Ted Schwerzler

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The Minnesota Twins farm system had a little bit of everything today with some strong pitching performances as well as a few notable days at the plate. Check them all out withing. Image courtesy of William Parmeter, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels TRANSACTIONS RHP Juan Mendez reinstated from the 7 day IL by Fort Myers SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 6, Omaha 5 Box Score Brent Headrick was on the bump tonight for the Saints and he turned in somewhat of a mixed bag. Despite allowing just a single run on one hit, he also had no strikeouts and issued four free passes. Rehabbing Twins infielder Jorge Polanco made an appearance in the field, playing second base, and he batted in the two-hole. Omaha got ahead in the second inning when former Twins infielder Jermaine Palacios drove in Brewer Hicklen. He then doubled the lead with his ninth homer of the season, a fifth inning solo shot. Trevor Larnach put the Saints on the board in the sixth inning with his eighth homer of the year, and that power is something Minnesota would like to see more of. During the seventh inning St. Paul took the lead, adding again with some power. Andrew Bechtold’s ninth homer scored Jair Camargo before Kyle Garlick doubled home both Alex De Goti and Austin Martin. Now up 5-2, the Saints were in a good position. After allowing a run to Omaha in the eighth inning, St. Paul responded with Garlick’s second double of the game. The ninth inning two-bagger brought home recently promoted Ernie Yake and made it a 6-3 game. Omaha answered with two runs in the ninth despite having two outs, but Patrick Murphy slammed the door before the tying run could be scored. Martin had two hits on the night as did Garlick. Polanco went 0-for-3, with a walk. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 4, Amarillo 1 Box Score David Festa went tonight for the Wind Surge, and despite lasting only three innings, he was great. The Twins prospect allowed only two hits and gave up a single walk while striking out six on the evening. Getting on the board first, Wichita loaded the bases in the first inning and Aaron Sabato drew a walk allowing Yunior Severino to stroll across the plate. In the seventh inning Severino launched his 18th homer of the season, and the eighth inning saw Jake Rucker send a two-run shot to left center, bringing home Yoyner Fajardo as well. Up 4-0, Wichita was on cruise control. Denny Bentley and Regi Grace both worked scoreless appearances for the Wind Surge, shutting things down and keeping the lead in tact. Alex Scherff did give up a run in the ninth, but that's where this one ended. Severino finished with three hits on the day while Fajardo and Rucker both had two of their own. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Peoria 3 Box Score The Kernels sent C.J. Culpepper to the mound tonight and he turned in five innings of shutout baseball. The Cedar Rapids starter allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out four and keeping his ERA at 0.00. Cedar Rapids scored the game’s first run when Emmanuel Rodriguez raced home on a first inning wild pitch. THey added in the fourth inning after Andrew Cossetti blasted his fourth dinger, this one a grand slam, scoring Ben Ross, Jorel Ortega, and Misael Urbina. In the fifth inning Cedar Rapids tacked on again when Ross ripped a double to bring home Kala’i Rosario, and Noah Cardenas singled in Ross. Up 7-0, this one looked to be in the bag. Peoria did plate two in the sixth inning on a home run, but Keoni Cavaco erased one with his fourth home run of the year, a sixth inning solo shot. Peoria clawed back with a run in the seventh inning, but Cedar Rapids plated another on an Ortega sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to score Noah Miller. The tilt ended without ever being close. Rodriguez recorded three hits while Ben Ross had two of his own on the evening. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Bradenton 7 (F/10) Box Score Jose Olivares took the ball tonight for Fort Myers, and while he only worked 4 2/3 innings, he gave up no runs on two hits and four walks. Working around the damage, Olivares struck out eight on the night. The Mighty Mussels took a first inning lead when Ricardo Olivar recorded his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot. They then added two more when Rafael Cruz blasted a two-run shot to left center in the second inning. Gregory Duran scored on the play and it was a 3-0 game. In the fourth inning, Duran homered, and his third of the season was a solo blast to make it 4-0. Bradenton didn’t find the scoreboard until the seventh inning, and they were able to plate just a single run. Fort Myers answered with a Cruz single in the eighth inning that scored Kyle Schmidt and Duran. A 6-1 game at this point, it appeared to be a rout. Deivis Nadal was not satisfied with the effort and blasted a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth to bring the Marauders within one. Despite being outhit 13-5, they were within striking distance. Ricardo Velez then gave up a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth allowing Bradenton to tie things up at six. Needing extras to sort everything out, Fort Myers made use of the inherited runner and then some. Schmidt’s single plated Dylan Neuse before Cruz drove home Schmidt with a single of his own. Yohander Martinez drove a sacrifice fly to score Duran, and Carson McCusker singled home Cruz. Before the inning wrapped up, Rubel Cespedes singled home Olivar and it was an 11-6 lead. Fort Myers did give one back in the bottom half, but their lead was far too much to overcome. McCusker, Cespedes, Schmidt, Martinez, and Olivar grabbed a pair of hits with Duran netting three and Cruz grabbing four. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates 8, FCL Twins 7 Box Score It was Brayan Medina’s day on the mound, he of the Taylor Rogers trade to San Diego. Going five innings, Medina allowed just two runs on three hits and a pair of walks. He did strike out four. After trailing initially, the Twins scored on a bases loaded walk from Jose Rodriguez during the third inning. Alec Sayre came home, and then Isaac Pena scored on a wild pitch. Allowing another run in the bottom half, the Twins replicated their run in the fourth inning. This time Jankel Ortiz drew a bases loaded walk to bring home Endy Rodriguez. Andres Centeno then scored on Sayre’s at bat. In the fifth inning it was Yasser Mercedes making his mark. A longball for his fifth homer of the year made this a 5-2 game, and a Rodriguez double brought home Daniel Pena pushing the score to 6-2. Heading to the ninth, the Pirates had nearly come all the way back making it just a one-run game. Thankfully Rodriguez singled in Pena to provide necessary breathing room as the Pirates closed the gap to one again in the bottom of the ninth. Needing to close it out, Bryan Acuna made a throwing error allowing two Pirates runs to score, and the Twins found themselves getting walked off. Rodriguez’s four hit day was just a home run shy of the cycle. He accounted for half of the team’s hits. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Giants Black 18, DSL Twins 13 Box Score It was one of those days in the Dominican Summer League where both teams erupted for a plethora of runs. Cristian Hernandez lasted just three innings as the Twins starter allowing six runs on three hits and four walks. Despite scoring double-digits, Javier Roman was the only Twins player to hit a home run on the day. Star international free agent signing Ariel Castro went 2-for-6 with a double, pair of runs scored, and three RBI on the day. Roman put up three hits in the losing effort and drove in four runs. Angel Trinidad also had a nice game with three hits, including two doubles. Hendry Chivilli did play today and was 0-for-4 with two runs on a pair of walks. The teams combined to score 31 runs on 29 hits. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – C.J. Culpepper (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Rafael Cruz (Fort Myers) - 4-5, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR(5), K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-5, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, R, 3B, BB, K #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 2-4 #7 - David Festa (Wichita) - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 2-5, R, 2 K #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 0-3, 2 BB, 3 K #11 - Yasser Mercedes (FCL Twins) - 1-5, R, RBI, HR(4), K #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, BB, K #17 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 3-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B, HR(18) #19 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 3.0 IP, H, R, ER, 4 BB FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (7:05PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Wichita @ Amarillo (7:05PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Zebby Matthews Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

First playing college baseball with Virginia Tech before transferring to Appalachian State, Xander Hamilton has experience playing in some very tough baseball conferences. His big strikeout numbers jump off the board, and Minnesota called his name in the 14th round of the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft. Image courtesy of Julli Salvatierra This spring, Xander Hamilton threw 87 2/3 innings for Appalachian State and posted 115 strikeouts. There are a lot of moldable tools with his game, and he presents Minnesota with another opportunity to carve out a strong late-round pitcher similar to Bailey Ober or Louie Varland. Before he kicks off his professional career, I caught up with him talk find out a little bit more. Twins Daily: You spent a couple of years experiencing the ACC before moving to the Sun Belt. What was that experience like? Xander Hamilton: Spending two years in the ACC, it felt a lot more like business and just having to be on the good side of the coaches if you wanted playing time. If you didn’t fit their mold in their program, you just weren’t going to cut it. I believe those big schools end up picking their favorites and leaving a lot of kids in the dust. I think this is due to over-recruiting off the bat. The ACC is a big, sexy conference with a bunch of big time, household name schools, but believe me, the Sun Belt is just as competitive and talented as the ACC. The talent coming might not compare, but the coaching and overall grit from Sun Belt players makes it just as tough. Playing in the Sun Belt felt a lot more like playing baseball than worrying about if everything you do is gonna get you playing time. If you’re good, you’re gonna get your shot, especially at App State. TD: Pitching nearly 90 innings this year, what did you take away from your highest workload from a body understanding perspective? XH: I enjoyed the workload and responsibility that was given to me helping my team on those Friday nights. I believe getting through those innings started with how I prepared my body the summer before. A lot of hard work was put in getting my body healthy that summer and getting my body prepared to throw that fall. Lots of time lifting weights, conditioning and rehab went into preparing my body for the workload. As the season went along, I actually began to throw harder and harder, so I knew the way I prepared my body paid off. TD: What do you feel most prepared you this year to head into pro ball? XH: I think just getting to pitch against some of the best bats in the country really prepared me. Also, just strictly focusing on pitching for the first time in my life really helped me elevate my skills on the mound. Through this last year, I believe I have developed into a true pitcher and really learned the art of it. TD: From a pitching perspective, what does your arsenal look like? What pitches are you most comfortable with? XH: Right now I have a four-seam fastball that can get up to 95 mph, and I will sit about 92-93. My best pitch, the slider, is my go-to and has really elevated me over opposing hitters. I also have a splitter that turned into a real game-changer for me this year. TD: Developmentally, what are you most excited about adding to your game as you head into professional baseball? XH: I’m excited to be working with the best coaches in the world and help me gain velocity, become a better athlete, and possibly add another pitch. TD: Being from North Carolina, what do you know about the Twins organization, Target Field, and Minnesota? XH: I don’t know a lot about the history of the Twins, but Target Field is actually one of my favorite ballparks. I love the odd-shaped ballparks and Target Field is definitely one of those, especially with the overhang in right field. I have never been to Minnesota, but I hope to call it home one day! TD: What’s something interesting about you? What do you do away from the game as far as hobbies and fun? XH: I am extremely passionate about modified vehicles, especially off road ones like pickup trucks. I also like really fast cars. I enjoy just being outside and enjoying the sunshine, whether it is on the beach or on the lake. I also have a love for the mountains, which was one of the reasons for choosing App State. Welcome to Twins Territory, Xander! View full article

The Minnesota Twins acquired Sonny Gray to help bolster a pitching staff that badly needed help. He’s now in the final year of his deal and has added another all-star appearance to his resume. What does the payday look like this offseason? Image courtesy of © Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports After flaming out in New York, and being relatively snakebit by a small ballpark, the Cincinnati Reds signed Sonny Gray to a five-year deal worth $50.7 million as a 29-year-old. He rewarded them by making the all-star team during his first season and wound up finishing seventh in the Cy Young voting. It was clear Gray wasn’t going to be a part of Cincinnati’s direction heading into 2022, and Minnesota swung a trade headlined by prospect Chase Petty. Rocco Baldelli needed all the help he could get with a rotation that heavily featured Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer, so it was Gray that led the group. Fast-forward to where we are now, and Gray is again among the best pitchers in baseball. He owned a 2.89 ERA with a 2.85 FIP across his first 15 starts. Although run support hasn’t been there for him, his 9.1 K/9 is above his career average, and his 0.3 HR/9 is a career best that leads the league. His last two outings have not been good, but Minnesota is certainly hoping the rest of the season can revert to his pre-all-star form. Having not signed an extension with the Twins, and barreling toward a postseason run, a relatively straightforward plan of action would be for Gray to walk during the offseason. The Twins have internal depth for the rotation with the likes of Joe Ryan, Chris Paddack, Bailey Ober, Louie Varland, Simeon Woods Richardson, and others. They will certainly look to add an arm or two, but Gray’s price tag and age could keep Minnesota from favoring a long-term deal. It goes almost without saying that the Twins will offer Gray a Qualifying Offer. Should he return on a one-year deal around $20 million, the club would be ecstatic. If they net an additional draft pick out of it instead, and someone else pays him crazy money, so be it. What do those dollars look like though? There is some good precedent from the 2023 offseason. Gray will be 34 next year and his performance puts him right in line with Chris Bassitt. Both Jameson Taillon and Taijuan Walker are younger, but neither had pitched quite as well. Gray doesn’t have the top end of Jacob deGrom or Carlos Rodon, but he doesn’t bring the injury history either. Looking over Tyler Anderson, a secondary comp could be in line with what the Rangers did for Nathan Eovaldi. The Bassitt and Eovaldi deals were three and two years, respectively. The former got an average annual value of $21 million while the latter grabbed $17 million annually. Eovaldi has been a substantially better pitcher this year, and he could go down as one of the best signings from the offseason. Gray’s representation will be looking for a multi-year deal, and targeting the Bassitt contract as a floor makes a good deal of sense. Teams could point to Evoaldi’s number as a starting point, but it will be hard to use that valuation given how vastly he has outperformed the deal in year one. A downside for Gray’s tactics will be the talent competing for the same dollars as free agents. Shohei Ohtani is a unicorn and in a class of his own, but aging superstars like Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw are there. Marcus Stroman seems in line for a payday and Martin Perez has been solid for the Rangers. Aaron Nola and Blake Snell are both free agents, and so too are Lucas Giolito and Julio Urias. Ultimately, it seems unlikely the Twins would want to go three years on a deal with Gray. The familiarity is there, and he has been great this season often pitching deeper into games while displaying enhanced stuff. Minnesota grabbing a younger arm or someone they believe could have untapped potential seems alluring, but playing more in the pond of a one or two-year pact seems like this organization’s sweet spot. I’d expect Gray to want something like $75 million over three years as his last substantial payday. He may get slightly less than that, but his second half could definitely dictate the extent of his negotiations. Either way, it seems more likely than not that Sonny Gray returning to Minnesota for 2024 won’t be in the cards. What do you think the current Twins starter gets on his next deal? What would you be comfortable with Minnesota offering him? View full article

The Twins went pitching heavy in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft, and Jeremy Lee was part of a run that saw 11 go in a row. The South Alabama product played in the MLB Draft League, and now will look to rise the ranks through the system. Image courtesy of South Alabama Athletics - Story Building back this year after surgery in 2022, Jeremy Lee was looking to get innings. He threw 66 innings for the Jaguars this season and is looking to further distance himself from rehab. Now healthy, he joins the Twins organization looking to continue developing in professional baseball. Headed down to Fort Myers for the next step in his career, I caught up with him quick for a few post-draft questions. Twins Daily: Building back up from your first year at South Alabama, what was the thing you focused most on this year looking towards the draft? Jeremy Lee: Well, last year, I had elbow surgery on my throwing arm. This year, my focus was to get back on the mound and compete and do what I love. It was a tough year coming off of surgery last year, but I think I am trending in the right direction! TD: What does your stuff look like? Which pitches do you showcase, and what do you feel most comfortable with? JL: I throw four pitches which include: Fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup. I throw both two-seam and four-seam fastballs, slider and curveball in any count, and change-up is more of a show pitch as of right now but look forward to developing that pitch into a weapon. JL: The Sun Belt is a great baseball league. I would argue that it is probably a Top 4, Top 5 baseball league in the country. Obviously this is a big step forward no matter what league you are in, but I feel that the Sun Belt was a great league to get some experience against some really good competition. TD: You participated in the MLB Draft league with Trenton. What was that experience like and how do you feel like that prepared you for the next level? JL: The Draft League was a great experience for me. I threw for two weeks there this summer and faced some really good hitters. Many of them I’m sure were drafted this year. Trenton was a great team to play for. There were anywhere from 5,000 to 8,000 fans at all of our games which makes it a very good atmosphere to pitch in. TD: As you build on your abilities, what are you most looking forward to from a development perspective at the next level? JL: I look forward to working with the pitching coaches and strength coaches of the Twins organization. Any time you have a chance to work with the best in the world at development, it is very exciting. I think when I get in the lab with these coaches and work with them, the sky's the limit for my performance. TD: What was draft day like for you? Obviously anticipation and excitement, but did you have any indications as to where you’d go? How did you celebrate? JL: I was very excited for the draft this year. I had no idea where I would go in the draft or to what organization. I had some very close family there with me when I heard my name called so it was a special moment for me to share with them. As far as a celebration, it was just spending time with my family and taking it all in. TD: Minnesota is obviously a ways from Alabama. What do you know about the Twins and the organization? JL: I know the Twins are a great developmental organization, which I look forward to. The Twins have had so many great players in their organization, and it will be an honor to be a part of such a history rich organization. TD: What do you do to stay relaxed outside of baseball? Any hobbies or specific things you enjoy? JL: Outside of baseball, I love to hunt and fish. Being from Alabama, I grew up being outdoors as much as I could. I also like to play golf and look forward to spending time with family and friends when I get the chance in the off-seasons. Welcome to Twins Territory, Jeremy! View full article

Things started ugly for Bailey Ober, but the Twins added to their first inning total and Alex Kirilloff came up just short of a cycle. Edouard Julien had another solid night, and WIlli Castro helped to beat the Seattle Mariners. Image courtesy of © Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Bailey Ober 6.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K Home Runs: Alex Kirilloff (6), Edouard Julien (8), Kyle Farmer (6), Carlos Correa (12) Top 3 WPA: Alex Kirilloff .275, Willi Castro .255, Edouard Julien .109 Mike Muchlinski was behind the plate calling balls and strikes tonight, and it appears his vision had not improved after his foul ball call last evening. He rung Edouard Julien up on ball four before being uncertain about the correct calls against Alex Kirilloff. Even still, Minnesota put runners on second and third with only one out. Max Kepler's sacrifice fly to left field scored Carlos Correa and put Minnesota on the board first. The Twins added more in the first opportunity tonight than last evening. Willi Castro drove an 0-2 pitch to center, allowing Kirilloff to come home. Matt Wallner read the throw well and advanced to third on the play. Muchlinski made his mark again when he punched out Kyle Farmer on a ball to end the frame. Despite making Mariners starter Bryan Woo work, Bailey Ober gave up a single to J.P. Crawford before Eugenio Suarez sent a ball into the seats and evened things for Seattle in the bottom half. Ober continued to be hit hard throughout the frame, and a double from Ty France scored Jarred Kelenic. Teoscar Hernandez did give Minnesota a break running through the stop sign and being cut down at the plate. Mike Ford's single in the next at-bat threatened another run, but Manny Acta erroneously sent France, and Kepler's throw nailed him this time. The 35-minute first inning came to an end. Starting the third inning with a ripped single right back up the box, Julien gave the Twins a baserunner. Wanting to partake in the Tuesday festivities, Kirilloff then blasted an oppo taco over the left field wall. Minnesota was back on top 4-3 and could look to add more. With Kepler and Castro on the corners, the Twins' stolen base leader went for second base, and Cal Raleigh's throw tailed into centerfield. Kepler could quickly scamper home on the play, and they had now put up five runs through the first three innings of the night. Getting the fourth inning going nicely, Julien turned on an inside pitch and deposited it into the right field seats. Kirilloff again followed with a hit of his own, grabbing a triple. He found himself just a double and a single away from the cycle less than halfway through the contest. Kepler made sure the final 90 feet were taken care of when he doubled for the seventh time this season to make it a 7-3 lead. After being hit around in the first inning, Ober was on cruise control through the fifth. He continued to pound the strike zone and was retiring Mariners batters in succession. The resolve continued to be extremely impressive, given how his night started. Minnesota threatened again in the sixth inning with runners on second and third, and Castro came through with a single to score Julien. Kepler didn't see the send from Tommy Watkins, but the Twins found themselves with an 8-3 lead. Joey Gallo couldn't come through with the bases loaded to do even more damage, or the inning would have gone sideways for Seattle. Despite giving up three runs in the first inning, and seven hits the first time through the order, he didn't give up either since. Working through the sixth inning on just 90 pitches, Rocco Baldelli got a great outing from his starter. With Minnesota pitching scuffling a bit since the All-Star Break and this one looking ugly right away, the turnaround was encouraging to see. Of course, the Twins have been jobbed at times by replay this year, but in the seventh inning Major League Baseball fell flat on its face again. Correa had an infield single taken away when the Mariners were awarded an out despite first baseman France never making a tag. It's been disappointing to see the replay process so poorly instituted at times this season. Finding unrelated third parties to make decisions could be a worthwhile change. Singling to lead off the eighth inning, Kirilloff was just a double shy of the cycle. While it seemed unlikely that he would get a fifth at-bat, just having a night like this has to feel good as he continues to put the wrist injury in his rearview mirror. Jordan Balazovic and Emilio Pagan pitched scoreless innings of relief to set up the ninth, but Minnesota wanted to make history first. After Farmer went way out for the sixth time this season, Correa turned on a pitch and sent his 12th homer into the seats. They scored double-digit runs and became the 12th team across Major League Baseball to do so on the evening. Michael A. Taylor did swing at ball four twice, leaving Kirilloff's cycle chances in the on-deck circle, but the good guys had done plenty of damage. Cole Sands emerged from the shadows to work the ninth inning. Despite not having pitched in what feels like decades, he was sharp, retiring the Mariners in just four batters. The Twins took care of business against Seattle this evening to secure at least a series split. They'll face a tall task against dominant arm Luis Castillo tomorrow night. Cleveland did take their game with the Pittsburgh Pirates today so no change will be felt in the AL Central standings. Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Notes Sonny Gray reached ten years of Major League service time today, and the Twins hooked him up with a fantastic gift. Carlos Correa continued to hit well out of the leadoff spot and extended his on-base streak to 15 games with a first-inning single. The Twins scored at least five runs for the fifth straight game. It was the second time they had done so all season and the first since April 28. The Twins helped see the second-most teams across MLB accomplish that feat by scoring ten runs tonight. The stat dates back to the late 1800's per Sarah Langs. What’s Next? With just two games left for the Twins against the Mariners in this series, both of those two tilts will feature the best Seattle pitchers Minnesota has seen. Continuing to roll on with a 13-game-in-13-day stretch, Rocco Baldelli’s club returns home on Friday against the Chicago White Sox. Wednesday 7/19 Kenta Maeda vs Luis Castillo (8:40pm) Thursday 7/20 Pablo Lopez vs George Kirby (2:40pm) Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The Minnesota Twins have had success finding players all over the country, and 17th-round pick Kade Bragg hails from the Lone Star State. A longtime Texas Rangers fan, he’s excited to get started up north. Image courtesy of Paul Witwer / USA TODAY NETWORK Having pitched in the Cape Cod league during the 2021 season, Kade Bragg started to find himself pushing for more opportunities. Pitching this year with Angelo State as a 21-year-old, he racked up strikeouts and put together a great season that amounted to a 1.20 ERA across 104 2/3 innings. Bragg had one of the most successful senior seasons across the entirety of the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft class, and Minnesota is certainly hoping to parlay that into a successful professional career. If his numbers at Angelo State end up translating, finding early success in pro ball could be coming. I caught up with him before he headed out to Fort Myers, here’s what he had to say: Twins Daily: You had an awesome senior season, and you showed well in the Cape Cod League. What do you feel set you up for such a performance? Kade Bragg: You know, it really boiled down to coaching. I had a lot of room for growth and they introduced me to a lot of new techniques I could use. The coaching staff really was the key to my success this year. I grew in a lot of different ways I didn’t know I could. They were there for me on and off the field. It was just a matter of being comfortable and then having a family away from home. TD: Looking at your repertoire on the mound, what do you use and feel most comfortable attacking hitters with? KB: I’m actually really comfortable throwing any pitch in any count. I got really comfortable with the fastball this year. That was my go to pitch. I could put it where I wanted this year. I threw a lot of fastballs. I throw a changeup and a slider as well, but numbers wise, I threw something like 97% fastball. TD: Going into professional baseball, what are you most looking forward to development-wise as a player? KB: This is something I’ve looked forward to for a really long time. Physically my body can take the next step. Another thing, mechanically there are a lot of things I want to take the next step with. My secondary pitches, and obviously my fastball. I want to get physically bigger, and then just develop all of my pitches. I think the sky's the limit with me. Getting into the right system and getting going, who knows what’s possible. TD: Is there something from a pitchability standpoint you’re looking to do at the next level? Being heavy fastball in college, are you looking to add more? KB: I would love to add another pitch. A cutter and a true curveball or even a splitter would be nice to add. Options are limitless, but I do want to add another pitch or two. TD: Being from Texas, what do you know about Minnesota, the Twins organization, or Target Field? KB: This is going to sound weird, but I don’t know a whole lot about them. I have been a huge baseball fan my whole life, but the Twins are one of the only teams I haven’t really dug into. I never thought the Twins would take me. I thought I was a good Texas boy. I grew up In Dallas, went to Rangers games all my life. It’s crazy how quick of a turnaround they made this year. It’s a lot of fun to watch those guys play. TD: What was draft day like for you? Did you watch or have an expectation for when you may hear your name called? KB: I didn’t really have any expectations. I knew if I was going to go, it would be a late day two or day three thing. So it just became kind of an emotional rollercoaster. I was waiting on the call. I sat by my phone for two days waiting on it to happen. Obviously when it did happen, it was a dream come true, and I had a lot of emotions all rolling through at once. It was kind of a hard thing to handle. TD: What do you typically find yourself doing when getting away from baseball? KB: I’m an outdoorsman. I love being outside. Me and my fiancé go on a lot of walks. I hunt and fish a lot, I grew up being outside. Really anything outdoors. Welcome to Twins Territory, Kade! View full article

In his first start after the All-Star Game, Sonny Gray couldn't separate from his previous outing, and despite cruising through four, melted down late. The Minnesota Twins made it interesting in the ninth inning, but wound up a run short. Image courtesy of Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Sonny Gray: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 5 K Home Runs: Joey Gallo (17), Max Kepler (13) Top 3 WPA: Carlos Correa (.128), Edouard Julien (.079), Joey Gallo (.044) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Minnesota Twins traveled up the coast on Monday after sweeping the Oakland Athletics over the weekend. It wasn’t pretty, but a three-game winning streak is nothing to scoff about. Looking to tie their longest positive run since April 11, the fighting Rocco Baldelli’s needed to best Logan Gilbert and the Seattle Mariners. After the Twins forced Gilbert to throw 26 pitches during the first inning, Sonny Gray took the mound for the first time since his third all-star appearance. He shut them down on just 11 pitches, punching out two, and both teams were ready to settle in. Minnesota and Seattle came into this series as very similar foes. With substantial strikeout issues on both sides, the Twins advantage can be seen in the longball. Byron Buxton found out hitting the ball to dead center against the wind wasn’t going to work tonight, and after Carlos Correa combined with Edouard Julien for a double play in the second inning, Ty France tallied the Mariners third strikeout of the night. Correa broke open the scoring during the third inning after watching Michael A. Taylor open with a leadoff double. He went the opposite way down the right field line and traded spots with Minnesota’s centerfielder making it 1-0. Byron Buxton continues to look befuddled at the dish. Coming up with first and third, no outs in the third inning, he failed to put the bat on the ball and went down swinging. His struggles have again resulted in a valley, and continuing to bat third hasn’t proven fruitful for Minnesota. Quite the opposite, Alex Kirilloff continues to have great at bats. After a close hit was called foul, he lifted a sacrifice fly scoring Correa and making it a 2-0 game. Max Kepler led off the fourth inning with a double aided by his ballet background, but the Twins couldn’t bring him across the plate. Dick Bremer dubbed it, “An adventurous trip to second base,” because of course he did. In the fifth inning, Gray decided to bury virtually every breaking ball he threw. France was begging to strike out down 0-2, Mike Ford was hit on the back foot by a bender, and then Jose Caballero drove in Teoscar Hernandez for Seattle’s first run after getting down 0-2. Despite being in command all night, he seemingly forgot how to pitch when getting up for the inning. It took catcher Ryan Jeffers blocking eight pitches in the inning to keep runners from trotting around the bags. Instead, Gray issued a bases loaded walk to Julio Rodriguez and Minnesota’s lead was gone. Jarred Kelenic pushed a doinker to left field scoring two runs, and Gray’s nitpicking came back to burn him in a big way. Seattle grabbed a 4-2 lead, and Baldelli’s starter had completely gone off the rails. The Twins lineup quickly made two outs against reliever Gabe Speier after Gray’s bad inning, and it looked as though they would make it a quick inning. Instead Joey Gallo went big fly on a 109.2 mph bomb to dead center for 422 feet. The “absolute bomb” as Justin Morneau called it, brought the Twins back within one. Gray walked Cal Raleigh to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning, and then allowed him to cross the plate on yet another spiked breaking ball. Command was non-existent on the pitch over his final two innings, and the nibbling was responsible for each of the five runs that Seattle gained against him. Minnesota created a threat in the seventh inning after Correa walked, Kirilloff singled, and Solano walked to load the bases. Despite Andres Munoz walking Solano, Max Kepler pounded a first pitch into the ground for a routine out to second base. As well as it came together, the Twins wound up with nothing. Oliver Ortega provided the Twins with a couple of nice strikeouts, and was within an out of ending the seventh still down just 5-3, but Eugenio Suarez sent a ball into orbit with Kelenic on. The two-run blast made it a 7-3 game, and Minnesota’s squandered opportunities continued to loom large. The Twins had gone just 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position to this point, and they had already left nine on base. The Twins haven’t been able to find a spot for Matt Wallner to make an appearance since his recall, but did with the four-run deficit as a pinch hitter for Taylor. He faced Munoz’s 99 mph heat and went down on three pitches. Despite Julien leading off the ninth inning with the Twins needing four runs, Buxton went down on strikes for the third time in the game, and Kirilloff couldn’t reach. Solano singled to reach base in his second straight at-bat, and that brought up Kepler needing to reach for the tying run to have a chance. Why not, the German lefty smashed a three-run bomb, making it a 7-6 game and the Mariners brought in closer Paul Sewald to face Jeffers. Forcing Seattle to use their closer in a game they had in hand is a big win for Minnesota during a four-game series, but that was as moral as it got tonight. Jeffers punched out, and that’s how Monday’s tilt ended. Notes: Edouard Julien has a five-game hitting streak in which he has gone 10-for-15. Carlos Correa extended his on-base streak to 14 games. Playing third base, the least used position of his season, Donovan Solano made a pair of great fielding plays. Byron Buxton is now riding an 0-for-22 streak with a 14/1 K/BB. What’s Next? The Minnesota Twins are playing their first four-game series since mid-June when they played the Boston Red Sox. Baldelli’s club is in the Pacific Northwest through Thursday, and they’ll face a handful of good pitching matchups. Tuesday 7/18 Bailey Ober vs Bryan Woo (8:40pm) Wednesday 7/19 Kenta Maeda vs Luis Castillo (8:40pm) Thursday 7/20 Pablo Lopez vs George Kirby (2:40pm) Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Twins Territory has a multi-state reach, and although Major League Baseball blacks out some of the access in those areas, the organization can keep talent within its borders. In selecting pitcher Ty Langenberg from Iowa, they did just that. Image courtesy of Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK Opening the season as Iowa’s Friday night starter, Ty Langenberg dealt with some adversity as he took a brief trip to the bullpen before rejoining the rotation. Looking like one of the better arms across the Big Ten, Langenberg parlayed a successful Cape Cod showing into some strong numbers for the Hawkeyes. Looking to get right into his professional career, Langenberg will be heading to Fort Myers soon and taking the next step in his baseball journey. Before getting there, he had time to catch up with Twins Daily. Twins Daily: Last year at Iowa, what do you think set you up for this draft and venturing into professional baseball? Ty Langenberg: I think it started with the summer. I was fortunate enough to play out in the Cape Cod League, and I did pretty well. That put me on the radar of a lot of different scouts and got my name out there. Coming into the fall, I had a little helium with my name. I had a pretty successful fall and made some more improvements. I was fortunate enough to earn the Friday night role which helped my name a little bit more. I actually had a pretty rough start to the season. In five starts, I underperformed in the Friday night role, and we had two other guys that were right behind me working. They moved me into the bullpen for a week, and I had to work through some things to make in-season adjustments. I battled adversity, and I think that was something scouts liked to see. I entered back into the rotation and had success, ultimately finishing strong, and I think that mattered a lot. TD: How did making some of those adjustments and dealing with differing levels of adversity help set you up for the enhanced competition within professional baseball? TL: It was really that first taste that not everything is going to sunshine and rainbows at the next level. There is limited time to make those adjustments. When something goes wrong, I need to be quick and precise when working through adjustments. Being able to work through pitch grips or mental cues then quickly going to the mound and finding things that take hold was huge. TD: What are you comfortable throwing on the mound and what do you feature? TL: I throw a four-seam fastball and changeup is probably my second best pitch. I also have a slider and a cutter. Fastball usage is probably around 40-50% with the slider and changeup making up the rest. My fastball isn’t something I’m afraid to go to in deeper counts, but I wouldn’t say it’s my best pitch. I ride it a little bit from a lower slot and that seems to work well up in the zone. Typically late in counts, my changeup is going to be my best pitch. It worked well for me when I played out in the Cape Cod League, and it’s something I brought back after making some tweaks out there. For a changeup, it’s kind of funny as there isn’t a huge change in velocity. I still throw it pretty firm, but I try to kill the batter with the movement on it. It’s my best pitch. My next step in professional baseball is to get a handle on a consistent, sweeping, slider. It’s a pitch that was pretty inconsistent this year. When it’s working and on, it can be one of my better pitches. The cutter was pretty much an emergency pitch when the slider wasn’t working. TD: Entering professional baseball, what are you most looking forward to from a development standpoint? TL: I’m really looking forward to the pitch design aspect of things. I know the Twins are a great organization for all of the analytical and data focus. They use all of the resources they have to develop a pitcher to their liking. The University of Iowa had a great program and we had a lot of that stuff. I’m excited to see how the Twins handle it, and I can compare and contrast to what Iowa did. TD: Being so close to the Twins organization logistically, what do you know about the Minnesota organization? TL: It’s really cool because growing up the Twins were my favorite team, and I had a lot of family that lived in Minneapolis. I’ve kind of known them from my start in baseball, watching Joe Mauer when I was younger, and now following them up to this point. Now I get to learn more about what they are as an organization and what they preach. It’s cool to end up with my childhood favorite team. It’s also cool they have a High-A affiliate out in Cedar Rapids right next to Iowa City. Staying pretty local is a good feeling. TD: Off the baseball field, what are you doing to de-stress? What hobbies do you have? TL: I do quite a bit of different things. Big thing I do is golfing. I like golfing, that’s probably my main thing. Video games are big too, I love playing video games whenever I can’t golf. If I’m outside and not golfing, I’m probably fishing. Welcome to Twins Territory, Ty! View full article

Cole Sands ;)

I love all of these names, but Polanco probably isn't around next year without figuring things out. Injuries bring his option into question, even with it converted to team. Also, Kirilloff/Wallner isn't an ideal defensive corner situation. I hope all of these guys can be dudes though.

Can't imagine he's there much after August first. Austin Martin is playing some 2B at St. Paul, but he looks brutal on the dirt.

I wonder more if he doesn't make a spot start for the Twins that day who are in the midst of 13 games in 13 days.

I couldn't make him hate me right away.

There were plenty of storylines to look into on the farm Sunday. Dallas Keuchel went again for the Saints, and Jorge Polanco began a rehab assignment. Wichita exploded for a bunch of runs, and Brooks Lee continued to be the straw that stirs that drink. Image courtesy of Tim Grubbs TRANSACTIONS 2B Jorge Polanco begins a rehab assignment with St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL Durham 5, St. Paul 3 Box Score Making another rehab start for the Saints, Dallas Keuchel continues to force a decision on the Twins with an opt out at the end of the month. He did give up some gap contact, but only one turned into a double. Mixing pitches, he had Durham’s hitters off balance much of his outing. Toby Gardenhire allowed Keuchel to work into the sixth inning today. He finished allowing a homer to Rays prospect Austin Shenton, and did give up one other run. On the day he allowed three runs (one earned) on eight hits while striking out six and walking none. After an Austin Martin error on a routine grounder cost the Saints a run in the top of the first inning, they went to work having Polanco bat third as their designated hitter. His first at bat during the rehab assignment was a nicely smoked double to the left-center gap. Getting on the board during the second inning, Chris Williams continued his great year at Triple-A. Blasting another homer, he’s continued to make the Twins take a serious look at putting him on the 40-man roster. Durham grabbed a pair in the sixth inning, jumping back out to a 3-1 lead. Answering in the bottom of the seventh inning, Anthony Prato put a ball in the right-center gap. When the Bulls outfielders nearly collided for the catch, Mark Contreras raced home and Prato wound up at third. Alex De Goti singled down the left field line, and Prato jogged the last ninety feet to tie it. Working into trouble, Ronny Henriquez walked in a run to give Durham a 4-3 lead with no outs during the top of the ninth inning. A passed ball was credited to Jair Camargo on a Kody Funderburk pitch, and the Bulls added another. Funderburk did grab a pair of strikeouts, but the Saints needed two in the ninth inning to force extras. Unfortunately the rally came up short and 5-3 was how this one would end. Polanco and Contreras were the lone hitters with multiple hits for St. Paul today. Talking about his start after the game, Keuchel noted it had been nine days since he was last out there. "I was very fortunate to go six and get up to 90 pitches...I'm not going to complain about that outing." Asked about his opt out he said, "to the best of my knowledge, I think it's the 21st. For me this is about building up and getting comfortable. I'm sure in the coming days we'll figure something out. I signed here for a reason, I'd like to still be here...I had multiple offers on the table. The worry of having a job is not there. It's more about, I love competing. I feel good enough to get outs in the big leagues. We'll see what happens." The changeup was exceptional today for the Saints, and Keuchel noticed the wind blowing out would make the pitch play differently during his pre-game bullpen. "I love my changeup. I will say the way the wind was playing, it usually gives me a little bit more run and sink. Usually that hurts the breaking ball a bit. I told Camargo, I'd like to get the breaking ball going early, but we didn't really have to with the way the pitches were moving." Keuchel did see success last year at Triple-A with the Rangers, but unfortunately it didn't translate. That seems to be much more mental than stuff. "Last year I was pushing for pension and a couple of different things that had added stress I never had focused on before in my life. A lot of it is the same, but mentally I'm back on the competitive train." Playing in his first rehab game with the Saints since re-injuring his hamstring, Polanco said he feels great. Seeing live pitching for the first time, ripping a double immediately was nice. "The plan is to play five or six games here and see how I feel. I believe I'm playing second base on Thursday." In comparison to his previous rehab stint for the same injury Polanco said, "this time we have been a bit more conservative than just the two weeks. I will continue getting treatment and loose the rest of the year." WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 13, Springfield 12 (F/10) Box Score Travis Adams took the ball for Wichita this afternoon and hit a rough patch during the fourth inning. Working 3 2/3 Adams allowed four runs on five hits and a pair of walks. He did strike out three today. With a pair of scoreless innings behind them, the Wind Surge scored first when DaShawn Keirsey Jr. homered for the 11th time this season, making it 1-0. Things went downhill from there for the Wind Surge as Springfield scored four runs in the fourth inning, and another pair in the fifth inning. Continuing to stay hot, Brooks Lee roped his 29th double of the season, bringing in Ernie Yake, and Wichita had a run during their half of the fifth. Keirsey Jr. followed suit with his 14th double, and the base knock worked to bring Lee home. Yunior Severino kept the carousel turning when he singled home Keirsey Jr. and the deficit was now just two. Stepping in after a pitching change, with Severino and Alex Isola on board, Pat Winkel blasted a three-run shot to put Wichita back out in front. Aaron Sabato followed with a single, and the Wind Surge had scored six runs on nine hits in the fifth inning before recording an out. Sabato scored on a Yake ground out to make it an 8-6 game, and Lee recorded his second hit of the inning to bring home Yoiyner Fajardo and make it a 9-6 lead. Despite having come all the way back once, the Wind Surge was determined to do it a second time. They gave up four runs in the top of the sixth inning, now looking at a one-run disadvantage again. Watching another come across in the seventh inning, Springfield now lead 11-9 Answering with two in the seventh, it was none other than Lee with his ninth home run. The two-run shot brought home Yake and evened it at 11. Despite scoring 11 runs on 16 hits, it wasn’t enough for the Wind Surge to win this in regulation. Springfield went to bat first with their 11 runs on 20 hits drawing even, and attempted to drive in a run against Wichita reliever Alex Scherff. They did bring home the inherited runner, but that’s where the door was slammed. Isola then stepped in and delivered a walk-off inside-the-park-home-run to end this one in hilarious fashion. Lee contributed four hits, along with Isola, while Keirsey Jr. had three. Severino, Sabato, and Fajardo all had two hit games. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 13, Cedar Rapids 6 Box Score It was Christian MacLeod’s turn on the bump today for Cedar Rapids, he went four strong allowing one run on five hits. He walked three and struck out three during the outing. The Kernels kicked things off with a run in the first inning when Kalai’ Rosario brought home Tanner Schobel with a ground out. Then in the third inning, Cedar Rapids added again after Noah Cardenas doubled home Rosario and Jorel Ortega. Jose Salas followed with a ground rule double to drive in Cardenas and the lead stretched to 4-0. In the fourth inning Cardenas drove in Schobel with a sacrifice fly before Noah Miller singled home Rosario. Beloit did push a run across in the fourth inning, but they were staring at a 6-1 deficit. Matthew Swain came on for the Kernels and had a tough outing giving up four runs without recording an out. Niklas Rimmel closed down the rally and preserved a one-run lead for Cedar Rapids through five. The pitching woes continued during the sixth inning however, and Cedar Rapids watched Beloit bring home six more putting them behind 11-6. Seeing Beloit drive in two more during the eighth inning, this wound up being a game the Kernels would prefer to forget. After leading 6-0, they were outscored 13-0. Schobel, Ortega, and Cardenas each had a pair of hits for Cedar Rapids to help with their nine total on the day. MUSSEL MATTERS Clearwater 10, Fort Myers 8 (F/10) Box Score Andrew Morris got the start this afternoon and he was nearly perfect over four innings. Allowing just a single hit and two walks, Morris didn’t give up and punched out four. He dropped his ERA to 2.74. Starting things off with three runs in the first inning, Fort Myers scored on a pair of blasts. Carson McCusker continues to be on fire and blasted his sixth homer for the game’s first run. Mikey Perez also hit his sixth homer, a two run shot scoring Rafael Cruz. Clearwater came roaring back during the fifth inning with a six-spot, and then added another in the top of the sixth inning. Fort Myers saw their lead disappear and needed to get to work. Allowing an eighth Clearwater run in the top of the seventh, the Mighty Mussels flexed in the bottom half. Rubel Cespedes drove in Maddux Houghton on a ground out before Cruz scored Ricardo Olivar with a ground out of his own. Perez then blasted his second dinger of the day, a two-run shot scoring McCusker, and bringing Fort Myers within one. Kyle Schmidt singled home Dylan Neuse before the inning was over, and this thing was knotted at eight. Unable to push a run across during the ninth inning, the pair headed to extras. Scoring their inherited runner and tacking on another one, Clearwater applied pressure making it 10-8 going into Fort Myers’ final at bats. Perez stepped in with the bases loaded, but didn’t find a way to do more damage and that’s how this one ended. Both McCusker and Perez had a pair of hits on the day, with each leaving the yard. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Andrew Morris (Fort Myers) - 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB 4 K Hitter of the Day – Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 4-6, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B(29), HR(9) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 4-6, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B(29), HR(9) #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 1-1, R #11 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-4, K #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, RBI, 2B(9) #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, RBI #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 2-4, R, RBI, 2 BB TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (12:05PM CST) - TBD Wichita @ Amarillo (7:05PM CST) - TBD Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article