Ted Schwerzler

The amount of DH starts for Larnach has been curious for me too. I don't know that Kirilloff is truly a good defender anywhere, and Larnach's arm isn't bad.

Sorry about that. I'm not sure who chose the photo. That's DaShawn Keirsey Jr.

As a former first round pick by the Minnesota Twins, we have seen Trevor Larnach work himself in and out of prospect prowess. Promoted early this season and expected to make an immediate contribution, he is doing everything the franchise has hoped for from him. Late in spring training Trevor Larnach was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul. It wasn’t an unexpected result after the year rookie Matt Wallner had in 2023, but it also signified another setback for the career of the 2018 first round pick. When Wallner continued to struggle, as he did most of the spring, it was a newly-healthy Larnach that was promoted directly from a rehab assignment at Single-A Fort Myers. Coming back to the big leagues the Twins needed to see a few different things from Larnach. Rocco Baldelli has coached him for a while now, and needing his corner outfielder to execute on more than fastballs and punish the baseball with authority both were musts. We have seen him do that only in brief samples during his career, and it has often been surrounded by periods of injury. Now 19 games into his 2024 season, the first three weeks have to be considered a resounding success when paired with what Minnesota wants to see from him. The outfielder is batting .328 with an .871 OPS. Three home runs in that brief of a stretch put him on a pace to blow by previous career-high’s, and a .500 slugging percentage is reflective of a player capable of doing damage. While his walk rate isn’t where it has been previously, Larnach is striking out more than 10% less often, and his hard-hit rate is over 50% for the first time in his career. There is some smoke and mirrors to his production with an out-of-whack BABIP, but Larnach has increased his average exit velocity by more than 4 mph this season. He hasn’t changed a ton with regards to his spray chart, and the Twins have seen him flip solidly-hit liners the opposite way more than a couple of times to start the year. Maybe most impressively though, is that all of this has taken place against a career-low 31% fastballs. The book has always been that Larnach will destroy heat but can’t hit breaking pitches. Right now though, he’s seeing the most amount of offspeed he ever has, and he’s producing to a level he also has never done. Larnach has some room to zone-up and make things work to an even better extent as well. Right now he is chasing a bit more than typical, and he’s swinging at nearly 50% of the pitches he has seen. The contact rates are solid, but if he can be a bit more picky as to which pitches he looks to attack, then the optimal results he has shown can be expected to tick upwards as well. It’s fair to note that three weeks still isn’t a significant sample size, and Wallner starting to come around at Triple-A may provide a bit of tension to keep it going. With a player like Larnach that has gone through ebbs and flows previously, a wait and see approach is always a fair stance to take. If there’s something that looks different about this time around though, it’s because the process looks to be that way. View full article

For the first time this season, five of the six Twins affiliates were in action. With the Complex League squad joining the full-season teams, only the Dominican Summer League has yet to kick off. A star pitching prospect showed out, and a gigantic outfielder for Wichita had an insane stretch. Image courtesy of © Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports As the Minnesota Twins consider the pitching depth at the back end of their starting rotation, Simeon Woods Richardson continues to get the first crack, but David Festa is making his name known. As the organization continues to ramp up his pitch count, it seems as though he could be getting closer to making his big-league debut. More outings like he had this week will certainly bolster the urgency of calls to see him in Minneapolis. While not a top prospect in the same sense as Festa, meanwhile, it's pretty hard to miss 6-foot-8 Carson McCusker. He made his presence felt at the dish with an incredible stretch for Wichita this week, and has continued to produce since joining the Twins organization. After being picked up out of the Frontier League last season, he earned a look at Double-A to start the year. He's been so good that a trip up to St. Paul feels within reach. TRANSACTIONS: RHP Nick Wittgren transferred from Wichita to St. Paul LHP Caleb Baragar signed by Minnesota and assigned to St. Paul LHP Michael Boyle released by St. Paul OF Kyle Hess signed by Minnesota and assigned to Fort Myers C Cole Elvis transferred from Fort Myers to FCL INF Omari Daniel transferred from Fort Myers to FCL COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 9, FCL Orioles 8 Box Score It was a tough start for the Twins as Anthony Narvaez allowed eight runs (seven earned) in just three innings of work. Digging out of a big hole, they had plenty of work to do, and decided not to kick it off until the 4th inning. Yasser Mercedes singled with the bases loaded to score both Jayson Bass and Ricardo Pena. Daniel Pena followed his lead with a single of his own, and Yilber Herrera scored with Mercedes being tagged out at the plate. Ariel Castro picked him up with his first double of the season, and that allowed both Dameury Pena and Daniel Pena to cross the plate. All of a sudden it was a 8-5 game. In the 5th inning Mercedes launched his first dinger of the season and the two run shot also plated Anderson Nova. In the 7th inning Dameury Pena completed the comeback on a single that scored Bass and Omari Daniel. The Twins held onto the 9-8 lead thanks to strong relief work by Eider Machuca and Wilker Reyes. Mercedes paced the club with three hits while Dameury Pena had two. Nova drew threw walks on the afternoon. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 16-21 (3-3 last week) Ninth place in the IL West Overview: Another 3-3 week has the Saints in the same place they entered the week. Holding serve on the road against Toledo was impressive. 🔥DaShawn Keirsey Jr. posted another great week, leading the team with a 1.187 OPS. He could be an option at some point for the Twins, and his two home runs tied Yunior Severino for the team lead on the week. 🔥Randy Dobnak gave up five hits in six innings, but didn’t allow a run and had a 7:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 🔥David Festa struck out 10 across six scoreless innings, as he continues to push toward the Twins. 🔥Patrick Winkel played in just three games this week, but had a team-high three doubles (as did Anthony Prato) en route to a 1.084 OPS. 😏Matt Wallner is starting to find it, and while the line didn’t stand out this week, his five RBIs trailed only Severino. 🥶Diego A. Castillo had his first real cold stretch for the Saints going 3-for-20 with five strikeouts. 🥶Joe Gunkel continues to get blown up; he allowed six runs in 4 2/3 innings. What’s Next: Welcoming Omaha to CHS Field, the Saints play host to the best team in the IL West. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 13-19 (4-2 last week) Fifth place in the Texas League North Overview: The Wind Surge got their first series win of the season, and it came at home against a good Arkansas team. 🔥Carson McCusker led the team with 10 hits and three home runs with a 1.749 OPS. He played in five games as well, which was a team high with no player appearing in all six. 🔥Zebby Matthews made his Double-A debut and pitched 6 2/3 innings allowing just two unearned runs with nine strikeouts. 😏Alerick Soularie played in five games but recorded just seven at bats. He drew four walks and stole four bases. 😏Travis Adams gave up a pair of runs in his six-inning start, but he struck out six. 🥶Emmanuel Rodriguez put up a stinker of a week, going 3-for-22 with an uncharacteristic 11:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. What’s Next: Traveling to Tulsa, the Wind Surge will take on the team directly above them in the Texas League North standings. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 18-14 (3-3 last week) Third place in the Midwest League West Overview: Splitting a road series with South Bend, the Kernels picked up a spot in the standings. 🔥Rubel Cespedes continues to be on a tear this season and owned a 1.116 OPS with 11s RBI in six games. 🔥Danny De Andrade batted .400 with a team-high 10 hits, while doubling twice in six games of action. 😏C.J. Culpepper returned to the active roster and punched out five in a four inning start where he allowed just a single run. 😏Darren Bowen led the team in strikeouts with six, but did allow three runs in a 4 1/3 inning start. 🥶Misael Urbina went through it going 2-for-18 with a home run and 7/1 K/BB. What’s Next: Back home against Quad Cities, Cedar Rapids will face the team directly above them in the standings. Low-A: Fort Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 13-20 (4-2 last week) Fifth place in Florida State League West Overview: A much-needed positive week against Dunedin actually cost the Mighty Mussels a spot in the standings, but it brings momentum to their side. 🔥Poncho Ruiz continues to steal the show for the Mighty Mussels and had a pair of doubles and homers each for a 1.591 OPS. 🔥Spencer Bengard was lights out in his one start allowing only one (unearned run) and posting a 5/0 K/BB in six innings. 🔥Payton Eeles, Rayne Doncon, and Rafael Cruz all played six games and each had an OPS north of .900. 😏Brandon Winokur continues to tread water but stole another two bases. 😏Cesar Lares struck out 11 in five innings despite allowing three runs. 🥶Byron Chourio’s .337 OPS wasn’t great, and was punctuated by six strikeouts. 🥶Paulshawn Pasqualotto turned in a stinker that hasn’t been customary for him this season. What’s Next: Heading to Lakeland this week, Fort Myers will play the second best team on the west side of the Florida State League. Complex League: FCL Twins Overall: 4-2 (4-2 last week) Second place in Florida Complex League South Kicking off their season, the FCL Twins started on a strong foot. 🔥Bryan Acuna batted .500 with three of his four hits being doubles and also picking up four walks to lead the lineup in OPS. 🔥Dameury Pena picked up ten total bases and was the lone FCL Twins hitter to launch a dinger. 🔥Anthony Narvaez struck out six during a four inning start in which he held the opposition scoreless. 😏Jayson Bass batted just .188 in five games but led the team with four RBI. 😏Dylan Questad worked four innings and struck out seven while allowing a pair of runs. 🥶Yilber Herrera got off to an ugly start going just 1-for-10. PROSPECT SUMMARY #3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Wichita) – 3-22, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, 11 K #5 – Marco Raya (Wichita) – 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #6 – David Festa (St. Paul) – 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K #7 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – 1-9, BB, 2 K #9 – Charlee Soto (Fort Myers) – 3.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 5-19, 2 2B, 3 BB, 10 K, 2 SB #11 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 5-21, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, BB #12 – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) – 7-23, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K #13 – Kala’i Rosario (Wichita) – 6-22, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 SB #14 – C.J. Culpepper (Cedar Rapids) – 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K #15 – Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids) – 10-25, 2 2B, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K, SB #16 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 3-20, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 12 K #17 – Matt Canterino (IL) – Shoulder injury #18 – Connor Prielipp (IL) – UCL Surgery #19 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 7-17, 3B, 2 RBI, 6 BB, K, BB #20 – Simeon Woods Richardson (Minnesota) – 4.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Hitter of the Week - Carson McCusker (Wichita) - 10-19, 3 2B, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K, SB Pitcher of the Week - David Festa (St. Paul) - 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K View full article

I think there's a way to differentiate trades though. At the time it was made, the Mahle deal was fine, even good. Minnesota was getting a starter with projectable upside for two bat-only prospects. It went wrong because he got hurt. The Cruz deal was an immediate win because there were signs he was trending down, and then was cooked. Flipping Escobar hurt because he was a fan favorite, but the front office picked some really good pieces to have a potential to make work.

The 2018 Minnesota Twins found themselves in an interesting position as the trade deadline approached. Derek Falvey made a difficult decision to rip off the band-aid of a fan favorite, but it resulted in a massive gain for the Minnesota Twins. Losing Eduardo Escobar hurt at the time, but the franchise is much better for it. Image courtesy of Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports On July 26, 2018 the Minnesota Twins, then led by Paul Molitor, were 48-53 while checking in seven games out of first place in the AL Central. Having been named the American League Manager of the Year following the 2017 season, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were unable to pick their choice to lead the team. Regression had set in and roster turnover needed to take place. Despite Eduardo Escobar 's fan-favorite status, he was a 29-year-old with a .852 OPS who would soon be a free agent. There was never going to be a better opportunity to deal him. It was going to be met with backlash, similar to how Luis Arraez was viewed when he was shipped to Miami just last season, but the baseball side of things made sense. The return for Escobar was uncertain. Dealing with the Diamondbacks, Minnesota made a play for quality on top of quantity. Gabriel Maciel was seen as the highlight of the return. The 11th best prospect in Arizona’s system by MLB Pipeline at the time, the Brazilian was a Pioneer League All-Star in 2017 and the name to know. Ernie De La Trinidad was a former 19th-round pick and little more than a flier. The other name in the deal was Jhoan Duran, who was Arizona’s 19th-best prospect per MLB Pipeline, a starting pitcher working at Low-A Kane County. It wasn’t as though Maciel was tied to a significant signing bonus; he got just $90,000 in 2015 as an international free agent. His skill set was exciting, though, and the projectability seemed to be something that Minnesota could dream on. Ultimately, he never advanced beyond High-A, and his career .705 OPS across 445 minor league games was never going to get it done. That 52-game sample size for rookie ball Missoula was the only thing to hang his hat on, and he has been out of affiliated baseball since 2022 despite being just 25 years old. On the flip side, Duran has become one of the most dominant relievers in baseball and has since established himself as more valuable to the Twins franchise than anything Escobar could have provided in the years since. Duran worked his way through the system as a starting pitcher, but his ability to pump triple-digit fastballs paired with a devastating sprinkler earned him a bullpen spot to start the 2022 season. Not eligible for arbitration until 2025, and not a free agent until 2028, the Twins should have plenty of successful seasons with Duran at the back end of their bullpen. Just a day after the Escobar deal, Minnesota sent closer Ryan Pressly to the Houston Astros in exchange for Jorge Alcala and Gilberto Celestino. In that deal it was Celestino who was seen as the get, despite Alcala winding up as the more productive arm. Little did the front office know that they were replacing their current closer for the one of the future in such a short turnaround. Not only is Duran among the most dominant arms in baseball, but he has become must-watch excitement when taking the field. He has shown a personality that has Minnesotans clamoring for his next appearance, and he has become something of a sure thing when Baldelli asks him to finish off a game. In the years since the trade, Escobar went on to accumulate 6.0 fWAR as a regular for three different teams while being paid roughly $40 million. Duran has already accumulated 2.8 fWAR, with the rest of 2024 pending while making just the league minimum. That value proposition is an ode to a front office that knew exactly what they were doing. Sometimes the best trades include those that are the hardest to lose. Twins fans didn’t want to see Arraez be shipped out, but with the quickness that the Marlins pieced him out for more parts, it’s hard not to be excited about employing Pablo Lopez and having a Pablo Day every couple of weeks. One of the greatest acquisitions for Minnesota in recent seasons was that of Jhoan Duran, and they’ll continue to reap the benefits for multiple seasons going forward. View full article

Make Minnesota Baseball Fun Again, right? That was the focus, after the Twins got off to an abysmal 7-13 start. With the way the offseason went, and the television situation looming over their head, the franchise could have been buried by June. Then, they started winning. Rocco Baldelli’s team came into the 2024 season as favorites to repeat as champions of the American League Central. With the White Sox expected to be among the worst teams in baseball and the Guardians not having done enough to close the gap, one of the best pitching teams in baseball should have had the advantage. Unfortunately, despite the fruitful 2023 postseason run, the offseason became about slashed payroll, television disputes, and a new Pohlad control person as out of touch as the others had ever been. Nick Nelson recently looked at just how badly the Twins have been killing their brand. Whether mishaps from different departments, statements from Dave St. Peter, or Joe Pohlad doing nothing to separate from his family’s previous frustration inducing decisions, losing only compounded the problems. In jest, we can suggest that baseball players are weird and a summer sausage saved the season. The greater reality is that the on-field product has become the saving grace for the baseball brand, and the players on the field are once again a much-needed changing of the storylines. TED: The above is, really, the thesis and thrust of this piece, but it needs to be more clearly stated. You can drive it home better by articulating the surprising simplicity of the product itself salvaging a faltering corporate image, maybe, Or highlight the fact that a baseball team is about the players, not the owners or the financial institution. But just state it in plain and anti-corporate prose, one way or another, to make sure it lands. Obviously, I'm just setting this off with line breaks for your ease of editing. Remove them after you address this. Max Kepler has been the best player in baseball, and Carlos Santana has remembered how to play the game. Ryan Jeffers is trying to tell everyone he might be the best catcher in baseball, and Bailey Ober has suggested himself a Cy Young candidate when not facing the Kansas City Royals. Sure, it’s great that Minnesota went on a 12-game winning streak, and that they finished a series north of the border having won 17 of their last 20. Similar to the sausage story, though, streaks of extreme positivity only tell part of the story. It’s not as though the Twins are lucking their way to victory, beating only bottom-feeders, or fluking their way through offensive productivity. In present form, not sure what this paragraph adds to the piece. Maybe I'm missing what you're trying to say with it. While the early-season returns of David Popkins and company's approach showed little promise, the team has since turned a corner and reduced their collective strikeout rate. Twins pitchers are striking out more of the opposition than any of the competition, and while the bullpen depth has been tested, they've remained solid so far. In addition to the thriving incumbents, the Twins could soon get a healthy Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis, Justin Topa, and Brock Stewart. The players currently in the clubhouse appear galvanized and cohesive, and it’s that product that has revitalized what can be hoped for the rest of the way. A baseball team is about the personalities on the field as much as it is the results. Early on, the Twins didn’t look to be having fun and the results only made that worse. Now finding ways to keep the game light, and distance from the noise outside of the clubhouse, they have seen results follow on a path that has them right back in the thick of things. A full summer of Minnesota Twins baseball is in front of fans, and right now it seems like that is something everyone should be excited to partake in. TED: Again, find your central message and hit it harder in closing. I like the contention that a team's likability and connection to the fan base is about more than wins and losses, but drive it home with more force. View full article

I think there's a better chance Rayne Doncon does something in the majors than Miller. His glove is great, but he can't hit his weight...and probably won't.

The Twins turned to Simeon Woods Richardson, and despite putting up eight runs and knocking Kevin Gausman out of the game early, they simply fell apart. With low-leverage bullpen options unable to do their jobs, and a lineup that went dormant after the 4th inning, Minnesota wasn't able to hang on. Image courtesy of © Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Simeon Woods Richardson 4.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (91 pitches, 61 strikes, 10 whiffs) Home Runs: Carlos Santana (6), Ryan Jeffers (9) Bottom 3 WPA: Steven Okert (-.246), Caleb Thielbar (-.193), Jay Jackson (-.119) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Getting to Gausman Facing last year’s third place finisher in the American League Cy Young race, the Twins found themselves facing yet another good arm this week. Similar to what they did with the Mariners Logan Gilbert, Rocco Baldelli’s lineup got to him quickly. Edouard Julien led off the game with a base hit, and after strikeouts by Trevor Larnach and Ryan Jeffers , Minnesota went to work with two outs. Max Kepler singled and Carlos Correa drove in the game’s first run. Alex Kirilloff ripped a single to left field, and Davis Schneider allowed it to get by him, going to the wall. Both Correa and Kepler scored on the play. After the first frame, it was already a 3-0 game. In the 2nd inning Carlos Santana led off with a double that a diving Daulton Varsho couldn’t come up with. Minnesota cashed him in when Larnach ripped an opposite-field single and made it a 4-0 game. With former Twins pitcher Jose Berrios being interviewed on the broadcast, and talking about his pitcher of the month honors, Bo Bichette got Simeon Woods Richardson for a solo home run to put Toronto on the board. The Blue Jays ace talked glowingly about Correa and the time they spent playing with and against each other in Puerto Rico growing up. Constant Pressure Leading off the top of the 3rd inning with a walk, Correa immediately made Gausman work with traffic again. After a Kirilloff strikeout, Willi Castro crushed a ball high up off the right field wall for a double, putting runners at second and third base with just one out. Already over 70 pitches and facing Santana, the Minnesota first baseman went up in the zone and blasted a three-run homer to dead center. Stealing second base following his single, Julien was in scoring position for Larnach’s single but was cut down at home on a throw by Schneider. Still, up 7-1 in just the 3rd inning, Minnesota had put Gausman and the Blue Jays pitching staff in a tough spot. Back-to-back doubles from Schneider and Varsho plated a run for Toronto to start their half of the 3rd inning. A ripped single by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in another run, and the Blue Jays had climbed back within 7-3. Gausman didn’t return for the 4th inning, and Minnesota’s ownership of him continues. Crushing him for 15 runs on 20 hits over the course of his last three starts, (11 ⅔ innings) they clearly have his number. Ryan Jeffers made sure to welcome Zach Pop to the game with his ninth home run of the season. Blue Jays Battle Back With Woods Richardson struggling to get outs in the 5th inning, allowing a home run to Schneider and single to Guerrero Jr., Baldelli brought Cole Sands in to take over. After getting Justin Turner to fly out, Sands served up a two-run shot to Danny Jansen and Minnesota’s lead was 8-6. The Twins went down in order to open up the 6th inning, and Sands found more trouble in the bottom half. Cavan Biggio reached on a one-out single and then Schneider made it first and third with two outs. Steven Okert was called upon to get the final out and shut down the threat. He immediately walked Varsho and loaded the bases. A 3-for-3 Guerrero Jr. stepped in and singled to left field, scoring a pair, and tying the ball game. After leading by 8-3 through four innings, Minnesota was headed to the 7th inning stretch tied and needing to keep the Blue Jays off the board. Jay Jackson came on and was every bit as shaky as Okert, and left a mess for Caleb Thielbar. Ernie Clement singled after Thielbar walked George Springer to load the bases, and the Blue Jays took their first lead of the game, 9-8. Struggling to find the zone at all, Thielbar went to ten pitches against Schneider before the outfielder lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 10-8. Walking Varsho to load the bases, Thielbar threw just 12 strikes in his 25 pitches and got only a single out. Josh Staumont was on as the third reliever of the inning. Facing Guerrero Jr., he stopped the bleeding but Minnesota now had work to do. Minnesota Limps to the End Following an ugly and ineffective 7th inning for Twins pitching, Minnesota needed the lineup to come up and show some life. Instead they went down in order against Blue Jays Yimi Garcia on just nine pitches and immediately took the field again. With Staumont allowing another hit to Jansen in the 8th inning, the 16 hits were a season worst surrendered by the Twins. Using five of their eight relievers, with both Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax down, the group will be a bit taxed heading into Sunday. Facing Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano needed a pair to extend the game, Minnesota was in a bad spot. The Twins lineup had gone dormant since the 5th inning, and Romano stepped in during a stretch of 13-straight hitters going down in order. He got both Larnach and Jeffers on strikes, the 11th and 12th Minnesota punchouts of the day. Thankfully Kepler doubled to stop the streak of retired batters at 15, and reaching base brought Correa to the plate as the tying run. He popped out to first base and a game that should have been a sure win ended in a loss. Notes Minnesota came into Sunday’s contest with a 16-2 record in their last 18 games. While the lineup is doing plenty of good work, it’s the starting staff that has been nothing short of incredible. While strikeouts were the name of the game for the lineup early, the pitching staff has become the good kind of strikeout dominant. What’s Next? Bailey Ober takes the ball for the Twins on Sunday looking for a series win against Alek Manoah and the Blue Jays. They’ll get a well deserved off day on Monday as they return home to face the New York Yankees Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Randy Dobnak and Ty Langenberg put up strong pitching performances for the Twins on the farm Friday, while Maddux Houghton recorded the third walkoff of the series for Fort Myers. Image courtesy of Seth Stohs, Twins Daily (photo of Randy Dobnak and Bryan Sammons with the 2018 Cedar Rapids Kernels) TRANSACTIONS RHP Regi Grace activated from injured list by Wichita RHP Travis Adams placed on injured list by Wichita RHP Christian MacLeod reinstated from the 7 day IL by Cedar Rapids RHP Jeremy Lee reinstated from the 7 day IL by Fort Myers SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Toledo 1 Box Score Facing former Twins prospect Bryan Sammons, Randy Dobnak was on the bump for the Saints Friday. The St. Paul starter was incredible on Friday night working six scoreless innings with seven strike outs. Dobnak gave up five hits and walked two, but he left in line for the win. Sammons gave up three runs in 5 2/3 innings, but he also had nine strikeouts in the game. For the first three innings of the game, neither team was able to get on the board. Then in the 4th inning Yunior Severino hit his fifth home run of the season. The three-run shot also plated Anthony Prato and Alex Isola to put St. Paul up 3-0. The Mud Hens did score a run against Diego Castillo in the 9th inning, but that was as close as they would get. Prato had a pair of hits for St. Paul and Chris Williams reached base twice on walks. WIND SURGE WISDOM Arkansas 5, Wichita 4 (F/11) Box Score Pitching prospect Marco Raya was on the bump Friday for the Wind Surge. He worked four innings allowing two runs on four hits. He gave up a pair of walks but struck out four on the evening. A second-inning home run, with a runner on, was the only runs of the game through the first seven innings. Arkansas was able to get up and keep the Wing Surge down. Emmanuel Rodriguez didn't yet make an appearance in the box score, but he definitely brandished his arm from the outfield. Facing a loss, the Wind Surge came back in the bottom of the 9th inning. Ben Ross grounded out but score Kala'i Rosario in the process. Jorel Ortega then singled home Alerick Soularie to knot things up and send it to extras. Arkansas grabbed a run in the top half of the frame to put the pressure on. Wichita had runners on first and second before recording an out after Noah Cardenas was plunked by a pitch. With two outs Carson McCusker took a walk to load the bases and it was on Jake Rucker to make something happen. He worked a full count before drawing a game-tying hit by pitch and turning it over to Aaron Sabato. Logan Gragg came on in relief and got the Wind Surge first baseman to ground out and send the game into the 11th inning. Miguel Rodriguez remained on for the 11th inning and immediately gave up a run-scoring double. The runner was bunted over then came in on a single to make it a 5-3 game. Wichita answered in the bottom half with an Ortega single to score Sabato, and a Rodriguez walk loaded the bases with no outs. Cardenas went down on three straight pitches and then Cossetti went down in similar fashion. Down to their final out it was on Rosario to come through. He grounded out and the comeback came up short. Rosario and Ortega each had two hits in this game. KERNELS NUGGETS South Bend 7, Cedar Rapids 6 Box Score Coming off a great start his last time out, Darren Bowen was on the bump for Cedar Rapids. He worked 4 1/3 innings allowing three runs on four hits. Allowing three walks, he also struck out six while giving up a big fly. The Kernels scored first with Misael Urbina ripping his second home run of the season. The 4th inning blast brought in Rubel Cespedes to make it 2-0. Keoni Cavaco lifted a sacrifice fly to score Jose Salas and make it 3-0. After giving up a homer in the 4th inning, Cedar Rapids went back to work in the 5th inning. Danny De Andrade doubled home Luke Keaschall and Ricardo Olivar, giving Cedar Rapids a 5-1 lead. De Andrade then came around to score the sixth run on a throwing error on a pickoff play. Adding two in the bottom of the 5th inning and four in the bottom of the 7th inning, South Bend worked their way back against Cedar Rapids and took the lead 7-6. The Kernels couldn’t find a tying or go-ahead run, and that’s how the game would end. Cedar Rapids posted seven hits, but only Keaschall had two on the evening. Olivar drew a pair of walks. Gabriel Gonzalez remained out of action. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Dunedin 3 Box Score Ty Langenberg worked for the Mighty Mussels on Friday and it was his best start of his professional career. Working six scoreless innings, he allowed just two hits with a pair of walks while striking out seven. Angel Del Rosario broke the scoreless tie in the 5th inning with a single that scored both Brandon Winokur and Isaac Pena. Out to a 2-0 lead, the Mighty Mussels had some breathing room. Rayne Doncon then singled home Payton Eeles in the 6th inning to give Fort Myers a 3-0 lead. Adding two in the bottom of the 8th inning, and another in the 9th inning, Dunedin knotted things at three. Looking to walk things off in their half of the 9th inning, Maddux Houghton doubled in Omari Daniel and the 4-3 walkoff was secured. Despite totaling eight hits on the night, Doncon was the only Fort Myers batter to record a pair. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 6 , FCL Red Sox 5 Box Score The recently-signed veteran Adam Plutko made his Twins organization debut for the FCL club on Friday. Signed after spending last season in the KBO, he will need something of a spring training buildup. Working a single inning, he gave up one (unearned) run on one hit while striking out one. Trailing 1-0 through after the top of the 1st inning, Dameury Pena ripped his first home run of the year to tie the ballgame. Ariel Castro then singled in Harold Grant on a ground out to give the Twins the lead. Boston tied things in the 2nd inning, but the Twins answered again when a double steal had Yilber Herrera grabbing second and Jayson Bass coming across the plate. Bass then made his presence felt in a big way during the 3rd inning. His second double of the season cleared packed bags scoring Grant, Castro, and Hendry Chivilli to make it a 6-2 game. The Red Sox plated three runs in the 6th inning to draw within one, but that’s where the game ended as the Twins held on. Pena and Chivilli both had a pair of hits on the afternoon. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Randy Dobnak (St. Paul) - 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) – 2-4, 2 2B, R PROSPECT SUMMARY #3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Wichita) – 0-5, BB, 2 K #5 - Marco Raya (Wichita) - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #7 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – 0-3 #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 1-4, R, SB, 3 K #11 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 1-3, BB #12 – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) – 2-4, 2 2B, R #13 - Kala'i Rosario (Wichita) - 2-4, R, 2B(11), BB #15 – Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, R, 2 RBI, 3 K #16 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR(5), K #19 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 1-2, R, 2 BB SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Toledo (4:05 PM CST) – RHP David Festa (0-1, 3.75 ERA) Wichita vs Arkansas (6:05 PM CST) –RHP Aaron Rozek (1-1, 0.53 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (3:05 PM CST) – RHP C.J. Culpepper (0-0, 3.65 ERA) Fort Myers vs Dunedin (5:05 PM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! View full article

Zebby Matthews took the mound for the first time at Double-A and looked every bit as dominant as he did to earn the promotion. Matt Wallner stayed hot for the Saints. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge TRANSACTIONS Minnesota signed RHP Austin Brice to an MiLB deal and assigned him to Double-A Wichita. Brice has 144 big-league games under his belt between 2016-2022, spread out between the Marlins, the Reds, the Marlins again, the Red Sox, and the Pirates. Of course, you may recall that he pitched in 32 games for the St. Paul Saints in 2023. SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 5, St. Paul 1 Box Score Louie Varland took the mound Thursday for the Saints. It wasn’t pretty. In just 4 2/3 innings, Varland gave up five runs on seven hits and three walks. He struck out eight batters. Toledo scored a pair of runs in the 2nd inning and three more during the 3rd inning. It wasn’t until a Matt Wallner, 8th inning home run that the Saints found their way onto the scoreboard. Both clubs wound up with eight hits on the evening, but it was the Mud Hens that pushed across the runs with theirs. The Saints were just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base. Wallner was joined by Alex Isola as the only Saints hitters to record a pair of hits. Both were 2-for-4. Isola hit his fourth double. Patrick Winkel added his sixth double. Jordan Balazovic gave up one hit over 1 1/3 scoreless innings. He had two strikeouts. Scott Blewett and Diego Castillo each had one strikeout in their 1-2-3 innings. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 6, Arkansas 2 Box Score Zebby Matthews was on the mound for his Wind Surge debut on Thursday night. The 23-year-old pitched well. He was charged with two unearned runs on three hits in 6 2/3 innings. He had nine strikeouts and, as you would expect, he had zero walks. That gives him a total of 37 strikeouts this year without issuing a single walk. 27-year-old Wichita native Scott Engler got the final out of the seventh inning, and just because that's how baseball works, the Wind Surge took the lead the next half-inning and Engler gets the Win. Jarret Whorff pitched a scoreless eighth frame, and Jared Solomon did the same in the ninth. Andrew Cossetti opened the scoring with his fourth home run of the year. The 2nd inning solo shot made it 1-0 before Kyler Fedko drove in Jake Rucker with a single. The 2-0 lead held until the 7th inning when Arkansas plated a pair of unearned runs. 6-8 outfielder Carson McCusker has been huge for the Wind Surge all week. In the seventh inning, he ripped a bases-loaded double to score Emmanuel Rodriguez, Noah Cardenas, and Cossetti, making it a 5-2 ball game. Rodriguez recorded his ninth double of the season to drive in an 8th inning run.. Both Rodriguez and McCusker recorded went 2-for-4 with a double in the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, South Bend 1 (F/5, Rain) Box Score The Kernels turned to Andrew Morris on Thursday night, and he gave them five innings of one-run ball. He scattered six hits and two walks. He struck out four on the evening. The 22-year-old out of Texas Tech improved to 2-1 with an ERA of 2.64. Cedar Rapids put up a three-spot in the first inning. Rubel Cespedes singled home Ricardo Olivar before Jay Harry drove him in with a single. An Agustin Ruiz groundout brought in Danny De Andrade before the inning was over. Keoni Cavaco launched his fourth home run of the season, and the 2nd inning solo shot made it 4-0. Ruiz recorded another RBI in the 3rd inning when his single allowed Cespedes to score. After giving a run back in the bottom of the 3rd inning, Cedar Rapids answered with three more in the 4th inning. Cespedes was responsible again for doing damage, this time with his first triple of the year, to score Cavaco and Luke Keaschall. De Andrade singled in Cespedes, and the Kernels led 8-1. As the 5th inning was completed, the game went into a lengthy delay due to rain and eventually was called. Cedar Rapids racked up 11 hits. Rubel Cespedes was 2-for-2 with a walk and triple. He scored three runs and drove in three runs. Danny De Andrade was 2-for-3. Keoni Cavaco was 2-for-3 and homered for the second straight game. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 8, Fort Myers 3 Box Score Paulshawn Pasqualotto took the ball Thursday night for the Mighty Mussels. In 4 1/3 innings, he allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits while walking two and striking out just one batter. Dunedin scored early and often to jump out front 7-0 by the bottom of the 5th inning. Rafael Cruz singled home Payton Eeles to put the Mighty Mussels on the board for the first time. In the bottom of the 7th inning, Isaac Pena brought home Cruz with a sacrifice fly for Fort Myers’ second run. Jose Rodriguez added a sacrifice fly in the 8th inning to score Rayne Doncon , but it remained a five-run deficit. While seven of the nine Mussels' starters had a hit, Cruz is the only one with two hits. Along with his RBI single, he hit his first triple. Doncon added his 10th double which ties him with Wichita's Kala'i Rosario for most in the organization. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Orioles 4, FCL Twins 2 Box Score Eduardo Soriano made his first start of 2024 on Thursday for the FCL Twins. In two innings, he was charged with four runs (two earned) on four hits while walking two and striking out a pair. Miguel Cordero came on and struck out four batters in his three perfect innings. Lefty Wilker Reyes worked the final two innings. He gave up one hit and had two strikeouts. All four of the Orioles runs came in the 2nd inning which put the Twins in an early deficit. They didn’t answer until the 7th inning, and it was too little too late. Bryan Acuna singled home Yasser Mercedes before Hendry Chivilli drove in Dameury Pena with a sacrifice fly. Mercedes went 2-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. All seven hits were singles. The Twins went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base, not exactly a winning recipe. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Zebby Matthews (6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K) Hitter of the Day – Rubel Cespedes (Cedar Rapids) - 2-2, 3 R, 3 RBI, 3B(1), BB PROSPECT SUMMARY #3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Wichita) – 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, BB, K #7 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – 0-3, R, BB, 2 K #10 – Brandon Winokur (Fort Myers) – 1-4, 3 K #11 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 1-5 #12 – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, R, K #15 – Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids) – 2-3, R, RBI #19 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 1-3, R FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Toledo (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Randy Dobnak (2-3, 5.28 ERA) Wichita vs Arkansas (7:05 PM CST) –RHP Marco Raya (0-0, 3.07 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Darren Bowen (2-2, 4.00 ERA) Fort Myers vs Dunedin (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Ty Langenberg (0-3, 5.75 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins employ arguably the best defensive center fielder in baseball. Byron Buxton has been able to lay claim to that title for a while now, but he hasn’t remained on the field to show it off. In needing backup options for his services, Manuel Margot was tabbed as an answer this offseason, but his start could pave the way for prospect DaShawn Keirsey Jr.’s debut. Byron Buxton has come out of the gate showing a level of availability that we haven’t seen in quite some time. Acting as a defensive replacement while his bat slumps, and continuing to play through the slow start while providing some key big hits, it wasn’t until some knee inflammation sent him for a short stint on the injured list that he truly missed time. It would be expected that Manuel Margot, acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Noah Miller, would fill some of that playing time. He has been billed as a solid defensive outfielder, with center field acumen, and an ability to hit left-handed pitching. Unfortunately, he has shown almost none of that this season on Rocco Baldelli’s roster, and his -0.5 fWAR is the worst among all Twins players. Willi Castro has taken over as the regular backup in center field, and rookie Austin Martin has seen some real run there as well. Both represent much higher-caliber options than what Margot has shown thus far, and his clock could be ticking. Despite being paid $6 million this season, it’s the Dodgers by way of Tampa Bay on the hook for almost all of it. Should a shakeup come, it might be to the benefit or prospect DaShawn Keirsey Jr. Selected in the 4th round by Minnesota during the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft, Keirsey has been more of a slow burn out of the University of Utah. He has played in roughly 400 minor league games and has moved up levels methodically. He doesn’t appear on prospect lists, and he hasn’t been invited to the Arizona Fall League or Future’s Game. If you haven’t been keeping up with his progress though, you’ve been missing out. Playing 130 games split between Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul last year, he posted his first OPS over .800 at the professional level. The .739 mark for the Saints wasn’t going to light the world on fire, and he wasn’t especially young for the level at 26 years old. It was clear that he continued to make changes though, and we’re seeing that come to fruition even more this season. Now soon to be 27 years old, Keirsey is batting over .300 with a strong on-base percentage, and a slugging prowess we haven’t seen before. He has six homers, eight doubles, and four triples in just 31 games. It’s still a small sample size, but there isn’t a way he could have gotten off to a better start. Playing a great defensive center field, he’s not in the same bucket at either Matt Wallner or Trevor Larnach, but his left-handedness could be something that holds him back given the Twins roster construction. Facing an uphill battle not being on the 40-man roster, there isn’t a ton of incentive for Minnesota to prioritize a late-bloomer like this for a promotion. However, if he continues down this path and Margot keeps looking as lost as he has, there may be no choice but to bring Keirsey across town for a major league debut. Similar to Mark Contreras before him, these types of well-earned success stories are great to see. Seth Stohs called Keirsey the Twins most underrated prospect last June, and since that announcement he has done nothing to slow the hype train. It’s unfortunate that so many Minnesota outfielders are left-handed, but at some point having the best players play might be the plan of attack. I wouldn’t bet on Keirsey coming to the majors before June or July, but trends staying where they are at could make him an unexpected key addition to the roster, and it would be something the organization should celebrate. View full article

They were expected to be terrible.

He was the Twins best starter in 2022 before going down. I worry about the durability, but he's been solid.

Chris Paddack was dominant on the bump matching a season high strikeout total and earning additional leash from Rocco Baldelli. A couple of big back-to-back instances scored runs for Minnesota, and the Twins put themselves in position for a series victory in game four. Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Chris Paddack 5 1/3 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K (99 pitches, 70 strikes, 19 whiffs) Home Runs: Carlos Correa (2), Trevor Larnach (3), Willi Castro (3) Top 3 WPA: Chris Paddack (.154), Willi Castro (.153), Trevor Larnach (.087) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Back to Back Jacks There were significant amounts of hard-hit contact early for both sides. With Chris Paddack on the bump for the Minnesota Twins, both Julio Rodriguez and Jorge Polanco had hard-hit balls in the top of the 1st inning. Rodriguez wound up with a single but the Mariners couldn’t do damage and Minnesota had a chance to strike first. Carlos Correa stepped in and blasted his second home run of the season. The 406 foot shot made it a 1-0 game and put Minnesota in the lead early. Wasting no time to follow his lead, Trevor Larnach went back-to400-footth a 400-foot shot of his own. Sporting a .367 average and 1.010 OPS, he has been everything Rocco Baldelli has needed and more since swapping him in for Matt Wallner. Continuing to add on, the Twins returned to the batter’s box for the 3rd inning and Willi Castro broke an 0-for-11 streak with a solo home run of his own. It was Castro’s third big fly of the season, and as he continues to fill in for Byron Buxton, it’s this sort of production the team is looking for. After having the rally sausage out of the dugout for a brief time, it quickly re-emerged for this series and made an appearance in short order Wednesday. Smelling a Strong Start While the Twins have made the rally sausage part of their dugout shenanigans this season, that has largely been limited to catching it following a run scored or home run. After Castro’s dinger though, he was seen amongst his teammates smelling the meat piece. Paddack may find himself with the sausage at some point throughout the game if his first three innings of work are any indication. Striking out seven batters across the game’s first nine outs, he positioned himself well to threaten some career numbers. Having struck out ten earlier this season, and 11 twice during his career, both numbers seemed possible with just 65 pitches under his belt. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know thats a promise we make good on. Through the 4th inning on 79 pitches and nine strikeouts, Paddack had new highs within his reach. Mitch Garver did tag him for a solo home run, but the damage was limited to one. Minnesota needed him to go deep tonight with something of a taxed bullpen, but they got a bit more breathing room in the bottom half. After Jose Miranda drew a walk, it was Castro coming through again. His third triple of the season allowed Miranda to motor around and make it a 4-1 game. Turned Over to the Bullpen Despite being at 92 pitches, Paddack talked his way back out onto the mound to start the 6th inning. Garver got him for a single but then the Twins starter punched out Ty France for his 10th strikeout of the evening. Caleb Thielbar came on in relief and shut down Seattle to send the Twins back into the dugout. A night after the bullpen imploded, Baldelli was going to need good work from them yet again. Thielbar got three outs but was lifted in favor of Griffin Jax as Polanco stepped in. The Minnesota setup man got the former infielder, but Mitch Haniger drew a walk before Cal Raleigh ripped a two-run double that made it a 4-3 game. For the second consecutive night, the Big Dumper had brought the runs in. Clinging to a one-run lead, the Twins needed to thread the needle. Doubling Down Facing Mariners reliever Cody Bolton, Manuel Margot flew out to start the inning but Julien singled to put a runner on. In motion looking to steal second base, Julien was near the bag when Ryan Jeffers ripped a double just inside of the third base line. The Minnesota second baseman continued motoring around and scored to make it a 5-3 game. Though this back-to-back wasn't of the home run variety, Kepler followed Jeffers and swapped places. His double made it a 6-3 game and gave the Twins some much-needed breathing room. Jhoan Duran was on, with another one of his electric entrances, seeking the save and a chance to lock down the victory for the Twins. Making quick work of the Mariners in order, the Twins avoided back-to-back losses and put themselves in position to take the series on Thursday. Improving to 4-2 on the current homestand, they have a chance to head out to Boston on a high note. Notes Josh Winder made his first rehab appearance with the Saints on Wednesday afternoon. Working 1 2/3 innings of relief, he allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits. Winder struck out one and walked a batter. He will be in the mix for bullpen opportunities at some point this year, but the Twins have to see a sharper level of production before promoting him. Justin Topa has been on a rehab assignment as he works to make his debut for the Twins. The results haven’t been great, and unfortunately, he underwent an MRI to see what lingering issues there are for his knee injury. Reliever Brock Stewart had an MRI on his shoulder over the weekend. Initially placed on the injured list with some tendinitis, it was expected that the Twins caught it early and he would need only a brief shutdown. The word on his MRI is that things looked good. A pretty neat note was shared by The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman today that worked itself into a coincidence thanks to Scott Servais’ pitching decisions for the Mariners. What’s Next? It’s a Pablo Day on Thursday for an afternoon contest as Minnesota wraps up the series with Seattle. Pablo Lopez goes against Logan Gilbert, and both sides will presumably have their hands full with the opposition's starting pitcher. The Twins then head north of the boarder to Toronto this weekend for a series with the Blue Jays. While Byron Buxton would be eligible to join them on Sunday, meeting the team back home makes more sense. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Hadn't ever tried it until it became famous. Solid offering!