Ted Schwerzler

Every single time the New York Yankees square off against the Minnesota Twins you hear the statistics. Minnesota has been dominated by the Evil Empire. Ron Gardenhire’s division winning teams consistently found their season cut short by Yankees lineups. Whether at Target Field or the Metrodome, Twins fans have long looked at these series and circled them to highlight impending doom. Now leading the AL Central, I can all but assure you that when the Yankees filter into the opposing dugout this evening the number of Twins players caring about historical relevance will be zero. Two years ago, a Paul Molitor Twins squad popped up out of nowhere to win 85 games. Not much was expected from that group and grabbing the Wild Card spot was a surprise to plenty within the organization. Jumping out to a 3-0 lead after their first at bats the Twins quickly gave back the runs only for the dust to settle with an 8-4 defeat. That starting lineup included just four regular starters from this current squad. The leadoff batter moved to the National League while the number two batter has retired to his couch. It’s in the turnover that this discussion of history really goes to die. Rocco Baldelli currently manages a very good Minnesota Twins squad. They lead the majors in longballs, have pitched above their heads for over half the season, and even with a slight downtick in production, employ the third best offense in the sport. All those things are factually true right now, today. C.J. Cron, Jonathan Schoop, Nelson Cruz, Mitch Garver, and Marwin Gonzalez have never faced the Yankees in a Twins uniform. Each of those players are directly responsible for the great season Minnesota is having and that impact will be felt much more than the numbers Justin Morneau or Michael Cuddyer compiled against New York. If there’s a significance in this series, it’s that the two teams are good and playing against good opponents should provide somewhat of a measuring stick for a club. The Yankees have taken over the title of best record in the American League and having won five of their last six contests. Aaron Boone’s team hasn’t been on the road since the All-Star Break, but they do own a solid 26-17 record away from Yankees Stadium. Minnesota is an even 30-19 both at home and away, but having dropped the series 1-2 in the Bronx, will look to at least end the season total with a split. There’s also a get right opportunity here for the Twins in that the Yankees employ just the 13th ranked starting unit in baseball. New York has scheduled two lefties in the matchup and that plays into the hands of the righty bombers for the Twins. Producing a full run less per game over the past couple of months, favorable pitching matchups should be something this group salivates over. At the end of the day this series is a big one for both clubs. Each of these teams is looking to improve their positioning for the stretch run, and they’ll be looking to notch quality wins against quality competition. Call the Twins and underdog if you’d like, but no one on either side of this matchup is worried about what has taken place in previous years. Minnesota has tracked towards one of the best teams in organization history, and while that’s uncharted waters on its own, so is the writing of their story against the club leading the AL East. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Fresh off a series split against the Oakland Athletics the Minnesota Twins welcome the New York Yankees to Target Field. If there’s a franchise that has had the Twins number over the years it’s been New York, but producing a winner year in and year out generally should lead to that type of dominance. Looking to make it through the end of July gauntlet, Baldelli’s club has another tough test ahead of them.Brief Overview: New York took two of three against Minnesota earlier this season in the Bronx, but the run differential separated the clubs by only two. The Yankees are the only American League team with a run differential better than the Twins (+138) and Aaron Boone’s savages have done the majority of their damage without the help of their biggest names. What They Do Well: As you’d expect with any good team, there’s very little that New York doesn’t do at an above average clip. The have a top 10 offense across baseball, and own a pitching staff that slots in right behind the Twins at 5th overall. Boone’s club has plenty of bombers, and while they are well behind the Minnesota tally in dingers they round out the top five. The Yankees are a patient group and that’s evident in their 4th best walk rate across Major League Baseball. On top of being able to drive the ball deep and score at a high clip, they’ll make pitchers work and settle for free passes. No team in baseball is better getting out of jams than the Yankees. A 76.8% strand rate is indicative of a team that can handle high-pressure situations, and routinely tilts the scales in their favor. Touting the best bullpen in the game by a wide margin, your best bet is to get ahead early and not give up a lead. What They Do Not Do Well: Similar to the New York club that visited from the National League, this Yankees club is not a defensive stalwart. They rank 22nd in baseball from a defensive metric standpoint, and they bring up the rear in shift runs saved. Virtually every team in baseball (save for three this season) is at 0 or better when it comes to shift runs. The idea of shifting is to cut down would be base hits, and in general, the practice serves its purpose. At -6 rTS this season, New York has managed to be completely inept when moving defenders around the diamond. The Yankees employ a strong defensive outfield, headlined by former Twins centerfielder Aaron Hicks. It’s on the dirt that they are essentially terrible all over the place. Luke Voit is well below average at first base, and Gleyber Torres is negative at second. D.J. LeMahieu is a strong player with the glove, but breakout third basemen Gio Urshella rates poorly and Gary Sanchez is consistently among the worst backstops in baseball. If there was ever an opportunity to reverse course against a bad defensive team after the Mets letdown, this is it for the Twins. Individuals Of Note: It’s Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton that typically draw headlines for this squad, but one has missed significant time and the other is still on the Injured List. After leaving Coors Field in free agency a slide was expected for former Rockies second basemen D.J. LeMahieu. Instead he’s having a career year and paces the Yankees in fWAR. Every year it looks like Brett Gardner may be the old man squeezed out of a spot on the roster, and each season he rises to the challenge. He’s putting up great numbers in 2019 and doing so at the age of 35. Gleyber Torres was the second Yankee considered by most in the AL Rookie of the Year voting a season ago, but arguably had the better campaign. He’s back it up by becoming an All Star in year two and looks the part of a cornerstone for years to come. The rotation is where New York is a bit soft but big time trade acquisition James Paxton has been plenty strong. He’s been somewhat outshined by youngster Domingo German, but Boone still has more than a few arms he’s comfortable turning the ball loose with. Recent History: These two clubs played in the beginning of May with New York taking the series. The Yankees won each of their games by three runs while Minnesota took the middle game by a score of 7-3. Recent Trajectories: After sending Oakland out with a split the Twins are just 4-6 over their last ten, and they have lost their last two home series. New York comes in winning seven of their last ten, but dropping their last road series. In 2018 Minnesota took the final series from the Bombers winning two of three at Target Field in September. Ending Thoughts: Right now the largest problem for the Twins has been a consistent offensive output. While starter have gone short and the bullpen is both taxed and undermanned, it’s the bats that carried Minnesota this far. Beating the Yankees isn’t likely going to happen late so Baldelli will need his squad to hop on opposing starters early and often. Byron Buxton could be back, and his presence would be a welcomed one both in the lineup and the outfield. Click here to view the article

Right now, the Minnesota Twins are in their most trying stretch of the 2019 Major League Baseball season. After rushing out to a massive AL Central Division lead, and hitting dingers at a breakneck pace, and warming the hearts of Twins Territory things have begun to hit the skids. During this slide there’s been a lot made about what and where the problems lie. Some of the explanations are logical and fact based, others are more of a shot in the dark. Let’s look and try to find something substantial to latch onto.First and foremost, Miguel Sano and Jonathan Schoop have been a lightning rod for criticism of late. Sano turned in an 0-7 performance against the Boston Red Sox on June 27. Minnesota suggested they were working through some tweaks to his approach at the plate, and Parker Hagemen highlighted deficiencies in how he was being attacked. Since that game Sano has 51 plate appearances posting a 1.123 OPS with a 16/6 K/BB. He’s cooled a bit (.879 OPS) since July 1, but that mark is 4th on the team in that timeframe and he’s handling pitches in the same spots he wasn’t before. Playing league average defense analytically as well, Sano is going great for now. Schoop came into the month of June with an .819 OPS and took quite the dive over 21 games last month. Posting just a .622 OPS and three dingers, his overall OPS tally dropped to .758. Through just eight games in July he owns a .934 OPS and has already homered twice. He trails only Mitch Garver from a production standpoint since the calendar flipped, and his 5 DRS at 2B trails only the Cardinals Kolten Wong this year. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster, but Schoop is keeping Minnesota above water now. Michael Pineda and Martin Perez have been chided each time they take the mound and are the arms most often thought of needing replacing in the rotation. That may not be wrong in Perez’s case given his ability to shine in the pen and the slide he’s been on. Pineda is closer to overtaking a top spot in the rotation than he is sliding out of it, however. After being put on the IL at the end of May to skip a start, he’s pitched in seven games. Across 39.2 IP he owns a 2.95 ERA, is giving up a .641 OPS, and has a 37/13 K/BB. Jose Berrios would welcome numbers like that for a stretch. As unfortunate as hanging curveballs have been out of the bullpen recently the bigger story is the flip in offensive production. During a series in which Minnesota and Cleveland set up their best starters to go at it, the Twins bullpen stole the show. Picking up teammates after short outings, the relievers routinely blanked Indians hitters to take a series victory. Since July began Nelson Cruz, Jorge Polanco, C.J. Cron, and Max Kepler rank 6th-9th in Twins OPS production. Only Cruz (.708) is above a .700 OPS. Having hitters at the top of the lineup perform that poorly is not something Rocco Baldelli can afford to become the norm. Over the course of the entire 94 game stretch the Twins own the second-best defensive metrics in baseball. They trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by quite a bit, but Minnesota’s performance is strong, nonetheless. Playing .500 baseball for the past few weeks, defense has been a talking point. There’s been lackluster efforts and questionable plays not being made. Since the All-Star Break this has become even more apparent and was no more evident than Eddie Rosario dropping a routine fly ball on Wednesday afternoon against the Mets. As both pitching and hitting come and go, defense needs to be something the group continues to pride itself on. While all the above areas of focus are individual or group centered, the reality is that a 162-game season allows a team to speak for itself. Minnesota isn’t the 110-win team they raced out to, but they are also not the mid-80’s win team they’re currently playing as. Getting everyone back on the same page in the lineup, re-engaging from a defensive standpoint, and filtering the outside noise out of the clubhouse is a trio of avenues to put the train back on the tracks. Each day we can view the club’s exploits through the lens of a 9-inning performance but come time to declare Postseason participants the only thing that matters is a 162-game sample. Click here to view the article

Last September a robust 26-year-old rookie played in 29 games for the Minnesota Twins and posted an .887 OPS. He did so while looking the part of a turtle and embracing the fact that chubby people can run. The legend of Willians Astudillo was born. Heading into 2019 this blogger preached caution and suggested that the sample size and underlying numbers provided reasons for pause. This isn’t about being right, but instead acknowledging that the Twins have the player fans have always wanted anyway.Sample size was part of the reason that I found myself out on Astudillo. We were talking about 29 games, but more importantly they all took place against September rosters. Just shy of 40 games this season the fan-favorite has posted a .665 OPS with a total of 10 extra-base hits. We’ve had a theme night, and plenty of fanfare directed towards Astudillo, but it’s been the emergence of Luis Arraez that has provided the profile of what Willians would hope to be. Problematic for Astudillo in his batted-ball profile was that the ability to make contact looked the part of a downfall. Instead of adjusting to big league pitching he simply ate whatever was presented to him directly from the palm of their hand. This season Astudillo has chased 45.8% of the time, up 3% from 2018, but his contact rate remains identical at 91.7%. He’s not whiffing much more (5.2%) and he still owns a miniscule 3.5% strikeout rate. All those inputs are the same, but it’s the output that has changed. Download attachment: Webp.net-gifmaker.gif Willians has the same batted-ball profile from 2018 and has stayed true to the process that had him develop a track record in the minors. What’s different is that pitchers have changed their approach and he hasn’t adapted. Instead of getting pitches middle in he’s being fed a significant number of pitches low and away. Continuing to be aggressive, he owns an .842 OPS on the first pitch, but sits at just .715 after 1-0 or a worse .522 after 0-1. Not taking walks or striking out is great, but only if you’re doing something with the baseball. Enter Luis Arraez. The Venezuelan infielder doesn’t have the same extreme strikeout or walk numbers that Astudillo did in the minors, but the ratio is equally impressive. Across 367 minor league games Arraez has struck out 129 times with 122 walks. Certainly, that’s a guy who could be described as having a similar ability to command the zone. The difference for Arraez is that there’s a plan in which he decides to attack. At each level on the farm Arraez has hit. The career slash line sits at .331/.385/.799. There isn’t much power in the bat, and that’s noted with just six long balls to his credit. The approach is one of understanding as opposed to what may be considered as ambushing. Minnesota employs one of the best offenses in baseball this season, and 22 different players have stepped in for a plate appearance. At 4.01 pitches per plate appearance Arraez ranks fourth among regulars. On the flip side, Astudillo’s 2.84 qualifies for last on the club. In 109 plate appearances Arraez has forced three-ball counts 27 times, owns a 1.881 OPS in those spots, and has drawn 12 walks. Astudillo has 142 plate appearances this season, seeing just 7 thr-e ball counts, owning a .286 OPS, and walking just twice. Here again patience and approach are a common theme. It’s not as though their batted ball results are substantially different. Arraez hits the ball a bit harder with a slightly less amount of loft. The make contact at nearly the same rate, but Luis chases almost half as often. Both whiff less than 5% of the time and striking out either player is among the toughest things to do in the big leagues. It’s the decision-making process that allows for one to find success while the other has stumbled. By definition a contact hitter is at the plate to put the bat on the ball. Luis Arraez takes that to a place where productivity is also the name of the game by choosing to put his bat on the right ball. Rather than swinging at the first good pitch, Arraez works a count, is comfortable getting deep into an at-bat, and seeks the optimal offering to make an impact. It can be said that Luis is also just 30 games into his career, and the small sample may catch up to him. Viewing the numbers through the process he employs, and noting the rosters are not inclusive of September promotions, the assumption that staying power is more realistic seems fair. There’s never not been a point which Willians Astudillo isn’t fun. He’s the pudgy everyman playing a game that many live vicariously through. From an approach, talent, and sustainability standpoint however, it’s Luis Arraez who embodies the player so many Minnesotans were lulled into believing emerged last fall. We can’t be naïve enough to think that this will consistently translate to a .385 average for Arraez, but a high-average, tough out is something we can come to expect, and Edwin Diaz got a taste of that for himself last night. Click here to view the article

There were plenty of exciting performances on the farm today in the Twins organization. Jaylin Davis has been a man on a mission since reaching Triple-A and his torrid pace didn’t end tonight. Willie Joe Garry Jr. was perfect at the dish for Elizabehton, and more than a couple of starters put up good efforts to lift their clubs. Read more about it below.TRANSACTIONS Rochester Red Wings ADD OF Alejandro De Aza signed by Minnesota RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Norfolk 4 Box Score Lewis Thorpe was the scheduled starter for Rochester and he posted a pretty pedestrian stat line in this one. Going five innings, he gave up just a single earned run on four hits. Issuing four free passes and tallying three strikeouts highlights the kind of command night it was for the Aussie. All Jaylin Davis has done since getting to Triple-A is mash the baseball. He started tonight’s scoring with his 12th homer, going yard for the fourth straight game. Now 29 games in to his Rochester career he’s got a .340 average with a 1.162 OPS. Recently inked Alejandro De Aza singled in two runs during the fifth, Davis plated another, and Wynston Sawyer recorded his 16th double to drive in a fourth. The Tides pushed runs across in the fifth, sixth, and ninth innings but ultimately came up just short. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Scheduled Day Off MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Tampa 0 Box Score After being doubled up on in the runs column yesterday the Miracle returned the favor this afternoon. Jhoan Duran took the ball and didn’t give it up for six innings. He was great allowing just five hits and walking two while striking out four. Fort Myers scored the game’s first run with Royce Lewis crossing the plate on a Ryan Costello fourth inning fielder’s choice. In the eighth inning Jacob Pearson nabbed his first Triple-A triple for the Miracle and then scored on a Michael Helman sacrifice bunt. Although the Tarpons collected six hits, as opposed to just three for Fort Myers, it was the home team walking away with the victory. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Lake County 4, Box Score The Kernels sent Tyler Palm to the hill tonight and he rewarded them with six innings of exceptional work. Allowing just a lone unearned run on four hits, he gave up a single free pass and recorded six punchouts. Cedar Rapids opened the scoring in the first inning on a wild pitch ball four to Jared Akins. In the second they doubled their tally as Spencer Steer picked up an RBI on a fielder’s choice. With their lead halved going into the seventh, Akins stepped in to make a difference again. His 10th homer of the year was a three-run blast and put the Kernels up by a grand slam. Things got a bit hairy in the ninth as Lake County had the bases loaded with two outs, but ultimately just three runners came across the dish and the lead held. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 13, Greeneville 1 Box Score Ben Gross took the mound for the E-Twins tonight and he was spotted plenty of breathing room as Elizabethton broke out for 13 runs on 14 hits. Going five innings allowing just an unearned run, Gross fanned three and walked one. Willie Joe Garry Jr. put the visitors on the board in the second inning with his first triple of the season. Plating both Matt Wallner and Charles Mack we were off to the races. Five more runs scored in the fourth inning on four base hits. Seth Gray picked up his fifth double of the season driving in two fifth-inning runs and the Reds trailed 9-0 before they knew what hit them. Answering back with a lone run in the bottom half of that inning, Elizabethton pulled further away late. A four-run seventh was capped off by a throwing error that allowed Anthony Prato to trot home for the game’s final run. Eight of the nine starting batters picked up hits for Elizabethton and three guys recorded three-hit nights. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Braves 5, GCL Twins 2 Box Score Niklas Rimmel was on the bump and continued his strong 2019 season with six innings of three run ball (two earned). He picked up six strikeouts and didn’t issue a free pass. After the outing his ERA sits at 2.61. The Braves plated three runs in the second frame to jump out ahead. Adding a fourth in the seventh it wasn’t until the bottom half of the stretch inning that the Twins answered. Both runners, Kyle Schmidt and Jesus Feliz scored on a single wild pitch. Tallying just four hits in the contest, the GCL Twins weren’t able to get anything strung together. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Palm (Cedar Rapids) 6.0 IP, 4 H 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Jaylin Davis (Rochester) 2-5, HR(12), R, 2 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) –0-1, R, 2 BB, K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – No game #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) – No game #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, BB, 3 K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL) – Did not play #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – Injured list #9 - Jhoan Duran (Fort Myers) – 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER 2 BB, 4 K #10 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 0-for-5, 2 K #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Fort Myers) – Did not play #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) – 1-4 #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) – 1-4, R, RBI, BB, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – No game #17 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – No game #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL) – 1-4 #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – Injured list THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Norfolk (11:05AM CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (5-5, 6.28 ERA) Pensacola @ Mississippi (6:35PM CST) – RHP Randy Dobnak (4-1, 2.76 ERA) Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (5-2, 2.76 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Lake County (10:00AM CST) - RHP Luis Rijo (2-6, 2.37 ERA) Elizabethton @ Greeneville (5:30PM CST) - TBD GCL Twins- Scheduled day off Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! 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It’s the middle of July and the Minnesota Twins own a healthy six game lead atop the AL Central Division. Rocco Baldelli’s club is fresh off a series victory over the Cleveland Indians and the big-league team looks to be trending toward a clean bill of health. As the active roster gets back to optimal strength there’s no shuffling of deck chairs to be had for this squad.You can probably assume that any team as good as the Twins have been is doing little in the form of bringing in warm bodies. Years past have seen the Twins forced to make roster moves defined by monotony, and promotions have come far more often from necessity than born of merit. Gearing up for the stretch run it seems Derek Falvey has this squad in a place to flip the script. C.J. Cron and Eddie Rosario have both missed time prior to the All-Star break. As they return to the big-league lineup only Luis Arraez falls into the category of minor league position player. That’s not indicative of talent at all, but reflective of his option status and the ability to be sent down without recourse. It’s in scenarios like that however, that Twins players have positioned management to having to make difficult decisions. Arraez currently owns a nine-game hitting streak, has posted a .955 OPS through 108 plate appearances, and has developed a newfound level of versatility. He’s playing better than starting second basemen Jonathan Schoop, and the door left open by a starter owning just a .763 OPS (.667 with RISP) is going to make a manager think twice. Similarly, the bullpen was a group that came into the season with serious question marks. To date they’ve been the fifth best unit in baseball and have stepped up by getting contributing performances from names like Morin, Harper, Duffey and Littell. Here, decisions loom large. Because of the results posted by contributing members there’s going to be some tough conversations. The first shoe to drop was a Mike Morin DFA this afternoon. Despite good surface numbers the secondary stuff had him toward the bottom of the pecking order and a decision was made. The reality for the Twins is that these difficult decisions come from a place where the organization certainly wants to be. You rarely see a full 25-man roster experience a clean bill of health at the same time. For Minnesota that point could be coming soon and having a level of uncertainty regarding who loses his spot is quite the impressive reality. On top of health there’s almost no denying that this club is going to make some big-league acquisitions. Whether in the rotation, bullpen or both, there’s going to be at least one arm brought in. Adding to the strong performances already at the disposal of Baldelli and Wes Johnson, the group will be bolstered by a high-level reinforcement. This too will take away the job of a player currently performing above average for a club trending towards 100 victories. What the Twins will need to convey as this roster transformation takes place is a positive message. No player is going to be in favor of losing his spot but understanding the greater goal and realizing that a new contribution could simply be around the corner is a must. Recent seasons have shown us Minnesota going to the next-man-up option because the initial choice flopped. This time around next-man- up is going to be a player who’s already shown his chops and be expected to come in competitively from the outset. Good teams are often built from a place of depth. No organization wins a World Series or makes a postseason run relying on just the 25 players starting on the Opening Day roster. The Minnesota Twins are a good team and the front office has developed the depth to make such a run a distinct possibility. Click here to view the article

I think I got caught looking for the last Target Field matchup or something and glanced over that. Thanks for catching it!

Each year Topps goes outside of the baseball realm with the Allen & Ginter product line. Yes, it’s still a baseball card set, but the product explores avenues off the diamond as well. Ranging from standard base cards to mini tobacco type offerings, there’s a little something for everyone here. Allen & Ginter has long had a unique following and give the consistent non-baseball inclusions that shouldn’t change any time soon. From a collecting standpoint baseball cards are generally about the big-name stars. In Ginter it’s always interesting to see what random offering pops up as a chase card. A year ago, there was a cryptocurrency depiction that saw base cards jump well over the expected value point, and the market explosion didn’t take place until months after the product release. Movie stars, presidents, and plenty of other big names will be found in this product as well. What’s great for Twins fans is that Minnesota is well represented this season. Let’s look at everything there is to go after. Base The Twins lands eight subjects on the base checklist. Continuing to emerge as a popular figure in the hobby this year Torii Hunter has a card here. Willians Astudillo lands another rookie card, and teammates Jose Berrios, Eddie Rosario, and Byron Buxton join him. The trio of retired stars include Rod Carew, Tony Oliva, and Harmon Killebrew. You can also find parallel versions of some base subjects among the mini, cloth, metal, and newly introduced stained glass checklists. Inserts Traditional inserts aren’t the highlight of Ginter as much as the obscure non-baseball offerings are. That said Carew is noted as both a “Baseball Star” and “Ginter Great.” Killebrew lumps in to the Ginter Greats checklist as well. Those three are the only traditional insert cards Minnesota places in the product. Hits Minis are the name of the game in Ginter. Whether it be relics, framed cards, or autographs the tobacco craze is high and mighty in this product. Eddie Rosario is the Twins lone signing among the framed mini checklist. Lending their signature to 20 total book cards, Berrios and Hunter are present. Berrios is the only relic subject, while the elusive Rip Cards feature the likeness of Carew and Killebrew (with a more limited dual offering as well). For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

The Minnesota Twins return home for their first series of the second half at Target Field. This one is a quick two-gamer welcoming the National League New York squad. Mickey Callaway’s Mets were supposed to be piloting a significantly different season, but as they limp in to Minnesota their season hangs in the balance.Brief Overview: Agent-turned-general manager Brodie Van Wagenen pulled off a blockbuster trade this offseason acquiring Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano from the Seattle Mariners. The expectation is that New York would challenge the Phillies, Braves, and Nationals in a competitive NL East. Unfortunately, they’ve fallen short of expectations and the trade now looks even worse than it did immediately. It’s near certain the Mets will be sellers at the trade deadline, and Minnesota putting them more than 10 games below .500 would seem to cement that notion. The Twins will avoid both Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom in this set, and their four-five tandem of Pineda and Perez have held things down just fine on their own. What They Do Well: In short, the Mets are the embodiment of mediocrity. 15th in both hitting and pitching across baseball, they find themselves smack dab in the middle. Looking for a silver lining we can separate the hurlers into starters and relievers. Callaway’s crew led by deGrom and Syndergaard have the fifth best rotation in baseball (one spot behind Minnesota). The group has compiled a 4.46 ERA with a 9.2 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. Obviously the two arms at the top are plenty impressive on their own, but the step forward from Zack Wheeler and the surprise performance of Jason Vargas has been helpful. Leading into what hasn’t gone right, it’s notable that the New York staff has both a FIP and xFIP below the surface numbers. What They Do Not Do Well: There are two key areas that New York is far less than Amazin’. First and foremost, the relief corps has been the worst in baseball. They give up a handful of walks, own a 5.55 ERA, and have been a revolving door of futility. Like the Twins of a few years ago, warm bodies have been cycled through at a rampant pace. 21 different arms have come out of the pen for Callaway. The most glaring issue for New York has unquestionably been their defense. Ranking dead last in baseball this group has posted a -64 DRS mark. Certainly that’s bad on its own, but they have taken futility to new heights. Joined only by the Orioles and Mariners at -60 DRS or below, the 27th ranked Rangers are at -35 DRS. Chief among the problems has been Amed Rosario at shortstop (-14), Wilson Ramos behind the dish (-8), and Robinson Cano at second base (-6). Individuals Of Note: Given the pitching matchups for the two-game series, the notable offensive player here is a rookie first basemen. Pete Alonso is a 24-year-old former second-round pick from the University of Florida. In 92 games this season he’s posted a .987 OPS with 30 longballs. Right now, he’s tracking towards breaking Yankees Aaron Judge rookie record for homers, and he’d do so with a Home Run Derby title under his belt as well. Alonso has played an above-average first base and owns a 3.5 fWAR on the season. His .403 wOBA, 156 wRC+, and .343 ISO are all elite numbers. Although the 44.4% hard hit rate doesn’t jump off the page there’s no sacrifice coming from a soft hit rate sitting at just 14.6%. Understanding the power of elevation, Alonso owns a ridiculous 30.9% HR/FB which is third in baseball behind just Christian Yelich and Franmil Reyes. Recent History: These two clubs played earlier this year at Citi Field splitting the two game set. Minnesota last hosted New York in 2013 but couldn’t take any of those games. They’ve never won a game against them at Target Field. Ending Thoughts: Rocco Baldelli’s club is coming off quite an emotional series against the Cleveland Indians. The Twins need to show up for this one mentally and not take a lackluster opponent lightly. Facing some stout opponents at home over the next week, the Mets provide the best opportunity for a sweep. If Minnesota can handle business here, they’ll set themselves up well for tilts against Oakland and the Yankees. Click here to view the article

I thought, while in the middle of putting this together, that I may have went a bit over the top. I think the return for Bumgarner and Smith will be less than what many want to expect based on their name recognition. I'm very much pro Stroman, but if the return is modest for MadBum, by all means go that direction.

The Minnesota Twins are one of the most well positioned franchises in baseball to acquire serious assets this month. Needing help on the mound, the optimal plan would be in acquiring two relievers and a starter. Without knowing how it will shake out, we do know that Derek Falvey's club has been connected to the San Francisco Giants and Madison Bumgarner. Should a deal be struck, what may that look like? Given the Giants current standing, and free agency looming for the pair, both Bumgarner and Will Smith have been the focus of numerous trade discussions. Any selling organization would almost certainly prefer packages for players that part out one asset at a time. While Minnesota could use both Smith and Bumgarner we can separate the two of them for the sake of this exercise. In his latest piece for The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal noted that Giants GM Farhan Zaidi prefers to get prospects closer to the majors. Not wanting lottery tickets and looking for an expedited rebuild, that's certainly an understandable plan. Prior to making any move, Minnesota must be convinced of what they'd be acquiring. Bumgarner's name is one inviting all of the stories. He's a former World Series hero and has been included in the ace discussion over the course of his career. Right now he's a pitcher with a 3.86 ERA backed by FIP and xFIP numbers that suggest the mark is true. His velocity is in a similar place to what it's always been and despite major injuries in recent years, consistency has been relatively reliable. There's no reason to think that any big league organization is trading for a player solely based on name recognition or pedigree. Falvey won't be lulled into the belief that this is the same guy who picked up a World Series MVP nod in 2014. If the scouting process reveals the soon-to-be 30-year-old has enough ability to bolster the rotation then a merit based acquisition would make plenty of sense. Now we get to the cost of a deal. This is a rental Minnesota would be taking on in hopes of a deeper Postseason performance yet this season. He's not going to slot in ahead of staff ace Jose Berrios and any belief that Bumgarner would cost the Twins one of their top three prospects seems absurd. Excluding Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, and Brusdar Graterol from this deal gives us a clearer layout of what assets to look for. Factoring in the Giants desire for players at the upper levels of the organization we can target players currently sitting at Double or Triple-A in the Minnesota system. Having such a deep and strong farm system the Twins can part out pieces and still be well set up for the future. Minnesota Twins acquire SP Madison Bumgarner. San Francisco Giants acquire OF Brent Rooker, INF Nick Gordon, and RHP Sean Poppen. With this return the Giants are getting a bit of everything. Rooker has a legit bat and would be in the big leagues for a significant amount of organizations right now. He plays on the corners, and there's questions about whether a move to first could happen with his current footwork. Swing and miss tendencies have slowed over the season with Triple-A Rochester and the power should play fine in any park. The Giants would be smart to ask for Trevor Larnach here, but he's further off and Minnesota should want to protect the upside there if they can. Former first round pick Nick Gordon has regained some of his promise. No longer a top 100 name, he is posting a .788 OPS during his second trip through the International League. Gordon isn't likely ever going to hit for power, but he's got a .291 average across 55 games at Rochester this season and is doing that with a serviceable .335 OBP. Speed is one of his best assets, and while he's not brother Dee, Nick can turn it on around the bases. You'd like to see a more even K/BB ratio, and he's more 2B than SS at this point, but there's a 23-year-old regular here. Poppen fits the mold of a solid trade candidate. He's 25 and at Triple-A for Minnesota, but there's more than a few arms slotted ahead of him for long term consideration. He had a mediocre start to the year at Double-A but has turned it on big time with Rochester. Posting a 10.1 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 49 innings at Triple-A this season, his 2.39 ERA is a career best. Sitting mid-90's with his fastball, this is a guy that can bolster the back end of a rotation and gets another boost pitching on the junior circuit. Obviously the names and talent included in this deal shifts if Will Smith is indeed paired with Bumgarner, but this seems like a decent framework to begin the process with. Over the coming weeks we'll find out what comes to fruition, but the certainty of a move for Minnesota seems imminent. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

The ESPN piece Buster tweeted out this morning is goofy. I’ll eat crow if it’s right, but a #3 rental is not costing the Twins anywhere near their top 3 or they should be interested. Stroman probably gets into that group. This whole notion that a Madison Bumgarner is the prize because of his name remains beyond laughable.

While the Major League All Star Game and Home Run Derby get all the publicity, it’s the Futures Game that showcases the elite talent intended to one day supplement big league organizations. The Minnesota Twins sent pitcher Jordan Balazovic as well as their best prospect Royce Lewis. This isn’t the first rodeo in an All-Star event for Royce, and it won’t be the last, but thus far it’s been the biggest.The Miracle shortstop has played in three games since returning from Cleveland and has been absolutely on fire. Going 5-12 with a pair of dingers he’s started a hot streak that will hopefully pick up a slow first half. Before he gets too deep into the stretch run for Fort Myers, I caught up with him to talk about the experience at Progressive Field. Twins Daily: The Futures Game provides a grander stage than what you may have experienced in previous All-Star Games. How was that similar or different? Royce Lewis: It was amazing playing with the best players in the game and starting new relationships with new players I respect. The All-Star treatment on a bigger stage is different than what we do daily in the minor leagues. TD: What was the All-Star experience like in the leadup to the game itself? I know you spent some time in Cleveland and explored FanFest a bit. What was that like? RL: The experience was amazing; it was great to explore Cleveland and all the cool things the city has to offer. I enjoy learning about and exploring new areas, so this was an incredible opportunity for me as I had never been to Cleveland prior to this trip. TD: You've played with and against a good number of players that shared the field on Sunday. What can you say about the talent the game showcased? Was there any one teammate or opponent that stood out to you? RL: All players and people involved stood out to me considering the level of individuals I was around. I feel everyone stepped up their game and made improvements. It was an honor to play with such amazing individuals and to represent the Twins organization. TD: Going to the event with your teammate at Fort Myers, Jordan Balazovic, had to provide a nice level of comfort. What can you tell us about him as a competitor and pitcher on the mound? RL: Jordan is an amazing pitcher with a full arsenal of pitches. He has learned a ton about how to attack hitters, which he did with all his great stuff, to dominate like he does on a regular basis for the Miracle. The only disappointment was that I did not make the play at short for him when the opportunity presented itself!!! TD: You got a hit in your very first at bat, any nerves going into that? We got the opportunity to listen to some of your thoughts while being mic'd up. Are you typically that light and loose while between the lines? RL: I was not nervous and approached it like any other game I play. My approach was to drive the ball hard somewhere to get on base and give my team the opportunity to get on the board. Being mic'd up was great, as it showed my personality and how I play the game which is loose and having fun. That is who I am and always hope to be. TD: Progressive Field is a stadium Twins fans would obviously like to see you dominate for some time over the course of your career. Was this the first time you played there? Any thoughts on the stadium? RL: This was the first time playing a Progressive Field and it was incredible. I would love to one day play there 20 times per year. It was nice to learn about the stadium so in the future I would be ready and more comfortable being I've been there before. TD: It was neat to see you managed by Hall of Famer and former Twins slugger Jim Thome. What can you tell us about him? Any specific lessons you took away? RL: Jim was probably one of the most HUMBLE guys I've ever met. He said he had heard about me and was happy to finally meet me in person. He stated I am playing for one of the best organizations, and at a time that they are doing so well. I feel blessed and proud to be a Twin, just as he expressed he was. He is an all-around great guy I was fortunate to play for and be around on that special day. TD: Finally, what was the one memory you'll hang onto from this event and experience? RL: The experience was the best. Meeting so many incredible players, and people, as well as the excitement from the fans playing on a stage that big was great. It was exciting to see what the future could bring! Click here to view the article

At this point the Minnesota Twins are undoubtedly amping up their efforts to acquire big league assets for the stretch run and Postseason. I've been on record multiple times suggesting I'd like to see at least to moves made, and a starter coming more as a luxury. Unless the starting pitcher is under team control, go big on expiring relief help and call it a day. The most realistic name I'm intrigued by in that vein is Marcus Stroman. So, how does Derek Falvey pry him away from the Toronto Blue Jays? Although the idea of acquiring Stroman is significantly more enticing than grabbing a rental like Madison Bumgarner, the cost will also represent a more substantial amount. I'd hope that Minnesota could go into talks with the idea that Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, and Brusdar Graterol are all off limits. Understanding that may not be completely realistic we'll progress with two different possibilities. Option A: Minnesota Twins acquire SP Marcus Stroman and RP Ken Giles. Toronto Blue Jays acquire OF Brent Rooker, SS Wander Javier, RHP Jorge Alcala, and OF Akil Baddoo Something like this is where Minnesota should want to be. I'm not certain that this will be enough for Toronto to pull the trigger, but there's two legitimate top 10 prospects from a very good system included here. Trevor Larnach could be swapped out for Rooker depending on preference, and any number of similar prospects could be had in the place of Baddoo. Hanging on to the top trio will cost more bodies, and there would likely be a larger premium placed on the secondary additions in this case. Option B: Minnesota Twins acquire SP Marcus Stroman and RP Ken Giles. Toronto Blue Jays acquire RHP Brusdar Graterol, INF Travis Blankenhorn, and RHP Edwar Colina. If Minnesota is willing to part with any bit of that top trio then it should be the only player in their top 10 necessary of inclusion. Graterol could draw skepticism from opposing teams as he's currently dealing with a shoulder injury, and there still remains a possibility he winds up in the bullpen. I'd hesitate a significant amount if the ask is to swap him out for Kirilloff, but that could be the cost of doing business. Reality is that the Twins haven't had a perfect storm like this in quite some time. This club needs a big boost down for the stretch run, and they are well positioned to make serious Postseason noise. On top of that, they have legitimate openings going into next season and a controllable starter like Stroman isn't just a short term play. Signing big ticket free agents hasn't always been the optimal path to roster construction, and it's one the Twins have avoided as recent as this season. There will be a 40 man roster crunch coming, and a 25 man shakedown beyond that. Hording prospects is a good thing, but realizing some are best utilized as moveable assets, and which ones specifically, is part of what makes a good front office. Things are about to get very interesting in Twins Territory over the next few weeks. Whether on the field or in the back office, you won't want to look away. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

I focused up the middle here, but it is important to note that Miguel Sano has done his part as well. He's posted a 1 DRS which ranks tied 14th across 34 third basemen with at least 300 innings this year. It's his first time being positive over this many innings in his career. Marwin Gonzalez has provided the Twins some great versatility, but over the course of his career the metrics suggest he's above average only in the OF. Sano holding down third for now is certainly a boost.

We’re halfway through the 2019 Major League Baseball season and the Minnesota Twins have been one of the best teams in baseball. En route to leading the AL Central division we’ve talked plenty about offensive performers and pitching prowess, but the defensive talent has fallen by the wayside. For a team centered heavily around analytics, it’s been that side of the ball that has seen a massive boost as well.Across all of baseball the Twins own the fourth best defensive fWAR and trail only the Kansas City Royals in the American League. Rocco Baldelli’s club shifts among the most often across the sport and they’re 7th in shift runs saved. Defensive runs saved puts the Twins 4th and has them behind only the Houston Astros in the American League. In terms of UZR, which stands for Ultimate Zone Rating and assigns a run value to defense, Minnesota checks in 2nd behind only the Royals. At +19.7 UZR the team as a whole is playing what quantifies as Gold Glove Caliber defense. Last season Minnesota posted the 15th best defensive totals in terms of fWAR across baseball. Given the meteoric rise in positioning it’s not a significant surprise to see the team playing much better baseball. Pairing the defensive improvements with a potent lineup and capable pitching is a trio of ideal events. What’s worth wondering is where this is all coming from. In my estimation it’s three key areas. You’ll often hear that baseball’s most important positions are up the middle. Catcher, middle infield, and shortstop are some of the most athletic players on the diamond and their impact can be felt far greater than those on the corners. A season ago Minnesota employed a net negative in that line and it’s fairly obvious that the improvement there is where we should start. A season ago Mitch Garver got his first taste as a regular in the big leagues. He has always been a bat first catcher and during his big league debut he looked like a bat only backstop. Posting a -16 DRS while being a visible hinderance behind the dish an offseason improvement was necessary. Working with Tanner Swanson and putting in significant time on his own, the improvement is of massive proportions. Download attachment: Capture.PNG Statcast recently began tracking catcher framing metrics and Garver’s growth has been incredible. He’s generating over 5% more strikes this season and has developed an ability to grab low strikes. A 20% increase in strike rate at the bottom of the zone is reflective of a new receiving technique as well as improved strength. He’s always been strong on the edges, but it’s the bottom of the zone where good pitches went to die. Now through roughly half the sample of 2018, Garver has been worth 2 DRS this season. On top of being one of the best hitters at the position, he’s made a case to be included in the conversation as one of the best backstops in the game. Moving into the infield we stop at shortstop with Jorge Polanco. Another guy who got to the big leagues through his bat, and profiles better at second base, has made a substantial turnaround. Since 2016 Polanco has been worth -8, -1, and -1 DRS on a yearly basis. Now having played in as many innings as a season ago, he’s been worth +7 DRS at SS in 2019. Although his range is still somewhat limited he’s improved the total output moving his UZR from -3.9 last year to just -0.8 this season. Working with third base coach Tony Diaz, Polanco has adopted a new arm slot improving his throwing mechanics and increasing the level of comfort. Arm strength has always been a question for him at short, but as he’s worked in a new feel across the diamond the uptick in ability has been beyond noticeable. Cody Recently dove more into Polanco specifically, and I urge you to give it a read here. I don’t expect Jorge Polanco to win a Gold Glove any time soon, if ever for that matter, but his 7 DRS mark is the best across American Leaguers at the position and his bat certainly plays. If Brian Dozier can do it, I suppose anyone can. Finally the middle of the outfield. Last season the Twins got less than 30 games from Byron Buxton. When healthy there’s arguably no better outfield defender across the sport. His speed allows him to track down fly balls no one else has a shot at, and the arm strength can nab a runner anywhere on the diamond. Taking him away as often as he was last year put extra strain on everyone else in the position group. Coincidentally, it may have elevated the ability of traditional right fielder Max Kepler Kepler has always been a positive defender and put up some great numbers in right. Last season was his best defensively posting 10 DRS split between center and right. Those numbers were accumulated across 1,200+ innings and in 2019 Kepler has already tallied 10 DRS in just 689 innings. Stepping in for Buxton occasionally he’s been great in center while still playing a very strong right. Download attachment: Untitled.png The Outs Above Average leaderboard has always touted Byron near the top, and this season is no different. Moving down a bit from him though, Kepler finds himself tied for 7th with five outs above average this season. He’s got an actual catch percentage of 90% and while the speed isn’t where Buxton’s is, Kepler uses some of the best route running in baseball to track down balls otherwise out of his grasp. Target Field’s deep alleys provide optimal opportunity for direct routes offering a significant benefit. Given the relative health of Buxton this season, Minnesota employs two Gold Glove caliber outfielders and has two of the three highest DRS tallies among American League outfielders. With Buxton shelved and rotational players picking up the slack a season ago, it’s no surprise that this change is incredibly beneficial with the sport going flyball heavy. It’s a great thing that the Twins are pitching and hitting well this season. Any time those areas are of significant benefit they’ll get plenty of publicity. Defense isn’t sexy, but it’s every bit as important and integral in the strong start Minnesota has ran out to. This isn’t an accident, and the Twins have put in a tremendous amount of work to get the most out of their players. Marrying analytical information and advancements with the buy in and ability of the players on the field has resulted in one of the most complete teams Twins Territory may have ever seen. Offense and pitching can slump, but defensive ability never should. Click here to view the article

The longball was on display in wins for the Twins affiliates today while Edwar Colina turned in another impressive performance on the bump down in Fort Myers. With a few teams having the day off action could've been sparse, but that certainly wasn't the case thanks to some stand out performances.RED WINGS REPORT All-Star Break BLUE WAHOOS BITES Schedule Day Off MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Daytona 6 (12 innings) Box Score Edwar Colina started this marathon for the Miracle and was nothing short of lights out. He picked up eight punchies en route to seven shutout innings. Giving up only three hits and walking none, it was a low-stress outing for most of the day. Royce Lewis has looked great in his brief return from the Futures Game and that was no different today. He got this one started stealing second, his 14th of the year, and an errant throw allowed him to come around and score. In the fifth Lewis blasted his eighth dinger on the season, and second in as many days. Trey Cabbage doubled in the eighth to put Fort Myers ahead 5-1. In the top of the ninth the wheels began to fall off. Daytona pushed across four runs of their own to force extras. Each team scored a run in the 10th inning, and it wasn’t until the bottom of the 12th inning that Cabbage plated the winning run. A groundout turned into an error and Gabriel Maciel raced across the plate to secure the victory. KERNELS NUGGETS Great Lakes 6, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Tyler Palm took the ball for the Kernels in this one and he left with the home team in a good spot. Twirling six innings of three-run ball (two earned), he struck out six allowing only three free passes. Cedar Rapids jumped out to an early lead on a first inning triple from Gilberto Celestino. Trevor Casanova doubled the tally crushing his second dinger of the season. Unfortunately that's where the runs stopped for the Kernels. The Loons added runs in three separate frames to wipe away the deficit and take this one. Having ridden an eight-game winning streak, Cedar Rapids will look to get back in the win column tomorrow night when these two do battle again. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 8, Burlington 5 Box Score Tyler Benninghoff was the tasked starter for the E-Twins tonight and he was searching for his first win of the season. Throwing five innings of two-run baseball, he accomplished that thanks to a nice offensive output from the hometown lineup. After getting behind 1-0 in the top of the first Elizabethton evened the score and then some in the bottom half. Albee Weiss cracked a grand slam and then Max Smith drove in Seth Gray to put five on the board. Weiss homered again in the bottom of the second, his sixth of the season, and the E-Twins had a nice five-run cushion. Yeremi De La Cruz doubled in Will Holland in the third, and Smith put up another RBI in the fifth. Birmingham made this one interesting however. Trailing 8-2 after Smith's second RBI of the game, the Royals added runs in the sixth and seventh innings to draw within three. That was where the rally would end as Dylan Thomas slammed the door for a six out save. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Orioles 4, GCL Twins 3 Box Score Dakota Chalmers was on the bump for his second action of the season since returning from Tommy John surgery. He turned in three scoreless innings allowing just a single hit. The former Athletics prospect picked up six strikeouts and allowed three walks. The Twins got out ahead scoring all three of their runs before the Orioles could push anything across. Bryson Gandy doubled in his first pro RBI, then was at the plate for a balk-induced run before another single drove in his second of the game. In the eighth inning the wheels fell off for the away team. The Twins gave up three to part with the lead and then allowed a fielder’s choice to walk it off in the ninth. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Edwar Colina (Fort Myers) 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Albee Weiss (Elizabethton) 2-4, 2 HR(1 GS), 2 R, 5 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) – 2-5, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB, HR(8) #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – No Game #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Fort Myers) - 3-4, R, BB, 2B #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Fort Myers) – Did Not Pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL) – Did Not Play #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - All-Star Break #9 - Jhoan Duran (Fort Myers) – Did Not Pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) – Did Not Pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - All-Star Break #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - All-Star Break #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Fort Myers) – Did Not Play #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - All-Star Break #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - 1-4, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – No Game #17 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – No Game #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL) – 0-3, R, RBI, 2 BB #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – No Game THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (4:35PM CST) – TBD/TBD (Doubleheader) Montgomery @ Pensacola (6:35PM EST) – LHP Bryan Sammons (2-1, 4.86 ERA) Daytona @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) – RHP Blayne Enlow (2-2, 1.95 ERA) Great Lakes @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Luis Rijo (2-5, 2.33 ERA) Burlington @ Elizabethton (5:30PM CST) – RHP Ben Gross (2-0, 2.81 ERA) GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! 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