Ted Schwerzler

After playing 13 games and four straight series against the lesser foes in the AL Central, Minnesota will finally get somewhat of a measuring stick again. Headed to Boston wearing the jerseys of their favorite NFL teams, the Twins square off against a Red Sox club that is a bit above mediocrity but has certainly failed to meet expectations in a title-defense season.Brief Overview: The Red Sox are nearing the point of the season in which a Hail Mary becomes the necessary tactic. They are well out of the AL East race and trail the second wild card spot by five games. After winning a World Series in 2018, Boston gambled on a bad bullpen and some questionable-at-best additions. Mookie Betts hasn’t been Mike Trout-esque and while still a formidable foe, this isn’t the same juggernaut the big leagues saw last season. What They Do Well: A team with as much talent as Alex Cora’s club has is likely going to hit. As you can imagine, the numbers agree with that notion as well. The Red Sox own the fourth best offensive fWAR in baseball (one spot behind the Twins), and are tied with the New York Yankees. A .317 BABIP is third in the sport and Boston is one of just four teams with a slugging percentage north of .480. Although the Red Sox are not a home run juggernaut (with just 216 to their credit thus far) this team picks up bases in bunches. With 308 doubles, they lead the majors by over twenty two-baggers. The 752 RBI is third in the big leagues and is indicative of a team that can assure those runners cross the plate. Boston is also ninth in fielding fWAR this season, keeping them just inside the top third of the sport. Being able to score runs, while avoiding additional opportunities for the competition, is a pretty good recipe for success. What They Do Not Do Well: Good teams rarely have glaring issues and the deficiencies are typically evident in more of a mediocre form. Case in point would be Alex Cora’s pitching staff. It’s not that the group is a dumpster fire, but they also are clearly not up to par. Despite the Red Sox pen owning the fourth best fWAR in baseball this year, there have been some shaky moments. The rotation has been the bigger issue, and dealing with injuries has not helped things either. Once again David Price has been shelved this season, Nathan Eovaldi has been both bad and hurt, and now Chris Sale has called his 2019 season quits. That’s a lot of firepower to try to make up, all while Rick Porcello has plodded his way to a career worst 5.42 ERA. Individuals Of Note: As is generally the case, Boston remains a who’s who of studs in the big names department. Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez are still having nice years and Eduardo Rodriguez has broken out some to become the second best starter behind the injured Sale. It’s in the emergence of youth that the Red Sox have seen the two best 2019 stories come from however. Both Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers should be expected to garner MVP votes this season. Bogaerts is sitting at 6.4 fWAR with career highs across the board. The shortstop has blasted 31 dingers and has made up for abysmal fielding with a bat that won’t quit. Devers was a highly-touted prospect who came on slowly but certainly looks the part at this stage. He’s batting .321 with 28 longballs and an fWAR of 5.4 (1.8 total in two previous seasons). These two batters make the middle of the Boston lineup one of the toughest in the sport. Recent History: These two clubs met in Minnesota during mid-June with the Red Sox taking two of three. The Twins last won a series in Boston during 2016, but they haven’t taken a season series since 2015. Rocco Baldelli’s club would need a sweep to accomplish that feat in 2019. Recent Trajectories: Minnesota has won three straight series and is currently riding a 6-1 road trip. Boston is returning home from a West Coast swing that they won three series and went 6-2 on. Pitching Matchups: Tuesday: Dobnak vs Porcello Wednesday: Berrios vs Rodriguez Thursday: Perez vs Eovaldi Ending Thoughts: Although the Red Sox have generally been at the top of the AL East class, this team provides Minnesota with plenty of opportunity. There isn’t a game in this set that the Bomba Squad shouldn’t be licking their chops over the opposing pitcher, and there’s little denying the Twins are the better team. Going to Fenway and winning is never easy, so I’d call it a big boost if Minnesota can take two, and all circumstances appear to line up in their favor. Arguably the most intriguing game here is Wednesday’s tilt. Rodriguez is currently Boston’s ace, and Berrios starts on an extra day of rest. Does his velocity return and how sharp does he look. I think one win is guaranteed before returning home, but flying high right now, give me Minnesota getting the series victory as well. Click here to view the article

There are officially just two more days until the Major League active rosters expand to 40 spots. This is the last season of this type of roster expansion, with 2020 allowing for just 28 players, so it will be interesting to see how teams utilize the opportunity. Thad Levine quipped at a recent event that Minnesota plans to be aggressive in their promotions, and during a postseason push, there’s plenty of opportunity for the call-ups to gain experience while providing value. The question is, who are those players?Over the course of the season Minnesota has used the fringes of its roster as a revolving door to a certain extent. The rotation has utilized a taxi squad for both length and bullpen help, while the final bench spot has rotated with players offering positional flexibility as starting talents have needed time off. There are both avenues for reward and merit-based promotions here and I imagine it would behoove the Twins to capitalize on all of them. Let’s look at some of the groupings. Taxi Squad (5): Devin Smeltzer, Zack Littell, Kohl Stewart, Lewis Thorpe, Sean Poppen Cody Stashak and Randy Dobnak both find themselves a part of this group as well but are currently on the 25-man roster. This collection of arms has been utilized to be used at a moment's notice for the Twins this season. Whether making spot starts, pitching mop up, or keeping games close in the middle innings, these guys have provided immeasurable value to Minnesota during the 2019 season. The trio of Thorpe, Smeltzer, and Littell have all operated in some very high leverage spots thus far and could be counted on down the stretch. Stewart and Poppen have been more product of circumstance, but there’s no reason for the front office not to reward these guys. A month of big league pay as well as some additional development could go a long way toward growth and future development. Retreads (5): Ryne Harper, Trevor Hildenberger, Fernando Romero, Willians Astudillo, LaMonte Wade Don’t get this twisted, retread is hardly a negative definition here. This trio is a group of guys who have been on the big-league roster, have been optioned out, and their future status remains in flux. Harper obviously offered the most to the major league team this season. His Bugs Bunny curveballs were a thing of beauty until they weren’t. Having a book on him now, he needs to find a way to keep opposing batters off balance. Sent to Triple-A after struggling for months and owning options, it made sense, but he should get the opportunity to wrap up 2019 with in the big leagues. Pairing Hildenberger and Romero is an interesting case study. One is a former stud that wore down, and the other was expected to take a leap that never came. Now healthy, Hildenberger has been lights out since his activation from the IL, and a return to form would give the Twins an arm that has pitched in some very big spots the past couple of seasons. Romero hasn’t been as expected, and we’re still as confused as ever considering what he could provide, but letting him get some low leverage work and try to finish the year on a high note makes some sense. As the first position player here Willians Astudillo will return, to the delight of Twins fans. He’s a character and energizer bunny, but Minnesota will need more in terms of production. It’s great that he doesn’t strike out, but a heightened ability in the box needs to come in the form of commanding the zone, not just covering it. If he can take more of a Luis Arraez approach and rein in his swing to pitches he can do something with, the Twins will have two of the better contact hitters in the game. Wade isn’t much of a retread given he played in just two games before hitting the shelf. A 60-day IL move would open a spot, or he could be activated despite the short runway back to game action. Fresh Faces (2): Brusdar Graterol, Jorge Alcala Easily the two biggest names tied to potential promotion are two of the Twins' top prospects. Graterol is a top-100 pitcher that’s expected to be a difference maker in the rotation. There’s some uncertainty about how good he’d be there, and he’ll have a chance to flash his relief arm in 2019. A triple-digit fastball is going to play, and if he can miss bats while keeping hitters off balance, you can assume he’ll make a difference in the postseason. The prized part of the return in the Ryan Pressly trade, Alcala too is a fireballer who can pump the cheddar. He’s as much an uncertainty for the rotation as Graterol (if not more) but has looked great since switching to the pen at the end of July. Both guys need 40-man spots, and with just one opening, some roster shuffling will need to take place. Needing a Spot (5): Jake Reed, Zander Wiel, Wilin Rosario, Alejandro De Aza, Ian Miller Only Reed here is a former top prospect. Drafted out of Oregon with the intention of getting to the big leagues in short order, though the fiery fastball and clean bill of health have escaped him at times. He warranted a look last season but was passed over. This year the numbers are much worse, but he’s incorporated a new arm slot and has dealt with the Triple-A baseball as well. Subject again to being lost this offseason, it may be a final opportunity to see what’s there. Wiel has been the pride of a Rochester team that employed bigger names. The former Vanderbilt star has 29 doubles in 121 games while owning an .838 OPS. Twenty-two homers show off his power, and while there’re plenty of strikeouts he’s pushed for an opportunity. The trio left over is an interesting bunch. Rosario is essentially a DH and hasn’t played in the big leagues since 2015. The 30-year-old owns an .858 OPS at Triple-A though, and his 19 dingers are bolstered by a .306 avg. De Aza was a late season depth acquisition and he’s done his part with a .994 OPS in 29 games. Miller represents Minnesota’s version of Terrence Gore. He hasn’t played in an MLB game, but the 27-year-old has stolen 34 bases in 119 Triple-A games this year. All these guys would need a 40-man spot. On the Mend (3): Stephen Gonsalves, Nick Gordon, Brent Rooker Had the season gone, or ended, differently for any of this trio they could’ve found themselves in a different category. Gonsalves just recently got back on the mound and has only 12 IP in 2019. He’s at Double-A right now but has worked for Minnesota previously and did come out of the pen. Nick Gordon had a strong year two at Triple-A, following a path he’s repeated most of his pro career. He’s been on the shelf since early August after taking a pitch to the knee, so his season could be over. Rooker recently returned to action and was rehabbing at the GCL. With that season done though he’ll need game action elsewhere. A 1.036 OPS in 41 G from June 1 through his injury, along with a .933 OPS in 65 total games with Rochester, it appeared he was ready for more. Two of three in this section have current 40-man spots, and their inclusion or exclusion from the active roster could swing plenty of decisions. Gordon and Gonsalves could be placed on the 60-day IL (with service time implications) to free up openings. Rooker would need an avenue to inclusion on the 40-man for the first time in his career. If we’ve done the math correctly, there’s a total of 20 names that are potentially in play for the Minnesota Twins to use on the 40-man active roster in a couple of days. No matter how aggressive the club wants to be, the maximum number of additions would be 15. Of those 20, eight need a spot on the 40-man roster that currently sits at 39 occupants. If this exercise shows us anything, it’s that there’s a good amount of opportunity, but still a large number of mouths to feed. Being a better man, I’d put the O/U on Twins call ups at 5.5 and take the over without thinking twice. Rochester’s season ends Monday September 2, so we probably won’t have complete clarity until that point. I’d bet the Twins mix in a good number of bodies to provide rest, as well as talent to provide help, when they make their decisions in the coming days. Click here to view the article

Speed isn't as much a requirement for leadoff as it once was. Arraez should always be superior to Buck in the OBP department, which matters most. I think Buxton will SLG at his best.

A couple of minor league seasons drew to a close today on the Minnesota Twins' farm, but there was plenty of action to tune into. Stud prospect Jordan Balazovic continued his strong season, and recently promoted Jorge Alcala shined for Rochester. Rehabbing Willians Astudillo looks primed to help the big league club and walkoff action happened for the Kernels. Check it all out below.TRANSACTIONS Rochester LHP Lewis Thorpe optioned by Minnesota (August 26) INF Ivan De Jesus Jr released RHP Sean Poppen begins rehab assignment. Was scheduled to throw today with GCL. Game was cancelled, as well as the rest of their season. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 10, Buffalo 2 Box Score Rochester isn’t making the postseason, but with just five games left after tonight they’re all about finishing strong. Going with a committee tonight, they did just that. Five pitchers combined to throw nine innings of two-run baseball while striking out 13 and walking just three. Jorge Alcala is the stud prospect eyeing a September call up, and he turned in two scoreless with four strikeouts. La Tortuga himself started things off with his fourth Triple-A dinger in the top of the first. Rochester added another in the second before a five-run fourth innings really got things going. Two singles and a sac fly did the damage and the Red Wings posted a crooked number. Insurance runs came across in both the sixth and ninth to give the away team nine runs of breathing room. A nine-inning tally by Buffalo was inconsequential in this one and Rochester was able to slam the door. BLUE WAHOOS BITES No Game Scheduled Pensacola had a scheduled off day today. However, both Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff were confirmed as going to the Arizona Fall League to play for Salt River on behalf of the Twins. Tomorrow the Wahoos are schedule to start a series against the Montgomery Biscuits. Rays prospect Blake Bivens lost his wife and one year old son in a tragic and senseless act of violence a couple of days ago. A memorial has been set up in their honor. You can see that here. MIRACLE MATTERS Dunedin 2, Fort Myers 1 (Game 1, 7 innings) Box Score Jordan Balazovic took the ball for the Miracle in this one and he was nothing short of exceptional. Turning in five innings of two-hit ball, he allowed no runs and just one free pass while striking out nine. The effort lowered his Single-A ERA to 2.84 in 2019. Although both clubs generated the same number of hits (five), it was the Blue Jays that got the extra run. A Trey Cabbage single accounted for Fort Myers' only tally in the top of the 6th, but two Dunedin runs in the bottom half were enough for the victory. Dunedin 4, Fort Myers 3 (Game 2, 9 innings) Box Score Another tightly contested game that wound up being a one-run loss saw the Miracle turn the game over to the bullpen. Four Miracle pitchers combined to throw nine innings in the regularly scheduled seven-inning affair. Recently named to the Arizona Fall League roster for the Twins, Moises Gomez gave up an unearned run with one out in the final frame that allowed the Blue Jays to walk it off. A Yeltsin Encarnacion double plated Brian Schaled and Jose Mirande in the fourth to open the scoring. After giving one back, Fort Myers and Dunedin traded runs in the fifth after Trey Cabbage homered for the ninth time this season. The Blue Jays evened the score in the bottom of the seventh before their eventual walkoff. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Quad Cities 0 Box Score Matt Canterino was making his fifth start for the Kernels in this one and he was excellent. Going five strong while allowing just one hit, no free passes, and striking out seven, Minnesota continues to be impressed with their 2019 draft pick. These two clubs combined for just six hits on the evening, but it was the final one that mattered most. Jared Akins came up in the bottom of the ninth and delivered an RBI single to score Spencer Steer and walk this one off for the Kernels. E-TWINS E-NOTES Greenville 7, Elizabethton 3 Box Score The E-Twins turned to Ryley Widell in this one and he gave them six innings of four- run ball. Widell allowed seven hits but just one walk while striking out seven. Even though Elizabethton won in the hit column (10 to 9) they couldn’t generate the necessary run production. Greenville took an early three-run lead in the second and the E-Twins answered with just one. It was 4-1 before Charles Mack hit his eighth homer of the year, a two-run shot in the fifth. Down by one into the eighth, that’s where Greenville pulled away and Elizabethton couldn’t mount a rally. Unfortunately the loss also ended the season and Elizabethton finished at 33-34 in 2019. GCL TWINS TAKES Doubleheader today was cancelled and the remainder of the season followed suit due to the incoming hurricane. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Willians Astudillo (Rochester) 2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR(4) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) - No Game #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - No Game #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - No Game #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, 2 K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - Season Complete #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Did Not Play #9 - Jhoan Duran (Pensacola) - No Game #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List (lower leg contusion) #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) - No Game #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - #15 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - Injured List #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured (Tommy John) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Rochester) - 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - Season Complete #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - No Game THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:05PM CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (5-4, 4.63 ERA) Pensacola @ Montgomery (6:35PM CST) - TBD Ft. Myers @ Dunedin (5:30PM CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (4-3, 3.20 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Tyler Palm (3-9, 4.02 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Wednesday games or any other minor league topics you would like. Click here to view the article

College football is officially underway, and while the NFL is slogging through the meaningless exhibition slate it is nearly to the point that games count. While plenty of baseball players are world-class athletes and hitting a round ball with a round bat at the velocities we see today remains arguably the most impressive athletic feat, it’s worth wondering what some of these guys would look like on a football field. We know that Joe Mauer had the chops to be an All-American college quarterback, and a guy like Dave Winfield was drafted by his hometown Minnesota Vikings. What if we tried to fill out some key spots with the current Twins roster?Jonathan Schoop- QB Initially I wanted to make Max Kepler out to be a Minnesota version of Michael Vick. Quick and left-handed, the profile certainly fit. If we’re going with a big body in the pocket, and arm strength out the wazoo, the choice here is obvious. Schoop has an absolute howitzer for an arm, and it’s shown often while turning double plays with Jorge Polanco. He may tend to get a bit long sometimes for a football throw, but the force at which the ball leaves his hand would challenge Brett Favre in a finger breaking contest. Jorge Polanco- RB Something about the man nicknamed “Chulo” strikes me as elusive. Polanco isn’t fast as much as he is quick. Shorter in stature at 5’11” Polanco is still plenty muscular and looks the part of a guy who could either evade or run through an opposing tackler. He has good feet that have helped him immensely during his time at shortstop, and you can bet he’d be all in on the idea of getting loose. Byron Buxton- WR The guy who may be the most fun to see run down the sideline is none other than center fielder Byron Buxton. His elite speed may not translate as easily in pads, but you can bet he’d be a nightmare for most cornerbacks to keep up with. He’s got exceptional hands with a glove on, and well, receiver gloves are virtually super glue today anyway. Buck played QB in high school and the arm strength that allows him to uncork 90+ mph from center would work in the pocket as well. I’d be a bit afraid of his stature being a downfall, but the jumping and sprinting ability on full display is something you could sign me up for. Miguel Sano- TE Sneaky athleticism for a big-bodied guy, Sano could be something of a matchup problem. He’s got some height to him, and the size would work well for boxing opposing defenders out. Imagine him wreaking havoc in the red zone or getting even a moderate head of speed before rumbling down the field and throwing a big block. Linebackers may have an opportunity to keep him in check but defending secondaries would be well overmatched. Eddie Rosario- SS Delivering the boom is something that seems like Rosario would live for. Swinging with reckless abandon at the dish could be replicated while patrolling the secondary. He’d likely get more than a few flags thrown his direction after lining up the big hit, but you best believe the celebratory dances would be legendary. Nelson Cruz- K If there’s a nickname more appropriate than Boomstick for Cruz in baseball, then using that same moniker as he swings his meaty right piece makes all the sense in the world. I have no idea if Cruz can kick, but I’d imagine he’s put a soccer ball in goal at least once. Even if the range topped out at 20 yards, the power stemming from the Boomstick appendage would be must-see television. Who else do you envision as a Twins player hitting the gridiron, and what are some of the positions you’d put guys at? Click here to view the article

While you can look at the smaller sample sizes over the past week or two, I think you need to separate from Astudillo a bit as well. Willians never had a process conducive to success. He was a guy who didn't strike out or walk because he made contact. He has bat control. but not plate discipline. Arraez has the league's lowest strikeout rate, but also a strong chase rate, and makes contact on pitches he should WANT to, not just those he can. I don't know that he'll hit .330 his whole career, but this is a guy that owns a process lending itself towards a consistent .300 average. We can discuss the merits of that being a bit futile with next to now SLG viability at all.

Going 7-3 over their past 10 games and still owning a 3 1/2 game lead on the Cleveland Indians, the Minnesota Twins have held serve if nothing else. I’ve opined that a five-game lead by the end of the month seems doable, and another turn with the Chicago White Sox should be conducive to some victories. For Baldelli’s Bangers though, they’ll need a better effort than the three-game set that took place at Target Field a week ago.Brief Overview: These two clubs met a week ago, and they’ll meet again three weeks from now. Because the Twins were light on AL Central opponents to kick off the year, they’re going to see plenty of familiar faces during the final month of the season. Chicago is the cream of the bad crop in the division, and while they do own a 60-70 record, the -114 run differential still suggests they’re playing a bit above their heads. What They Do Well: Without rehashing much of what we already know about this club, we can look at what they did well against Minnesota at Target Field last week. Ivan Nova has been rolling of late and last week danced around 10 hits allowing just two runs. Stealing that game-one matchup put the Twins up against a wall needing to beat Lucas Giolito in the rubber match. The White Sox ace continued his breakout year and turning in a complete-game shutout allowing just three hits, that train continued rolling down the tracks. Eloy Jimenez, Jose Abreu, and Yoan Moncada remain as fearsome of a trio as it gets. Moncada will be back for this series and that provides new challenges for the Minnesota staff. Although this lineup isn’t good by any means, they have the bats to do damage against poor performances. The fielding won’t carry them either but pitching performances can keep them competitive. What They Do Not Do Well: If there’s a blueprint for the Twins to take against the White Sox, it’s game two of last week’s series. Minnesota pounded out 14 runs on 14 hits en route to a 10-run laugher. Reynaldo Lopez didn’t miss bats and Minnesota blew the doors off the bullpen. There’re plenty of poor arms waiting behind the wall for Chicago, and Minnesota needs to get to them. Giolito will put up a tough test to start the series, but both Ross Detwiler and Dylan Cease are more than capable of coughing up runs in bunches. The Twins must set the tone in this matchup and really start to create some distance between the two clubs in the season series. Chicago put a feather in their cap last week on the road and now Minnesota must return the favor. Individuals Of Note: Twins fans have seen plenty of Jose Abreu this season, and Twins pitchers have been haunted by him. Eloy Jimenez is still as dangerous a bat as it gets, and Tim Anderson has enjoyed a breakout season at shortstop. We aren’t yet into Luis Robert territory but that could soon be coming. One guy that wasn’t around last week though was Yoan Moncada. Returning from the IL on August 22nd after being down since July 30, he tallied two hits in his first two games against the Rangers before going 0-for-7 to cap off the four-game set. Moncada is a legit bat and his .901 OPS is nothing to be taken lightly. His return to the Chicago lineup is a big boost for Rick Renteria’s club. Recent History: Minnesota just dropped two of three to Chicago last week at Target Field. On the year the Twins own an 8-5 advantage with a +45 run differential. The dominance in victories is there, but the win-loss record should be a bit more lopsided than it currently is. Recent Trajectories: The Twins are 7-3 over their past 10 games and Chicago is 6-4. When playing different opponents, Minnesota is 6-1, with the White Sox being 4-3. Pitching Match-ups: Tuesday: Pineda vs Giolito Wednesday: Odorizzi vs Detwiler Thursday: Berrios vs Cease Ending Thoughts: Chicago continues to gain steam as an up-and-coming team. They aren’t there yet, and while not a dumpster fire, this still is not a good big-league club. Minnesota had no business dropping the series last week at home, and they’ll need to exact immediate revenge on the road over the next three contests. Cleveland gets a hapless Tigers club in the same time span and keeping the lead where it is should be a must. Sweeps are tough in baseball, and Giolito is going to be a difficult foe in game one. The Twins also need to see Jose Berrios return to form, though it is his final turn in a month that gives him fits. Give me Minnesota taking two-of-three and finishing August riding high. Click here to view the article

I’d be pretty motivated to move Rosario if I were the Twins

Through 64 games and just shy of 250 plate appearances, he owns an .836 OPS and is batting .335. He’s never going to be a power hitter, and if he ever puts 10 balls out of the park in a single season any team would be ecstatic. What he can be though, is an ideal leadoff hitter with great average skills and elite on-base production thanks to plate discipline that’s otherworldly. He handles the bat to the point that Tony Gwynn would be proud of, and his approach at the plate in unwavering. It is for those reasons that he’s played himself into the starting second basemen role when Opening Day comes knocking. Nick Gordon hasn’t yet made his major league debut, and as his chief competition, it isn’t surprising to suggest that Arraez would have a leg up. From a second base perspective alone, it’s worth wondering if that spot isn’t more circumstantial than anything else for Arraez. Eventually the hope would be that Royce Lewis would make his MLB debut and take over as Minnesota’s starting shortstop. Jorge Polanco is not long for that position, even though he’s made strides this year. The arm is still questionable there, and Polanco has gone through bouts of inconsistency as he works through his throwing process. Signed to a long-term extension, Polanco isn’t like to move out of the organization any time soon, and an up-the-middle-tandem seems to be destined for Lewis and Polanco. There also has always been the idea that Miguel Sano is not long for third base. Although he’s hung around the average-to-slightly-below mark this season, a body that big seems to profile more on the other corner. Thad Levine recently suggested that Minnesota doesn’t see Sano as an ideal fit at 1B presently, and they see third as an easier avenue to keeping him engaged in the action. As necessity pushes him from the spot though, they may need to re-evaluate their plans. So, assuming Polanco slides over at short is filled, Arraez could find himself at the hot corner. This is all assuming the hit tool continues to play, but the position makes some sense. He’s almost always been a second basemen on the farm, and his time there has tripled the third action with the Twins. In 282 innings at second however, he owns a -6 DRS and -1.7 UZR. The 100-inning sample at 3B is incredible small, but he’s been worth 0 DRS and a -0.5 UZR. Minnesota will get plenty more data to evaluate prior to decision making time, but it’s a narrative to monitor. If everything develops on an expected and linear track (which is to essentially say this won’t happen at all), then Lewis and Polanco man the middle for Minnesota by late 2020. At that point Sano could then move to 1B or DH (after Nelson Cruz is gone) and Arraez slides into the hot corner. Maybe Luis won’t continue to hit (seems unlikely) or maybe he’ll be dealt (not sure that’s probable), but second base doesn’t seem like the guaranteed long-term fit for the Venezuelan and I’m not sure there’s anything wrong with that. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Tonight on the farm there were a pair of affiliates that scored runs in bunches. The Red Wings put on a hitting clinic and the E-Twins saw every batter record a base hit. Jordan Balazovic had a shortened but strong outing, and a pair of outfielders showed progress in their rehab assignments. Read all about it below.TRANSACTIONS Rochester OF Luke Raley begins rehab assignment with GCL Pensacola OF LaMonte Wade Jr. rehab transferred from Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids LHP J.T. Perez placed on IL with lower back strain RHP Alex Schick activated from IL RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 20, Buffalo 3 Box Score After losing by three last night it didn’t matter who was on the mound as the Red Wings pounded out 20 runs on 19 hits. Kohl Stewart went five innings allowing just two hits and no runs while fanning two. This one was a laugher en route to his eighth win of the season. The scoring started early for Rochester with a four-run first being followed by a five- run second. The third inning came up, short generating just two runs, but after the first third of the game the good guys were ahead 11-0. Buffalo tried to make a game of it answering with a trio in the sixth, but Rochester responded with a nine-spot in the bottom half. Five of the Red Wings batters recorded three or more hits on the evening, with Tomas Telis going a perfect 4-for-4. Turtle man himself went 3-5 out of the two-hole, scoring three times. Brandon Barnes launched his 28th dinger of the season, a grand slam, and Ronald Torreyes grabbed his 11th. This one wasn’t competitive from the get go and the Red Wings pulverized the Bison, holding the opposition to just three hits. Zack Littell worked 2 1/3 scoreless while not allowing a hit and Jake Reed struck out the side to close out the contest. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Mississippi 3, Pensacola 1 Box Score Adam Bray was back in Florida for this one and he turned in four strong for the Wahoos. Keeping the Braves scoreless, he worked around three hits and three walks while striking out three. No one had pushed a run across when he had left the game, and it would be on Pensacola to try to strike first. The game’s first runs came in the sixth inning when Mississippi put up a crooked number. Tallying a three spot, Pensacola found themselves in a late hole. The only answer they could muster came on Jimmy Kerrigan’s ninth homer of the season in the eighth. It was his second in two days and as a solo shot, represented the lone offense for the visitors. Pensacola generated just four hits on the night, and two of them came from leadoff hitter Alex Kirilloff. LaMonte Wade joined Royce Lewis, Trevor Larnach, and Ryan Jeffers in the 0-fer department. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Charlotte 2 Box Score Stud prospect Jordan Balazovic was on the bump for this one, and though he came up an out shy of completing five innings, he turned in a strong outing. The Canadian allowed just two runs on three hits while issuing a single free pass and posting seven strikeouts. The Miracle provide Balazovic some early breathing room by scoring five in the first three innings. Trey Cabbage drove in two in the first before Andrew Bechtold followed with another. Gilberto Celestino then scored in the second before Yelstin Encarnacion doubled home another in the third. Charlotte answered with two of their own in the fifth, but that was all the damage they did. Phenom Wander Franco was held to a 1-for-5 evening and fanned twice. KERNELS NUGGETS Clinton 6, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score Unfortunately it was another ugly night for the Kernels. Aftering going down 9-0 last night, they made it 15-0 in the two day stretch. Matt Canterino was on the bump and gave up four runs (two earned) on two hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked two but it was a dropped third strike that cost him dearly. Clinton scored four times in the first, and tallied two on an ugly dropped third strike and then a follow-up throwing error from Canterino. They added single runs in both the sixth and eighth to widen the margin. Cedar Rapids generated just four hits in the game, and catcher Trevor Casanova was responsible for two of them out of the eight-hole. Alex Schick returned to the bump from the injured list and gave up a run on one hit in one inning of work. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 14, Johnson City 4 Box Score Following up a close loss last night, it didn’t take long for the Twins to exact their revenge. Ryley Widell turned in a quality start going six innings allowing just three runs on three hits while fanning seven and walking two. It was his second win of the season, and among his better starts of 2019. The E-Twins motto in this one was early and often. They popped up with three first inning runs, took a break for just one in the second, and then added an eight-spot in the third. For good measure another pair crossed the plate in the eighth and this one was a ten-run-rule worthy affair by the time all was said and done. Elizabethton notched 15 hits in the contest but only Max Smith had more than a pair, as he went 3-for-5. Each E-Twins batter recorded a hit on the night, and five of the nine had multi-hit efforts. It was a singles barrage though as Smith accounted for the only double and homer (a grand slam) throughout the nine inning affair. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Orioles 13, GCL Twins 3 Box Score Two straight wins for the GCL Orioles were achieved by knocking off the GCL Twins in each of the past two days. Anthony Escobar gave up six earned runs before getting out of the first inning in this one, and it became a larger uphill battle than the visitors could overcome. The GCL Twins generated just four hits in the contest, and three runs came across in three separate innings. Rochester Red Wings outfielder Luke Raley made his rehab debut and went 1-for-4 on the day. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jordan Balazovic (Fort Myers) - 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Tomas Telis (Rochester) 4-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 6 RBI, 2 BB PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) - 0-4, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 2-3, BB #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Rochester) - Did not pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - 0-4, 2 K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Fort Myers) - 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL) - Did not play #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Injured List (groin) #9 - Jhoan Duran (Pensacola) - Did not pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Minnesota) - Did not pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List (leg contusion) #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) - 0-4, K #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - 0-3, K #15 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, BB, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - Did not play #17 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Rochester) - Did not pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL) - Did not play #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - 1-3, K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Syracuse (6:05PM CST) - TBD Jackson @ Pensacola (6:35PM CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30PM CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (3-3, 3.34 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (6:30PM CST) - RHP Tyler Palm (3-8, 3.84 ERA) Danville @ Elizabethton (5:30PM CST) - TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! 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From a report I've checked in on that has watched him plenty, he lived significantly with the fastball and blowing it by Double-A hitters. That won't play at the highest level, so it'll be interesting to watch.

Coming into the 2019 Major League Baseball season Jose Berrios found himself entrenched in the Minnesota Twins rotation as the staff ace. Betting sites had tabbed him with something like a 25/1 chance to win the American League Cy Young Award, and the overall strength of Rocco Baldelli’s staff was expected to rely on the anchor that is a six-foot, always smiling Puerto Rican.This season has been the best yet for Berrios in the big leagues. He was named to his second straight All-Star Game (despite some unnecessary finagling) and has posted strong tallies across the board. What he hasn’t done though, is maintain a consistent level of dominance required to take that next step and claim the title of “ace,” coveted by many and held by few. Viewing the year in small snapshots provides plenty of interesting talking points. Here are a few of the interesting outliers already in the books. 1. Better but Maybe Worse Through 25 starts Berrios has posted a 3.37 ERA which is a career low by nearly 0.5 runs. Beyond the surface though, we find a 3.92 FIP (in line with the 3.90 2018 mark) and a bit gaudier 4.43 xFIP (compared to 3.89 in 2018). In terms of regression, we could see more before the dust settles. The 8.4 H/9 is a full-season career worst, and the HR/9 has risen after giving up 7 in his past eight starts. The long ball is harder to control in 2019 than ever before, and for a guy with a short stature the downward plane on each pitch is less advantageous. 2. Oh Whiff Have You Forsaken Me Last season Berrios reached the 200-strikeout mark for the first time in his career. Pitching 192.1 innings he tallied a K/9 of 9.5. Owning a minor league career 9.6 K/9, something above 9.0 at the big leagues would be a great outcome for who has always expected to be a strikeout pitcher. In 157.2 IP this season, Berrios has just 150 strikeouts which breaks down to an 8.6 K/9. That’s the exact same ratio he posted in 2017 across 145.2 IP while turning in a 3.89 ERA. Major league baseball is on pace to set another record in strikeouts this season, but Jose hasn’t yet been the benefactor of that trend. 3. Wins Will Ever Matter The short answer is no, and the longer answer is heck no. Even still, the Twins are in the midst of a nearly 100-win campaign and Jose has exactly 10 wins through 25 turns. Despite posting a better ERA than both Jake Odorizzi and Kyle Gibson, each of his counterparts trump him in the wins category. The 2017 Twins won just 83 games and made the wild card game during the last week of the season. Berrios made 26 appearances (25 starts) and won 14 games that year. Now he should make something like seven more turns in the regular season, and conceivably could finish with 17 wins and a new career high, but that would throw the pace and ratio all out of whack on furthering the idea that pitcher wins are fickle and dumb. 4. Bruising Body Blows You may have heard that the Athletics' Khris Davis is a fan of the .247 batting average (though he’s going to be stretched to make it five consecutive years this season). What you probably didn’t know is that Jose Berrios has a small run of his own going. After leading the big leagues in HBP during 2017, he totaled the same number (13) a year ago. In 2019 he’s plunked eight opponents, which puts him on pace for just 10 when all is said and done. There’s nothing wrong with pitching inside, and the two-seam action on his secondary fastball has been a main culprit in getting in on hitters in the past. If we’re going for a trifecta here though, knuckles and gluteus maximus’ (maximi?) will need to be on the lookout. 5. Bump it With the Booty Much has been made down the stretch about Jose Berrios and his fastball velocity. Having pumped 95 and 96 mph at times, he’s worked more in the 91-93 mph range as the summer has worn on. His overall velocity is just a tad off at 93.4 mph (93.8 mph in 2018), but there was a clear decline to start August. Wes Johnson has been noted as a velocity guru, and much of a pitcher’s strength comes from sitting back in his hips and driving with your butt. There could be mechanical issues going on, or it could be nothing more than wear and tear. Fangraphs had three starts from July 31 to Aug 11 in which Jose averaged 90.8, 91.8, and 91.7 mph on his fastball. His last outing against the Rangers was back up to 93.0 mph and that’s virtually where he’s sat all year. We’ll see where it goes from here. 6. An Emerging Offering Zack Pierce wrote a piece for The Athletic back in March that highlighted the emergence of Jose Berrios’ changeup. The Twins starter was fresh off a 10-strikeout Opening Day performance against the Cleveland Indians. Fast forward to today and the pitch has been thrown a career high 14.9% of the time. Over a 5% increase from 2018, Berrios has utilized an offering once perfected by Minnesota starter Johan Santana. Needing something to pair with the fastball/curveball combo, Berrios has gotten 2.1% of his 11% swinging strike rate from the offering. Nearly 20% from an offering not intended to fool or overpower, it’s an admirable step in the right direction. 7. Summer Sorrows Show Sun on Horizon For whatever reason Jose Berrios and his repertoire is not a fan of August. Over the course of his career he owns a 5.92 ERA across 19 starts during the month. His K/9 remains strong but the WHIP gets ugly and things go awry. With an 8.44 ERA (mainly due to the worst start of his career) during three starts this month, the trend has continued. Thankfully he’ll make just two more starts before the calendar turns, and both come against the hapless Detroit Tigers. September has generally represented a reprieve (4.77 ERA), and even if that’s because of watered down competition, getting right for the postseason should be the lone remaining focus. Click here to view the article

Listen, Nelson Cruz earned the moniker “Boomstick” because he’s become one of the most prolific power hitters in baseball. While most nicknames are rooted in some level of fact, Mr. Boomstick may never have expected the output he’s seeing as a 39-year-old with the Minnesota Twins. The home runs continue to pile up, but he’s pulverizing the leather more than he has ever done before. Plenty has been made about the baseball in play during the 2019 Major League Baseball season. It’s obvious that changes to the ball itself have been made, and we’re seeing homers at a higher rate than at any point since the PED era. For power hitters like Cruz, an already perfected ability has become that much more lethal. If we’re going to truly understand the difference though, it’s only sensible to dive into the numbers. 37.6%. That’s the career hard hit rate for Nelson Cruz. He didn’t become a full-time big leaguer until 2009 at the age of 28. From that point through the next eight years, he owned a hard-hit rate that fluctuated between 35-38%. As a power hitter who elevated that ball, that output would certainly be capable of sending the ball over the fence. He posted three different 40-homer seasons and compiled a tally of 262. Fighting father time, Cruz had to figure out how to expand upon the ability that had carried him thus far. 2016 was the last time Cruz played more than five games at a position in a season (he’ll play none in the field this year). Solely operating as a designated hitter, perfecting his craft with a wooden stick became the only goal. Maybe not coincidentally, the quality of contact also began to rise. No longer standing in the outfield for nine innings, and able to unleash effort in short bursts, Cruz touched a 40% (40.7%) hard hit rate for the first time in 2017. He then followed that up with a 42.3% hard hit rate. Continuing to elevate the ball with higher exit velocities, the homers kept coming. Then 2019 happened. For the Twins Cruz has posted a ridiculous 55.3% hard hit rate, a career low 36.6% ground ball rate, and turned in an asinine 34% HR/FB rate. Literally more than one-third of the time Nelson Cruz puts the ball in play, and it doesn’t touch the ground, it leaves the stadium. His hard-hit rate is nearly 5% higher than the next closest batter and he’s pacing baseball in HR/FB ratio. On Statcast’s leaderboards he owns the best Brls/PA% in the sport (13.7 with 2nd at 12.2), and trails only Aaron Judge in average exit velocity (94.5 mph). Minnesota had an opening in the DH role going into this year, and they turned from an OBP centric lineup to one that could change the game on a single swing. Cruz was an ideal fit, and after turning down a shot with the Tampa Bay Rays, he landed in Minnesota on a 2yr/$26MM pact. That second season is a $12MM team option that the Twins will gladly pick up (and have Cruz on a discount from year one). It’s been one of the most successful free agent acquisitions in organization history, and the next chapters are still yet to be written. At 36-years-old Nelson Cruz became a full-time designated hitter. At 39-years-old he produced what could be the best OPS of his career, a .662 SLG and what has a shot to be a new high-water mark in homers. Cruz has played in just 90 games for Minnesota (dealing with two stints of wrist issues), but his 33 dingers translate to a 59 per 162 tally. The man got older, got more specialized, and turned into a Rawlings’ greatest nightmare. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Today saw a few key promotions on the farm with Gilberto Celestino (acquired in the Ryan Pressly trade) moved up to Fort Myers after a torrid run for Cedar Rapids. 2019 draft pick Matt Wallner went to Cedar Rapids, and Twins fan favorite Willians Astudillo is now in Rochester. The action itself was great as well with Bailey Ober dominant on the bump, the star trio of top prospects putting their stamp on the Blue Wahoos game, and both promoted players picking up first hits at their new levels.TRANSACTIONS Rochester Cibney Bello joins coaching staff as assistant pitching coach C Willians Astudillo rehab assignment transferred from Pensacola RHP Zack Littell optioned by Minnesota LHP Jeremy Bleich placed on IL with hamstring strain Fort Myers OF Gilberto Celestino promoted from Cedar Rapids INF Michael Davis placed on IL with meniscus tear Cedar Rapids OF Matt Wallner promoted from Elizabethton RED WINGS REPORT Buffalo 7, Rochester 4 Box Score Charlie Barnes had the starting duties for Rochester tonight. He recorded one out in the fifth inning and gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits while walking two and doubling that amount in strikeouts. Down 4-0 by the middle of the fifth inning, it would be on the home team to mount a comeback. Wilin Rosario continued his hot hitting with his 22nd double to open up the scoring in the eighth. Zander Wiel then roped his 34th double to drive in two, pulled the Red Wings within one. Unfortunately three Bison batters scored in the top of the ninth, and a Rosario RBI single in the bottom half was all Rochester could muster. Likely eyeing a September return to the Twins, Willians Astudillo went 1-for-5 with an RBI in this one. Brusdar Graterol worked two innings of relief. He struck out three, walked one, and gave up a single. It’s a double dose of Stewart on the mound in the series finale tomorrow night. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Pensacola 8, Mississippi 2 Box Score Bailey Ober is having one of the best seasons on the Twins farm, and you still may not know it. He made his second Double-A start tonight and turned in seven-shutout innings of three-hit ball while fanning 12 and walking none. He’s now 2-0 with Pensacola and owns a 0.64 ERA. With their starter on cruise control, the Wahoos lineup went to work. A three-run third featured RBIs from the prospect trio of Alex Kirilloff, Royce Lewis, and Trevor Larnach. Mark Contreras and Jimmy Kerrigan went back-to-back in the 4th before Larnach drove in two more. The fourth inning came to a close and Pensacola was already on top 7-0. The Wahoos added an insurance tally in the eighth that was wiped out by two from the Braves in the bottom half. That’s where this one finished though. Early offense and dominant starting pitching was the theme. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Charlotte 5 Box Score Tyler Watson wasn’t exactly economical tonight for the Miracle, but he was good in what he gave them. Needing 84 pitches to make it through four innings turned it into a short outing. He left with a no-hitter though, and had struck out six while walking three. The Miracle bats came ready to work tonight as well. Pushing across seven runs on eleven hits, they scored in four straight innings from the fourth through the seventh. Brian Schales notched an RBI single to grab the game's first lead, and a Jacob Pearson double knotted it at two in the fifth. Ernie De La Trinidad tallied an RBI single in the sixth, and then Schales grabbed his first double to drive in two in the seventh. De La Trinidad added another on a sac fly before a Yeltsin Encarnacion single pushed the margin to five. Facing a very good Stone Crabs team the Miracle would need to hang on until the end. Three runs came across between the eighth and ninth, but the opposing rally ended two runs short. Phenom Wander Franco got his in a 2-for-3 night, but Schales and newly promoted Gilberto Celestino matched the effort. Celestino led off in his first Florida State game, and he turned in a 3-for-5 effort with two runs and a double. KERNELS NUGGETS Clinton 9, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score Luis Rijo has been nothing short of lights out all season, but Clinton figured him out in this one. He lasted just one out into the sixth inning and had given up five runs (all earned) on seven hits. The lone bright spot was a 7/0 K/BB ratio on the evening. Cedar Rapids got behind by three in the first, and then allowed a six run inning in the sixth to seal the deal. The Kernels only put three hits on the board tonight, so not much of a comeback could’ve been expected. Recently promoted 2019 draft pick Matt Wallner picked up a hit in his second at-bat, and drew the start in right, batting sixth. E-TWINS E-NOTES Johnson City 3, Elizabethton 2 Box Score After Brent Headrick opened with an inning of scoreless work, Ryan Shreve got the next 4 2/3 innings. He gave up just a single run on five hits while walking two and striking out three. Elizabethton held Johnson City to just three runs, and outhit them seven to six, but the rally run never came. Kidany Salva launched his third homer of the year to open the scoring in the third, and Seth Gray knocked another in on a sac fly. After giving back a run in the sixth, the Twins watched the lead evaporate on a two-run Cardinals eighth. Only four E-Twins batters would come to the plate in the ninth, and Ruben Santana couldn’t advance beyond his two-out single. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Orioles 2, GCL Twins 0 Box Score Still working his way back on a rehab assignment, Stephen Gonsalves began this one on the mound. He turned in two strong innings allowing a single hit, fanning four, and walking none. He’s missed a significant amount of time this season, but is looking closer and closer to making a return. The Twins squad tallied just four hits, and Alec Craig was responsible for two of them out of the leadoff spot. Keoni Cavaco was back in the lineup after dealing with a quad injury, however he was lifted after an 0-3 start. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Bailey Ober (Pensacola) 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 K Hitter of the Day – Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - 3-5, 3 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) - 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB, 2 K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 2-4, 2 R, RBI, BB #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Rochester) - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - 3-5, 3 RBI #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL) - 0-3, K #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Injured List (groin) #9 - Jhoan Duran (Pensacola) - Did not pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - Injured List (hamstring) #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Minnesota) - Did not pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List (leg contusion) #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) - 0-5, K #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - 0-3, K #15 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3 #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - Did not play #17 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Rochester) - Did not pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL) - 2-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - Did not play THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ Rochester (6:05PM CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart (7-5, 5.56 ERA) Pensacola @ Mississippi (6:35PM CST) - TBD Charlotte @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (6-2, 2.98 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (6:30PM CST) - RHP Matt Canterino (1-0, 0.90 ERA) Elizabethton @ Johnson City (5:30PM CST) - TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! 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We’ve got less than six full weeks left in the 2019 Major League Baseball regular season. The Minnesota Twins are looking for their first AL Central Division title since 2010, and despite having an 11.5 game lead midway through the year, they’re facing an intense race to the finish. Have no fear though, this club is going to win the division, and there’re more than a few key reasons why.1. It's Building Not Chasing Let’s start with the basics. Minnesota isn’t coming back from anything. Sure, the lead was once 11.5 games, but the current lead doesn’t have “games back” tied to it. Rocco Baldelli’s club owns a two-game (three now, after Tuesday's action) lead over the Cleveland Indians, and that cushion still provides significant value. Minnesota and Cleveland meet six more times in September, and those matchups will obviously have the greatest direct impact on the standings. 2. Sota Pop is Alive and Well The Twins still own one of the best offenses in baseball, and the direct competition isn’t particularly close. It was great that Carlos Santana launched a grand slam for the Indians, and Puig has hit well since coming over from Cincinnati, but the Twins have a lineup that just keeps coming. Still fourth in the majors in terms of fWAR, and pacing the field with the long ball, Minnesota’s lineup is relentless, 1-through-9. Miguel Sano has been arguably the clubs best hitter for a few weeks, Nelson Cruz is a man possessed, and hot streaks by players like Marwin Gonzalez and Jake Cave continue to supplement things nicely. 3. The Bump is Bruised Not Broken Pitching isn’t the black hole it’s viewed as. Jose Berrios is certainly not right, and Martin Perez hasn’t been the same guy he was early in the year. Looking across the sport as a whole however, there’re warts on every team. Minnesota is still a top five staff in baseball (one off the Indians) and the 4.15 team ERA checks in eighth. The bullpen has gotten better with additions of Sam Dyson and Sergio Romo, while the emergence of Zack Littell, Lewis Thorpe, and Devin Smeltzer has been invaluable. 4. Next Man Up Still Works Reinforcements are coming from within. Roster expansion comes in 12 days and the Twins have a handful of intriguing options. This is the last year that the active roster expands to 40 and the big-league club could take full advantage of it. The 40-man roster has just one opening, likely for Brusdar Graterol, but there’re a few current 40- man options that make sense. Nick Gordon could be sprinkled in as he’ll compete for a job in 2020, and Willians Astudillo will return. LaMonte Wade could get the run he’s missed out on, and the whole taxi squad of arms could be rewarded for their service. None of these guys should be expected to shoulder a huge load, but they can provide rest for starters down the stretch and play in some of the most meaningful games of their careers. 5. Rainbows and Butterflies on the Calendar The schedule is cake and Minnesota gobbles that up. The rest of the way Minnesota’s opponents have a combined .457 winning percentage. Houston’s is the next closest at .476 and the Indians are third at .481. Baldelli has seen his squad do a good job against tough competition this season, but no one has played better baseball against bad opponents than the Twins. At 50-17 against sub-.500 teams the team has ripped off wins nearly 75% of the time. The next 12 games all come against the White Sox and the Tigers, while the final 13 come against the three worst teams in the division. You can’t dictate who you play, but Minnesota is set up nicely to be the favorite much of the time they take the field the rest of the way. 6. Veteran Presence Carries Weight Despite a core of homegrown talent Minnesota has the veteran presence needed to keep the clubhouse focused. Nelson Cruz and Marwin Gonzalez have obviously had an impact on their teammates all year. The two of them combined have played over 70 postseason games with three World Series appearances and a ring. They know what it takes to win on the biggest stage, and they aren’t just here for motivational support. Minnesota signed both players to be contributors and they have certainly led by example. These two will be integral in finishing the job during the final month and using that momentum to make a mark in October. There’s no denying that the torrid early-season pace has slowed, and the post-All Star break slate was tough. Minnesota persevered though and while their lead shrunk, they’ve built it back up. Expecting the gap to grow and maybe push five or six games by the end of the month is a pretty fair bet. The AL Central remains up for grabs, but there’s plenty of reason to believe the Twins have the pennant well within their grasp. Click here to view the article

As analytics have crept into the game of baseball and taken a foothold as the chief form of evaluation, players from all different eras rail against the game in its current state. The game has definitely changed to cater towards the exceptional athletes that play it today, and the sport has taken notice as well. Unwritten rules have forever (and will always) be part of baseball, but there’s a certain aspect still waiting to be phased out. The idea that baseball polices itself has long been one that has held weight. As the game has adapted to use slogans like “Let the kids play” and adopted rule changes at bases and the plate, it’s clear there’s an emphasis on keeping these elite athletes on the field of play. With that in mind, it’s beyond time to put an end to the retaliatory pitch. In last night’s Twins and Rangers game, outfielder Jake Cave swung on a 3-0 pitch and lined a single into the outfield. It was a 13-6 game and in the top of the 9th inning. Cave immediately apologized to pitcher Shawn Kelley upon reaching first base, and he appeared to have lost track of the count. Kelley overlooked the acknowledgement and after going 3-0 to the Max Kepler, plunked him on the arm. Discussion from the booth, from Roy Smalley and Dick Bremer, immediately turned to that act as retaliation for Cave’s transgression. In a game that Minnesota was blowing out Texas, he had the audacity to swing his bat. Kelley couldn’t find the zone for a second straight batter, and then quit competing to hurl a ball into the arm of the Twins centerfielder. A sport that now has rules in place to protect its players, watched as a pitcher hurled a pitch into a batter, simply because he was upset. I have no problem with avoidance of the mound, looking presentable on the field, carrying yourself with a level of self-respect, or any number of lesser unwritten rules. I do have an issue with the idea that a pitcher gets to throw a projectile at a batter any time they feel scorned or upset. While wearing a pitch isn’t the end of the world, taking a 90-mph baseball to any part of your body doesn’t feel good, and can certainly open the door to a more substantial injury. There’s a level of respect shown to an opponent taking one base at a time or giving away pitches in a blowout game. That’s not a necessity though and is something the winning team does to show mercy. Expecting that to be the practice, and then reacting negatively when it doesn’t take place is lunacy. Minnesota wouldn’t have been afforded the good graces of the Rangers simply striking out should they have mounted a 9th inning comeback. Deciding when the game no longer is worth playing in the middle of it is not for any one person to opine. On top of that, this instance stemmed from a guy who clearly stated his intentions and felt bad for what he considered a misstep. At the end of the day it isn’t that Jake Cave got his teammate Max Kepler hit. That’s what happened, but it was the idiocy of Rangers pitcher Shawn Kelley that decided an attempt to injure an opponent was fair response to him failing at his job. The easiest way to avoid having your feelings hurt in defeat is to steer clear of situations where you cause self-embarrassment. Last night the Rangers were an abomination, and then they doubled down on that fact in how they carried out the 9th inning. Hopefully the Twins find no need to keep the beanball war going tonight, but I certainly hope every dinger that leaves the park ends with a bat flip landing mere feet from the mound and the pitcher that offered it up. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz