed no errors in three chances (no errors in 11 total chances). 12. Luke Keaschall, 2B, Fort Myers: 2-16, RBI, 4 R, 5 BB, 4 K, 4 SB. (rookie/l-A combined .263/.455/.316. .771 OPS), played four games (nine total) at second base and committed no errors in 8 chances (one error in 20 total chances) and one game in centerfield and had no chances. Previously played one game at third base and committed one error in two chances. 11. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: Did not play. (.196/.248/.381. .629 OPS) 10. Tanner Schobel, INF, Wichita: 5-23, 2 2B, RBI, 6 R, 4 BB, 3 K, CS. (high-A/AA combined .265/.357/.447. .804 OPS), played four games (39 total) at second base and committed two errors in 18 chances (8 errors in 160 total chances), played three games (55 total) at third base and committed no errors in two chances (four errors in 109 total chances). 9. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Prielipp underwent season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 8. Austin Martin, SS, St. Paul: 7-15, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, 3 BB, 2 K, 3 SB. (rehab/AAA combined .260/.372/.382. .754 OPS), played four games in centerfield and committed no errors in nine chances and played four games (21 total) at second base and committed no errors in 17 chances (two errors in 89 total chances). Has also played four games in left field and committed no errors in 10 chances. (Not so sure we can call him a shortstop prospect anymore.) 7. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 4 K. (1.43 WHIP, .257 BAA) 6. Charlee Soto, RHP: Has not played in a professional game. 5. Matt Wallner, OF, Minnesota: St. Paul (.291/.403/.524. .927 OPS); currently with the Twins. 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-1, 9.00 ERA, 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 BB. (AA/Hi-A combined 1.20 WHIP, .212 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 4-18, HR, 2 RBI, 6 R, 4 BB, 7 K, CS. (.228/.394/.448. .842 OPS) 2. Walker Jenkins, OF, FCL Twins: 7-21, 2B, 3B, HR, 7 RBI, 2 R, BB, 5 K, 2 SB. (.333/.371/.545. .916 OPS) 1. Brooks Lee, SS, St. Paul: 6-20, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB, 3 K, SB. (AA/AAA combined .285/.355/.461. .816 OPS), played three games (88 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 13 chances (14 errors in 355 total chances) and played one game (two total) at third base and committed no errors in three chances (one error in six chances total chances). PLAYERS OF THE WEEK HITTER - Danny De Andrade, Fort Myers. PITCHER - Louie Varland, St. Paul. View full article

@Brock BeauchampAdd Tanner Hall and Dylan Questad please :)

Absolutely. And if he doesn't do well in AAA, it's all moot anyway. He won't be added and won't be selected... but that's why the Twins needed to get him to St. Paul. Mark Contreras wasn't terrible at AAA, really fits the description of a 4A player and could have been a usable depth piece as a select/outright guy at any time (as he has been in the past). The Twins appear to believe in Keirsey enough to simply move on from Contreras. Obviously "the past" was a time when the Twins had like 100 outfielders injured and now Contreras/Keirsey would be further down the pecking order. But the point remains: this is his audition to be added to the 40-man and be part of the outfield depth for the next couple of seasons.

And I'm not some huge Keirsey fan either. I just think there's value there and, depending on how he does in AAA, probably stays in the conversation. In fact, talking with a scout about the logjam, Keirsey was brought up unprompted... so he's getting noticed. If it's only depth, that's not a bad thing.

Keirsey has dealt with some injuries in his career. I think he had a hip thing that hampered him in 2019. No season in 2020 and only played 48 games in 2021. Now that's he fully healthy, he's been a dude. Yeah, he's a little older... but that really only means he's never going to get a huge free agent contract.

26-year-old first baseman Ryan Noda went second overall last year. A 26-year-old left-handed hitting DaShawn Keirsey, who has a .886 OPS against RHP, 32 stolen bases and could be a fourth OF right now, provides a heck of a whole lot more value than Noda. I think he could certainly be drafted and stick.

There has been a lot going on in the minor leagues of late, with new players joining the organization and others moving within the organization. We've seen the professional debut of many recent signings, including the top rookie. And we've seen the Triple-A debut of a handful of prospects, including the top prospect. All in all, it was a fun week on the farm. Image courtesy of Landon Bost/Naples Daily News/USA TODAY Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK The Twins were able to celebrate Joe Mauer's induction into the team's Hall of Fame by sweeping the Diamondbacks. You can read all about that and the Twins complete inactivity at the trade deadline in Nick’s Week in Review. And there was a lot that happened in the (still fully intact) system. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 18-15 (2-4 last week) in the second half; In second place in the IL West, trailing Louisville by one game. Overview: It was a down week, dropping out of a first place tie. The Saints, though, are still only 2.5 games outs in their attempt to win the second half title and qualify for the playoffs. 😍: It was a fun week for prospect-watching because the Twins promoted top prospect Brooks Lee, top 20 prospect Yunior Severino and borderline top 30 prospect DaShawn Kiersey. It's entirely conceivable to believe that Severino and Kiersey are doing well enough on their year-long audition to be added to the 40-man roster. The problem for both is that they play positions that have good depth in the organization. How do Severino and Miranda both fit as third basemen? Kiersey is two years older than Gilberto Celestino and, along with most of the other outfielders, bats lefthanded. But Celestino will be out of options going into next year, so it's possible that Kiersey could just replace him. 🔥: I was critical of Austin Martin in this very space last week and he turned around and had a very good week. He only had four hits on the week (in five games), but they came in only 13 at-bats because he also drew seven walks (versus only three strikeouts). He hit for two doubles and was three-of-four in stolen base attempts. He's not playing shortstop at all anymore, but he does add a dynamic right-handed alternative in left field and can also play second base. As the roster flotsam clears up this winter, it's entirely possible the Twins just replace the out-of-options Nick Gordon by giving his roster spot to Austin Martin. Aside from their handedness, they would provide the Twins with pretty similar skillsets. 🔥: Kody Funderburk is almost 27 years old, but it wouldn't be shocking if the Twins took a look at him in the big-league bullpen before the end of the year. He's a tall lefty who began the year at Wichita, but has thrown 43 2/3 innings and struck out 65 for the Saints. His numbers are extremely impressive. In his three games (five innings) this week, he allowed a single run on a hit and three walks. he struck out nine. Most impressively, though, Funderburk has absolutely destroyed right-handed batters (.183/.254/.209. .463 OPS). He hasn't allowed a home run this entire year. He's allowed only three doubles to right-handers in 115 at-bats. 🔥: Trevor Larnach led the team with nine hits and tied for the lead with three extra-base hits. He put up a 1.229 OPS despite not hitting a home run. He's been passed on the organizational depth chart by Matt Wallner and Max Kepler has been raking his way into "maybe the Twins should pick up his option for next year" territory. That would ticket Larnach for St. Paul again, where he would be on his final optional assignment. 🥶: Lee (1-13), Severino (1-8) and Kiersey (2-9) are all adjusting in their first handful of games at the highest minor-league level. 🥶: Blayne Enlow has really slowed down since his promotion to AAA, but he's nearly 80 innings on the year, exceeding his combined innings in the 2021 and 2022. Prior to COVID, Enlow had broken the 100 innings mark in 2019, but obviously didn't throw in games in 2020. Enlow gave up four hits and walked four in three innings allowing four runs (three earned). He struck out two. What's Next: The Saints, who own the best second-half home record (11-4) will welcome the Louisville Bats to CHS Field. Louisville is on a six-game winning streak and are the hottest team in the International League. Two giants colliding! Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 15-18 (4-2 last week) in the second half; 2.5 games behind NW Arkansas and in fourth place in the Texas League. Overview: Wichita sent their three best hitters to St. Paul, but still managed to take four wins in the series. 🔥: Dalton Shuffield has really bounced around since signing as a 10th-round pick in 2022. He got 48 AAA at-bats last year, but has mostly played in Fort Myers this year. He made a brief stop at Cedar Rapids before getting to Wichita and being productive in three games. His three home runs last week (in eight at-bats) were one more than he had in his previous 129 at-bats this season. 🔥: Yoyner Fajardo led the team with 12 hits, six runs and four doubles last week. He also hit two home runs and tied for the team lead with six runs batted in and four stolen bases. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder has a .811 OPS and 34 stolen bases. He doesn't have a typical corner-outfield profile, but he's definitely impressed. 🔥: Pierson Ohl put up another great start. He allowed only three hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out five. Through 46 AA innings, he's struck out 43 with only nine walks. His WHIP is 1.09 and he's actually pulling off the rare feat of making baseball look easier despite moving to a harder level. 🔥: Patrick Winkel had two doubles and two home runs among his seven hits in 16 at-bats. He also drew six walks for an impressive 1.529 OPS. 🥶: Tanner Schobel continues to struggle through 15 games at AA. He went 3-for-19 with two doubles this past week. With the heart of their lineup promoted, someone is going to have step up and eyes will be on Schobel. 🥶: Marco Raya was here last week after a dismal start. This one was even worse. He got pulled without recording an out. He gave up six runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk. It will be interesting to see how Raya is handled this week. The kid gloves have been on with him at almost every turn. What's Next: Heading to NW Arkansas, looking to close the gap in the league standings. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 23-13 (5-1 last week) in the second half, 2.0 games ahead of Peoria. The Kernels have clinched a postseason berth. Overview: A loss on Sunday prevented the Kernels from the six-game sweep. 🔥: Like Emmanuel Rodriguez's performances, I'm hot and cold on him. When it's bad, it's almost unbelievably bad. When it's good - like this past week - it's really, really good. He was 6-for-17 with three home runs. He walked five times and only struck out three times. He also stole two bases. 🔥: After struggling in his debut last week, Andrew Morris picked up a win, throwing six strong innings, allowing only one run on five hits. He struck out nine batters. 🔥: Cory Lewis didn't quite strike out a batter per inning (five in six innings), but he did only allow one run on three hits and a walk. 🔥: Two bullpen members deserve a mention: Jordan Carr pitched four near-perfect innings last week. He struck out three and allowed a single walk. He was in the starting rotation until around Memorial Day, but had a 1.45 WHIP and an opposing batting average of .295. Since the transition, Carr has not allowed an earned run (eight appearances, 23 innings) and has reduced his WHIP and opposing batting average in each appearance (down to 1.05 and .211). Miguel Rodriguez has also been very good. He's 14-for-14 in save opportunities. He's struck out 42 in 41 innings over 33 appearances. His WHIP is 1.05 and his opposing batting average is .212. Carr and Rodriguez are nice back-end for a playoff team. 🔥: Both Jorel Ortega (5-15, 2B, 3B, HR) and Noah Miller (6-18, 2B, HR) had weeks with an OPS over 1.000. 🥶: It's easier to overlook the Kala'i Rosario strikeouts when he's banging home runs. It's less easy when he's striking out 12 times in 21 a-bats. What's Next: The Kernels will head to last-place Quad Cities (12-24), but they'll need to stay hot to keep Peoria and their eight-game winning streak at bay. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 15-21 (3-3 last week) in the second half, 10.0 games out of first place. Overview: A split with Dunedin! Reason to celebrate... but Dunedin is tied for last place with Fort Myers. 🔥: Luke Keaschall is by far the best prospect the Mighty Mussels have and he had a very good week with two doubles in his seven hits. He also stole two bases. 🔥: Jarret Whorff had a great start, allowing only one run on two hits in six innings while striking out nine. It's his best start since moving into the rotation in early July. 🔥: Ricardo Olivar tied for the team lead in hits with seven and also was one of three players to hit a home run. He also stole a base. 🔥: Ben Ethridge allowed three hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball. He struck out five. 🤔: Fort Myers just isn't a very good team this year. We're not going to pick too much on the guys that are struggling. Hopefully there are some more prospect reinforcements on the way to help. What's Next: Bradenton (23-13) will come to town. Rookie: FCL Twins Overall: 17-25 (1-4 last week) on the season. 10.5 games behind the FCL Pirates in the FCL South. 😍: Walker Jenkins is slowing getting back into the baseball thing... and I think he's going to be ok. 🔥: Brandon Winokur led the team with eight hits, six runs and four runs batted in his first few days playing professional baseball. Impressively, Winokur has been playing more shortstop than anything else. Drafted as an outfielder and projected to eventually fit in a corner, the Twins must think that there's a chance Winokur could stay in the dirt (most likely at third base). 🥶: The young international, newsworthy guys - Jose Rodriguez, Yasser Mercedes, Byron Chourio and Bryan Acuna - are all Top 30-type guys and still struggling. Chourio had the best week going 5-for-13. 🥶: Lots of crooked numbers on the pitching side of things and that's not ideal. No one threw more than two innings and had an ERA under 4.00 and only one had a WHIP under 1.40. Rookie: DSL Twins Overall: 9-32 (1-4 last week) on the season. 24.5 games back in the DSL South. 🔥: Yency De Jesus was really good two weeks ago and even better last week. He tied for the lead in innings pitched (5) and strikeouts (5), and led WHIP (0.40) while not allowing a run. 🔥: Dameury Pena led the team with five hits. Despite not hitting for any power, he still managed to get on base 54% of the time so his OPS was near 1.000. 😏: Hendry Chivilli is coming on. He collected four hits in 13 at-bats, including a triple. He is the highest-regarded prospect on this roster. 🥶: There's a reason this team isn't winning many games and a lot of that has to with poor pitching. 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 periodically 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. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 4-21, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K, CS. (.252/.318/.404. .722 OPS) 19. Brent Headrick, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: 0-1, 13.50 ERA, 4 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 HB, 3 BB, 3 K. (1.42 WHIP, .271 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 18. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: currently on the Development List and appears on the FCL Twins roster but has not played. (.181/.268/.265. .533 OPS), previously played two games at shortstop and committed one error in seven chances (13 total; four errors in 43 chances total), played one game (14 total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance (three errors in 32 total chances). He played five games (40 total) at second base with no errors in 16 chances (three errors in 161 total chances). 17. Yunior Severino, 3B, St. Paul. Wichita/St. Paul: 2-14, RBI, R, 2 BB, 5 K. (AA/AAA combined .284/.360/.555. .910 OPS). 16. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Cedar Rapids: 3-21, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 4 R, 4 BB, 12 K. (.262/.377/.481. .858 OPS). 15. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.60 WHIP, .261 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 14. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 6 BB, 4 K (1.63 WHIP, .271 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 13. Brandon Winokur, OF, FCL Twins: 8-20, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, 7 K. (.321/.367/.500. .867 OPS), played four games at shortstop and committed one error in 17 chances and played two games at centerfield and committed no errors in eight chances. 12. Luke Keaschall, 2B, Fort Myers: 7-15, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K. (rookie/l-A combined .364/.516/.455. .971 OPS), played five games at second base and committed one error in 12 chances and played one game at third base and committed one error in two chances. 11. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: 2-7, 2B, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 SB. (.196/.248/.381. .629 OPS) 10. Tanner Schobel, INF, Wichita: 3-19, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, 3 K, CS. (high-A/AA combined .268/.357/.456. .813 OPS), played four games (35 total) at second base and committed one error in seven chances (6 errors in 142 total chances), played two games (52 total) at third base and committed one error in four chances (four errors in 107 total chances). 9. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Announced that Prielipp will be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 8. Austin Martin , SS, St. Paul: 4-13, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R, 7 BB, 3 K, 3 SB, CS. (rehab/AAA combined .231/.344/.333. .677 OPS), played two games (four total) in left field and committed no errors in six chances (no errors in 10 total chances) and played three games (17 total) at second base and committed no errors in 11 chances (two errors in 72 total chances). Has also played three games in centerfield and committed no errors in seven chances(Not so sure we can call him a shortstop prospect anymore,) 7. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 HB, 3 BB, 9 K. (1.44 WHIP, .261 BAA) 6. Charlee Soto, RHP: Has not played in a professional game. 5. Matt Wallner, OF, Minnesota: St. Paul (.291/.403/.524. .927 OPS); currently with the Twins. 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-1, INF ERA, 0.0 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 4 ER, HRA, BB, 2 K. (AA/Hi-A combined 1.10 WHIP, .216 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 6-17, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 5 BB, 3 K, 2 SB, CS. (.228/.396/.452. .848 OPS) 2. Walker Jenkins, OF, FCL Twins: 4-8, 2B, RBI, SB, CS. (.500/.500/.625. 1.125 OPS) 1. Brooks Lee, SS, St. Paul. Wichita/St. Paul: 3-21, 2B, RBI, R, 4 K ,SB. (AA/AAA combined .285/.356/.461. .817 OPS), played 5 games (85 total) at shortstop and committed two errors in 14 chances (14 errors in 342 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK HITTER - Yoyner Fajardo, Wichita. PITCHER - Kody Funderburk, St. Paul. View full article

Maybe Bednar/Joe isn't the target, but the idea of using Rodriguez as a headliner is intriguing to me. Maybe it's Keller and they deal a different pitcher. Or maybe it's a different team. I don't know. Main point: they should be willing to move him for the right return.

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It's been a long time since the Twins have won a playoff game, let alone a playoff series. You knew that, right? The streak has got to end sometime and it feels like this year is a good of year as any to put an end to it. The American League Central is, as the kids like to say, dogwater. And if you can hang a pennant for winning this trash division... then all bets are off. The 2019 Nationals were a hot mess - 12 games below .500 before Memorial Day - yet found a way to win the whole dang thing! Why can't the 2023 Twins be next? Image courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports Of course, the Nationals of 2019 were able to get it together before the end of July (but only to the tune of 57-51) and played very well down the stretch to finish 93-69. But the reality of that is that they still narrowly escaped a one-game playoff with the Brewers and went the distance with the Dodgers in the NLDS and the Astros in the World Series. Sure, they swept the Cardinals, but the difference between being the World Champion and not even being a memorable team was razor thin. And that can be the Twins this year. Literally, every team in the American League is doing their best anti-Nancy Kerrigan, "Why not me?!" "Why not now!?" The Rangers are good, but adding help like their ship is sinking. The Orioles are good, but they're average age is young enough to have like six fathers on the Yankees team. The Rays are slipping. The Astros. The Angels. The others in the American League East. They all think they can win the American League pennant and the way that the playoffs work in baseball; they're not wrong. So, back to the Twins. It's time to make the move. I'm not suggesting blowing it up for this year's team. I am, however, more than willing to accelerate the timeline of certain players. And by that I mean, turn a current prospect and their seven years of control into less years of control of a player who is ready to contribute right now. That big prospect is Emmanuel Rodriguez. I recorded a little five-minute video explaining why I'd trade him. I was on Twitter Sunday night posting about my fears of what he turns into. And I'm calling the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates have two players that I'm mostly intrigued by: Reliever David Bednar and outfielder/first baseman Connor Joe. Would it be possible to pry both players away from them? I'm not sure. Bednar is 28 years old, but will enter arbitration for the first time this offseason. He's a luxury: a closer on a bad team. His numbers are relatively consistent over the last three years at 11.4-12.0 K/9, 2.7-2.8 BB/9, a WHIP between 0.97-1.10. There's always risk in trading for a reliever - ALWAYS! - but he's been really good since becoming a regular in Pittsburgh in 2021. This isn't Jorge Lopez. This is a significant step up. So much so that the price is going to be extremely high. Joe is even older. He will turn 31 in two weeks. But he's not even arbitration-eligible until following next season. The reason I'm buying Joe, though, is because of his ability to hit left-handed pitchers and play two positions of need (left field and first base). An .858 OPS against lefties is what the lineup needs and will continue to need as they churn through left-handed outfielders for the foreseeable future. The Pirates almost certainly ask for Brooks Lee - and they should - but I'd hold strong to Emmanuel Rodriguez being the headliner. They passed on Dylan Crews, here's the outfielder they need. Rodriguez would be too much to give up for Joe and not enough for Bednar, but you've at least closed the gap enough to have a conversation. What else would it take: I'd be shocked if it didn't take one of the AAA/MLB outfielders in Matt Wallner or Trevor Larnach. I'd let them take their pick. I'm sure it would take a young pitcher - like Louie Varland maybe. I wouldn't be overly inclined to trade Marco Raya, but if they want to take one of those 2022 drafted pitchers, ok. If they want two, I probably wouldn't walk away from the table either. They'd probably ask for a lottery ticket or two: Bryan Acuna carries extra value because his last name is Acuna and not Smith. Before you go too crazy, you'd have no issue trading Bryan Smith, born in Manchester, New Hampshire and struggling in the Florida Complex League. But he's Ronald's brother, born in Manchester, New Hampshire and struggling in the Florida Complex League, and the last one just netted Max Scherzer and $36 million. And there are a dozen others who you've maybe heard their name, but are six years away from hearing their name at Target Field... if they're lucky. It might also take more than that and that's fine. And it's made possible by headlining a deal with a Top 50 prospect who might never swing the bat enough to hit. Are Bednar and Joe enough to push the Twins over the top? Who knows. Would the Twins regret trading Rodriguez, Wallner, Varland, Acuna and some combination of others for them? Who knows on that either! But someone is going to come out on top in the American League Central and someone is going to win the American League Championship Series. Why not the Twins? View full article

If you haven't been diligently reading the daily minor league recaps, you can get all caught up on the last seven days of actions right here. We will take a look at some of the highlight (and lowlight) performances of the week, recap the Twins Daily Top 20 prospects' performances over the last seven days as well as reveal the public's choices for Hitter and Pitcher of the Week. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge Well, it's been a down week for the Twins and you can read all about it in Nick’s Week in Review. On the positive side, the Twins did get Walker Jenkins signed, sealed and delivered and there were a number of notable individual performances across the minor leagues as well. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 16-11 (4-2 last week) in the second half; Tied for first with Iowa in the IL West, but only the winner of the whole International League makes the playoffs. The Saints are tied for third place in the IL, trailing Buffalo by 1.5 games. Overview: The Saints had a good week, especially their offense, which accounted for over seven runs a game. 🔥: It's maybe not fair to include Dallas Keuchel on this list because he's 35 and won a Cy Young at one point, but he's done enough to prove he deserves another shot. This week he pitched six innings, striking out eight. He did allow six hits (including a home run) and a walk. And his opt-out is Tuesday... so there will be resolution. 🔥: Anthony Prato seemed to have figured AA out in 2022, but was sent back there in 2023 and really underperformed. His OPS dropped from .822 to .553. He was promoted to AAA anyway and has been killing it through 37 games with an OPS of 1.151 supported by 16 doubles, seven home runs and 28:28 K/BB ratio. Last week, Prato had 11 hits including six doubles and a home run. He's played only the infield with St. Paul (mostly 2B and 3B), but played left field in Wichita. Teams might be asking about Prato, but the Twins should avoid making him the next Spencer Steer. 🔥: Andrew Stevenson is a victim of bad luck. He's a left-handed hitting outfield in AAA behind a whole bunch of other left-handed hitting outfielders. He hit .435/.500/.739 last week and it didn't even move the needle. He's hit .325/.399/.521 on the season... and no one's talking about him. If the Twins were in any other division, they'd be moving of from Max Kepler and Joey Gallo and giving Stevenson a shot to see with this 29-year-old can do at the big league level. But they're in the weak AL Central and are have a log jam in the outfield. 🤔: When the Twins acquired Austin Martin in the Jose Berrios deal, there was no bigger fan than me. I loved Berrios, but I believed that Austin Martin was going to be the best player to come out of the 2020 draft. He was good - but not good enough - in his professional debut with the Blue Jays' AA affiliate and has only gotten worse. He's now early in his AAA career after 666 AA at-bats (with a .739 OPS). It's go-time for the 24-year-old, who will probably still be added to the 40-man roster after the season. But the star has certainly faded... a lot. 🥶: I still see Ronny Henriquez's name pop up on prospect lists and wonder why. I understand he's only 23, but he's an inning or two reliever who doesn't strike many hitters out and walks a ton. He did have one scoreless, hitless outing this week, but also had an outing where he gave up two runs, including a home run, walked a guy and hit a guy. Opponents are hitting .270 off him and his WHIP in St. Paul is 1.88. I would find a better use of his 40-man spot before the trade deadline. What's Next: St. Paul travels to Columbus this week. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 11-16 (2-4 last week) in the second half; 4.5 games behind Arkansas in the Texas League. Overview: After dropping the first two to Amarillo, Wichita managed a split over the final four games. 🔥: Have a week, Yunior Severino . 23 at-bats, six home runs. He's been absolutely crushing it (when he's not striking out) and after 500 AA at-bats, he's clearly beat the league. It will be an interesting case though, because he's mostly a third baseman who has also started playing some second base. There's no clear long-term third baseman with the Twins (and you could argue that Edouard Julien isn't the long-term answer at second base), but there are a ton of options between MLB, AAA and AA to play those two positions. Any of which could be on the move in the next 24 hours. Severino's value, right now, is trending upwards... and smart teams find a way to capitalize on that. 🔥: ...and part of the reason I think Severino could be a trade-chip is because it's also time for Brooks Lee to move up to AAA. He was 10-23 last week with a home run and only one strikeout. He drew two walks. He's not going to be long-term shortstop (unless Carlos Correa voluntarily moves to third base), so he, along with Royce Lewis, is probably the favorite to be the third baseman of the future. Or maybe he's the solution at second base with Julien becoming the DH when Buxton's knees are right again. Personally, I'd move Lee to third base and keep Julien at second base. I think Royce Lewis is a best fit in centerfield, but that's a narrative for a different time. 🔥: Pierson Ohl was met with some resistance in his first handful of AA starts. He surrendered too many home runs, then the strikeouts started to fade and the walks came. On July 15, he gave up two home runs, walked three and struck out two. But in his start this week, he lasted five innings, kept his WHIP at 1.00 and struck out five. He's been a somewhat quiet pleasant surprise as the 23-year-old is getting pushed by a number of 2022 draft picks. 🥶: Tanner Schobel has struggled since his promotion, with only five hits through 10 games. He went 2-for-16 last week though he did manage to hit a home run. Schobel is another name that will eventually be a part of the conversation, but right now there is so much depth in the middle infield and third base that it's fun to play "what if". 🥶: Marco Raya really got battered in his lone start of the week. He allowed eight runs on six hits, a walk and two hit batters. He only lasted 2 1/3 innings, striking out two. He has struggled through two turns in AA and his name has come up in trade rumors, but the reality is that he's still the team's best pitching prospect and just needs to log some innings at this level. What's Next: Home-cooking for a week against the Tulsa Drillers. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 18-12 (2-4 last week) in the second half, 2.0 games ahead of Wisconsin. The Kernels have clinched a postseason berth. Overview: A very competitive week with three one-run games (all of which went Wisconsin's way). 🔥: Kala'i Rosario keeps showing off his power, this week he had two more home runs. He also shows off his ability to strike out, doing so 10 times in 20 at-bats, but his four runs were second on the team and his two home runs and six runs batted in both led the team. 🔥: Zebby Matthews was the best of the bunch this week. He allowed five hits in six innings, though one was a home run. He struck out seven. Between him, Kyle Jones, Cory Lewis, Andrew Morris and C.J. Culpepper, the 2022 draft is looking good so far on the pitching side (as well as the hitting side). 🤔: I'm not sure what to make of Emmanuel Rodriguez . I certainly have opinions, but the inconsistency with bad week like this past week (2-18) following up good weeks. It's time to get more aggressive and see what ballplayer is actually there. 🥶: The aforementioned Morris struggled in his high-A debut, allowing 10 hits in five innings, resulting in four runs. He struck out two... but it's ok to struggle right away in the transition. 🥶: Ben Ross was 1-for-18 on the week. What's Next: Back at home for six games against Lansing. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 12-18 (1-5 last week) in the second half, 9.0 games out of first place. Overview: Not a great week for the Mussels against Palm Beach, dropping five of six. 🔥: Rafael Cruz hit 100% of the two home runs the Mighty Mussels had this past week. He also added a double while going 4-for-16 in five games. 🔥: Zach Veen had an excellent week in the bullpen. He appeared in three games spanning 4 1/3 innings, allowing a single hit and struck out four. A 0.23 WHIP and .071 BAA is quite a string of three games. 🔥: Ricardo Velez wasn't far behind. In 3 1/3 innings, he allowed only one hit and one walk. He struck out three. 🥶: Carson McCusker burst onto the scene in July carrying an OPS north of 1.000 into the week, but had a pretty brutal last handful of games. He went 2-for-21 with 10 strikeouts and no walks. He's now slashing .295/.350/.537 (.887). That's a drop of 56 batting average points, 65 OBP points and 112 slugging points. 🥶: When you drop five of six and have 10 different pitchers allow multiple earned runs, you have many candidates for the ice-cold emoji. So we're not going to pick on any one player in particular. What's Next: A road trip to Dunedin is next on the agenda. Rookie: FCL Twins Overall: 16-21 (1-3 last week) on the season. 10.5 games behind the FCL Pirates in the FCL South. 🔥: Dalton Shuffield looked out of place (4-7, 1.238 OPS) on his rehab assignment and moved quickly up to Cedar Rapids. Nate Baez (3-10, 2 2B, 1.167 OPS) did the same making his season debut after rehabbing a broken hamate bone. He's been moved up to the Mighty Mussels. 🔥: Cesar Lares gave up two home runs and five runs (four earned) total, but limited his opponents to only three hits and walk over five innings when striking out eight. He's 0-4 on the season with an 8.33 ERA and has been way too hittable, but a 39:8 K to walk ratio is impressive in 27.0 innings. He's a young (smallish) lefty... and exactly the type of player a team would want as a throw-in when making a trade. 🔥: Kyle Bischoff and Jacob Wosinski are both 24 years old and should dominant this level and they did last week combining to pitch five scoreless innings with six strikeouts. 🥶: This team has a handful of young international hitters to watch - Jose Rodriguez, Yasser Mercedes, Byron Chourio and Bryan Acuna are all Top 30-type guys - and collectively, they had a tough week. 5-for-41 (.122) with 10 Ks just isn't getting it done. It's possible, maybe even probable, that they will start to get more time off and see things improve as the 2023 draft picks start to get more involved in the lineup. Three of the four hitters who signed - everyone but Walker Jenkins - have made their debuts, so there should be less focus on the aforementioned foursome, especially when Jenkins gets involved. 🥶: Brayan Medina was acquired as a player to be named later in the Opening Day 2022 trade with the Padres. He's really struggled with command and continued to walk many too many hitters. In 6 1/3 innings last week, he walked five and hit two. It's a credit to him that he pitched into the 7th - you don't see that too often in Complex Leagues - but the reality is that if you walk that many guys, you're going to get moved to the bullpen and you won't still be pitching in the 7th innings. You might finally be pitching in the 7th inning. He's 20. There's time to figure it out and 4.5 BB/9 is better than the almost nine per nine it was last year, but a lot of improvement is still needed. Rookie: DSL Twins Overall: 8-28 (1-3 last week) on the season. 20.5 games back in the DSL South. 🔥: Dameury Pena didn't lead the team in hits this week, but he hit 4-8 with a double and a triple. The 17-year-old has been the most impressive player on the team and was a DSL All-Star, hitting .414/.468/.556 with a 1.024 OPS on the season while playing second base. 🔥: Yency De Jesus led the team in innings pitched (5 1/3), WHIP (0.94) and tied for the lead in strikeouts (5). He did walk three and give up three runs (two earned). The Twins signed the 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic only last fall, which is rare to sign someone that old. So they obviously saw something they liked, but I'd anticipate the Twins become more aggressive with him in the near future. 🔥: Moises Lopez (six hits, four RBI, four stolen bases), Yilber Herrera (five hits, two doubles, five RBI, stolen base) and Jayson Bass (five hits) also helped lead the offense. 🥶: Leonardo Lugo is on his repeat year in the DSL and the 18-year-old is struggling. Back in the bullpen after making a spot start, Lugo walked five and allowed two hits, yielding six runs (four earned) while recording only five outs. You never want to give up on a guy too early, but you want to start seeing success before sending anyone stateside. 🥶: Hendry Chivilli is probably the highest-profile prospect on this roster (or at least was coming into the season). He went 2-for-16 last week, but did hit a home run. He's only recently returned from a month-plus absence. The Twins will be patient with the young shortstop. 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 periodically 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. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 3-15, 2B, R, 1 BB, 3 K. (.262/.331/.408. .739 OPS) 19. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 9.00 ERA, 4 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 3 HRA, 4 BB, 2 K. (1.32 WHIP, .258 BAA). 18. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: currently on the Development List and appears on the FCL Twins roster but has not played. (.181/.268/.265. .533 OPS), previously played two games at shortstop and committed one error in seven chances (13 total; four errors in 43 chances total), played one game (14 total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance (three errors in 32 total chances). He played five games (40 total) at second base with no errors in 16 chances (three errors in 161 total chances). 17. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 8-23, 6 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R, 4 BB, 7 K, CS. (.290/.365/.567. .932 OPS). 16. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Cedar Rapids: 5-20, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB, 10 K. (.270/.381/.488. .869 OPS). 15. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.60 WHIP, .261 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 14. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 2.08 ERA, 4.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 5 BB, 6 K (1.63 WHIP, .279 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 13. Brandon Winokur, OF, FCL Twins: 1-8, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 4 K. (.125/.125/.500. .625 OPS) 12. Luke Keaschall, 2B, FCL Twins: 0-5, R, 2 BB, 2 K. (.000/.286/.000. .286 OPS) 11. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: 1-10, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 SB. (.189/.245/.378. .625 OPS) 10. Tanner Schobel, INF, Wichita: 2-16, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 4 BB, 3 K (high-A/AA combined .274/.361/.467. .828 OPS), played 3 games (31 total) at second base and committed one error in 12 chances (6 errors in 135 total chances), played two games (50 total) at third base and committed no errors in three chances (three errors in 103 total chances). 9. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Announced that Prielipp will be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 8. Austin Martin , SS, St. Paul: 6-14, HR, 2 RBI, 4 R, 2 K, SB. (rehab/AAA combined .221/.306/.316. .622 OPS), in St. Paul has played 2 games in left field and committed no errors in four chances, played three games in centerfield and committed no errors in seven chances, and played 14 games at second base and committed two errors in 61 chances. (Not so sure we can call him a shortstop prospect anymore,) 7. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-1, 13.50 ERA, 2.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 HRA, 2 BB, 4 K. (1.44 WHIP, .263 BAA) 6. Charlee Soto, RHP: Has not played in a professional game. 5. Matt Wallner, OF, Minnesota: St. Paul (.291/.403/.524. .927 OPS); currently with the Twins. 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-1, 30.86 ERA, 2.1 IP, 6 H, 8 ER, 2 HB, BB, 2 K. (AA/Hi-A combined 1.03 WHIP, .199 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 2-18, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 6 R, 7 BB, 7 K, SB. (.220/.389/.423. .812 OPS) 2. Walker Jenkins, OF: Signed on deadline day, but has not played in a professional game. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 10-23, HR, 5 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 1 K. (.293/.368/.478. .846 OPS), played 5 games (80 total) at shortstop and committed one error in 19 chances (12 errors in 328 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK HITTER - Yunior Severino. Plenty was said about Severino above, so just enjoy this 438-foot home run. PITCHER - Zebby Matthews. The Twins are showing an astute ability to take non-Power 5 pitchers and turn them into dudes. It's probably too early to call Matthews a "dude," but he had a heck of a month of July. View full article

If the Twins are going to go for it at the deadline, a package fronted by Emmanuel Rodriguez makes the most sense. View full video

After the deadline for signing 2023 closed on the afternoon of July 25th, we can put a bow on the Twins draft. Let's run through the complete list of names and signing bonuses. View full video

Plenty of activity to follow at this time of the year, but this is your go-to website for Twins minor league coverage. We're going to wrap up the week on the farm here. There are daily recaps posted each and every day. This is your one-time-a-week, catch-up-on-everything-you-missed recap. Image courtesy of Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News / USA TODAY NETWORK (photo of Andrew Morris) Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. The Twins are a league-best 8-2 since the All-Star break. But there's much more to be talking about as well. The draft wrapped up but the activity following the draft will start to ramp up this week with assignments. But, of course, the Twins still have business to do in regards to signing their first-round pick. You can catch up on all the draft news here. Additionally, the Trade Deadline is a week away too. TwinsDaily has you covered for that too! WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 12-9 in the second half; 1.5 games behind Iowa. Overview: The Saints dropped four of six to Omaha, including the final three games. 🔥: Left-handed hitting outfielders continue to rake in the minors. This time it's Mark Contreras, who went 6-for-18 with two doubles and a home run. 🔥: Randy Dobnak made two starts, spanning 10 innings. He allowed only one run on five hits and three walks while striking out 11. 🔥: Not to be outdone by Contreras, Andrew Stevenson went 7-for-21 with a double and home run. 🔥: Louie Varland only struck out three in his six innings of work, but walked none and surrendered five hits. The two earned runs were the blemish but an overall strong start. 🥶: Blayne Enlow allowed seven runs on five hits and two walks. He only recorded four outs. 🥶: Gilberto Celestino went only 1-for-12 on the week. What's Next: St. Paul will play hose to Toledo this week. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 9-12 in the second half; 3.5 games behind Arkansas. Overview: The Wind Surge lost four of six to Amarillo, ending two-game losing streaks with each of their wins. 🔥: Will Holland was 6-for-16 which is impressive enough, but four of his hits were of the extra-base variety (one double, one triple, two home runs). He also stole a base. 🔥: Marco Raya allowed a home run, but in four innings, he only allowed one other hit and struck out four. 🔥: Yunior Severino went a ridiculous 10-for-25 this week, with three doubles and a home run. He continues to strike out a lot, walking back to the dugout eight times over his last six games. 🔥: David Festa has had an uneven year at AA, but this was a successful week. In three innings, Festa yielded only two hits and a walk while striking out six. He definitely needs more seasoning, but seeing how his stuff plays out of the major league bullpen could be sorta fun. 🥶: Aaron Sabato went 2-for-19 with four walks and six strikeouts to post a .419 OPS. 🥶: Taylor Floyd appeared twice and retired four batters. He also allowed seven hits (including two home runs) that resulted in six runs. What's Next: Back home, Frisco will come visit Wichita. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 16-8 in the second half, 3.0 games ahead of Beloit and Peoria. Overview: It's been a continuation of a good month. After dropping the opener to Peoria, the Kernels take a five-game winning streak and first place in the standings into next week 🔥: We got to see a stretch of the good Emmanuel Rodriguez. He went 7-for-16 with a double, triple and home run. He drove in two and scored five runs. He drew six walks while striking out four. 🔥: C.J. Culpepper tossed five shutout innings. He struck out four. In 16 innings at High-A, Culpepper has allowed only nine hits and three walks with no earned runs. He's getting four times as many outs on the ground as he is in the error. 🔥: Noah Cardenas continues to impress. He collected six hits in 17 at-bats, including a double. 🔥: Both Zebby Matthews and Jaylen Nowlin pitched six innings and had a WHIP lower than one. They struck out six and seven, respectively. 🥶: Misael Urbina was 1-for-18. It's beyond time for a reset. 🥶: A.J. Labas gave up five hits and two runs in his only inning of work. What's Next: On the road for six games against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 11-13 in the second half, 6.0 games behind Clearwater. Overview: Fort Myers split with Bradenton, winning the last two games. 🔥: Ricardo Olivar led the Mighty Mussels with two home runs and six walks and tied for the lead with seven hits, three doubles, seven runs and five runs batted in. 🔥: Andrew Morris struck out eight in six innings and allowed only four hits and a walk. One of the two runs he allowed was unearned. Morris hasn't made it to high-A like many of his draft counterparts, but he's still have an impressive start to his pro career. This just happened: 🔥: Yohander Martinez was limited by his lack of power, but 6-for-16 was the best average (.375) on the team and his four walks helped him post a team-high OBP of .476. 🔥: Jose Oliveras walked four, which is too many in 4 2/3 innings. But he struck out eight and held opponents to a .125 batting average. 🥶: Kamron Willman struggled in his 14 at-bats, collecting only one hit. 🥶: Jarret Whorff struggled in his only start of the week. In 2 1/3 innings, he allowed six hits and issued four free passes. This resulted in five runs. What's Next: Fort Myers will return home to host Palm Beach. Rookie: FCL Twins Overall: 15-18, 10.0 games behind the FCL Pirates in the FCL South. 🔥: Endy Rodriquez led the team with six hits despite only getting 10 at-bats. He collected two doubles, a triple and a home run for a robust OPS of 1.936. 🔥: Brayan Medina pitched five innings in his start, allowing only three hits and two walks, but the result was two runs. His WHIP was 1.00 and his opposing batting average was .150. 🔥: Byron Chourio was almost perfect going 5-for-7 in the two games he played. 🥶: Jankel Ortiz, Andres Centeno and Alec Sayre all got double-digit at-bats and only had one hit a piece to show for it. 🥶: Pierce Banks (six hits, three walks and five runs) and John Klein (five hits, three walks and four runs) both struggled in this shortened week. Rookie: DSL Twins Overall: 7-25, 18.5 games back in the DSL South. 🔥: Ariel Castro led the lineup with five hits, including a home run, in 13 at-bats. He tied for the team lead with four RBIs and collected the team's lone stolen base. 🔥: Juan Cota had the best pitching performance of the week, allowing only one hit, a walk and an unearned run over four innings. He struck out six. Though he did hit two batters, the opposing batting average of .071 is impressive. 🔥: Moises Lopez had a double and home run among his four hits. Angel Trinidad had three doubles. 🥶: Christian Hernandez allowed three hits and four walks in three innings in the least impressive start of the week. 🥶: Hendry Chivilli is back in the lineup after being out of it since his two-hit debut, but he's been struggling. Only one hit (a double) in 11 at-bats. He did draw four walks, but struck out six times. 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 periodically 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. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 4-15, 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB, 5 K. (.270/.341/.426. .767 OPS) 19. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 3.00 ERA, 3 IP, H, ER, HB, 4 BB. (1.29 WHIP, .262 BAA). 18. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: currently on the Development List. (.181/.268/.265. .533 OPS), previously played two games at shortstop and committed one error in seven chances (13 total; four errors in 43 chances total), played one game (14 total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance (three errors in 32 total chances). He played five games (40 total) at second base with no errors in 16 chances (three errors in 161 total chances). 17. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 10-25, 3 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 8 K, CS. (.285/.259/.525. .884 OPS). 16. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Cedar Rapids: 5-22, 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, 5 K. (.271/.385/.477. .862 OPS). 15. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.60 WHIP, .261 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 14. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 3.60 ERA, 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 K (1.63 WHIP, .287 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 13. Brandon Winokur, OF: Has signed with the organization, but has not been assigned to a roster. 12. Luke Keaschall, 2B: Has signed with the organization, but has not been assigned to a roster. 11. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: 4-20, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 4 K, 2 SB. (.200/.244/.413. .657 OPS) 10. Tanner Schobel, INF, Wichita: 3-18, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K (high-A/AA combined .281/.364/.475. .839 OPS), played 3 games (28 total) at second base and committed no errors in 6 chances (5 errors in 123 total chances), played two games (48 total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance (three errors in 100 total chances). 9. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Announced that Prielipp will be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 8. Austin Martin , SS, St. Paul: 4-19, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K. (.164/.266/.218. .484 OPS), 7. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K. (1.37 WHIP, .253 BAA) 6. Charlee Soto, RHP: Has signed with the organization, but has not been assigned to a roster. 5. Matt Wallner, OF, Minnesota: St. Paul (.291/.403/.524. .927 OPS); currently with the Twins. 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-1, 2.25 ERA, 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, HRA, 4 K. (AA/Hi-A combined 0.92 WHIP, .176 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 7-16, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, 5 R, 6 BB, 4 K, SB, CS. (.228/.392/.434. .826 OPS) 2. Walker Jenkins, OF: Unsigned as of Sunday night. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 7-21, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K. (.283/.360/.472. .832 OPS), played 4 games (75 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 16 chances (11 errors in 309 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Pitcher - Randy Dobnak. It's been a disappointing few years for Dobnak after exploding onto the scene and starting a playoff game for the Twins in 2019. Prior to the 2021 season, the Twins locked Dobnak up with a five-year extension which guaranteed him almost $10 million. He would spend the next handful of years in the Twins rotation and the "happily ever after" story would continue. Instead, Dobnak suffered a pulley injury to his right middle finger that derailed his career. Healthy again, Dobnak is starting to perform like the Randy of old and gives the organization some starter depth going into the late summer. Hitter - Emmanuel Rodriguez. He won't turn 21 until spring training next year, so even during the cold streaks it's too early to be alarmed. But during the hot streaks... woo boy. He's got all the tools, just too much swing-and-miss. He's this close to getting it straightened out and being a 21-year-old at AA knocking on the door for an opportunity in 2024. But right now it's more tease than something you can count on. And there was plenty of teasing over the last seven days. View full article

The minor-league review should be back to regular programming for the rest of the season after taking a week off with the all-star break. We will recap the last two weeks of action in the organization. With the draft complete, new players will soon be joining teams. Doors opening provide a wave of excitement. But that also means doors closing for others you've read about over the last handful of years. Image courtesy of Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports (photo of Carson McCusker, back in his Oklahoma State days) Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. Please check out all the upcoming draft content here! All referenced stats are over the last 15 days. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 53-36 Overview: The Saints have played .500 ball since the last update. 🔥: Anthony Prato has slowly worked his way up the organization ladder and, though it's only been 91 at-bats at AAA, is posting his career-best OPS of 1.069. His three home runs in the last 15 days gives him six for St. Paul and eight total on the year (only two short of his career best). He's worked his way into the conversation in that he could be a utility-type player who can give you defensive value in the infield or outfield and can swipe a base too. 🔥: Simeon Woods Richardson is sporting a 0.60 WHIP and 1.52 batting average against over his last two games/ten innings. He's struck out nine and walked one. 🔥: Though he's been relatively dreadful on the whole, Kyle Garlick continues to beat lefties up. He's got an OPS of 1.004 against southpaws this season and collected nine hits (including two doubles and two home runs) in his last two weeks. 🥶: Blayne Enlow had a rough start, allowing four earned runs in five innings. He struck out four. 🥶: Austin Martin has finally reached Triple-A and the results aren't great. In his last nine games, he's 5-for-36 with two doubles. He's struck out only seven times and has drawn four walks, but his OPS over the last two weeks is a team-low .438 (minimum 10 at-bats). What's Next: The Saints will head to Omaha for a road trip this week. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 35-48 Overview: It's been a rough two weeks for the Wind Surge. Sunday's fun win was the team's first in eight days (yeah, there was a four-day break in there), but Wichita is only 3-8 since July 2. 🔥: Brooks Lee heard the rumbles that fans thought the organization had a new #1 prospect and responded by posting a 1.263 OPS over the last eight games going 13-for-33 with four doubles, three home runs, ten RBIs and more walks (6) than strikeouts (5). 🔥: Marco Raya has made two starts for Wichita so far. He's thrown 5 2/3 innings and has struck out seven. He has only allowed two hits. He'll need to reduced his walks as he's already issued five free passes. 🔥: Alex Scherff was excellent in his five relief outings. He struck out nine in 7 2/3 innings and only allowed one unearned run on three hits and four walks. 🤔: Pierson Ohl was impressive with 11 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings, and you can live with hit eights and three walks in those outings. But he allowed two home runs. 🥶: Will Holland got only five hits this week in 27 at-bats and struck out in 11 of those trips to the bat. He walked twice and did swipe three bags. 🥶: Aaron Rozek has done some good things this year. The last 15 days weren't good, however. In 8 2/3 innings, he allowed 16 hits and 12 earned runs. He walked five and only struck out three. What's Next: Wichita will be on the road facing Amarillo. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 11-7 in the second half. Overview: The Kernels continue to play good baseball. They took four of six from Quad Cities and two of three from Beloit. 🔥: Noah Cardenas and Ben Ross both had an OPS over 1.000 in somewhat limited at-bats (23 and 19, respectively). Cardenas had ten hits including three doubles and two home runs. Ross had seven hits including three doubles and a home run. 🔥: Multiple good performances from the pitchers in this edition: Jaylen Nowlin struck out ten in six innings. He allowed two runs on two hits and a walks. (Home runs will get you.) C.J. Culpepper struck out six in five three-hit shutout innings. Christian MacLeod gave up too many hits and walks, but carried a K/9 over nine. 🔥: Kala'i Rosario (13 hits), Tanner Schobel (11 hits, including six extra-base hits) and Jorel Ortega (11 hits, two home runs) all had over ten hits on the week. 🥶: Kyle Jones got roughed up over his two starts. In nine innings, he allowed 12 hits and two walks, which turn into nine runs (eight earned). He also gave up two home runs. 🥶: Alejandro Hidalgo allowed six runs (five earned) on four hits and four walks in just two innings. What's Next: The Kernels will play host to Peoria for six games as they look to climb up from one game behind the Chiefs. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 8-10 in the second half. Overview: Fort Myers went into and came out of the break with wins, but has only played .500 baseball since the last update. 🔥: Carson McCusker joined the Mighty Mussels at the end of the June and he's spent the month of July showing off his mighty muscles. With 18 hits in 42 at-bats, McCusker has a .429 batting average, but he's also belted five home runs in that time. McCusker joined the organization after playing in the Frontier League for three seasons. He's a big (6-8, 250) right-handed bat with high-level experience (Oklahoma State), so this might be a fun story to watch. 🔥: Andrew Morris is the highest of last year's draft picks who hasn't made it to Cedar Rapids yet, but he's making his case. In two starts (nine innings), Morris allowed only five hits and two walks and struck out nine with no earned runs allowed. 🔥: Not to be outdone by McCusker, Mikey Perez has four home runs (out of seven hits) in only 28 at-bats. He also stole three bases. 🥶: Rafael Cruz (4-24, two walks, eight strikeouts, .389 OPS) and Carlos Aguiar (2-21, two walks, eight strikeouts, .317 OPS) both had rough weeks. 🥶: Develson Aria had impressed earlier in the year, but had another rough week. He allowed five earned runs on six hits and six walks in only three innings. What's Next: A visit to Bradenton is on the agenda. Rookie: FCL Twins Overall: 13-15, 7.5 games behind the FCL Pirates in the FCL South. 🔥: Cleiber Maldonado (4 2/3 innings, eight strikeouts), Juan Mercedes (4 1/3 innings, six strikeouts) and Bianger Liendo (two innings, two strikeouts) all made the last two weeks without allowing an earned run. 🔥: Yasser Mercedes had two home runs (among seven hits). He also stole two bases. But struck out seven times with only one walk. 🔥: Jankel Ortiz had seven hits in 15 at-bats, including a triple and home run. He walked four times with three strikeouts. 🥶: Bryan Acuna went 3-for-22. So far, he's batting .198 in his stateside debut. But he is only 17, so there's plenty of time. 🥶: Cesar Lares and Jeferson Lopez both got roughed up for lots of runs (nine and 11, respectively), but Lares was able to strike out nine in 6 2/3 innings. Lopez only got six outs. Rookie: DSL Twins Overall: 7-21, 15 games back in the DSL South. 🔥: Dameury Pena collected 13 hits over the last eight games. The 17-year-old is batting .417/.467/.548 (1.045) . 🔥: Juan Cota struck out five batters in five innings. He struck out five. He did allow three runs, but only allowed two hits and two walks. His 0.80 WHIP and .118 batting average against were both team-bests. 🔥: Jesus Peraza (seven hits, three doubles, 1.286 OPS), Ewing Matos (seven hits, four doubles, one triple), Jayson Bass (eight hits, double) all had good offensive weeks. 🥶: Jeicol Surumay allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on eight hits and four walks. He pitched three innings. 🥶: Yilber Herrera (3-for-20) and Angel Trinidad (1-for-13) really struggled. 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 periodically 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. Fielding stats are since the last update three weeks ago. 20. Michael Helman, UTIL, St. Paul: On the 60-day Injured List with a dislocated shoulder. (.333/.434/.711. 1.145 OPS) 19. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 6-21, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 3 BB, 3 K, CS. (.275/.349/.514. .863 OPS). 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 4-19, 2B, HR, RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K. (.263/.336/.404. .740 OPS) 17. Blayne Enlow, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 7.20 ERA, 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 HRA, 1 HB, BB, 4 K. (AAA/AA combined 1.21 WHIP, .235 BAA) 16. Matt Canterino , RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 15. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 5 H, 8 K. (1.27 WHIP, .268 BAA). 14. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.60 WHIP, .261 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 13. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 9-35, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 8 R, 4 BB, 7 K, CS. (.214/.283/.303. .586 OPS), played shortstop in eight games (67 total) and committed no errors in 34 chances (six errors in 287 total chances); played two games (eight total) at second base and committed no errors in 11 chances (no errors in 27 total chances). 12. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 8-30, 2B, 3B, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB, 7 K, SB. (.181/.268/.265. .533 OPS), played two games at shortstop and committed one error in seven chances (13 total; four errors in 43 chances total), played one game (14 total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance (three errors in 32 total chances). He played five games (40 total) at second base with no errors in 16 chances (three errors in 161 total chances). 11. Austin Martin , SS, St. Paul: 5-36, 2 2B, RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, 7 K, 2 SB, CS. (.177/.282/.258. .540 OPS), 10. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: 7-25, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R, BB, 7 K, 2 SB. (.213/.269/.393. .662 OPS) 9. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: 5-31, 2B, 5 RBI, 6 R, 7 BB, 7 K. (.291/.403/.524. .927 OPS); Minnesota: (.368/.520/.579. 1.099 OPS) 8. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K. (1.39 WHIP, .256 BAA) 7. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 2-0, 1.80 ERA, 10 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), BB, 9 K (1.68 WHIP, .290 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 6. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 3.18 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 7 K. (AA/h-A combined 0.97 WHIP, .180 BAA) 5. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Announced recently that Prielipp will be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 4. Edouard Julien, 2B, Minnesota. St. Paul: (.293/.435/.496. .931 OPS), has played all 34 games at second base and has committed three errors in 158 chances; currently up with the Twins. 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 6-27, , 3B, 2 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 11 K, 2 SB. (.212/.374/.406. .780 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: Minnesota. Currently on the injured list and expected to miss another month. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 13-33, 4 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, 6 BB, 5 K. (.279/.358/.468. .826 OPS), played 8 games (71 total) at shortstop and committed one error in 26 chances (11 errors in 293 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK will return next week when we can vote on a day when there are no games. Ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects in the COMMENTS below. View full article

Winokur signed for $640,300 over slot. Right now, with their top three, Santos and Dunn not being reported, the Twins are $432,600 over. But with the overage, they could spend $12,067,880 more and the slots of their unsigned guys only add up to $11,530,700. Santos and Dunn both likely come with savings - so they'll have plenty to get their first three picks done.