Ted Schwerzler

The Minnesota Twins included Jose Miranda on their Opening Day roster this year after he posted somewhat of a breakout rookie season. He entered Spring Training as a more trim and disciplined version of himself, but just months into the season he was sent to St. Paul and his path back looks like a tricky one. What do you do with a problem like Miranda? Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports It’s not that the Minnesota Twins would prefer to have less depth as opposed to more, and Jose Miranda has shown an exciting ability to be a difference maker. Unfortunately, that ability never showed up in 2023 at the Major League level, and it landed him a ticket across town. The biggest bugaboo for Miranda this season was that he could make contact with anything. That’s a great skill, but it’s only valuable if you know what you should want to make contact with. His swing rates were roughly in line with where he was a season ago, but the quality of his contact fell off a cliff. Posting a hard hit rate at just 29.4% and a paltry 4.6% barrel rate, the results were underwhelming to say the least. For a guy that doesn’t walk much, he needs to produce when the bat hits the ball. Sent down to St. Paul with a goal of refocusing his approach, things did not start well. Through his first 19 games he posted just a .518 OPS with a 15/6 K/BB. He had only a single extra-base hit, a homer, and that is not going to cut it for a guy playing a corner spot. On a bit of a hot streak over his last seven games, results have been much better. Miranda owns a 1.022 OPS with four doubles in his last 27 at bats. He’s honed in the discipline as well posting an impressive 3/3 K/BB. Obviously batting .407 isn’t sustainable for him, he’s not Luis Arraez. Finding a middle ground is what the Twins need to see from him. If and when he does that though, where does he play? At this point Carlos Correa is the current and future answer for the Twins at shortstop. Miranda doesn’t factor in there, but it does directly impact his opportunities. With Royce Lewis excelling in the big leagues, he has as long of a leash as anyone to stick. Not playing shortstop means he’s owning the hot corner, and given it’s the position he predominantly played in high school, there is no reason to think he can’t hold it down. With Lewis as a cornerstone player for the Twins franchise into the future, Rocco Baldelli dreaming on a left side featuring Correa and Lewis is something to be excited about. That does take away the position Miranda is better at defensively. Looking across the diamond at first base, there is an argument to be made that Donovan Solano is someone to be replaced by Miranda, but he’s not the fixture there. Joey Gallo is on just a one-year deal for Minnesota, but has manned the position plenty. The future at first though, is Alex Kirilloff, and all early indications suggest his wrist is feeling better than ever. He's been productive with the bat, and is a solid fielder at first base. The role could be even murkier if that’s where Edouard Julien ultimately is pushed to due to a lacking defensively ability. That is where parallels come in for Miranda. He’s not a good first baseman and that’s putting it lightly. Last year, in just shy of 600 innings, Miranda owned a -6 DRS (defensive runs saved) and -4 OAA (outs above average) at the position. He played there because Gio Urshela was at third, but it was ugly on a nightly basis. Minnesota addressed that by opening third base for him this offseason, but his bat took away the opportunity. In 12 games since Lewis made his Major League debut this season, the St. Paul Saints have played Miranda at third eight times. It’s still his best position, and Chris Williams has had a nice year at Triple-A being somewhat positionless while stuck at first. Sprinkling Miranda in across the diamond, it’s clear that Minnesota knows he may need a new home if he’s going to come back up. The Twins allowed Miranda to play just two innings at first while he was in the majors this year, indicating it’s not something they want to do. If Lewis is going to hold down the hot corner though, then Miranda could be the short side of a platoon with Kirilloff. Making either playing a rotational talent this early in their careers is suboptimal, but that could be the lone way to make his roster inclusion work. He’d be a massive downgrade defensively, but that is where opportunity lies. Minnesota’s front office is going to have some decisions to make at the trade deadline, and some of their young redundancies could be dangled to entice an engaging organization to swing something of substantial value back towards the Twins. At any rate, Miranda must show his approach at the plate is overhauled for much more than a week, and then he’ll need to keep finding a way to hide his glove. Although the door was open for him to make things stick, Miranda is now looking at an uphill battle for him to regain the same type of favor. View full article

More than 60 games into the 2023 Major League Baseball season, the Minnesota Twins are back to where they started on Opening Day. Flirting with a .500 record on a daily basis, they have done everything they can to squander an opportunity to pull away. Now, who among their competition is coming for them? Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Going into the season, Rocco Baldelli’s club was seen as a quiet contender to take the division. With Cleveland as the reigning champs, sportsbooks were understandably favoring the Guardians. That rotation has not been the same quality often orchestrated by Terry Francona, but the return of Triston McKenzie could help that. The lineup was a question mark for the guys playing at Progressive Field, and that has been the case all season. Outside of the Guardians, it should have been expected that a Chicago White Sox team no longer led by an out-of-touch Tony La Russa could be dangerous. The roster is talented, the bullpen is expensive, and the ceilings for some of the best on the roster is higher than maybe anyone in the division. From the onset everyone went in different directions. Minnesota got out to a strong start, while the Guardians treaded water, and even Pedro Grifol couldn’t right whatever was wrong on the South Side. Now locked into a much tighter battle, it’s worth assessing which of the Twins competitors may be the one to watch most. Cleveland still has to be viewed as the most realistic threat to coming up on the Twins from behind. Again, the pitching has always been their calling card and will continue to be. Shane Bieber is not the same ace he was at his peak, but remains a very talented arm. McKenzie being healthy is a big boost, and Logan Allen may be the cream of the crop. Tanner Bibee has shown well in his first handful of starts as a rookie, but will need to keep that up as teams see him a second and third time. The Guardians bugaboo is that their offense largely is what it is. Jose Ramirez remains one of the most underrated superstars in the game, but next to nothing is around him. Josh Naylor has had a nice year, but Cleveland has needed that with Josh Bell being an empty free agent signing. Mike Zunino looks like a bust, even for a team so desperate of catching help, and Steven Kwan hasn’t replicated his 2022 season. On the flip side, Chicago’s lineup couldn’t be more dangerous if they can make things click. Only Luis Robert Jr. has done that this season, and it’s been fun to see such a talented player remain healthy. Tim Anderson looks like a shell of his former self, and Eloy Jimenez continues to remain acquainted with the injured list. Jake Burger looks like a guy who should get more significant run, but still getting so little from Yasmani Grandal and Yoan Moncada holds the production as a whole back. Realistically the White Sox should have a better rotation than the Guardians, but Lance Lynn has been an abomination with Mike Clevinger just a middling pickup. Lucas Giolito having a better year than Dylan Cease wasn’t something to be predicted and Michael Kopech has been bit by the longball keeping him from repeating the 2022 production. Standings chart from Yahoo Sports. Minnesota is the only team in the AL Central with a positive run differential, and both the Guardians and White Sox own an actual record better than their Pythagorean number. Neither have looked to be anything of a substantial force against Minnesota or some of the top competition in baseball. That’s probably the good news. The Twins leaving the door open has put them in a position to sweat out a division they should be leading by a substantial amount at this point. Give credit to the White Sox for wiping away a horrid start, but they haven’t been .500 since the sixth game of the season. Cleveland’s furthest dip down was seven games below .500, but they have closed the gap at the top also. If the Twins are looking behind them, and they shouldn’t be at this point, then I still think it’s the White Sox who are the most dangerous club, and Matthew Taylor recently highlighted their surge. It’s clear they are undisciplined and a terrible defensive team, but that lineup can carry them if it clicks. The rotation has significant arms, and if any pair get it going, a sustained run would not be surprising. Cleveland needs the lineup as a whole to produce well over their heads, and even a good rotation may not be able to carry them (see: Minnesota’s current production). Minnesota’s lack of offensive production should still be seen as a silver lining that can supplement good pitching not expected to go away. The sooner that can happen, the faster they can put the competition behind them. If it doesn’t though, Cleveland is going to hang around and Chicago has the ability to go on a run. Let’s hope the Twins don’t allow either reality to come to fruition. View full article

I don't think he's a star defender by any means, but can hold down the position. This young and producing at Triple-A is fun to see.

There was plenty of good action worth tuning into on the farm for the Twins today. Rehab assignments were taking place for the Saints, while pitching and hitting were on display in Wichita. The Kernels put up a boatload of runs, and the Mighty Mussels flexed with a win on Sunday. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge TRANSACTIONS OF Gilberto Celestino MLB rehab transferred to St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 8, Iowa 5 Box Score Hoping to bounce back from the tilt last night, Cody Funderburk opened for Jordan Balazovic. He went two scoreless allowing just a single hit and striking out two. Balazovic then worked three innings. He gave up two runs on four hits and four walks. The bright spot was a trio of strikeouts. Joey Gallo played his first rehab game in the outfield today for the Saints and kicked off the scoring with a ground out that brought Andrew Stevenson in. After a fourth inning homer by Iowa, the game was knotted at one and stayed that way until the sixth inning. Iowa grabbed another run before Jair Camargo stayed hot with a double to drive in Chris Williams and even things again. The Cubs then took another one run lead in the seventh inning, but Gallo hit his second homer in as many days, and with Gilberto Celestino on, the Saints had a 4-3 lead through seven innings. Breaking it open in the eighth inning, St. Paul put up four runs. Stevenson singled to drive in Anthony Prato, then Matt Wallner took a bases loaded hit by pitch scoring Alex De Goti. Andrew Bechtold rapped a single to right field scoring both Wallner and Williams for some added breathing room. Even a David Bote two-run homer in the ninth was no longer enough to make it interesting and St. Paul heads out on a two week road trip off a win. The Saints had a foursome of multi-hit performers today with Stevenson, Williams, Bechtold, and Camargo all grabbing two each. Celestino was 0-for-2 with three walks in his first Triple-A rehab game this season. Gallo collected a hit on his homer and went 1-for-3. He should be expected back with the Twins on Tuesday. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8, San Antonio 7 Box Score It was a Blayne Enlow start for the Wind Surge today. He worked five innings and danced around seven hits to give up just a single run. Enlow didn’t allow any free passes and struck out four. The strong run of work could have him looking at a promotion to Triple-A St. Paul soon. Alerick Soularie started the scoring with a solo shot in the second inning, his second of the year. After San Antonio tied it in the bottom half, Wichita answered in the fourth inning. Soularie again did damage with a single that scored both Alex Isola and Aaron Sabato. A wild pitch later in the inning then allowed Soularie to score making it a 4-1 game. Keeping his hot game going, Soularie was at it again with his second homer of the day. A two run blast in the sixth inning played Kyle Schmidt and made it a 7-1 game. San Antonio then went to work mounting a comeback. Scoring runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, they made it close at a 7-5 game. Thanks to Wichita adding a run when Schmidt singled in Isola during the ninth inning, the Wind Surge withstood a two-run homer in the bottom half that would’ve otherwise tied the game. Soularie did the heavy lifting in this one and his three hits were nearly half of the Wichita total of eight. After the game Enlow was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 16, Dayton 7 Box Score Originally scheduled to play a regular nine inning game, the Kernels were delayed and played just a seven inning tilt this afternoon. Jaylen Nowlin was on the bump and worked four innings allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and a pair of walks. He did strike out six batters during his outing. The bats showed up in a big way today and it started right away in the first inning. Kala’i Rosario played Tanner Schobel on a fielder’s choice before Noah Cardenas recorded his tenth double on the year to bring in Ben Ross. Misael Urbina grounded out, but Rosario scored on the play, and then an error allowed Andrew Cossetti to reach with Cardenas scoring. Already up 4-0, Kyle Fedko singled in Jose Salas with a Schobel single plating Cossetti for the six spot. Rounding out the inning was another error, this time on a ball hit by Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Fedko came home. When the dust settled it was 7-0 before Dayton got to hit. Cedar Rapids gave three runs back in the bottom of the first inning but Ross hit his ninth homer of the year, with Rodriguez also on, to make it a 9-3 game in the third inning. Giving another back in the bottom half of the third inning, the Kernels answered when Salas singled in Cardenas during the fourth inning. Rosario then blasted his tenth homer of the season, again with Rodriguez aboard, and it was a 12-4 lead after the top of the fifth inning. Dayton was able to add two more, but the Kernels scored another on Rosario’s single in the seventh. Schobel raced across the plate and made it a 13-6 laugher. The Dragons scored once in the bottom of the seventh, but that certainly wasn't going to move the needle. While the game was suggested to only be of the seven inning variety, the two clubs played on. Maybe Dayton thought the extra runway would give them ample comeback ability. Instead, Rodriguez recorded his third double on the season and made it 14-7 when Cossetti scored in the eighth inning. Ross then singled to score Fedko, and Rosario singled to bring home Rodriguez. Dayton probably would've preferred this one to have ended an inning ago. Continuing to play past the adjusted seven then caught the clubs when rain again came during the ninth inning causing another delay. The 19 hits meant that everyone in the lineup recorded a base hit. Cardenas led the way with four of his own, while Rodriguez, Ross, and Rosario each had three. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Clearwater 3 Box Score The Mighty Mussels went with Ben Etheridge today and he worked 3 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. Giving up just a single hit and no walks, Etheridge also struck out three in a very solid outing. Fort Myers got on the board quick for Etheridge and gave him some breathing room. In the bottom of the second inning a Maddux Houghton single drove in Alec Sayre to score the game’s first run. Frank Nigro couldn’t get on, but his double play grounder did allow Yohander Martinez to cross the plate and make it 2-0. Adding to their lead in the third inning, Rafael Cruz recorded his fifth double scoring Dylan Neuse. Rubel Cespedes then singled to center and scored Cruz on the play. The Mighty Mussels had doubled their lead just one frame later. With Clearwater still scoreless, Luis Baez singled to score Gregory Duran in the sixth inning and make it a 5-0 lead. The Threshers did make things interesting with runs in the seventh and ninth inning, but the two were all they could push across. Cruz was the only Fort Myers hitter with a pair of hits on the day. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Alerick Soularie (Wichita) - 3-5, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR(3), 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) - 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 3-4, 2 R, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 3-6, 3 R, RBI, 2 B #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 1-4, R, BB, 2 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-4, R, RBI, 2B #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, RBI, BB, K #14 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, ER, 4 BB, 3 K #17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-5, 2 K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (5:35PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez Wichita @ Midland (6:30PM CST) - TBD South Bend @ 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

The Minnesota Twins came into the 2023 season largely unchanged in the bullpen. In fact, the front office made no moves to create big-league depth, and they were relying heavily on Jorge Lopez regaining his All-Star form. He did in April, but May was a mess. So what’s going on? Image courtesy of Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports For the first month of the season, Jorge Lopez was getting the results he needed. Through 13 games and 12 innings, Lopez had allowed just a single unearned run. He only gave up six hits, and the former Baltimore Orioles All-Star posted a 10/1 K/BB ratio. By all surface statistics, he was every bit the guy Minnesota flipped Cade Povich and Yennier Cano for. Even with a 2.12 FIP, the underlying numbers didn’t suggest the boogeyman was coming. While Cano continued to dazzle for the Orioles in Baltimore, Lopez then imploded over the past month. Across his last 14 games, which have come out to 12 innings as well, the Twins high-leverage arm has posted a 9.00 ERA along with an even worse 11.20 FIP. His 11/9 K/BB ratio suggests he can’t get the ball by anyone, and batters have a whopping 1.236 OPS against him during that stretch. His numbers year-to-date now look borderline-ugly, and he’s back to the same pumpkin he has been since being dealt to the Twins. You have to stretch out the run of plate appearances against relatively far to find any sustained level of success. So, what happened? Without speaking in definites, and especially considering the 24-inning sample size, this is what we can glean from 2023 alone. To start the year, Lopez was throwing his fastball 43% of the time. He paired that with his curveball and slider nearly 20% each, with the changeup slotting in behind that. Contact rates were high, and whiff rates were low, but he was inducing chases over 36% of the time. Although batters were putting the ball in play, they often were doing so without much of a base resulting in an extremely impressive 15% hard-hit rate. With 33 batted ball events in those outings, he allowed zero barreled balls. Fast forward to the last 12 innings and changes have come with the pitch mix. Velocity has remained constant, but Lopez is now throwing the fastball over 50% of the time, while both the curveball and changeup have seen their opportunities slashed. He’s getting more swings and misses, but batters are spitting on pitches off the plate more often. It has allowed opposing hitters to square up swings and put balls in play with a 50% hard-hit rate and 17.5% barrel rate (7/40). Let’s key in on the fastball. Its usage has jumped the most. In looking at the quality of the offering, it appears that it’s less about the fastball itself and more about the location of the pitch. That’s not a surprising take by any means, but Lopez doesn’t benefit by throwing that pitch up in the zone. Looking at his pitch heat maps from his successful start, the ball was often down in the zone. As he’s been beaten with it, opposing batters have sat on the velocity coming at the top of the strike zone. By wOBA (weighted on-base average), we see how drastic the success rate is for opposing batters as well. When Lopez was throwing his heater down in the zone the opposition posted just a .161 wOBA. Since he’s moved it to the top third of the zone, the pitch is generating a ridiculous .672 wOBA. Lopez has actually thrown for a slightly higher average velocity this season with Minnesota than he did as an All-Star last year. He’s also throwing his fastball roughly as often. A key problem has been the location of it. For whatever reason Lopez has gone with more four-seam fastballs than sinkers this season, and he has drastically upped the slider usage. It seems the offspeed stuff still plays just fine, but pairing his fastball, and the kind in which he utilizes, at the top of the zone should be a no-fly area. With Jhoan Duran as a lockdown reliever for Minnesota, and Griffin Jax working his way back there, Rocco Baldelli desperately needs another leverage option. That was supposed to be Lopez, and until he can figure this out, the bullpen will be in a nightly struggle to piece it together. View full article

Miranda maybe only the past couple of days though...he needs some sustained success.

The St. Paul Saints have scored a bunch of runs the past two nights and Jair Camargo has been in the middle of it. Another big game for him tonight earns some added recognition, and Jordan Carr was perfect in relief for Fort Myers. Check out all the action within. Image courtesy of Courtesy: Rob Thompson SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 11, Iowa 6 Box Score Toby Gardenhire had Aaron Sanchez on the mound and he was cruising until running into trouble during the fourth inning. He wound up working 3 2/3 innings giving up four runs on four hits and three walks. Sanchez also struck out five. After the Cubs put a run on the board in the first inning, St. Paul answered with two of their own. Edouard Julien clubbed his 12th double of the season and drove in Jose Miranda. Chris Williams then kept up with his hot hitting and singled to bring Julien across the plate. Homering for the second night in a row, Jair Camargo blasted his seventh of the season for a third inning, three-run shot that scored Matt Wallner and Williams. Iowa clawed back with three in the fourth inning, but St. Paul’s lead remained intact. After Iowa took a 6-5 lead in the top of the sixth inning, St. Paul got right back to work. Miranda drew a bases loaded walk to bring home Tony Wolters, and Matt Wallner took a hit by pitch to plate Alex De Goti. The Saints had regained the lead without putting a ball in play. On a fly ball double-play from Julien, Stevenson raced home and made it an 8-6 lead. For the second time on the evening Camargo went deep, another solo shot, this one putting St. Paul up 9-6 in the seventh inning. Then Miranda continued his solid night with a two-run single that scored both Wolters and De Goti. WIND SURGE WISDOM San Antonio 10, Wichita 3 Box Score Aaron Rozek started tonight’s game for the Wind Surge but he was chased early after a tough outing lasting just 2 2/3 innings. Giving up eight hits led to seven runs (six earned). Command was a bit of an issue as well with three walks and just a single strikeout. San Antonio got on the board first with two runs in the second inning, and then they exploded for a five-spot in the third inning. Adding another in the fourth inning, Wichita was down eight before putting anything up for themselves. Finally in the eighth inning the Wind Surge broke through. Will Holland singled in Yoyner Fajardo, and although it was just one run, baby steps were taken. Quickly washed away in the bottom half, Wichita saw San Antonio add another pair to create a larger divide. They did answer with a ninth inning rally and it was nice to see them go down fighting. First Aaron Sabato singled to bring Brooks Lee home, then Fajardo plated Jake Rucker with a single of his own. Down to their final out, Alex Isola reached on a throwing error that gave Sabato a chance to come home and make it a 10-4 game. Holland popped out in the next at bat though, and that was all she wrote for the good guys. Holland did have a pair of hits on the night, and his two were almost half of the five total for Wichita. It was a tough showing going up against 10 runs on 14 hits for San Antonio. KERNELS NUGGETS Dayton 2, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score The Kernels went with Mike Paredes on the bump tonight. He worked four innings while allowing two runs on three hits and a walk. The Cedar Rapids pitcher did strike out three on the evening. Paredes saw Dayton jump out to a first inning lead when Edwin Arroyo clubbed a two-run shot. That’s where he’d strand Dayton during his outing however, and it was up to Cedar Rapids looking for an answer. Andrew Cossetti got the Kernels on the board with a ground out in the second inning. Misael Urbina came across the plate to halve the lead and bring Cedar Rapids back within one. Unfortunately the offense then stalled out and despite Jordan Carr keeping Dayton scoreless in relief, it wasn’t enough to secure the victory. Carr was amazing however, allowing no baserunners and punching out seven. Noah Miller was the lone batter to record a pair of hits on the day. MUSSEL MATTERS Clearwater 7, Fort Myers 2 Box Score C.J. Culpepper was the starter tonight for Fort Myers, and he worked four solid innings. Dancing around six hits, Culpepper gave up two runs (only one earned), while striking out six and walking just one. Clearwater put a run on the board during the second inning before adding another in the third inning on a wild pitch. Then in the fifth inning they answered again, this time with a pair, and it was a 4-0 game. Before the Mighty Mussels could find a way to push anything across, Clearwater struck again. With two more runs coming home during the sixth inning, clawing back was getting more unlikely. The second wild pitch of the game made it a 7-0 deficit and it wasn’t until the seventh inning that Fort Myers got on the board. With Jorel Ortega on base, Danny De Andrade hit an inside-the-park homer for his third dinger of the season. Clearwater still led by five but the Mighty Mussels had finally shown signs of life. They couldn’t do anything to keep it rolling though and ultimately fell for the second night in a row. De Andrade put up a three-hit effort, but was the lone player with multiple in that category. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jordan Carr (Cedar Rapids) - 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Jair Camargo (St. Paul) - 2-5, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 HR(8), 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) - 0-3, R, BB, 2 K #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 1-4, RBI, K #4 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B(12), K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-4, R, RBI, 2 K #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-2, 2 BB, K #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4 #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 0-4, K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (5:37PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05PM CST) - RHP Cory Lewis Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins employ one of the best centerfielders in baseball, but unfortunately, he often isn’t able to field the position. Byron Buxton is one of the most prolific players in the sport, but his roster spot always has to be paired with a worthy backup. Enter Michael A. Taylor. Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports When the Minnesota Twins front office signed Byron Buxton to a team-friendly $100 million contract extension, it was able to take place only because he is so rarely available for an extended period of time. When he’s at his best, Buxton is both raking at the dish and providing web gems from the grass. His best, though, is often hampered by any number of maladies. Time and time again this has played out over the course of Buxton’s career. He has found his swing and is long-removed from the slap hitter that Paul Molitor once managed him as. While his bat plays, and that includes the gargantuan Miguel Sano-esque peaks and valleys, it has never translated into more consistent availability. The front office hasn’t ever truly had a backup plan for Buxton. His injuries have put players like Nick Gordon out of position. They have forced Ian Miller, Rob Refsnyder, Ryan LaMarre, Johnny Field, Taylor Motter, and a host of others into unnecessary action. Gilberto Celestino has emerged as an internal possibility capable of playing the backup role, but he wasn’t a sure thing this year. Instead, the Twins got aggressive. Dealing for the former Kansas City Royals Gold Glove winner, Michael A. Taylor, was acquired to provide an insurance policy Minnesota desperately needed. Taylor has hit well just once in his career, back in 2017 as a 26-year-old for the Washington Nationals. The peak of his offensive existence results in numbers just four percent better than the league average. Minnesota likely had hopes of capturing that, but they knew this was a player with a career OPS+ of just 81. Now fast forward to where we are at this point in the 2023 season, Buxton has remained healthy (for the most part) by being the full-time designated hitter. His inclusion there has hampered lineup flexibility extensively, but it’s been Taylor that has manned the most important position in the outfield. When Rocco Baldelli has had his best teams, they have been able to play strong defense. Not needing to rely on revolving doors in key spots, Taylor has quarterbacked a group of corner outfielders that have been in flux. At times, Taylor has also come through offensively. While he doesn’t have any true skillset of note at the plate, his speed still plays. He has stolen seven bases this season, and surprisingly he’s run into a few balls. Taylor’s six doubles put him on pace to surpass the ten he had a season ago, and his seven home runs to this point put the teens in play for just the third time in his career. Despite providing next to no offensive value, Taylor owns a 0.8 fWAR on the season. He should be able to surpass his 2022 value with Kansas City, and could challenge for a top-two fWAR over the course of his career. Taylor’s three outs above average put him on pace to surpass where he was a season ago, and while he isn’t the same elite defender he has been previously, he also isn’t far off. There is plenty to be disappointed in when it comes to how the Twins have utilized Buxton. Although he has been available, it’s clear he’s not healthy. He may get there eventually, but even in a limited capacity of action, it doesn’t seem like this blueprint is making that happen any faster. For as long as it remains a reality, Taylor is the answer. Minnesota will need to figure out plans going forward considering Taylor is a free agent following this season. He is making just $4.5 million in 2023, which seems like a bargain for someone so valuable defensively to a fit as necessary as Minnesota has. No matter what they do, it stands to reason that a continued insurance policy for Buxton is a must any time when filling out the 26-man collection. View full article

When the Minnesota Twins selected Royce Lewis first overall in the 2017 Major League Baseball draft, he was announced as a shortstop out of JSerra High School in southern California. He made his major-league debut at the position and then moved to centerfield a few days later. Now back in the big leagues, he could be Minnesota’s long-term answer at the hot corner. Image courtesy of Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports This offseason, the Minnesota Twins found themselves winners of the twisting and turning Carlos Correa free agency saga. He was back with the club he signed a record deal to play for following the lockout before the 2022 season. In doing so, it seemed that Derek Falvey and Thad Levine had their answer at shortstop for at least the next half-decade. For the top Twins prospect, Royce Lewis found himself working as a shortstop but seeing that position accounted for at the highest level. Not eligible to return for the Twins until late May, an opportunity was always going to need to present itself. Both clients of agent Scott Boras, there have obviously been conversations among the three parties about their futures. As Lewis raked his way through a rehab assignment, all it took for something to materialize was 2022 breakout Jose Miranda losing his way. The hot corner was open, and although Kyle Farmer had played there in recent weeks, Lewis represents the future. At this exact moment, Correa is struggling through a painful bout of plantar fasciitis. When he originally was taken out of the lineup, I wondered whether Farmer would take over behind him, or Lewis would slide into the position he has played the majority of his professional career. The answer was immediate. Lewis stayed at the hot corner, and things appeared to be settled. It’s been a very small sample at third base thus far, but the hot corner is not unfamiliar territory for Lewis. He spent all but his senior year at the position during high school, and if nothing else, it should be a bit easier of a spot. He’s taken to it swimmingly, and we have seen both his glove and arm play. The timeline for Correa’s return is not straightforward. He could need sporadic time off for the rest of the season. That puts the shortstop position in flux while he deals with the malady. Maybe Miranda turns things around with Triple-A St. Paul, but his spot now seems to be gone. Jorge Polanco is only under contract at second base through this season, but both Edouard Julien and Brooks Lee could play themselves into that role. All over the diamond, Minnesota has relatively straightforward developmental plans. Leaving Lewis at third base while Correa has been out gives the Twins youngster an opportunity to settle into a home that he could call his own for the duration of his career. We have seen players like Anthony Rendon, Manny Machado, and Alex Rodriguez both get big paydays as third basemen. There is plenty of money to be made at the hot corner. Within the AL Central, Jose Ramirez is also at third base and can claim to be one of the best players in the sport. If Lewis never finds an opportunity to move off the position, that probably says more about what the Twins have done from a development perspective than a disservice to a role he once held. If early returns are any indication, and again the sample is minuscule, then things should be viewed as extremely promising. Just five games in, Lewis already has contributed two outs above average, and earning a Gold Glove at third base is much easier in a league without Nolan Arenado. Maybe Royce Lewis never plays shortstop again for the Minnesota Twins, but that’s why you draft athletes that can play up the middle, and from there you deploy them wherever the team sees a fit. View full article

The Twins saw some big offensive performances in the system today, and Zebby Matthews highlighted the pitching portion of things. Check out all of the action below. TRANSACTIONS LHP Caleb Thielbar activated from rehab assignment with St. Paul RHP Cole Sands was placed on the Injured List. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 8, Buffalo 5 Box Score Rehabbing Minnesota Twins starter Kenta Maeda worked three innings for the Saints. He allowed two runs on five hits including a home run. Maeda struck out four in what was his second time rehab start with St. Paul. The hot-hitting Matt Wallner continues to make a case for playing with Minnesota rather than with the Saints. His 12th double of the season allowed for Andrew Stevenson to race home. Buffalo took a 2-1 lead in the second inning, but St. Paul broke out with six runs in the third inning. Jose Miranda singled in Stevenson to start things off, and then Wallner’s 13th double brought Miranda home. Edouard Julien lifted his fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot scoring Trevor Larnach and Wallner. Before the inning was over, Elliot Soto grounded into a double play that still allowed Mark Contreras to come home. In the fourth inning Julien kept going with a double, his 11th of the year, and Miranda raced across the plate. Up 8-2, that was enough to withstand a pair of Bisons runs for the attempted comeback. Stevenson grabbed three hits out of the leadoff spot with Miranda, Wallner, Julien, and Tony Wolters all tallying two apiece. Brent Headrick operated as the long man after Connor Sadzeck took over for Maeda. He pitched five innings and picked up his third win of the season. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 6, Wichita 5 (F/10) Box Score It was David Festa's day for the Wind Surge and he worked 3 2/3 innings. Giving up two runs in the outing, he allowed four hits while walking none and striking out three. Blayne Enlow also got some work in relief. He went three innings and allowed a pair on a hit and a walk. He struck out three as well. By the time Wichita stepped in for the fifth inning the Wind Surge found themselves looking at a 4-0 deficit. Posting three runs, they nearly came all the way back in that inning alone. Anthony Prato dropped down a sacrifice bunt that was misplayed and allowed Aaron Sabato to score the first run. Will Holland then recorded his fifth double of the season to drive in Prato before Yunior Severino plated Holland with a single of his own. In the seventh inning DaShawn Keirsey Jr. clubbed his fifth dinger of the year to even the score. Needing extras to sort this one out, the Drillers put pressure on by scoring a pair in the top of the tenth inning. Alex Isola drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom half to bring home David Banuelos, but Wichita left the bags loaded. Keirsey Jr. and Holland both had a pair of hits while Patrick Winkel picked up three. KERNELS NUGGETS Lansing 3, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Zebby Matthews took his turn for the Kernels and was again great for Cedar Rapids. He worked six innings allowing just a single run on a solo shot. He limited the Lugnuts to only three hits and struck out six while walking zero. Getting behind in the first inning, Cedar Rapids answered with a run in the third inning. Ben Ross used a sacrifice fly to drive in Tanner Schobel. After they gave back the lead in the seventh inning, Kala’i Rosario answered with a solo shot to draw things even. It was his ninth of the season. Unfortunately the Kernels gave up a Lansing run in the eighth inning and that was enough to drop this contest. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 8, St. Lucie 3 Box Score The Mighty Mussels used Wilker Reyes as an opener. He went two innings and allowed a single run on a hit and a walk. He struck one out. Jarret Whorff picked up his second win of the season going three innings. He allowed just one run on three hits but struck out five and walked none. St. Lucie kicked off the scoring first with a run in the second inning. In the bottom half, Kyle Schmidt hit his first Low-A home run of the year and his three-run shot brought in Rubel Cespedes with Alec Sayre. Fort Myers extended their lead during the third inning when Cespedes got aboard on a fielder’s choice. A rehabbing Gilberto Celestino scored and the bases were loaded. Schmidt then drove in both Mikey Perez and Cespedes with a single to centerfield. Up 6-1, Fort Myers had a commanding grasp of the lead. With St. Lucie looking to claw back in the game, it wasn’t until the sixth inning that the Mighty Mussels added again. Luis Baez ripped his first double of the year to score Schmidt, and then Baez came home on a wild pitch. The 8-3 tally is where this one ended. Schmidt was the only batter to record a multi-hit game, but his 3-for-3 effort also came with five RBI. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Zebby Matthews (Cedar Rapids) - 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Kyle Schmidt (Fort Myers) 3-3, 2 R, 5 RBI, 3B, HR(1) 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) - 0-0, BB (pinch hit) #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 0-4 #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, BB #4 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 2-4, R, 4 RBI, BB, 2B, HR(5) #8 - David Festa (Wichita) - 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-5, R, 2 RBI, 2 2B(13) #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2 K #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4 #15 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K #17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 3.0 IP, H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 3 K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-5, RBI, 2 K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - TBD Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05PM CST) - TBD Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins watched with horror last season as multiple players spent substantial time on the injured list. While they did themselves no favors with their play, losing players ultimately sank them in the standings as well. The goal this year has been to keep Byron Buxton healthy, but can they actually predict injury? Image courtesy of Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports The short answer is obviously no. The Minnesota Twins, even with new head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta, cannot predict when an injury will occur. Obviously what they are trying to do is prevent long-term absences, and they appear to be threading a needle when looking to accomplish that feat. When the Twins signed Byron Buxton to his $100 million extension, it was a steal. He would have received substantially more on the open market with more suitors, and the only reason his value wasn’t closer to $300 million is due to his availability, or lack thereof. Locked into a long-term contract, Rocco Baldelli now wants to see his All-Star in the lineup more often than not. How the Twins have handled that so far this season is to lock Buxton in as the designated hitter. Coming off a knee procedure that stemmed from a base running incident last year, Buxton has been eased back into action. He has yet to appear in the outfield, and that reality doesn’t seem anywhere close to happening. Unfortunately, as players have been out of position and the designated hitter spot has been less fluid, it’s worth wondering just how well this plan is working? Here’s the deal, Buxton is the same player he has been for the past few seasons. That means when he slumps there is plenty of Miguel Sano to his game. Give him credit for 2023 development as the walk rate is a career best, and despite only being deployed as a hitter, he’s still making the production work. The downside to Buxton being limited as a designated hitter is that the lineup flexibility leaves plenty to be desired. Over the weekend, we saw Willi Castro playing centerfield against the Toronto Blue Jays. It’s a spot he only began starting at in 2022 with Detroit, and it’s clear there is plenty to be desired from him there. Castro incorrectly ceded opportunity to his corner outfielders on a fly ball that would go on to produce runs. It’s fine when Michael A. Taylor is commanding the outfield, but very clearly not the same when Castro is. There is also the idea that Buxton is healthier by being off of his feet. In theory, that would seem to make a good deal of sense. He’s not standing for innings on end in the grass, and he isn’t throwing his body all over trying to track down fly balls. We have seen him jog down the first base line though, as he did once or twice last weekend, and need time due to the ailing body part. He has played in 48 of the first 53 games however, and that number would be substantially less had he also been tasked with roaming centerfield. I don’t think it’s quantifiable how many games Buxton would have played to this point of the season if he was also playing the outfield. Certainly the answer is less, and Minnesota needs him to be in more, but if we aren’t talking a drastic number then meat is being left on the bone. Baldelli’s comments about Buxton’s knee recently don’t bring on the warm fuzzies either. Maybe there is opportunity for him to factor in late with September or postseason games on the mind, but that's well on the horizon for now. Acknowledging a guy may be slumping is one thing, but Baldelli unequivocally attributes the slide to Buxton’s knee. That’s an unfortunate reality in that he has not progressed to playing the outfield, is being given time off, and is only running a few times each night. After a season in which Buxton injured himself early on by sliding into second base, it seems that just being active at the plate and on the base paths isn’t quite enough bubble wrap either. I’d prefer we don’t see Buxton in the outfield at all if it means he’s able to contribute for 140 or more games. That said, if the plan still results in the outcome being a long-term stint on the injured list just to let things heal, will it ever get better or was he brought back too soon? Taking a guy like Buxton out of the defensive alignment is tough in and of itself. For the Twins to have made that decision and still be faced with the harsh health reality they are feeling is something that they’ll seemingly wrestle for the months ahead. View full article

The St. Paul Saints kicked off early action in grand style before the Cedar Rapids Kernels showed up and took everyone by storm. It was a runs-filled day on the farm for the Twins organization. Image courtesy of Steve Buhr (photo of Ben Ross) TRANSACTIONS 2B Edouard Julien optioned to St. Paul as Jorge Polanco was activated from the IL> INF Dalton Shuffield placed on 7-day IL by Fort Myers (wrist sprain) SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 11, Buffalo 5 Box Score The Saints apparently live by the wake and rake ideology as they put up double-digit runs during a morning game today in New York. Cody Laweryson worked as an opener putting up two scoreless innings before giving way to Jordan Balazovic. Balazovic gave up three runs on four hits across two innings, but he struck out five and walked none. Looking to answer the Bisons earlier trio, St. Paul put up a five-spot in the fifth inning. Jair Camargo lifted a sacrifice fly to score Chris Williams before Andrew Stevenson singled in Andrew Bechtold. With the recently-promoted Seth Gray in third and Alex De Goti at second, Matt Wallner continued his hot hitting and played them both on a scorching single. Buffalo tied things with a pair of runs in the sixth inning, but the Saints weren’t done marching in. Wallner blasted yet another home run, a solo shot, for his seventh of the year. In the ninth inning, Mark Contreras drew a bases-loaded walk to score De Goti before Williams hit a grand slam to make it an 11-5 game. After rehabbing Twins reliever Caleb Thielbar worked a scoreless seventh inning striking out two, Josh Winder slammed the door. Working two scoreless innings, he struck out a pair. Wallner and Williams both had big days with multiple hits. Bechtold joined that pair as well. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 5, Wichita 4 Box Score Aaron Rozek took the ball for the Wind Surge. It was a tough start as he managed just 2 2/3 innings before bowing out after allowing four runs on six hits. He struck out three while walking just two on the evening. Wichita got off to a quick start with DaShawn Keirsey Jr. doubling in Brooks Lee in the first inning. Alex Isola then ripped his eighth home run of the season to drive in a pair and make it 3-0 good guys. By the fourth inning, Tulsa had plated four and took the lead. It was necessary for the Wind Surge to answer. Anthony Prato did just that in the bottom half when he grabbed his second double of the season to bring home Keirsey Jr. yet again. Prato was thrown out at third trying to stretch it for a triple. The Drillers retook the lead in the fifth inning and that’s where the difference in this one came. Keirsey Jr. and Isola were the lone Wichita batters to record a pair of hits. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 24, Lansing 5 Box Score Pierson Ohl started on the mound for Cedar Rapids, but I’m pretty sure the Kernels could’ve started Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, you, or I, and still won this game. Ohl was fine working 4 2/3 innings while giving up three runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out three. None of that really mattered considering how the game went. CEDAR RAPIDS SCORED TWENTY-FOUR RUNS. Ben Ross singled in Tanner Schobel during the first inning to kick things off before Noah Cardenas used a sacrifice fly to plate Kala’i Rosario. Cardenas then singled in the third inning to bring home Rosario again and make it a 3-0 game. That’s where things began to get out of hand. A wild pitch allowed Ross to score before a Jose Salas single brought in Cardenas. Jeferson Morales then singled to drive in Salas and Schobel capped the inning off with a three-run blast, his fifth of the season, to make it 9-0. After the Lugnuts answered with a third inning run of their own, Cedar Rapids added on again in the fifth inning. Ross doubled home both Keoni Cavaco and Emmanuel Rodriguez before yet another Cardenas hit allowed Ross to cross the plate. Up 12-1 headed to the bottom of the fifth, Lansing answered with three to get within a pair of grand slams. Fortunately for Cedar Rapids, Rosario had one of his own up his sleeve and sent his sixth homer of the year deep to clear the bases. Now 16-4, it was a laugher. After a seventh-inning run from Lansing made it 16-5, the Kernels ignored the mercy rule in the ninth. Ross hit his fifth homer of the year before Schobel was hit with the bases loaded to score Salas. Rodriguez then blasted a grand slam for his sixth dinger of the year, and Ross homered for the second time in the inning to make it a 24-5 rout. The Kernels recorded 20 hits on the night with Schobel, Rodriguez, and Cardenas all grabbing three of their own. Ross had a four hit game while Rosario and Morales each added a pair. This one was nothing short of incredible. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 5, St. Lucie 1 Box Score With C.J. Culpepper on the mound for Fort Myers tonight, the Mighty Mussels appeared in good hands from the jump. He worked five hitless innings allowing three walks while striking out six. Rubel Cespedes kicked off the scoring with his fifth double of the season, a second inning hit that scored Mikey Perez. Alec Sayre then singled to drive in Cespedes and Fort Myers was off and running. Rafael Cruz lifted a sacrifice fly to score Danny De Andrade in the third inning and make it a 3-0 game. After St. Lucie answered with a run of their own in the sixth inning, Carlos Aguiar blasted his eight homer of the year in the seventh inning. The two-run shot also brought home Jorel Ortega and pushed it to the final 5-1 tally. Cespedes was the only Mighty Mussels batter to record a pair of hits tonight, but Aguiar grabbed two RBI on his own. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – C.J. Culpepper (Fort Myers) - 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Ben Ross (Cedar Rapids) - 4-6, 4 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 2 HR(6) 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) - 1-4, R #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR(2) #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 3-6, 3 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K, HR(6) #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-5, R, 3 RBI, HR(7), 2 K #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Buffalo (6:05PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak Tulsa @ Wichita (6:45PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (6:05PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya St. Lucie @ Fort Myers (3:30PM CST) - RHP Cory Lewis (GM 2 follow) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

Edouard Julien made his Major League debut earlier for the Minnesota Twins in 2023, and since, it’s been somewhat of an uneven ride. That’s not unexpected with a young player, but the same blueprint he’s been working towards is what he’ll need to fix if he wants to stick. Image courtesy of Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports Rocco Baldelli has been able to pull from a talented system as the Twins have dealt with injuries early in 2023. As Jorge Polanco hit the injured list most recently, it was Edouard Julien who was promoted to take his place. Working regularly at second base for Triple-A St. Paul, it’s not a surprising fit at all. Just how good he can be there determines how long the leash is. Across his first 16 games for Minnesota, Julien has played second base exclusively. There’s an avenue in which he ultimately becomes a first baseman (or worse, a designated hitter), but those opportunities are currently earmarked for Joey Gallo, Alex Kirilloff, and Donovan Solano. The greatest knock on Julien has always been his defense or lack thereof, and we’ve seen that plenty to start. It’s very early with a sample size of just 104 innings, but Julien has already amassed a -3 DRS (defensive runs saved) while posting an equal -3 OAA (outs above average). It’s clear that his arm can play at the less demanding spot, but his range and hands are not at all impressive. Booting a rather routine grounder on Sunday (the ball had just a .100 expected batting average) inexplicably saw Pablo Lopez credited with two earned runs rather than Julien picking up an error. (Julien made a sliding play to field the ball, but as he got up and tried to transfer the ball from glove to hand, the ball dropped.) In the batter’s box is where Julien has quickly become a prized prospect, and it’s far too soon to knock him for 72 plate appearances of production, but the Twins want to see his Triple-A game come with. You can put up with shoddy defensive work at times if a guy is going to be an asset at the plate. Not only does Julien have the ability to hit for power similar to Brian Dozier before him, but he draws a massive amount of walks. For much of his minor league career, Julien has taken his base nearly one-fifth of the time that he steps in. With a strikeout rate just north of that at 25%, he has an exceptional approach at the plate. That has not yet translated to the highest level as Julien looks to settle in against big-league pitching. He’s walking only around 10% of the time while heading back to the dugout after a strikeout 34.5% of the time. A recipe that includes being a bad defender and an undisciplined hitter isn’t going to afford Julien a long leash. Fortunately for him, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle, and as he finds comfort and continuity there should be an expectation of things normalizing. Polanco’s injury should not be one that keeps him out for an extended period of time, so Julien will head back across town, but he has the book of things to work on. Next time the Twins need to call on their Canadian prospect, they’ll want to see a bit more refined ability in the field. The defense is something that will continue to be a work in progress, and likely something that will only improve slightly with an extended runway needed. In the box, he has already shown the type of hitter he is, and finding comfort against Major League talent will help to bring his calling card to the highest level. So far we have seen a bit of everything that has been presented about Julien’s game. The power is legit. He looks like a real player. The warts are also ugliest in the field, and we saw that again on Wednesday night against the Astros. He’s not a perfect talent by any means, but it would stand to reason that Baldelli has someone he can be confident in contributing more as the 2023 season goes on. A few weeks ago the Twins arguably gave Julien a similar blueprint when he was sent back to Triple-A. Cody Christie looked at it then, and seeing how the development has taken place over the past couple of weeks is certainly worth checking in on. It’s a big year for the second base prospect as Polanco is coming to the end of his deal, and the assumption would be that Julien can push to start next year on Opening Day. We’re a ways from that reality coming to fruition, but how he evolves the rest of the season can go a long way toward making everyone involved feel more comfortable with the possibility. View full article