Ted Schwerzler

As the last team to unveil their City Connect uniform, the Minnesota Twins had plenty of pressure to get it right. It remains to be seen how the jersey will grow on fans, but Friday night served as an on-field introduction, and Flo Rida helped to pack the house. Image courtesy of Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports When Rocco Baldelli’s squad took the field on Friday night against the Oakland Athletics, they did so in a new alternate City Connect uniform. With a “Ripple Effect” premise, the hope was that Minnesota’s newest uniform would draw excitement from the fanbase. Although fan reviews were mixed, the Twins New Era Team store saw soaring sales. Fans flocked to buy new jerseys as well as blasting through more than a handful of alternative merchandise, including a corduroy cap that has since gone out of stock. Seeing the threads on the field for the first time Friday, fans should only further gravitate towards the new offering. It wasn’t just an apparel change generating buzz though, as hip hop artist Flo Rida was able to bring out a crowd. Over the years Minnesota has set up postgame concerts with acts such as Cole Swindell, Carly Pearce, and T-Pain. It’s hard to argue against the success of those aforementioned acts, and Swindell had plenty of fans pouring in late-game with jeans and cowboy hats just ready for a country concert in a new venue. Although Flo Rida is relatively dated in terms of his immediate popularity, it was jarring to see how many fans stuck around for his postgame set. With one of baseball’s worst teams in town, Twins fans certainly couldn’t have been excited about the Oakland Athletics. Still, from the first pitch, Target Field was flush with a substantial crowd and that carried on throughout the game. Despite Simeon Woods Richardson allowing a first inning grand slam to Shea Langeliers, the Twins knew they’d have an opportunity against this opposition if they kept clawing. As the innings progressed, a packed Target Field began to come alive, almost capturing the vibe of a playoff game. Max Kepler, who had earlier launched a game-tying three-run homer, came through with a walkoff to get the crowd roaring. Moments later Flo Rida took the field on the makeshift stage that fans have seen for the previous concerts. Rather than emerging from the outfield, he walked out from the dugout and immediately got into it. He rocked the house with his hits like “Low.” “Wild Ones”, “Whistle”, and “Good Feeling.” After he hopped on the shoulders of a stage mate to make his way over to fans down the lines, he emerged back on stage to rock out with “My House.” Playing for well over an hour, Flo Rida continued to bring the energy all night long. He then stuck around following his concert for over 45 minutes signing for fans and taking pictures. The announced crowd of 35,000 remained in full throat for what seemed like the whole night, and Target Field remained rocking for the hip hop show. On a night in which the Twins were hoping to bring new threads in an exciting environment, a walkoff win with Dj Skee rocking the turntables got the people going, and Flo Rida rocked Minnesota’s house to make it a great Friday evening. View full article

The St. Paul Saints turned to top pitching prospect David Festa, who put up another double-digit strikeout performance. Marco Raya was solid for the Wichita Wind Surge and the Twins system grabbed wins at multiple levels on Friday night. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 38-32 St. Paul Saints: 31-35 Wichita Wind Surge: 25-36 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 34-26 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 29-30 FCL Twins: 15-14 DSL Twins: 4-4 TRANSACTIONS None to report SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 9, Louisville 5 Box Score David Festa took the ball on Friday night, and he showed why he’s a top prospect for the Twins. In six innings, he allowed just two runs on four hits while walking none and striking out 10. These are the types of performances that will quickly have him in the big leagues. The Saints started the scoring early with a five-run first inning. Matt Wallner, recently passed over for a call-up in favor of Austin Martin, singled home Edouard Julien. Yunior Severino then brought Brooks Lee home with a single before Tony Kemp drove in Wallner. A Patrick Winkel double, his eighth of the season, scored Severino and Kemp to make it 5-0. A Bats two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning got them on the board, but the Saints added again in the second inning. Michael Helman brought Julien home with a single before Jair Camargo’s double plated Wallner and Helman. Up 8-2, the Saints were in the driver’s seat, and their catcher continues to push for the big leagues. Camargo drove in Helman again with a sixth-inning single to make it 9-2, and a few eighth-inning runs for Louisville weren’t enough to change the result. St. Paul picked up 16 hits on the night, and seven of their nine starters had two. Helman stole his ninth base, and Severino walked a couple of times. Austin Brice was tagged for three runs in relief, but Jeff Brigham threw two scoreless innings allowing just a single hit and walk while striking out four. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 6, Midland 1 Box Score Marco Raya made the start on Friday for Wichita, and he worked four innings of one-run baseball. Scattering three hits, the top prospect walked one while striking out five. It was a nice bounceback performance. Andrew Morris piggybacked with him and threw five scoreless innings allowing just two hits while striking out four to get the win. Kyler Fedko opened the scoring with a first-inning single that brought home Luke Keaschall. Midland tied it in the second inning and things remained that way until the seventh inning. Aaron Sabato homered for the fourth time in 2024, driving in Carson McCusker and making it a 3-1 game. Dalton Shuffield doubled home Noah Cardenas before Keaschall drove in Ben Ross on a sacrifice fly. Jeferson Morales then brought home Shuffield on another sacrifice fly, and the 6-1 lead was enough to stand up. Wichita had nine hits on the evening, and it was McCusker as the lone batter with a pair. KERNELS NUGGETS Lansing 4, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score A night after being no-hit, the Kernels responded by out-hitting Lansing 7-6. Unfortunately, they didn’t make the most of their opportunities and came up short. Jeremy Lee worked four innings while allowing a pair of runs on four hits. He walked three and struck out five batters. Gabriel Yanez and Juan Mercedes both gave up an additional unearned run. Lansing took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, and it wasn’t until the fourth inning that Cedar Rapids mounted an answer. Misael Urbina grounded out, but Agustin Ruiz was able to score and made it a 2-1 game. The Kernels couldn’t respond to either of the Lugnuts fifth or eighth inning runs, and ultimately came up short. Ricardo Olivar and Kevin Maitan each had a pair of hits in the losing effort. MUSSEL MATTERS Game 1: Fort Myers 1, Lakeland 0 (F/7) Box Score Tanner Hall started Game 1 Friday for Fort Myers and worked four innings of scoreless baseball. He allowed three hits, walk none, and struck out two. Ricky Castro worked three scoreless innings of relief and struck out two while scattering three hits. The sides remained scoreless through 6 1/2 innings. With Walker Jenkins at the dish, and two outs, a wild pitch put runners on second and third. The top prospect had a 3-1 count and drew a walk to load the bases. Brandon Winokur stepped in with a chance to walk it off. Getting plunked by Eiker Huizi, the Mighty Mussels drew a win the hard way. Rixon Wingrove was the lone Fort Myers hitter to record a pair of hits. Game 2: Lakeland 9, Fort Myers 4 Box Score Cesar Lares started game two of the Mighty Mussels double header on Friday and he worked 4 2/3 while giving up three runs on five hits and three walks. The Fort Myers starter did strike out a pair. Both Xander Hamilton and Nolan Santos allowed three runs in relief to sink the squad. Rixon Wingrove opened the scoring with a first inning home run, his first of the season, that scored Byron Chourio and Isaac Pena. Up 3-0 the Flying Tigers chipped away in the top of the third inning with a pair of runs. Wingrove homered for the second time, and his fourth inning solo shot gave Fort Myers a 4-2 lead. Allowing seven runs for there, the Mighty Mussels couldn’t keep Lakeland down and split the doubleheader. Wingrove was the lone batter with a pair of hits, but both left the yard. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Red Sox 3, FCL Twins 0 Box Score Making his first rehab appearance, Kyle Jones went two innings and gave up just one hit and a walk while striking out three batter. Miguel Cordero working the next three innings of relief, he allowed three runs on four hits while striking out three. That was enough to do the Twins in. All of the Red Sox runs came in the sixth inning. A solo home run, balk, and sacrifice fly did the damage. The Twins got just two hits, one from Yasser Mercedes and one from Javier Roman. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Angels 9, DSL Twins 3 Box Score Ramiro Villanueva got the start and worked a scoreless first inning. Daniel Manzueta and Cristian Hernandez then combined to give up six runs over the next five innings. Manuel Compres gave up three in the eighth inning as well. Luis Fragoza kicked off the scoring with a first inning ground out that scored Daiber De Los Santos. Alver Medina doubled in the second inning to score Victor Leal, and De Los Santos scored Medina with a base hit of his own. Up 3-0, that was where things went downhill. Giving up two in the bottom of the second inning, one in the third inning, and three each in the sixth and eighth innings, the Angels ripped off nine straight runs. De Los Santos and Ramiro Dominguez both recorded two-hit days. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – David Festa (St. Paul) - 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K Hitter of the Day – Jair Camargo (St. Paul) - 2-5, 3 RBI, 2B(4), K PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Thursday. #1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – 0-3, BB, K #2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – 2-5, R #4 – David Festa (St. Paul) – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 K #6 – Marco Raya (Wichita) – 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K #8 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – R #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 1-3, R, 2B, RBI #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 0-3, RBI, 2 K, HBP #11 – Simeon Woods Richardson (Minnesota) – 4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K #18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 2-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 2-4, K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (6:15 PM CST) – RHP Randy Dobnak (4-5, 5.02 ERA) Wichita vs Midland (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Zebby Matthews (1-1, 1.21 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Jordan Carr (2-1, 4.12 ERA) Fort Myers vs Lakeland (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Spencer Bengard (2-1, 1.75 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! 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The Minnesota Twins sent Louie Varland back to St. Paul after he began the season as the fifth starter in their rotation. A year ago, he made a late-season transition to the bullpen and flourished in that spot. With mixed results at Triple-A, is it worth considering making him a relief weapon again? Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Any conversation about moving Louie Varland back to the bullpen is a multi-faceted discussion for the Minnesota Twins. The fact that he pitched well in relief late last season is not reason enough, on its own, to go down that path in 2024. It is worth discussing, but Derek Falvey and Rocco Baldelli would need to make a pair of separate decisions. Is there Enough Starting Pitcher Depth to Sustain Moving Varland to the Bullpen? Entering the regular season, it was supposed to be Anthony DeSclafani who would take the fifth and final rotation spot. He never pitched, and that meant Varland never went to Triple-A. The Twins needed to add a solid frontline starter this offseason, but hamstrung by ownership’s decision not to spend, they couldn't find a suitable target. When DeSclafani was thrown into the Jorge Polanco trade, his addition created depth in the form of both Varland and Simeon Woods Richardson being available at Triple-A St. Paul. After Varland made four turns to the tune of a 9.18 ERA, it was Woods Richardson’s turn to take over. He has been fine, but it's hard to fully trust that yet. With Chris Paddack also struggling recently, it’s worth wondering how long until Baldelli will need to make another change in the group. Right now, Varland might not be the top depth piece. That would be top pitching prospect David Festa, but expecting him to earn a promotion and immediately stick is probably shortsighted. Young players need an opportunity to find their footing, and that often includes some struggles along the way. Beyond Festa, there is some combination of Caleb Boushley, Randy Dobnak, or Adam Plutko to look at. Brent Headrick remains on the 60-day injured list with a forearm strain, and may be done for the year. Boushley, Festa, and Varland all have an inside track, with a spot already on the 40-man roster. Simeon Woods Richardson also had a 6.08 ERA prior to his promotion, so the surface numbers don't tell the entire story. Varland also came back against the Colorado Rockies in a spot start on Tuesday night and looked strong. Throwing five innings of one-run baseball while striking out three, he gave the Twins everything they could have hoped for out of him. Of course, the lineup he was facing allowed for a soft landing spot, but his execution was top-notch. Pouring in 42 of 63 pitches for strikes, he was both efficient and effective. In short, the depth at Triple-A isn’t exactly inspiring, and without Festa immediately arriving, taking Varland from the group is nerve-wracking, even though he isn’t pitching well. It’s a problem that was created this offseason, and now it’s rearing its head. Can Varland Be Better in the Bullpen? Of course, the short answer here is yes. We saw that last season. The caveat is that it also should include the disclaimer that he would not be in this shape. It’s not just that Varland has struggled as a starter, but also that the stuff doesn’t play in the current form. When with the Twins earlier this year, Varland found himself grooving way too many middle-middle pitches, and that’s not a location that will work in any role. While he owns a 5.31 ERA at Triple-A, the numbers say he is due for positive regression as evidenced by a 3.71 FIP and 3.58 xFIP. His walk rate and strikeout rate have returned to a mark more consistent with 2023, and he’s getting a lot of ground balls. Some of that positive momentum was seen while he occupied the bump for Minnesota on Tuesday. The Twins have tinkered with Varland’s pitch mix, and it has made him much less effective. Taking a chunk of his fastball usage away, and drastically reducing his slider usage in favor of a cutter, the offerings aren’t there to get everyone out. It wasn’t as though the slider was a particularly effective pitch for Varland, but the cutter hasn’t worked at all. Before the demotion, opposing hitters spit on his stuff outside the zone and chased a terribly low 21% of the time. It essentially halved his whiff rate, as well, bringing it down to 7%. If a move back to the bullpen is made, then it probably comes in the form of reshaping the slider but going back to that mix. He’s a much more effective pitcher as a fastball-slider guy, and fastball-slider guys are much more effective as relievers. Varland noted wanting to work in the rotation this season, and he has given it a shot, but being in the big leagues as a goal probably comes by emerging from beyond the outfield wall. There’s no denying the best version of the Twins has the 2023 version of Louie Varland on the roster. As a starter, that arm may no longer exist, and while it could hurt the depth by bringing it back, turning to the bullpen blueprint may be best. View full article

The St. Paul Saints set a new franchise record on Thursday night and multiple players got in on the multi-home run game. Luke Keaschall continues to hit no matter where he is, and the Twins farm produced plenty of solid performances. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 37-32 St. Paul Saints: 30-35 Wichita Wind Surge: 24-36 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 34-25 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 28-29 FCL Twins: 14-12 DSL Twins: 4-3 TRANSACTIONS Recently released RHP Austin Schulfer has signed a minor-league deal with the Detroit Tigers OF Alex Kirilloff optioned to Triple-A St. Paul Util Austin Martin recalled by Minnesota Twins RHP Austin Brice transferred from Double-A Wichita to St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 18, Louisville 4 Box Score Scott Blewett started what was a bullpen game for Toby Gardenhire’s squad, and he did wonderfully. Working three innings of scoreless baseball, the traditional reliever allowed just two hits while walking none and striking out four. Jordan Balazovic struck out five in three innings of one-run baseball as he came on in relief. The scoring started early for St. Paul with Brooks Lee blasting his first home run of the season as the second hitter of the game in the bottom half. He also flashed the leather tonight. The recently returned Jair Camargo singled home Matt Wallner and Michael Helman to make it 3-0 before a Tony Kemp single plated Yunior Severino. Diego A. Castillo then drove in Camargo with a base hit of his own and Lee grabbed his second hit of the inning to drive in Kemp and make it a 6-0 game after one. In the second inning, Severino launched his 11th home run of the season to give the Saints a 7-0 lead, and Helman matched him with his 11th dinger in the fifth inning to make it 8-0. Not to be outdone, Severino went yard again, and his fifth inning home run was the 12th of the year and put St. Paul up 9-0. Wanting to get in on the home run barrage, and maybe with some frustration being passed over for a call up, Wallner went yard for the 12th time this season to make it 10-0 in the sixth inning. Camargo followed his lead, with Helman on, and it was a 12-0 tally. After a Bats run in the seventh inning, Wallner went yahtzee again in the seventh inning, and the big fly brought Lee home in the process. Helman found his second big fly to make it 15-1, and the Saints had a victory well secured. A second Rece Hinds home run gave Louisville a pair back, but Helman doubled home Edouard Julien in the ninth inning before Severino plated Helman and Wallner with a single. Up 18-3, this one was over. Former Saints infielder Hernan Perez drove in a ninth inning run for Louisville, but there was never going to be a realistic comeback attempt. The Saints recorded 22 hits, and Severino, Wallner, and Helman each had a pair of home runs. Wallner and Helman each recorded four hits on the night, while Lee, Severino, and Kemp each had three. The 22 hits set a franchise record, while the eight home runs tied one. WIND SURGE WISDOM Midland 8, Wichita 5 Box Score Pierson Ohl drew the start on Thursday for the Wind Surge, and he went four innings while allowing three runs on six hits. Ohl walked one and didn’t record a strikeout. Luke Keaschall has been handling his own since earning a promotion to Double-A, but needing his first home run, he grabbed it on the first pitch of the night. Launching a solo shot in the first inning, Wichita was on the board. Midland grabbed a run in the third inning to tie things at one, but the Wind Surge answered with a crooked number. Jorel Ortega scored on a wild pitch before Jake Rucker singled home Keaschall, and Jeferson Morales brought Rucker in on a single of his own. Up 4-1, things were looking good for Wichita. By the seventh inning, Midland had knotted things at four and it took another Rucker single scoring Ben Ross to give the good guys a lead. The 5-4 tally wouldn’t hold with Midland plating a pair in the eighth inning, and Wichita was looking at a three run deficit headed into the bottom of the ninth inning. Unable to claw back, Keaschall and Rucker combined for seven of the nine team hits to power the lineup. Morales and Ross each added one as well. KERNELS NUGGETS Lansing 8, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score Jacob Wosinski took the ball in a bullpen game for the Kernels, and he worked a pair of scoreless innings. Working around two hits and a walk, he didn’t strike out anyone. Jarret Whorff was tagged for four runs during 2 2/3 innings of work, and that was enough to do Cedar Rapids in. Three Lugnuts pitchers combined to not only shut out the Kernels, but also pitch a no-hitter. Ricardo Olivar, Rayne Doncon, and Keoni Cavaco each drew a walk but they were the only baserunners of the game. Striking out 11 times on the evening, and with both Rafael Marcano and Sheldon Reed giving up runs in relief, Cedar Rapids will seek a better result on Friday. MUSSEL MATTERS Set for a doubleheader after previous postponements, the Mighty Mussels continue to be rocked by weather. Changing the schedule around, Fort Myers will play a doubleheader on both Friday and Sunday. The sixth game of the series is being canceled and will not be made up. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates 8, FCL Twins 2 Box Score 2023 draft pick Dylan Questad started for the Twins andset had a tough outing. Allowing four runs before completing the first two innings of the game, he was up against it early. Going back out for the third inning, Quested couldn’t record an out and finished his day allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits and three walks. He struck out three. Eduardo Soriano took over and allowed a run to make it a 7-0 game, but he gave up just two hits and a walk while striking out three over two innings of work. Devin Kirby pitched three innings and scattered five hits, allowing two runs (one earned), while striking out three. Getting on the board for the first time, Jayson Bass reached on a throwing error that scored Yasser Mercedes and gave the Twins a run. A Ricardo Pena ground out brought home Ariel Castro and they had a pair of runs to work with. The Twins couldn’t mount a comeback in the seventh inning and that’s how this one ended. Being outhit 13-3, they just never gave themselves a chance. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 7, DSL Yankees 2 Box Score Melvin Rodriguez drew the start on Thursday for the Twins and he was great over four innings of work. Allowing one run on three hits and a walk, he also struck out five during the outing. A first inning error on a Merphy Hernandez batted ball allowed both Daiber De Los Santos and Ramiro Dominguez to score. The Twins gave a run back in the second inning, but they went to work again in the fifth inning. Nestor Urbina doubled for the first time this season and scored Davirik Fuenmayor in the process. A dropped third strike allowed De Los Santos to reach base with Nestor Urbina coming home on the passed ball. Yandro Hernandez grabbed his first triple to bring De Los Santos home, and a wild pitch scored both him and Luis Fragoza. Although the Yankees got a run back in the sixth inning, the 7-2 score would hold up. No Twins recorded multiple hits, but they made plenty of the three errors and capitalized on their situation to come out on top. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Scott Blewett (St. Paul) - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Michael Helman (St. Paul) 4-5, 5 R, 3 RBI, 2B(12), 2 HR(12), BB, K PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Thursday. #2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – 3-6, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR(1), K #8 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – 2-4, RBI #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 4-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B(4), HR(1), K #11 – Simeon Woods Richardson (Minnesota) – #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 0-1, BB #18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 3-5, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 HR(12), BB, 2 K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 0-3, BB, K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (6:15 PM CST) – RHP David Festa (1-2, 3.56 ERA) Wichita vs Midland (7:05 PM CST) – RHP Marco Raya (0-1, 4.99 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Jeremy Lee (0-2, 9.39 ERA) Fort Myers vs Lakeland (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Charlee Soto (7.31 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! 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Coming into the 2024 MLB season, the Minnesota Twins had just three catchers on their 40-man roster. With Ryan Jeffers as the best of the bunch, veteran Christian Vázquez needed to re-establish himself. Jair Camargo looked good at Triple-A, but he was going to have to prove it. Now that Camargo is healthy again, a tough decision looms. Image courtesy of © Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports Earlier this season, the Minnesota Twins found themselves needing to promote minor-league catcher Jair Camargo to the big-league roster. He ultimately made his way into the lineup for Rocco Baldelli, and while he still seeks his first hit, the former Los Angeles Dodgers prospect did score a run. Acquired alongside Kenta Maeda in exchange for Brusdar Graterol and Luke Raley, it’s the catcher who remains as the only player part of the deal still in the organization. Prior to the 2023 regular season, the Twins signed Christian Vázquez to a three-year deal for $30 million. At the time, it looked to be a great move that brought in a serviceable veteran, to fill the shoes vacated by Mitch Garver. Ryan Jeffers was going to take over as the lead man in any platoon, but finding someone who had won to play alongside him made a good deal of sense. Unfortunately, the two-time World Series winner has been nothing short of a colossal failure for his new organization. After producing just a 66 OPS+ last season, Vázquez spent the offseason working to figure out how to increase his bat speed and turn things around. It has resulted in an even worse offensive performance, and his 31 OPS+ checks in as the worst--literally, the worst--regular hitter across Major League Baseball. Baldelli is hamstrung, playing Vázquez because he remains a breathing body on his 26-man roster. Jeffers isn’t going to catch every game, and the Twins have recently shown a desire to keep backstops healthy by rotating them. Until someone else takes his spot, Vázquez will get playing time derived entirely from controlling a pitching staff and grabbing extra strikes based on his receiving prowess. If the Twins are going to make their active roster better, it will require someone removing Vázquez from it, and only Camargo is capable of doing that. Returning to an .828 OPS at Triple-A St. Paul, he got off to a strong start, despite just an 18-game sample size. Last year though, Camargo posted an .826 OPS across 90 games, and he has clearly shown that offensive production is something he can provide at the highest level of the minors. Camargo is not the defensive stalwart that Vazquez is, and the veteran placeholder is still owed another $10 million next season. The Twins deciding to rip off a band-aid on a sunk cost isn’t a straightforward decision, and it’s a hard sell to an ownership group that has skimped at every possible opportunity for the past handful of months. If Camargo can return to the Saints and explode offensively though, it’s reckless for the Twins to remain status quo. While Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot should be considered replaceable on the dirt and in the outfield, Vázquez belongs in that conversation, as well. There’s little reason to keep going with something that clearly isn’t working, and hasn’t for more than a year, other than the eight-figure salary they still owe Vázquez for next season. The Minnesota catching cupboard may be bare behind Camargo, but holding him back isn’t doing them any favors, either. As the prospect returns to Triple-A, he should have officially flipped the hourglass on Vazquez’s time in a Twins uniform. View full article

The Minnesota Twins needed a victory on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies if they were going to take a series win against one of baseball's worst teams. It was a slow start, but Rocco Baldelli's squad started scoring and kept it going for a blowout victory. Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Pablo Lopez 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K (91 pitches, 60 strikes, 14 whiffs) Home Runs: Willi Castro (5), Royce Lewis (5) Top 3 WPA: Carlos Santana (.195), Jhoan Duran (.153), Carlos Correa (.097) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Round Goes the Carousel Pablo Lopez gave up a first inning run to the Colorado Rockies, but his teammates had his back in short order. Facing former St. Louis Cardinals lefty Austin Gomber, Rocco Baldelli’s right-handed-heavy lineup went to work. Manuel Margot, Carlos Correa, and Royce Lewis singled in succession to load the bases. Jose Miranda couldn’t hold up on a check swing, but Byron Buxton singled to left field and drove in the tying run. Carlos Santana then crushed a ball high off the right-center field wall, clearing the bases, and he advanced to third base on the throw. Minnesota’s early deficit had quickly turned into a 4-1 lead. Kyle Farner stepped in, needing to keep producing, and his single back up the middle scored Santana to make it 5-1. Unfortunately Gomber picked him off of first base due to some bad instincts, but the Twins had done their damage. Forcing Gomber to throw 36 first inning pitches, Minnesota was in a great spot. Rockies Claw, Twins Answer Ryan McMahon got Lopez for a solo shot in the fourth inning to make it a 5-2 game, but the Twins weren’t content with a three run lead. Willi Castro launched his fifth homer of the season to open the fourth inning, and a Margot double scored Vazquez. Correa then singled home the outfielder and Minnesota led by six, up 8-2. Jacob Stallings grabbed a run back for the Rockies in the sixth inning, but Lewis had some firepower ready to unleash. His fifth home run of the season scored Correa and made it a 10-3 game. The home run master just continues to bash big flies. Brenton Doyle singled home Adael Amador and Charlie Blackmon to halve the lead, and then the rains came. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know that's a promise we make good on. A Slight Delay After the Rockies completed the top half of the seventh inning, the Twins rushed out the tarp and put a delay on the contest. A delay of about 30 minutes slowed the contest, but both teams returned to sunny skies. Reliever Caleb Thielbar took over in the eighth inning, and he had some depressing thoughts following his outing on Tuesday night. Continuing to put up terrible results, the lefty walked McMahon to start the frame before giving up a double to Stallings. Michael Toglia then walked before Jake Cave got to first on an error that scored a pair and made it a 10-7 game. Jhoan Duran took over with runners on the corners and no outs. He walked Elehuris Montero on five pitches to load the bases and Minnesota was clearly in trouble. A double play from Amador scored a run, but allowed Minnesota a chance to close out the inning. Facing Blackmon, Duran tried to push 99 mph past him, but a curveball induced a pop out to Miranda at third, ending the frame. Miranda cashed in a Correa single and Lewis double to score a pair on his 12th double of the year. Pushing the Twins lead to 12-8, Minnesota had some serious breathing room late against Colorado. Buxton followed with a walk putting runners on first and second before Santana singled home Miranda. Farmer followed with a single to score Buxton, and Vazquez plated Santana and Farmer with a double of his own. Kepler lifted a sacrifice fly to drive in Castro and make it 17-8. Recently promoted Jay Jackson came on for the ninth inning. He struck out Greg Jones before allowing an Alan Trejo single. Hunter Goodman then punched out before Stallings doubled home Trejo. Jackson got Toglia on strikes to end the game and Minnesota won 17-9. Correa recorded a career-high five hits, an Lewis, Santana, Farmer, and Castro each had a trio of their own. Notes The Twins made a couple of moves, with Louie Varland being optioned as expected. Grabbing another bullpen arm, Minnesota selected the contract of recently DFA’d Jay Jackson. In the process, they also designated Diego Castillo. Royce Lewis has already begun to incorporate new City Connect colors into his regular routine. What’s Next? With the Oakland Athletics coming to town, Joe Ryan will kick off the series on Thursday. Friday night’s game includes the on-field debut of Minnesota’s City Connect uniform as well as a postgame Flo Rida concert. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

On June 12, baseball fans will be given the second flagship baseball card set of the year. While Topps creates multiple different products throughout the calendar, and those have been shuffled as Fanatics has become involved, it is the flagship set that remains the most accessible product. Twins fans will soon get their next serving of big-league additions. Image courtesy of © Mike De Sisti / The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK While Beckett no longer provides a gold standard when looking for value on trading cards, Ryan Cracknell does an incredible job as the editor keeping card collectors abreast of what is coming out. The season is often tied to kicking off when the yearly Topps Series 1 releases. Typically a late winter/early spring offering, the focus is about getting late rookie additions from the year prior, as well as stars and early free agent signings. Dating back over the years, it is often top rookies that drive the interest or collectability in any card product. Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz was that guy in Series 1 this season, and Minnesota’s only rookie was the recently-designated Jordan Balazovic. Jorge Polanco still had a Twins card with his Mariners trade coming over the offseason, and stars like Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa got their first base cards as well. The flagship cards, consisting of Topps Series 1, 2, and Update, are often about building a set or loading up a binder. Fans are able to grab more economical configurations of the product, and autograph or relic cards certainly aren’t the draw. Byron Buxton, Edouard Julien, and others had signatures available, but there was plenty more to chase. Multiple high end products have made their way to the market over the first few months this season. Many of those can be had for multiple hundreds of dollars, and the configurations of each product is focused on less packs and cards, but more autographs and pieces of memorabilia. A gamble to hit anything close to your return on investment, the typical Twins names include Joe Mauer, Torii Hunter, Bert Blyleven, and Rod Carew. Although boxes of Bowman Baseball are certainly not cheap, retailing for nearly $300 on their own, it is a chase of prospects that draws collectors in. Hoping to find the next Mike Trout, and do so before the hype train leaves the station, it remains among the biggest products of the year. Minnesota has been prominently featured over the last handful of years due to star prospects like Austin Martin and Brooks Lee. Neither came out with the firepower of Walker Jenkins though. As a top-10 prospect across the sport at this point, his autographs sold for over $400 on release, and still net more than $200 despite the market cooling off a bit. Series 2 won’t bring a significant chance for Twins fans this week as the lone rookie inclusion is reliever Kody Funderburk. Lots of veteran names are present, however, and the checklist includes Kyle Farmer, Edouard Julien, Jose Miranda, Max Kepler, and others. There are a few cool insert cards to look out for, and among the best of them may be Jhoan Duran’s Significant Statistics card that will likely highlight his 104-mph pitch. As the year goes on, more of the hit-driven products will reach the market before Update Series eventually shows up in the early fall. Often the premier flagship product to include top rookies that saw early promotions, some names to look for there are Jackson Holliday and the Twins’ Martin. Given the Minnesota market, and overall performance of the team, no player really stands out as having robust returns at this point. Lewis cards continue to be a hot commodity, but a potential all star in Ryan Jeffers can be had for pennies on the dollar. Lee’s 1st Bowman cards will see an uptick once he is ultimately promoted, but he won’t have his first true flagship rookie card until 2025 Topps Series 1 at the earliest. What are you collecting these days, and what players have been the most fun for you to chase after? View full article

Making a spot start to allow the Minnesota Twins starting pitchers some breathing room, Louie Varland was lifted early by Rocco Baldelli and the Colorado Rockies punished a handful of relievers. Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Louie Varland 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (63 pitches, 42 strikes, 8 whiffs) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (4) Bottom 3 WPA: Caleb Thielbar (-0.399), Alex Kirilloff (-0.135), Ryan Jeffers (-0.101) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Louie Lifted Too Soon? The Twins promoted Louie Varland to give the starting rotation a rest. With Chris Paddack looking like he could need a blow, and Simeon Woods Richardson still being raw, the initial fifth starter came into play. Blanking a bad Colorado Rockies lineup for five innings on just 63 pitches, Rocco Baldelli decided the imminent threat was worth pulling him. Putting Caleb Thielbar in to take over in the sixth inning, it couldn't be more apparent that the aging lefty was cooked. Charlie Blackmon immediately singled before Thielbar issued a walk to Brenton Doyle. Ezequiel Tovar then took him deep for his 11th home run of the year to make it a 3-0 game. Ryan McMahon followed with a double and Cole Sands came on to limit the damage. Michael Toglia scored McMahon on a sacrifice fly, and while Sands shut it down, Thielbar once again looked like he was in over his head. Buxton Blasts Off There have been very few Twins hitters that have struggled like Byron Buxton has this season, and coming back from his stint on the injured list, he’s failed to do anything offensively. With Willi Castro on first base, he blasted a 3-2 pitch to center and halved the Rockies lead. Carlos Santana singled to keep the threat going, but Jose Miranda’s line out to Jake Cave in left field had the veteran looking clueless on the base paths and getting doubled up. With Sands still in during the eighth inning McMahon teed off for a solo shot, his 11th of the season, to make it a 5-2 game. Correa singled in the bottom half to lead things off against Jalen Beeks, but Minnesota couldn’t make it count, and they entered the final frame trailing by three runs. Josh Staumont stayed on for the final inning, and despite Cave kicking it off with a single, he was nailed trying to steal second base. Getting Greg Jones and Adael Amador on strikes, Staumont did his job wonderfully. With just three outs left Castro kicked things off with his 13th double of the season. After a Buxton line out and Kirilloff strikeout, Santana stepped in a blasted his tenth home run of the year. Bringing Minnesota within one, it felt like they had life despite being on life support. Unfortunately Miranda punched out to end the game and Minnesota lost by a run. Notes With Diego Castillo optioned to make room for Varland, the Twins will need a roster move for the bullpen on Wednesday. 40 man options include Ronny Henriquez, Kody Funderburk, or Josh Winder. Brock Stewart hasn’t made any notable progressions in his throwing program. Shut down last season as well, Stewart is looking to return for a Twins team that could use the late-inning production he provided earlier this season. Twins 2023 Minor League Pitcher of the Year Cory Lewis has rejoined the Wichita Wind Surge after being activated from his minor league rehab assignment. St. Paul Saints catcher, and potential Christian Vazquez replacement, Jair Camargo has rejoined the Triple-A squad. What’s Next? Having been given a break with Varland starting to push everyone back a day, Pablo Lopez will throw on Wednesday afternoon with a Pablo Day taking place. His special jerseys should pair nicely with the recently released Twins City Connect offering. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Last week, the Minnesota Twins got Royce Lewis back on the active roster, and that forced the difficult decision to send Edouard Julien back to Triple-A St. Paul. Kyle Farmer stayed shielded from a move for now, but his time may be coming--and soon. Image courtesy of © Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports When the Minnesota Twins signed Kyle Farmer to a $6.3-million contract to avoid arbitration this offseason, they did so hoping he would be a utility player who also brings an exceptional clubhouse presence. He is seen by his peers and coaching staff as a glue guy, and is the type of personality you want to have around. He can be a leader and mentor off the field, while being adequately capable of producing on it. Unfortunately, the market quickly showed the Twins how wrong they were on the valuation of Farmer, and keeping him at the figure amidst budget constraints only became more cumbersome. Now carrying a 50 OPS+ more than one-third of the way through the season, Farmer has become a boat anchor. It looks like they also erred in their evaluation of him. Rocco Baldelli had to send Edouard Julien back to Triple-A. He was wildly successful last year as a rookie, but his 94 OPS+ through 58 games was reflective of a broken process. Julien displayed tendencies he didn’t show a season ago, and the results were worthy of a reset. Since he had minor-league options, and knowing the depth required for the course of a big-league season, that move had to come first. Surprisingly, some of Julien’s teammates were surprised he was sent down, according to a recent report from Twins analyst Trevor Plouffe. That seems odd, given the understanding that options are always explored first, and especially so when talking about the calendar just being in June. Apparently, the second baseman had previously received some assurances he wasn't going anywhere, but things changed. Farmer, Manuel Margot, and Christian Vázquez have combined to be the worst-performing trio on the Twins roster, but designating any of them for assignment prior to seeking solutions that didn't cost the team any player just wasn’t going to happen. What Julien’s transaction did do, though, is turn up the volume on the clock ticking in Farmer’s ear. Now expected to play the weak side of a second-base platoon with Willi Castro, he has a matter of weeks to turn things around. Julien will look to get hot quickly for St. Paul, to show that his bat is revived and ready to take back his major-league spot. Brooks Lee is also now with the Saints, and eyeing a role in a similar fashion. If Farmer is going to avoid being the odd man out come July, then it certainly starts now. Minnesota doesn’t need Farmer to be something he isn’t, and providing the leadership and personality he is known for gives him a chance to stay. His salary is a sunk cost, and while it might engender bitterness from fans, the front office won't hold it against him. If he can even return to a semblance of his best self, he can stick on the roster. However, he can’t continue to have worse numbers against southpaws, and the line across the board has to jump dramatically. It would have been a surprise to see Farmer jettisoned in June, with other possibilities to explore first. It won’t be a surprise at all to see him sent packing in July if the same level of lacking production persists. Being a good clubhouse guy has value, and finding a way to lead while struggling through it matters. Accepting the end with grace when you’ve given an organization no choice may be the next crossroads he faces. View full article

A handful of Twins pitching prospects put up strong lines this week, and there were a few big slugging performances to note as well. With the Dominican Summer League in full swing, we've got multiple months of significant action coming. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints COMPLEX CHRONICLES Set to play the FCL Braves today, the Twins were postponed and the game will be made up on June 25. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 11, DSL Phillies Red 10 Box Score Anderson Chacon started for the Twins and worked three innings allowing two runs on three hits. He struck out a pair and walked just one. The Twins put up a three-spot in the first inning to open the scoring. Carlos Silva’s first double of the season scored Ramiro Dominguez and Yandro Hernandez. Luis Fragoza then singled to bring SIlva across the plate. The Phillies got a run in the second inning but the Twins answered with one of their own. Dominguez singled for the second time on the afternoon, and this one plated Daiber De Los Santos in the process to make it a 4-1 game. After a Phillies run, Fragoza drove in Silva again, this time with a third inning double, and the Twins were out front 5-2. A rough fifth inning allowed the Phillies to put up a four-spot and take the lead. Fragoza lifted a sacrifice fly in the bottom half, scoring Hernandez and knotting things at six. Unfortunately the Phillies scored four in the top of the seventh to make it a 10-6 game. The Twins weren’t content going down easy and put up a five-spot in the bottom half to walk it off and complete the comeback. Nestor Urbina drew a bases loaded walk to score Luis Rodriguez before Irvin Nunez tripled and cleared the sacks to tie it at 10. De Los Santos singled to put a bow on the inning and wrap it up. Dominguez and Fragoza both had multiple hits, with the former tallying three. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 27-35 (2-4 last week) Eighth place in the IL West Overview: For the third straight week the Saints played a team from New York. They also faced former 1st round pick Tyler Jay. The Mets took the series though. Michael Helman was on fire this week and owned a 1.226 OPS while batting .348. He blasted three homers. Yunior Severino got hot for the Saints to the tune of a .357 average. He homered and posted a 1.121 OPS. Matt Wallner’s eight RBI were a team high, and he is still going well with an .885 OPS. Kody Funderburk returned to the Saints and punched out five in two scoreless innings while walking just one. Caleb Boushley had eight strikeouts across seven innings of one-run work. Jeff Brigham and Ronny Henriquez both threw three scoreless innings. What’s Next: Back on the road, St. Paul heads out to Louisville this week. The Bats are second in the IL West. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 23-34 (4-3 last week) Fifth place in the Texas League North Overview: Playing a seven-game week with a makeup from a prior postponement, the Wind Surge won the series. Jake Rucker had a pair of doubles and dingers en route to a team-leading 1.071 OPS. His nine RBI paced the squad. Jeferson Morales had a pair of doubles as well, and his one home run pushed him to a .945 OPS. He stole a team-high two bases. Luke Keaschall’s strong plate approach continued and he drew five walks on the week. Zebby Matthews was incredible striking out eight over seven scoreless innings allowing just three hits. Aaron Rozek made another good start allowing just one run in five innings with five strikeouts. Andrew Morris had eight strikeouts across six innings during his solid start. What’s Next: Hosting Midland, the second place team in the Texas League South, Wichita will have their hands full. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 32-24 (2-4 last week) Second place in the Midwest League West Overview: Dropping four of six games this week, the Kernels fell out of first place in the Midwest League standings. Nate Baez played in only three games but came up with a pair of doubles and a home run to record five RBI which led the team. Agustin Ruiz had a home run and a team-high .795 OPS while playing six games this week. John Klein struck out a team-high seven batters during his 5 1/3 innings. Gabriel Yanez was the only pitcher to appear without allowing a run. He pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief. What’s Next: Playing an Oakland affiliate similar to Wichita, Cedar Rapids travels to Lansing. Low-A: Fort Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 28-29 (4-2 last week) Fourth place in Florida State League West Overview: A second straight winning week has the Mighty Mussels within a game of reaching the .500 mark. Carlos Aguiar’s two home-run game pushed him to a 1.500 OPS for the week. Brandon Winokur is settling in and batted .300 with a pair of dingers and a 1.067 OPS. He also stole two bases. Payton Eeles drove in a team-high eight runs. He had a triple and a home run. Cory Lewis made a rehab appearance throwing three scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Jose Olivares had six strikeouts in his five inning start and that tally led the team. Ricky Castro pitched three innings of scoreless relief work while striking out four. What’s Next: Hosting Lakeland, the top team in the Florida State League West division comes to town. Complex League: FCL Twins Overall: 14-12 (1-5 last week) Third place in Florida Complex League South Javier Roman batted .417 going 5-for-12 with a pair of doubles. Hendry Chivilli had a .971 OPS while batting .357. Anthony Narvaez struck out nine batters in a four inning start in which he allowed only an unearned run. Eider Machuca worked three innings out of the bullpen and gave up just one unearned run while striking out four. Dominican Summer League: DSL Twins Overall: 1-3 Seventh place in Dominican Summer League South Davirik Fuenmayor had a pair of doubles to lead the team with an .840 OPS. Yandro Hernandez batted .333 with two doubles and posted an .800 OPS Cristian Hernandez and Melvin Rodriguez both struck out five during their work this week. PROSPECT SUMMARY #1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – 4-17, 3 R, 2B, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 3 K #2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – 3-14, R, RBI, 2 BB, 4 K #3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Wichita) – 2-2, R, 2B #4 – David Festa (St. Paul) – 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K #6 – Marco Raya (Wichita) – 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K #7 – Charlee Soto (Fort Myers) – 3.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #8 – Austin Martin (St. Paul) – 1-8, R, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 6-24, 6 R, 2 2B, 3B, RBI, 5 BB, 6 K #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 6-20, 2 R, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 SB #11 – Simeon Woods Richardson (Minnesota) – 6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K #12 – Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) – 6-22, 4 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 8 K, SB #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 5-18, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K #14 – Zebby Matthews (Wichita) – 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K #15 – Cory Lewis (Wichita) – Rehab with Fort Myers - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K #18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 5-14, 2 R, HR, RBI, 5 BB, 3 K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 2-19, 2 R, RBI, 3 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Week - Michael Helman (St. Paul) - 8-23, 5 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, BB, 8 K Pitcher of the Week - Zebby Matthews (Wichita) - 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K View full article

The cap logo is amazing, but yeah, why the gaudy 10k lakes patch?

I really like the design elements as a whole. The yellow does feel forced though. If it's really trying for a sunset vibe, something with an orange fade would have made sense. As has been the case with most of the City Connect uniforms, I really like the alternate logos (Cap/Loon)

For years, the Minnesota Twins have been working on their City Connect uniform. With both Covid and the rebranding of their primary threads pushing the date back, it finally came to fruition on Monday. Target Field will be home to the Ripple Effect on specific dates this summer. Image courtesy of Ted Schwerzler For the past handful of years, Nike has been working with teams to create unique City Connect offerings that lend a nod to different features that make up what that franchise is. For the Minnesota Twins, as it turned out, that meant featuring the concepts of the state's bountiful waters, its gorgeous sunsets, and the convergence of water and sky. Unveiled on Monday morning with a colorway that features shades of blue, a yellow secondary, and a slight fading pink accent, the palette is vastly different from what fans have come to know from the traditional uniform. In that reality, Nike has ultimately executed on the goal, which is to offer something different. Deviating from the chest wordmark that the Twins feature on their traditional jerseys, a “One MN” chest logo rolled out. Described by the club, “One MN” symbolizes being “Connected by our waters and guided by our North Star, Minnesotans are more than any one city – we are one state. The curves of each letter flow together like waves, uniting the “MN” just as our lakes and rivers link communities across our state. At the top is a beacon for Minnesota and the Twins: The North Star.” The star, sure enough, is the same one that was a focal point of the team's recent rebranding, cast in yellow instead of red. A sleeve patch highlights the state bird, and comes with the slogan “For the Love of the Loon.” “Upon the sunset waters of our 10,000 lakes flies Minnesota’s state bird – the loon. The body, a single raindrop – when it touches down, a ripple. The eyes, the stitches of a baseball – like our great game itself, a unifying thread. The beak, the North Star – a beacon that, like the loon itself, leads the way.” The jersey as a whole features a ripple pattern throughout the blue hues. Designed with more of a sheen feel than your typical mesh hole pattern, the fabric itself is something along the lines of a soft flowing body of water. With offerings ranging from $199 to nearly $500 in price, the quality and weight of the jersey itself is noticeable--and had better be. One of the new secondary logos, the cap patch, may be the highlight of the new threads. Featuring a state outline with a similar star to the current sleeve patch, it is a nice way to tie the jerseys all together. “The cap honors Minnesota, a place of unmistakable beauty and uncommon spirit. A yellow state silhouette frames the glowing northern lights that illuminate our skies, the depth of our waters and the North Star that guides us. “10,000 Lakes” is written on the cap’s right side, a simple but proud reflection of our home.” On the underside of the cap’s bill is a “Nod to the Purple One,” with the topography of Lake Minnetonka, outlined in purple, and bringing the remembrance of Prince’s love for purifying waters. The top side of the bill is the most prominent area of yellow on the new uniforms. While waiting for such a significant amount of time has caused fans to become cautious not knowing what to expect, it’s fair to say that Nike and the Twins will find something of a middle-ground regarding acceptance. The refrain of “softball jerseys” is one that should almost be seen as intentional, given the idea of the City Connect uniforms being to push boundaries and try something new. Fans lined up outside of the Twins New Era Team Store on Monday morning, with season ticket holders being allowed entry at 9 am. An impressive display was erected front and center in the store, with plenty of other events planned throughout the day and week. The Twins will first don their new uniforms on Friday night against the Oakland Athletics, and Flo Rida will be in attendance to put a bow on the evening. What are your thoughts on the Twins new City Connect jerseys? What do you like most? What would you change? View full article

I'm not sure there's anything to laugh at regarding statistical probabilities. They look awful right now, but have nearly 100 games to play.