John Bonnes

We may still have individual tickets to the specific events; we've never tried this before, so maybe many can't do more than one. We tried to price it so it's still a good deal at three and probably passable if you can make only two. Or, you might try splitting a package with someone in town? If we do have individual tickets, they'll go on sale the day after Opening Day, so check back then.

Doh! I even had it right earlier! Fixing it. Thanks for the heads up.

Each spring training, teams reach a point when the supply/demand ratio regarding pitchers’ innings is reversed. That time has come. Early on, pitch counts for the starters are kept low, leaving lots of innings in which to try out the Double-A prospect or the non-roster invitee. But eventually starters need to be stretched to 75 or 90 pitches, and managers want to see those final 20 pitches against major league competition, not in the bullpen.Squeezing The Rotation That squeeze has started and yesterday we saw its first victim when Ryan Vogelsong was granted his release following a conversation with the Twins. There simply is no longer room for the 8th or 9th rotation candidate to throw 75 pitches. “We felt that right now we had a few people in front of him in terms of that rotation situation,” said Twins manager Paul Molitor. Of course, he’s right. Games are grouped in sets of five, since the starting pitchers are on a five-day rotation. One game goes to each Phil Hughes and Kyle Gibson. With Ervin Santana returning this week, that leaves only two games available in this set, and Tyler Duffey, Adalberto Mejia and Justin Haley have youth, performance and a Rule 5 decision on their side. Having three Twins pitchers in the WBC has been a blessing and a curse for pitchers competing for a rotation spot. On the one hand, it probably gave Haley, Vogelsong, Duffey and Mejia a few starts they might not have had the past couple of weeks. Puerto Rico’s semifinal win bought a little more time, as it delays Jose Berrios and Hector Santiago rejoining the team. But on the other hand, when the WBC guys return, the Twins are going to want to give them innings versus major league competition. That’s important because to free up some innings, some teams will opt to have an established starter throw a game against a AAA team rather than a spring training game. That doesn’t seem like the best option for the worst rotation in MLB last year. Plus, the Twins will have three guys coming back from the WBC and Phil Hughes trying to come back from surgery and Kyle Gibson trying to work a new delivery. Don’t you want these guys pitching versus major league hitters? But I expect we’ll see the Twins try to give a couple more chances to Duffey, Mejia, Haley and Berrios. Squeezing The Bullpen There is a crunch in the bullpen, too, as starters eat more innings. And that crunch is exacerbated by a starting pitching competition as we saw on Monday. Duffey and Mejia both threw about 70 pitches back-to-back, leaving zero innings for the scheduled relievers, JT Chargois and Buddy Boshers. Watching how the Twins manage their limited relief innings gives some indications on the bullpen competition. Like the starters, some of the more established relievers throw in minor league games. Also, the innings early in the game, when major league competition is still playing for the opposition, are more valuable. In the last few days: Right-handers Brandon Kintzler and Matt Belisle pitched in AAA games yesterday. They’re safely in.Left-hander Taylor Rogers pitched in a AAA game last week and was the first reliever in the game yesterday. He’s safe.Left-hander Craig Breslow was added to the 40-man roster today when Trevor May was added to the 60-day DL, pitched in AAA today and was the first guy off the bench on Saturday to face major leaguers. He’s in.Left-hander Boshers was scheduled to be used in Monday’s game but didn’t get in. Then he was scheduled for yesterday’s game but didn’t pitch until the ninth. And then he got beat up pretty bad, albeit while facing a string of right-handed hitters. For now, he looks “out”, especially because the bullpen looks like it already has two left-handers.Right-hander Ryan Pressly is presumed “in” given his performance this spring. He will likely be scheduled to pitch tomorrow, so we’ll see how he’s used.Right-hander Chargois was also scheduled to be in Monday’s game, came into the eighth inning, got into a little trouble, set himself up to work out of it, got drilled by a Howie Kendrick hit ball, and struggled after staying in the game after that. I think he’s the leading candidate for one of the last two spots, but I’ll list him as “on the bubble”. It’s possible that Haley, Duffey or Berrios end up pushing him out of the bullpen.Right-handers Michael Tonkin and Alex Wimmers were the only serious bullpen candidates to be sentenced to the three-hour road trip across the state for today’s game. I also see that Wimmers got in the game before Tonkin. We’ll list them both as “fringe”.So five of the seven spots are likely taken: Kintzler will close, with Belisle and Pressly as right-handers and Rogers and Breslow as left-handers. That leaves two spots, with Chargois as still the leading candidate, Tonkin and Wimmers as other candidates, and any of the losing starting pitchers as possible swing men. Decisions will be made as to the final spots over the next week, but while you’re waiting, look for the smaller decisions. Pay attention to whom the club is giving their limited innings. Those choices will naturally lead to the bigger decisions. Click here to view the article

A Triple-A slugfest broke out in the late innings of the Twins 9-5 loss to the Phillies, but the first half of the game was more palatable. It provided a couple of tastes of the upcoming season and we learned of a departure after the game.Gibson Steady Twins starting pitcher Kyle Gibson was efficient, which is sometimes code for “not overpowering”, but I mean it in a good way. He was not overpowering, but he mostly controlled the at-bats frequently dictating the counts to the batters. He faced a little adversity in the first inning when, with no outs and a runner on first base, Max Kepler had a pair of gaffes on a single play that added a runner to second base. But a strikeout helped Gibson get out of that jam and coast through the next two innings on just 18 pitches. The middle of the Phillies order made him work a bit more in the fourth inning, but a double play brought that inning to a merciful end. He pretty clearly tired in the fifth, but Jorge Polanco ranging for a ground ball deep into the hole and making a strong enough throw to first base got him through his planned innings and pitches. Not bad for a guy who is trying to rework his delivery to better improve his health. “It’s getting there,” he said after the game. “I’m still doing stuff in between starts and and before I play catch to try and keep ingraining it in my mind a little bit, but it’s getting there.” A five inning outing in spring training with includes two strikeouts is hardly the stuff of which dreams are made, but it helps quell some of the nightmares of last season. And with three other members of the rotation still not back from the WBC, it demonstrates a little stability in an evolving situation. Polanco’s Throw The play by Jorge Polanco was nice to see. Unlike Buxton’s catch yesterday, this was not a “I can’t believe my eyes” moment. Rather, it was a play that stretches an average shortstop, and potentially stretches a shortstop with Polanco’s arm too far. It didn’t, and just barely. He ranged far to his right, gloved the ball in the hole and relied on a quick release and a one-hop catch by Joe Mauer to beat the runner to the bag. It showed Polanco’s strengths - his range and quickness - as well as his biggest weakness: his average arm strength. It also likely showed us the edge of what we can expect, but that border looked far enough, provided the consistency is there. Kepler’s Defense On the other hand, that first inning misplay by Max Kepler was reminiscent of some of the baffling miscues we saw in Target Field last year. Kepler came up short on a shallow fly ball, but the runner on first base didn’t recognize that there was going to be an issue, so a force out at second base was still available. But Kepler panicked and rushed a bad throw to second base that pulled Polanco off the bag, so everyone was safe. Yesterday Molitor talked a little about how he has been treating the infield as a unit so they get used to each other defensively. It’s worth noting that it appears he has been doing the same with Byron Buxton and Kepler. Since March 4th, they’ve started 10 games together and in the other seven games, neither has played without the other. While it’s certainly less important for outfielders to work together defensively than infielders, it appears the Twins are trying to proactively smooth over some of last year’s gaffes. Roster Moves After a discussion with the Twins this morning, Ryan Vogelsong asked for his release and the Twins are going to grant it. “I can’t say enough about what he brought to the camp,” said Twins Manager Paul Molitor. “I’ve had multiple players come in here and tell me that being around him and [Matt] Belisle for some of those people made their camp. He did a lot of good things here. We felt that right now we had a few people in front of him in terms of that rotation situation.” Vogelsong had an opt-out in his contract which he could exercise later in camp, but with players returning from the WBC, the Twins weren’t going to be able to provide him any more opportunities to start this spring. Leaving the team now, everyone hopes, gives him a better chance to catch on with a another club as a pitcher. The Twins also sent Raul Fernandez and Jake Reed down to the minor league camp. Tomorrow’s Game If you’re a Twins fan in West Palm Beach and excited to see your team tomorrow, you might want to adjust expectations a bit. The Twins are in the midst of a stretch that includes three of their longest road trips of the spring crammed into four days. As such, a lot of the starting position players are staying behind to practice in Fort Myers, though Phil Hughes will be making the three-hour bus trip to get in his scheduled start. Click here to view the article

Old friend Francisco Liriano baffled some of the Twins more promising but less-experienced hitters early in yesterday's game. Whether it speaks to their learning curve, their talent, or pep talks from coaches, several contributed to the Twins 8-2 win later in the game.ByungHo Park ByungHo Park struck out in his first at-bat versus Liriano, though he extended the at-bat seven pitches. It ended on a 93 mph fastball that was called a high-outside corner-catching strike. But the next time Liriano threw a fastball (this one 92 mph and considerably closer to the middle of the plate), Park crushed it to straightaway center field, a no-doubter. Park’s spring has impressed his manager, and that goes beyond what he sees in games. “You watch how he takes [batting practice] and you see that he has a pretty good idea on how he likes to prepare,” said Molitor after the game. “But you don’t see the long homers, because he’s working on his swing. But when he catches one, it’s impressive.” Miguel Sano Miguel Sano also struck out in his first at-bat, and on only three pitches, the last of which was a questionable called strike. He also struck out quickly in his second at-bat versus Liriano on a called check swing, and looked visibly frustrated (and a little baffled) both times. But to start his third at-bat, lefty JP Howell threw Sano a second straight offspeed pitch and Sano channeled those frustrations into a blast over the trees behind the left field wall. After the game, Molitor talked a little about how Sano refocused - and about his reactions to the first two at-bats. “He didn’t get the benefit of the call in the first inning; we all kinda agreed on that. The next one, well I talked to him. I said ‘The first one I’ll defend you in the regular season, but that last one you probably went.’ And he agreed. And I said ‘Just get ready for your next at-bat.’ That’s kind of how you have to go with him.” I suspect everyone would feel a lot better about that home run (his second of the spring) if it didn’t come with 15 strikeouts (and just two walks) so far. But the blast was a pleasant reminder of the promise that the Twins and Sano are working towards. Byron Buxton Finally, Byron Buxton also struck out the two times he faced Liriano. His at-bats lasted longer and were more competitive, though Molitor noted after the game that Buxton chased some pitches. However, in the fifth inning Buxton made a CGI-like defensive play; the kind of play that feels like it requires special effects. Human beings are not supposed to travel at the speed that Buxton achieved sprinting into the left field gap. They are also supposed to have enough common sense not to dive at that speed, back-handing a catch as they slam into the warning track. And while I mean that sentence as praise, it could also be read as the start of a very scary situation, which it was when Buxton didn’t get up immediately. After catching his wind, he did get up, gave a thumbs up to the dugout before Molitor and the Twins trainer got halfway to him, and stayed in the game and made another catch in center field. But the play was impressive enough and scary enough that when the inning ended and he came back to the dugout, he got a standing ovation from visiting Twins fans and a handshake from Paul Molitor, who also took the opportunity to check on his health. The Infield If there was any doubt as to the roles in the Twins infield on Opening Day, it has long since dissolved. Since March 10th, the infield of Brian Dozier (2B), Jorge Polanco (SS) and Miguel Sano (3B) have started as a unit six times. In the other four games, none has played without the others. They are being treated as one defensive team by Molitor and he confirmed today why. “I think the intention is to try to get guys that most likely have a chance to be playing together to play as a unit. ….The people that are making plays together in combinations; you try to get those guys as comfortable as you can with each other.” The Rotation The Twins have already announced that Ervin Santana will be the Opening Day starter, but beyond that, the order of the rotation remains pure speculation. Based on the dates players have pitched so far, it appears Kyle Gibson would follow Santana, and Phil Hughes would complete the Twins homestand on the 6th. Hector Santiago would presumably pitch the opening game on the road on the 7th. But I should repeat: I’m speculating. I asked Phil Hughes if he had any idea where he might slot in once the season starts and it's pretty clearly hasn’t looked that far ahead. In fact, it might be impossible to tell yet, with three of the Twins starting pitchers still not back from their WBC stints. “With Ervin being gone and Santiago, we’re just trying to piece together who is pitching in spring training,” replied Hughes. Click here to view the article

“All the world’s a stage' - As You Like It, Act 2 The Twins 8-2 victory over the Blue Jays teased Twins fans with a play within a play. While the Twins battled the Blue Jays, Twins pitcher Tyler Duffey would start but turn the spotlight over to Adalberto Mejia, as both are competing for the last spot in the Twins rotation with Jose Berrios. Both performed well, but Duffey spoiled any drama by refusing to yield the mound through five scoreless innings.Duffey’s final numbers were not eye-popping, but the right-hander’s stuff has rarely been described as eye-popping, unless that particular eye appreciates a knee-buckling curveball. But this afternoon, Duffey’s fastball placement kept the Blue Jays hitters honest - and guessing. Whether it was a generous outside corner or unexpected movement inside, the mostly right-handed hitting Blue Jays watched a lot of strikes. Duffey took advantage of the fortunate counts, limiting a lineup topped with Troy Tulowitski, Russell Martin, Josh Donaldson and Kendrys Morales to four hits over five innings. Five days ago, it had been Mejia’s turn to impress while Duffey pitched in a minor league game. Mejia’s eight strikeouts in 3.2 innings certainly raised some eyebrows. Five days before that, each had thrown three innings versus Miami with Duffey getting the start. The same rotation spot comes up two more times in spring training, but a third (and possibly the favorite) candidate, Berrios, should return from pitching in the WBC for at least one and possibly two of those starts. As such, it is becoming more urgent for Mejia, with the least MLB experience, to show what he can do. He was impressive enough; he touched 95 on the radar gun and got through four innings with three strikeouts, but he had to wait for his grand entrance until the lineup was filled with Blue Jays backups. He also gave up back-to-back home runs to Justin Smoak (no shame in that, 106 career home runs) and Ryan McBroom (um, less impressive). That didn’t bother his manager. “He was kinda cuttin' loose a little bit,” summarized Paul Molitor. “I don’t know if he was playing to the scoreboard, but he kept challenging people with the fastball. … He gave up a couple of home runs. [Justin] Smoak had a good at-bat, but [Mejia] came right back and attacked the next guy. But he got him too. I’ve got no complaints about his day either.” Still, today Duffey played the leading role, and was efficient enough to demand more time on the stage. He completed his five scoreless innings in (by my count) 59 pitches and so he had to throw 15 more in the bullpen. He confided that most of those bullpen pitches were practicing his developing changeup, but he admitted he only threw a few of the much-talked-about-addition during the game. (And they weren’t particularly effective.) Instead it was his fastball command about which both he and his manager talked. Duffey credited his work on his “sinker.” “I tried to make a point of getting inside more often. Not to say I’m only going there, but to get me both sides of the plate, which is huge for me. Not being a 97-98 [miles per hour] guy, I gotta work a little bit. It’s been good so far.” His manager agreed. “I think what he settled into was good fastball command,” said Molitor. “Anybody who can throw 60 pitches in five innings is getting ahead and doing those kind of things.” That command also seemed to get better as the game went on; Duffey finished his final inning on just 10 pitches. For what it’s worth, it doesn’t sound like this play is over. It’s questionable if anyone has even been eliminated. Molitor referred, albeit theoretically, to another start by Mejia to see how his velocity is maintained when he gets over 70 pitches. But Duffey reminded everyone what he can do and how he has developed, and he did so when it may have mattered most this spring. That would seem to bode well, but uneasy is the head that wears the crown. There are still a few more tryouts before the final role is determined. Click here to view the article

Aaron and John are at Northgate Brewery to announce their Tuesday Taproom Tour, preview the AL Central (and Twins) using Vegas' Over-Under projections, delve into the legality of sports betting, review the Twins latest spring training cuts, and release the last keyword for kernelnation.com' free Twins tickets. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link.http://traffic.libsy...3?dest-id=74590 Click here to view the article

We are very sorry (but also very excited) to announce that the Tuesday Taproom Tour is sold out. We promise, Twins Daily and Gleeman & The Geek will continue to work on more events. (Might want to keep July 14th open ... shhhh....) At each event, participants will get our Gleeman and the Geek Tap Handle pint glasses (pictured), two craft beers at a local taproom, and prizes while watching a Twins road game with Aaron and John as they record a podcast in which you can participate. And all four events cost just $40. Your friends can also get in on the action at TuesdayTaproomTour.com. But there are only 85 tickets available, so get them now Here are the details:The Events Join a limited group of 100 fellow Twins fans listening to a special podcast and watching a Twins road game at one of John and Aaron’s favorite local craft beer taprooms with Gleeman and the Geek! Honestly, how many great things are in that last sentence? And it gets better - at each taproom: You’ll receive a free pint glass with the Gleeman and Geek Tuesday Taproom Tour logo (our own tap handle!) on one side and the brewery’s logo on the other. And each taproom’s glass will be a different color. (You need to attend the event to get the glass. We cannot mail them.)You’ll get a free craft beer.You’ll get another free craft beer for a future visit.There will be a giveaway at first pitch, last out and during the game.Aaron and John will talk Twins and answer questions during the game to the assembled crowd and it will all be on a special release podcast. Your question could be featured on the podcast.Download attachment: COLLAGE W LOGOS.jpg The Tour We’ll be attending four of our favorite taprooms that you’ve heard on the show. All four dates are Tuesday nights: 4/25 – 7:00 – 10:00 at Northgate Brewing (vs Texas Rangers)5/23 – 6:05 – 9:00 at 612 Brew (vs Baltimore Orioles)6/27 – 6:05 – 9:00 at Tin Whiskers (vs Boston Red Sox)8/22 – 7:05 – 10:00 at Fair State Coop (vs Chicago White Sox)TicketsUnfortunately, you can’t just arrive at the door, as we expect to sell out and these taprooms have a limited capacity. You’ll be able to get tickets right here by going to TuesdayTaproomTour.com (which will take you right back here) on the 24th at 8AM. If the season pass does not sell out, individual event tickets will be sold for $15 and will go on sale the day after Opening Day, which is 4/3, provided any are still available.However, you can buy tickets to all four events for just $40. These go on sale at 8:00 on Friday March 24th and are the only way to get tickets to the events through Opening Day. We have less than 100 tickets available, so it is very possible they sell out and we are unable to offer individual tickets.LocationsNorthgate Brewery is in NE Minneapolis, at 783 Harding St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413. They specialize in British inspired beers.612 Brew is in NE Minneapolis at 945 Broadway St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413. Their taproom is in an iconic NE Mpls warehouse, and features art on the walls and coming out of the taps.Tin Whiskers is located in Lowertown at 125 9th St E, St. Paul, MN 55101. Started by electrical engineers, it features beer with twists on traditional favorites.Fair State Brewing is located in NE Minneapolis at 2506 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. Their evolving beer lineup features traditional styles as well as an array of sours.Contact your friends or significant other or siblings or parents or whoever, but get a group together and join us. We've very excited to try putting together a series of events that brings together the Gleeman and the Geek and Twins Daily community on a regular basis. We would love to have you there. Click here to view the article

We do start a thread for each story we publish in the newsletter. You'll get a link to it along with the link to the newsletter. As for why not, it may allow us some future flexibility as far as content. The site has some built-in restrictions regarding what we can do with format and type of content. It could also lead to exclusive, in-depth content, similar to the Offseason Handbook, but in a form that allows us to update the information as time passes, as opposed to quickly growing stale. And one last edit to my post: since the word "pay wall" came up, Twins Daily was started specifically to avoid a pay wall. I should probably "never say never" but ... I don't ever see that happening. It runs counter to our DNA. That said, we do offer some exclusive content like the Handbook (though recently, we changed that to a free-will donation) so I can see some additional exclusive content especially for community members that want to further support the community's writing and growth efforts.

John and Aaron eat awesome exotic Japanese food at Kyatchi, evaluate Trevor May's injury on the Twins season, reveal the new keyword to win a 20-game Twins season ticket package at kernelnation.com and preview the 2017 season for the AL East using Vegas' over-under bets. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link.http://traffic.libsy...3?dest-id=74590 Click here to view the article

Do your eyes kinda gloss over when people start talking about a slider versus a sinker versus a cutter? Mine do. So this spring I asked for help from the Twins pitching staff. The resulting cheat sheet will be in this week's Write Of Spring Newsletter. It's free, but you must sign up soon as it will come out Wednesday night. Sign up by giving us your email in the box at the bottom of this story or use the box on the upper right of the front page.The "Writer Of Spring" Newletter allows each of our writers to explore an in-depth topic during their time in Fort Myers, along with various notes they gather. Over 3000 people that have signed up, but if you haven't (or are not sure), sign up again; we'll resolve it if you're already signed up. Again, you can sign up: 1) Just below this story where is says "Subscribe to Twins Daily Email" or 2) On the upper right-hand area of Twins Daily's front page. I'm looking forward to getting your feedback on our new Write Of Spring Newsletter, so be sure to sign up! (And if you signup but don't get the newsletter early next week, you might want to check that pesty spam filter...) Click here to view the article

Aaron and John accept that the Twins offseason shopping is done, mourn the loss of Alex Kirillloff's 2017 season, share the new keyword to win Twins tickets at KernelNation.com, place their bets on the teams in the AL West, reveal what Aaron does the night before he travels, and drop hints about their new Tuesday Taproom Tour. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link.http://traffic.libsy...3?dest-id=74590 Click here to view the article

Aaron and John recover at Fair State Coop and discuss Jorge Polanco's midyear move to shortstop, PECOTA's optimistic view on the Twins defense, the keyword that can get you a pair of 20-game Twins season tickets at kernelnation.com, recovery timelines for Phil Hughes and Glen Perkins, Twins Daily's fifth anniversary, Byung-Ho Park's (mis)perceived weaknesses, how a co-op works, Aaron's new podcast, listener mailbag questions and why they both need to recover from Friday night. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. Click here to view the article

Re: his fastball. I don't think he's hitting 94 often. I think BA's description said he "touches 95" so allowed the description to include "mid".

I like the Stewart/Gonsalves comparison. You're absolutely right that the narrative on each is the opposite & also at odds with their results so far. The reason why is that Stewart's pitches were initially graded higher by scouts and have only slipped a bit, so he's seen as having room left to have his results match his tools. Gonsalves is the opposite. His pitches were initially graded a bit lower and have already been upgraded, so the sense is he's already at his ceiling. Whether or not that is fair is debatable but also, mostly irrelevant. Both are positioned to get every opportunity, so perception isn't going to hold them back. They're on the doorstep. Now each must continue progressing if they want to enter.

Re: 2017/2018. I could've gone either way; there's a decent chance of a Sept callup. But that's if he thrives again this year, stays healthy & they don't sweat his innings much. It was a close call, but I felt like the more conservative estimate was more likely.

Expectations and excitement can get sky-high when a 22-year-old pitcher wins his organization’s minor league pitcher of the year award and dominates two levels in which he is one of the younger players. Among the Twins fan base (and certainly in the Twins Daily forums) that is the case for Stephen Gonsalves, but the national outlook for him is more tempered. Why is that? Age: 22 (DOB: 7/8/94) 2016 Stats (High A/AA): 140 IP, 2.06 ERA, 155/57 K/BB, 1.02 WHIP ETA: 2018 2016 Ranking: 6 National Top 100 Rankings BA: 99(2) | MLB: 92(2) | ESPN: 91(4) | BP: NR(5) Gonsalves slid to the fourth round of the 2013 draft, thanks to a suspension during his senior year in high school, and the lack of innings that resulted. That tumble was softened somewhat by the $700,000 signing bonus the Twins gave him, which would have slotted a round or two higher, but that extra investment looks like money well spent. Gonsalves has steadily climbed through the minor league by posting impressive numbers at each stop. Last year was his most eye-popping season yet, with a 1.82 ERA and 89K in 74.1 IP after a midseason callup to AA-Chattanooga. That earned him the Twins Minor League Pitcher Of The Year Award. What’s To Like The hard data is all good: he’s a 22-year-old southpaw with a career minor league ERA of 2.13 and 396 strikeouts in 368.1 innings. He’s jumped up a level midseason in his three full years in the system. Nobody denies that the results so far have been impressive…. What’s Left To Work On …but there are doubts about how his “stuff” will play at higher levels. His best pitch is his changeup, but a pitcher’s changeup is only as effective as his fastball, and Gonsalves’ mid-to-low 90s fastball needs to find the edges of the plate to be effective. His control of that pitch is good, but it likely needs to be great to thrive. There is also the question of a third pitch. His changeup is effective versus right-handers, but he needs something to keep the easier side of the plate honest. Indeed, each of the last two years, left-handed hitters have had more luck against Gonsalves than right-handed bats. Keith Law reports that Gonsalves' cutter is his best bet in that regard. Finally, there was a health scare last fall. After pitching a career high 140 innings during the regular minor league season, the 22-year-old was send to the Arizona Fall League to get more innings. He suffered a shoulder strain, threw just 8.1 innings, and his velocity was down in the high 80s per Mike Berardino. What’s Next I count only 48 optimistic words versus 176 cautious words in the above two sections. I should be embarrassed by that ratio considering how much success Gonsalves has had so far in his minor league career. His rise through the system has been swift and dominant; there have been no bumps in the road of his ascension. That said, Gonsalves is approaching the levels that worried scouts. It’s a very good sign that he experienced immediate success at AA, though the higher walk rate (4.5 BB/9) he posted is a little worrisome. He’s started each year at the same level that he ended the last one, so expect a start in AA-Chattanooga with (hopefully) a fourth midseason jump to the next level. If he can stay healthy and keep proving his doubters wrong, whether it’s by developing a third pitch or tightening his fastball control or voodoo magic, he’ll find himself in the middle of the Twins rotation for a long time. Read up on our previous installments in the Twins Daily top prospects series: TD Top Prospects: #20-16 TD Top Prospects: #15-11 TD Top Prospects: #10 Lewin Diaz TD Top Prospects: #9 Travis Blankenhorn TD Top Prospects: #8 Kohl Stewart TD Top Prospects: #7 Adalberto Mejia TD Top Prospects: #6 Wander Javier TD Top Prospects: #5 Tyler Jay TD Top Prospects: #4 Nick Gordon TD Top Prospects: #3 Alex Kirilloff TD Top Prospects: #2 Stephen Gonsalves TD Top Prospects: #1 (Coming Friday) Click here to view the article