Ted Schwerzler

The Minnesota Twins were dealt an unfortunate blow a few days ago when it was announced that Tyler Mahle would miss the remainder of the season. He needs Tommy John surgery. While he had just recently come off of the injured list when acquired, it’s seemingly been part of a strategical way to acquire talent. Does it have merit though? Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports When it comes to creating a pitching pipeline and certain amount of quality depth, there are roughly three ways for an organization to attack that idea. Derek Falvey had success in Cleveland by developing internal drafted talent. The goal in bringing him to Minnesota was replicating that sort of success. It’s the most cost effective plan of action, and arguably the most controllable. Louie Varland and Bailey Ober have been hits in that regard, but they were Day 3 draft picks and there isn’t much else to hang a hat on for the front office. Matt Canterino and Jordan Balazovic types have been internal prospects, but neither has yet to pan out, and others such as Cole Sands or Brent Headrick have substantially lower ceilings. A second avenue would be through paying free agents. No matter how much money the Twins choose to offer, they would need to beat out other suitors and present a compelling argument for arms to come to the colder Midwest. Offering a boatload to Carlos Rodon may not have been enough to change his mind, and even the Nathan Eovaldi types want to play in bigger markets or more ideal pitching conditions. That leads us to a third avenue, and it’s one the Twins have explored prominently. By adding arms through a trade, the front office can look to find assets cast off by other teams, and while at times that’s for health reasons, it doesn’t always have to be. Sonny Gray was a premium acquisition for Minnesota, and he cost a first-round draft pick in the form of Chase Petty. Joe Ryan was quite the opposite in that the Rays were willing to part with him for an aging Nelson Cruz in hopes of making an extended postseason run. Recently though, the run on injured pitchers has provoked this question. Is there a certain value to rolling the dice on a questionable arm? Chris Paddack was likely the reason that Minnesota flipped Taylor Rogers to the Padres just before Opening Day last season. He had undergone Tommy John surgery previously, and there were arm concerns, but his team control and past success was enticing for a closer who was on the wrong side of 30 and coming off injury on his own. It’s not entirely unlike the situation in which the Twins got involved trading Brusdar Graterol to the Dodgers when the Red Sox parted with Mookie Betts. They lost a flame-throwing reliever, but got an established starter in Kenta Maeda. Los Angeles drafted his contract in a way that protected them from his arm concerns, and after the Twins saw him nearly win a Cy Young in 2020, they watched the blow out come to fruition. This is a talking point again with the fallout from Tyler Mahle. Sure, they traded infielders Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand (as well as Steven Hajjar) for the Reds starter, but the circumstances suggested to make that deal 100 out of 100 times. Steer was a multi-position prospect, and Encarnacion-Strand seems to be positionless prospect, with very good bats. However, the Twins needed a playoff arm, and Mahle fit the bill. They didn’t need to give up one of their premium prospects for someone that could be a number two, and his eventual elbow injury was unlikely related to the shoulder fatigue he dealt with in 2022. Driveline founder Kyle Boddy recently put together a great thread on this topic after the Rays lost Drew Rasmussen to an elbow injury. They had already suffered the same fate for Jeffrey Springs this season, and it causes plenty to wonder if they are acquiring diminished assets. Instead, Boddy highlights that it is a negotiating tactic in looking to generate present value. One of the most important things Boddy states is that “the goal of a team isn’t to ensure everyone stays healthy 100% of the time.” That level of thinking would be largely impossible. What an organization is attempting to do, and the Twins accomplished this year, is to create depth through a funnel of players that can continue to provide opportunity for the organization to win big-league ballgames. The reality is that there is always going to be a level of risk associated with the acquisition of any player. It’s lowest through the draft from a financial outlay, but it’s highest there in that the potential future gain remains insurmountable. Paying players on the free-agent market can lead to dollars spent for little return, and you’re always dealing with a player allowed to leave for one reason or another. In trades, it’s about understanding what your organization values in relation to the one an individual is coming from, and trying to be on the right side of that more often than not. At no point is it fair to evaluate if a trade was good based on how it works out. You can discuss the value gained or lost by a team, but the process leading to the point of a swap is where every organization in baseball should be looking to get it right. View full article

The Minnesota Twins have largely flirted with distance from the competition by staying just a few games above .500 most of the year. That hasn’t been because of their pitching, but it is the lineup that presents an opportunity for them to run and hide. Image courtesy of Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports Entering Mother’s Day, Rocco Baldelli’s club was among the best pitching teams in baseball. They had gone back and forth with the Tampa Bay Rays for that title, and metrics from ERA to strikeouts and even WAR have shined a positive light on just how good the Minnesota staff is. That really shouldn’t be unexpected given how Derek Falvey and Thad Levine built the 2023 Twins. The Bomba Squad is long gone, and flipping someone like Luis Arraez for Pablo Lopez shows where the priorities lie. This season, the plan was to pitch very well and be strong defensively. So far the former has been exceptional while the latter has left a bit to be desired. How the lineup factored in from there was a question mark, but the answer should have never been expected to be this bad. With relatively strong health, Minnesota has seen strong run from players like Carlos Correa, Joey Gallo, and Byron Buxton. Jose Miranda and Trevor Larnach have slumped, but Alex Kirilloff and Jorge Polanco both provided immediate boosts upon their return to the lineup. Still though, save for the offensive output against the Chicago Cubs, results have been less than ideal. Minnesota’s 4.38 runs per game checks in below a 4.56 league average mark, and their 93 OPS+ is reflective of the production as a whole. Their 31.7% hard hit rate is right around league average, which doesn’t stand out as a problem, but the swing and miss tendencies have reared an ugly head. Owning a strikeout rate of 25.2%, the Twins join only the Mariners and Giants among teams to surpass the one-quarter threshold. Walking 9% of the time puts them 11th in that avenue when it comes to getting on base, but the lack of contact is leaving opportunities without capitalization far too often. Having gone 5-for-33 (.152) with the bases loaded to start the year, plenty of runs have been left stranded on the base paths. That’s where the negativity is right now, but the likelihood that it remains seems rather far-fetched. Buxton is a substantial strikeout hitter, as is Gallo, but both have shown an ability to drive on-base percentage through walks. Expecting Correa to continue being a career-worst version of himself doesn’t make sense, and the perfect storm of Jose Miranda and Trevor Larnach both flopping together seems unlikely as well. Ultimately the Twins have decided to give away a couple of spots in the batting order in favor of defense. Christian Vazquez was brought in as a strong veteran catcher, while Michael A. Taylor’s value is in providing Gold Glove defense while Buxton only hits. Everyone else has either hit their floor or has opportunity to improve, and reinforcements are on the way. Although Edouard Julien did little in his brief cameo with Minnesota, we’re something like a month away from seeing Royce Lewis. Brooks Lee could soon be behind him, and Matt Wallner could move from the Saints lineup alongside of a rebounding Miranda. Because of how the pitching was built, the lineup is being given time. Chicago has shown they aren’t a good team, and Cleveland hasn’t done themselves any favors to suggest they can hang for the long haul. With the Twins pitching being what it is, a lineup that rebounds even the slightest amount is going to put Minnesota creating substantial distance in the rearview mirror. View full article

Fort Myers kicked off Mother’s Day action in the Twins farm system. Notching a combined no-hitter was quite the way to show off during an early start. Image courtesy of Fort Myers Mighty Mussels SAINTS SENTINEL Indianapolis 15, St. Paul 3 Box Score Having worked as a reliever earlier in the year, Jordan Balazovic took the ball to start for St. Paul on Sunday. He went 3 2/3 innings while allowing five runs on four hits. Only three of the runs were earned, however, and he gave up just a single walk while striking out four. He was nearly perfect through the game's first three innings. Looking for an early lead, the Saints got on the board in the first when Matt Wallner lifted a sacrifice fly to score Edouard Julien. Mark Contreras continued his hot hitting later in the frame and singled in Kyle Garlick to make it 2-0. A five-run 4th inning for Indianapolis had the Saints looking up at a deficit, but Wallner brought them closer when he hit his fourth homer of the season in the 5th inning. After Austin Schulfer worked a scoreless 1 1/3 innings, Ronny Henriquez came on for St. Paul. He gave up a run on three hits. The Saints had four innings to crawl out of a three-run hole. Unfortunately, Indianapolis added again in the 7th inning and the deficit was 8-3. Despite loading the bases in the bottom of the 8th inning, St. Paul couldn't push a run across. Whatever slim chance they may have had in the 9th inning was dashed as Indianapolis followed the Twins lead and put up a seven-run frame. All of the runs came against Josh Winder. Elliot Soto and Edouard Julien struck out before Kyle Garlick grounded out in the bottom half to end the game. Of the seven hits, Contreras was the only one to generate a pair. WIND SURGE WISDOM Cancelled - Rain The Wind Surge won all five games of the series against Frisco. Infielder Yunior Severino was named the Minnesota Twins minor league hitter of the week after he batted .444 with four homers. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Quad Cities 0 Box Score Jordan Carr worked the Sunday matinee for the Kernels, and he was sharp across six innings. Allowing no runs on four hits and two walks, Carr also punched out six batters to lower his season ERA to 2.25. Both sides were scoreless through four innings, and then Cedar Rapids jumped to a lead. Tanner Schobel recorded his second triple of the year and drove in Emmanuel Rodriguez to make it 1-0. Kala’i Rosario followed with his ninth double of the season, and the Kernels found themselves leaving the frame with a 2-0 lead. The Kernels wound up with six hits on the day, but the two runs they scored in the 5th inning were all they needed for the win. Rosario was joined by Jeferson Morales with a pair of hits. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Tampa 0 Box Score Getting in a morning game for Mother’s Day, Fort Myers turned to Cory Lewis, and he did not disappoint. Working 5 2/3 innings, he didn’t allow a batter to reach while punching out seven. That was just the beginning of an amazing day as A.J. Labas, Gabriel Yanez, and Ben Ethridge took over to complete a combined no-hitter. The Mighty Mussels scored in the 3rd inning when Jorel Ortega singled in Yohander Martinez. They added in the 5th inning when Andrew Cossetti’s single turned into a throwing error that allowed Martinez a chance to scamper home again. Wrapping up the scoring, Dalton Shuffield and Cossetti swiped bags on a double steal with the former running home on a throwing error. Fort Myers only got four hits, but when your pitching is as dominant as it was, there was never a doubt. Lewis has been impressive while being an arm that displays a knuckleball but being able to do much more than act as a soft tossing type. The relievers backing him up today held down the Tarpons lineup, and while the combined no-hitter would have been cool, displaying command to lock in a perfect game could have been the icing on the cake. Only a wild pitch on a strikeout allowed a Tampa batter to reach. Headed to Lakeland this week, Fort Myers will certainly bask in this one a little bit. They finished the series with a sweep. It was their fourth no-hitter across the past three seasons. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cory Lewis (Fort Myers) - 5.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-3, 2 RBI, HR(4) 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: #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, R, 2 BB, 2 K #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 0-4, R, BB, 3 K #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, K #9 - Louie Varland (Minnesota) - 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-3, 2 RBI, HR(4) #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 3.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K #17 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 1.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, RBI, 3B(2), BB TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (6:05PM CST) - TBD Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - TBD Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Lakeland (5:30PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins saw their star prospect Royce Lewis return to action on Thursday night, and while the game wasn't a good one, it was an important step in the right direction. Image courtesy of Katherine Ramirez, Frisco RoughRiders SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 8, Indianapolis 7 Box Score Twins pitching prospect Simeon Woods Richardson made the start for the Saints. It was a tough outing as he lasted just 4 1/3 innings giving up five runs on six hits. Richardson did punch out four and allowed only a single walk but ceded a pair of longballs. His ERA on the seasons sits at 7.17. After getting behind 1-0 in the 2nd inning, Ryan LaMarre evened things through a throwing error that plated Mark Contereras. The 3rd inning saw Indianapolis plate four and St. Paul fell behind by a score of 5-1 The Twins sent Trevor Larnach down to find power, and he did so with a 3rd inning solo shot to right field. Michael Helman then walked with the bases loaded in the 5th inning and brought Larnach across the plate. Andrew Stevenson then singled to score Kyle Garlick and it was a 5-4 game. Looking to regain the lead Larnach blasted his second dinger of the evening and knotted things up. Michael Helman then tripled for the first time this season, scoring Garlick to take the lead, and Stevenson brought Helman in on a fielder’s choice. St. Paul was able to hang on and win by an 8-7 score giving the Twins a new look into the future. Larnach had two hits on the day and was tied in that regard by Helman. Jose Miranda made his 2023 debut with St. Paul going 1-for-5 with a strikeout. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8, Frisco 6 Box Score Twins star prospect Royce Lewis made his 2023 debut for Wichita, and while he went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and was hit by a pitch in the shoulder, his availability was the key. Carlos Luna made the start for Wichita and worked four innings while allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out five and walked a pair. Down 2-0 through four innings, the Wind Surge plated their first run in the 5th inning. Anthony Prato stole second base and Will Holland was able to race home on a throwing error by catcher Scott Kapers. After giving up a few more in the 5th inning, Wichita scored Brooks Lee on a Yunior Severino 6th inning single. Kapers got his run back with a solo shot in the 6th inning, but then Wichita went to work. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singled to drive in both Holland and Pat Winkel before Lee lifted a sacrifice fly to score Prato. By the end of the 7th inning it was a tie game at 5. In the top of the 9th inning Alex Isola singled home both Jake Rucker and Lee before a Yoyner Fajardo single plated Isola. The Wind Surge had their first lead of the game and it came at a great time. Despite Frisco getting a run back in the bottom of the 9th inning, this one ended 8-6. Severino and Fajardo both had a pair of hits on the evening. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 3, Cedar Rapids 0 (Game 1) Box Score After a rainout on Wednesday the Kernels played a pair against Quad Cities on Thursday. Pierson Ohl worked a complete game in the opener going six innings. He allowed three runs on nine hits while striking out four and walking none. Quad Cities scored in the bottom half of the 1st inning and that would be enough of a lead to win this one. The Kernels were able to put up only four hits and three dropped the first half of the twin bill. Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 2 (Game 2) Box Score Looking to even the day, Cedar Rapids sent Mike Paredes to the mound. He worked 2 2/3 innings allowing one run on a pair of hits and a trio of walks. He did strike out two. Regi Grace continues to be a bright spot in relief and picked up his second save while working a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Misael Urbina started the scoring with a single that plated Noah Miller in the 1st inning. A Jose Salas ground out then brought Tanner Schobel home and Cedar Rapids was off and running. Quad Cities answered with a run in the 2nd inning, but the Kernels immediately responded. Salas ripped his third double of the year in the 3rd inning to score Schobel for a second time in the nightcap and Jeferson Morales lifted a sacrifice fly to score Kala’i Rosario. Up 4-1, the Kernels would withstand a late run by Quad Cities and wound up taking game two. Emmanuel Rodriguez, who has been scuffling since his return, had a nice multi-hit game. MUSSEL MATTERS For Myers 4, Tampa 0 Box Score Develson Aria took the mound and was lights out against Tampa on Thursday night. He worked five innings and put up a scoreless effort on the evening. He allowed just two hits and struck out seven while walking just three. Aria lowered his season ERA to 3.38 with the outing. Andrew Cossetti started the scoring in the 4th inning with a sacrifice fly to score Jorel Ortega. Ricardo Olivar then flew out to left field but scored Danny De Andrade in the process. Before the frame was over Dalton Shuffield reached on an error that allowed Carlos Aguiar to cross the plate. Up 3-0, the Mighty Mussels had some breathing room. De Andrade ripped a solo shot, his first homer of the season, in the 6th inning to make it 4-0. That’s where this one ended. De Andrade reached twice and recorded two of the five Fort Myers hits. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Develson Aria (Fort Myers) - 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Trevor Larnach (St. Paul) - 2-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 HR(2) 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 R, RBI, BB K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 2-6, BB, 3 K #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 0-5, 2 K #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 4.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-6, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-6, R, BB K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2 R, BB, K #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, RBI, BB, K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ St. Paul (6:37PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick Wichita @ Frisco (7:05PM CST) - LHP Blayne Enlow Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP C.J. Culpepper Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins lineup has used a rotating designated hitter in recent seasons. That is a great thing from a roster flexibility standpoint, but some players are better equipped to handle it than others. For Byron Buxton, it appears to be working. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports There is no denying that the Minnesota Twins, Rocco Baldelli, and Byron Buxton would all prefer him to play in centerfield for 162 games during a given season. Over the course of his career we have seen that possibility is remote at best. For the first time, the organization prioritized his backup and went with a different strategy. With Michael A. Taylor acquired this offseason, the Twins essentially brought in a clone of Buxton defensively. He is equally capable as a Gold Glove defender, and has both speed and arm strength as additional strengths. He is not much of a hitter by any means, but the organization has essentially treated the defensive position as a defense only, catcher-like, role. What that has allowed is for Buxton to settle in as the regular designated hitter. Baldelli doesn’t have the flexibility to move players like Joey Gallo, Jose Miranda, Carlos Correa, or Max Kepler through the spot in the lineup, but he also hasn’t needed to with an ever-changing 26-man. That has also meant that Buxton himself has needed to grab onto his new role and succeed. So far, it looks as though the plan is working. The Twins have seen Buxton play in 32 of the team’s first 35 games. Across that time, he has posted an .860 OPS with eight home runs. The OPS is 27 points higher than where he was a season ago, and his 135 OPS+ is higher than any point in his career aside from the 61 game sample in 2021. Certainly there are still things for Buxton to improve upon. He racks up strikeouts at a pace Miguel Sano would be proud of. What he has done to curb that this season however, is generate a career best 12.5% walk rate. While only active during an at bat over the course of a game, Buxton has to lock in when he steps into the box and needs to make the most of each opportunity. While mic’d up during a recent game against the Cleveland Guardians, teammate Carlos Correa talked about how he convinced Buxton to be the Twins designated hitter. While he understands that the superstar wants to play the field and take his mind off of at bats, he was also able to articulate how his availability increases Minnesota’s chances to win the most. Over the past handful of seasons the Twins have only seen a consistent designated hitter in very short stints. Josh Donaldson did so while hurt, and Nelson Cruz played just 258 games despite being remembered fondly through all of them. Sano never panned out in the traditional sense, and someone like Jim Thome hasn’t existed for quite a while. All of those players fit the body style of what you would expect from a designated hitter across baseball. All of them, save for Donaldson, manned the position because they were limited defensively. Buxton does not fall in that category, and it’s certainly why he’d like to find a way to be back out on the grass. At one point it sounded like mid-May could be a realistic target for Buxton to take some reps in the outfield. Now though, it doesn’t seem like he’s any closer than he was coming out of spring training, and that’s probably something to start being ok with. Taylor continues to hold down his position better than anyone else to ever back up Buck, and Byron is doing everything we have come to know from him at the plate. The hope would be that Minnesota’s offense could get into a better groove soon, but Buxton is more of the solution than a problem at this point, and it’s happening despite him not playing the field at all. For a 29-year-old star athlete, that is a reflection of his resolve, character, and focus. View full article

The Minnesota Twins came into 2023 with more starting rotation depth than they have had at any point in recent memory. The front office swung a massive trade, and returning veterans were aplenty. Now, they’ve got a new opportunity in front of them. Image courtesy of © David Richard-USA TODAY Sports When the Minnesota Twins front office flipped Luis Arraez to the Miami Marlins for Pablo Lopez, the hope was that another strong arm would present a deeper starting rotation than Rocco Baldelli or Paul Molitor ever was handed. That has appeared to be true as the Twins rank near the top in most pitching categories across Major League Baseball. What the team wanted to see from that depth was an opportunity to supplement and push the top arms, and always have someone waiting in the wings. That can still be true, but now a few pitchers have been forced into action. Kenta Maeda coming back from Tommy John surgery, even after having so much time to recover, was going to be questionable. He looked better equipped as a reliever, and now finds himself shut down for the time being. Tyler Mahle was acquired in a high profile prospect deal that sent Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand to the Reds, but his health has been a constant issue and now his total impact this season is in doubt. It’s only been 35 games and we’ve already embarked upon “next man up” territory. The good news is that the Twins have those players. Bailey Ober has turned in three starts through the first 35 games of the season, and he pitched well at Triple-A St. Paul after he was disappointingly demoted. Ober was a 12th round pick by the Twins back in 2017, and they’ve developed him into more than just a fringe starter. This season he has posted a 0.98 ERA through his first 18 1/3 innings, and it has come on the heels of a 16/6 K/BB. Ober was stingy with the longball last season, and he has yet to give one up this year. His tall frame allows his pitchers to get on hitters quickly, and thinking he had pitched well enough to make the club out of camp could keep him hungry to force never being sent back cross town. Ober isn’t an ace by any means, but he’s probably a true number three starter and the Twins have him under team control through the 2027 season. He won’t hit arbitration until after 2024, and keeping rotation spots open was part of the plan so that someone less expensive could fill in. Joining the tall righty is a local product in the form of Louie Varland. We saw Varland make his debut last year against the New York Yankees, and he has already taken a pair of turns this year. As a 15th round pick out of Division II Concordia University, St. Paul, his story is one of complete development. Varland has continued to increase velocity and rise the prospect ranks for Minnesota. He overtook former top pitching prospect Jordan Balazovic last year, and sits ahead of Jose Berrios return, Simeon Woods Richardson, on the pecking order as well. The early returns for Varland this season have not been as good. Giving up four homers across his first 10 2/3 innings, he’s already matched the number he allowed across 26 innings last year. With a 14/3 K/BB he has shown strong command, but keeping the ball in the yard a bit more is something that can take him to the next level. Both pitchers should get a significant opportunity to stick in the rotation with their teammates sitting on the injured list for a substantial amount of time. Minnesota wasn’t planning to see who would slot in alongside of Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan for a while, but Ober and Varland can begin to cement their case. Sonny Gray, Maeda, and Mahle should all be expected to play elsewhere next season. Chris Paddack is under contract but is returning from a second Tommy John surgery. The Twins being able to sort out how much reliability they have from in-house options is a must, and now they’ll see what can hopefully continue to be one of the better units in the sport. View full article

It was a rainy and dreary night at CHS Field late last week, but Friday’s regular season game against the Nashville Sounds represented a monumental change for the game of baseball. Although it was only showcased for three innings, the challenge system looked like the greatest rule change yet. Image courtesy of Image Courtesy of Ted Schwerzler This season Major League Baseball has made plenty of waves with sweeping rule changes added at the highest level. For years Rob Manfred has been toying with changes in the minor leagues and and the sport’s partner leagues. This year, that resulted in larger bases, a banned shift, and the institution of a pitch clock. None of those have been too entirely intrusive although they do represent a substantial new era in the sport. As soon as next year, another rule change could make its way from Triple-A, and the challenge system should be something applauded by all. For years we have heard consternation about the strike zone at the highest level. Major League Baseball umpires have garnered public notoriety through an inability to accurately do their jobs. While not all are poor, and the practice of addressing big league pitches is tough, a sweeping lack of accountability has become problematic. With technology at the disposal of the sport as a whole, an electronic strike zone (or "robo ump") has been clamored for. While that may seem to be a quick and effective change, it also renders the position behind the plate significantly less useful. Catcher’s have adapted their game to pitch framing, receiving the baseball, and presenting strikes to umpires over recent seasons. Removing that aspect of the game makes them little more than blockers playing catch. At Triple-A, the ABS system (Automatic Balls and Strikes) is utilized on Tuesday through Thursday games. The umpire remains behind the plate, but basically uses a pitch com system to call the game. There is no framing, there is no nuance. Then Friday rolls around. With the challenge system, the umpire makes the call, but each team is allowed three challenges to be initiated only on the field, within seconds, from the batter, pitcher, or catcher. Should one of those involved in the at-bat believe the umpire made the wrong call, they can initiate a challenge. The umpire is then made aware of the correct call, and the videoboard indicates the pitch's location. From there, a challenge is either deemed successful or unsuccessful. The latter decreases a team’s challenge pool while the former impacts nothing but the play. I left Friday’s game convinced I had seen the greatest advancement in recent baseball history. All it took was some accountability. The first challenge of the game came on a pitch that was called a strike and would have took the count to 3-1 rather than being 2-2. Andruw Monasterio, the batter, was incorrect in his assessment as the ball clipped the zone. He did homer on the very next pitch, but the umpire was officially one-for-one. Not long after, Saints pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson didn’t like a call that allowed a free pass to the Sounds hitter. He challenged the ball four call and was wrong. The umpire was now two-for-two. Not all games will favor the umpire, and not all pitches will be worth challenging. At one point, St. Paul outfielder Ryan LaMarre didn’t like a strike three against him, but for whatever reason determined the situation wasn’t worth pushing it. Therein lies a whole new avenue for analytical advancement. It would behoove the league to track the success of their umpires. How often are they being challenged and losing? Can umpires that perform poorly being suspended or further held accountable. Will teams lean more on their pitcher, catcher, or batter to be right when initiating a challenge? Do certain players always think they know what a call should be? Who will have the best eye across the entirety of the sport? It remains to be seen when or if the challenge system will be instituted in the majors, but Saints manager Toby Gardenhire has been wanting it for years. He now gets to see it in action on a weekly basis, and you can bet parent clubs across the sport will be inviting feedback. The sport has been sped up with the pitch clock, and a few 20 second delays to make sure critical calls are right seems worth slowing it down moderately. Allowing catchers to still invoke their full value, umpires to be held accountable, and the most important offerings to be judged correctly seems like a win for all involved. Rule changes aren’t always welcomed, but give me this one with open arms. View full article

The St. Paul Saints played a pair of contests today as they dealt with rain all weekend, and the rest of the organization split their decisions. Get caught up on the action within. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Nashville 3 (Game 1) Box Score Looking to play a doubleheader yesterday, the weather decided not to cooperate. Instead, the Saints were able to reschedule a twin bill today and Randy Dobnak was on the bump for game one. Dobnak worked a solid 5 1/3 innings allowing three runs on six hits while striking out four. Josh Winder took over for Dobnak in the 6th and allowed both the inherited runners to score before locking things down the rest of the way to earn the win after recently being optioned. Nashville scored first, but Kyle Farmer continued his strong rehab assignment as he returns from his hit by pitch. Having doubled twice yesterday, he launched a solo shot in the 1st inning today to knot things up. It would seem likely that he returns to the big league roster on Tuesday. Down 3-1 in the bottom of the 6th inning, Michael Helman stepped in and launched a three-run homer to put St. Paul in the lead 4-3. Farmer and Andrew Stevenson came in on the big fly. Helman’s dinger came of the brother of Twins pitcher Louie Varland, Gus Varland. Nashville 7, St. Paul 1 (Game 2) Box Score It was quick revenge for the Sounds as Aaron Sanchez recorded just two outs for the Saints in the second game. He allowed six runs on two hits. Four walks did him in as they came around on a pair of homers. Nashville led 6-0 before St. Paul took their first at bats. Leading off the game for the Saints, Edouard Julien hit his fourth home run of the year to put them on the board. Despite generating five hits on the afternoon, the one run was all they could muster. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 12, Wichita 3 Box Score David Festa took the mound today for Wichita and it wasn’t his best start of the season. Lasting 4 1/3 innings, NW Arkansas touched him up for six runs on eight hits and three walks. He did record five strikeouts on the afternoon. The Wind Surge jumped out to an early lead as they plated two in the 1st inning. Yunior Severino doubled to drive in Alex Isola before DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singled in Severino. They did give both runs back in the bottom half of the inning before Yoyner Fajardo tripled to score Will Holland in the top of the 2nd inning. Fajardo’s triple extended his hitting streak to eleven games. That was as far as Wichita would lead in this one however. Two runs in the 3rd inning were followed by three-spots in the 5th and 6th inning for NW Arkansas. The Naturals added two more in the 8th inning and the 12-3 tally stood as a final. Fajardo racked up a pair of hits as did Keirsey Jr. The six hits for Wichita checked in 13 behind the Naturals 19 for the game. Twins prospect Royce Lewis will begin a rehab assignment this week starting out at Wichita. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, South Bend 1 Box Score It was Kyle Jones on the mound today for Cedar Rapids, and he was very sharp for the afternoon. Working five innings of one-run ball, Jones allowed five hits and a single walk while striking out five. The bullpen then worked four scoreless innings while giving up just two hits to close it out. Scoring got underway in the 2nd inning when Misael Urbina grounded out but plated Kala’i Rosario in the process. Ben Ross then doubled in the 3rd inning to score Emmanuel Rodriguez and make it 2-0. After giving up a run back in the 3rd inning, the Kernels put the game away with a four-run 5th inning. Rosario walked with the bases loaded to score Rodriguez before Jose Salas singled in Ross. Urbina then took another bases loaded walk and brought in Noah Cardenas and Willie Joe Garry Jr. ended the inning on a sacrifice fly that allowed Rosario to score again. Cedar Rapids only had six hits for the game, and only Ross recorded a pair of hits, but the Kernels had great plate discipline taking nine walks. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 8, Fort Myers 5 Box Score Tomas Cleto was on the bump today for the Mighty Mussels, and his day got started a bit late after a brief delay. Working 3 2/3 innings, Cleto gave up five hits that turned into three runs. Cleto punched out four while walking three. Ronny Henriquez did get two innings of work in relief, and the Twins prospect will move up to St. Paul shortly. After getting behind 4-0 through the top half of the 5th inning, Fort Myers began to answer. Danny De Andrade singled in Rubel Cespedes to put the Mighty Mussels on the board. It was De Andrade doing damage again in the 7th inning when he took a bases loaded walk to drive in Dalton Shuffield. Andrew Cossetti then followed his lead and walked to score Dylan Neuse and make it a one-run game. Dunedin doubled their tally in the 8th inning and made it an 8-3 contest. While Alec Sayre was able to drive in Ricardo Olivar on a single in the bottom half, that’s where this rally would end. Carlos Aguiar was the only hitter to record multiple hits in the game. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Kyle Jones (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Day – Ben Ross (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, R, RBI, 2B, BB, 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) - 0-5 #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) -0-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 2-7, R, RBI, 2B, HR(4) K #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, RBI, K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 3 K #17 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ St. Paul (6:37PM CST) - TBD Wichita @ Frisco (6:05PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30PM CST) - TBD Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article

For the first time in St. Paul Saints history, the challenge system came into play at CHS Field. Instituted this season at the Triple-A level, a rainy evening showcased a way that Major League Baseball may soon change. The rest of the farm was in action as well, and Wichita played two after a postponement yesterday. Image courtesy of Ted Schwerzler TRANSACTIONS RHP Dereck Rodriguez contract purchases by Minnesota from St. Paul OF/1B Alex Kirilloff recalled by Minnesota OF Trevor Larnach optioned to St. Paul RHP Jose Bravo transferred to St. Paul from Wichita SAINTS SENTINEL Nashville 3, St. Paul 2 Box Score After a multitude of roster moves, and rain that delayed the start, St. Paul finally sent Simeon Woods Richardson to the mound. He touched 94 mph in the first inning, and this game was something of historic importance as it represented the first time the challenge system has been used at CHS Field. On Friday through Sunday games at Triple-A umpires will have more control. While the ABS system is being used on Tuesday through Thursday, the home plate umpire will again call the games during the final three days. Each team gets three challenges (but successful challenges don’t take away from the total), and when one is initiated, the pitch is immediately relayed to the umpire and then put on the videoboard. The first challenge of the night came when Nashville’s Andruw Monasterio didn’t like a low strike call. He was incorrect, but got revenge on the very next pitch as he blasted a three run homer. Woods Richardson then used St. Paul’s first challenge on a called ball four. He was incorrect and the umpire found himself two for two. Answering in the bottom half of the second inning, Chris Williams and Andrew Bechtold went back-to-back on a pair of long blasts. Bechtold knew he got all of it, and a fan attempted to grab the dinger in a beer. As the 3rd inning looked to get underway, the rain came back and the tarp was on. With rain steadily falling and the forecast not looking great for the remainder of the evening, the Saints decided to bang this one on Cinco De Mayo. It will be resumed tomorrow afternoon with a seven inning game to follow. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 5, Wichita 1 (Game 1) Box Score Playing a twin bill tonight after a rainout yesterday, the Wind Surge kicked off game one with Chad Donato on the mound. He went 3 1/3 innings while allowing five runs on eight hits. Donato did strike out three while not allowing any walks. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. started things well for the Wind Surge when he drove Yoyner Fajardo in on a 1st inning groundout. That was Wichita’s only lead of the contest though as Northwest Arkansas immediately answered with two runs in the bottom half. Donato was touched up for a two-run homer in the 4th inning that made it 4-1, and a run-scoring triple chased him from the game. Managing just four hits for the game, Alex Isola was the only Wichita player to record a pair of knocks. They would look to forget this one and bounce back in the second game. NW Arkansas 4, Wichita 3 (Game 2) Box Score Carlos Luna was the starter for game two this evening, and the Travelers once again jumped out to a lead. Allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits in the 1st inning wasn’t how he wanted things to go. Similarly to game one, Keirsey Jr. again drove in a run on a groundout. Fajardo scored and put the Wind Surge ahead. A single and a homer were recorded for Northwest Arkansas in their half of the frame and they had their second 4-1 lead of the day. Wichita did get one back in the 2nd inning, but still trailed by two through four innings of play. Seth Gray did make things interesting with a solo homer in the 6th inning, but Wichita couldn't even it up and they fell twice on the day. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, South Bend 0 Box Score Marco Raya was on the bump tonight for the Kernels, and he looked strong in a short outing as he continues to build up. Working three innings, Raya allowed just two hits while striking out three and walking only one. Pierson Ohl then came on as a piggyback starter and continued his strong start to the year. It was a scoreless game through the first couple of innings until Tanner Schobel came up in the 3rd inning. With the bases loaded, Schobel worked a walk and drew an RBI as Kyle Fedko waltzed across the plate. Though they couldn’t push any more across in the 3rd, Schobel picked up another RBI when he lifted a sacrifice fly in the 5th inning. Ernie Yake scampered home and the Kernels doubled up their lead. Adding again in the 6th inning, Ben Ross singled to right field and Willie Joe Garry Jr. raced home. The story of this game was certainly how dominant Ohl performed in relief. Working the final six innings, Cedar Rapids saw the righty allow only three hits while punching out nine. Keeping South Bend at bay, he lowered his season ERA to 2.25 and struck out the side to end it in the 9th inning. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 7, Fort Myers 6 (F/11) Box Score Tonight it was Develson Aria starting for the Mighty Mussels. He went 4 2/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and a pair of walks. Aria did strike out five on the evening. Florida State League reigning player of the month, Andrew Cossetti, singled in the 1st inning to drive in Jorel Ortega. A wild pitch then allowed Dalton Shuffield to score and make it a 2-0 game before the inning ended. By the end of the 4th inning, Dunedin had taken the lead 3-2. In the bottom of the 5th inning though, Maddux Houghton answered with a two-run blast that scored Alec Sayre and helped Fort Myers to regain the lead. As the game entered the final innings, it was Dunedin again regaining the lead. A two-run double put them back up by a score of 5-4. Fort Myers had just four hits on the night thus far, and they'd need to find a way to battle back. After a Mike Perez pop out Sayre took a walk to put the tying run on base. Houghton struck out and it was up to Ortega as the last hope. He answered the call and roped his first triple of the season to tie the game and represent the winning run just 90 feet away. Shuffield couldn't bring him home though, and the sides were headed to extras. Neither team could get anything going in the 10th inning, but Dunedin put the pressure on with a two-run blast in the top of the 11th inning. Houghton didn't have another homer in him but his single scored Rubel Cespedes to bring Fort Myers back within one. Ortega couldn't recapture the magic again, and they Mighty Mussels came up just short. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl (Cedar Rapids) - 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K Hitter of the Day – Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 3-6, 2 2B, 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) - 3-5, 2 2B, K #4 - Marco Raya (Cedar Rapids) - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 0-1, K #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 3.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-5, 3 K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, 2 RBI, BB, K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Nashville @ St. Paul (2:07PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak Wichita @ NW Arkansas (6:35PM CST) - LHP Blayne Enlow Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (3:05PM CST) - RHP Jaylen Nowlin Dunedin @ Fort Myers (5:00PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! View full article

Although the Wichita Wind Surge was rained out tonight, the rest of Minnesota's system was in action and there were plenty of updates to filter in from the farm. No Star Wars shenanigans took place on the field, but there were more than a few notable performances. Image courtesy of © Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports TRANSACTIONS None to report SAINTS SENTINEL Nashville 10, St. Paul 8 (F/10) Box Score Brent Headrick, recently back from his debut with the Minnesota Twins, made the start tonight for St. Paul. He worked 3 2/3 innings, scattering seven hits that turned into four runs. Headrick did strike out nine while allowing no free passes. The Saints jumped out to an early lead with a four-spot in the 1st inning. Kyle Garlick singled allowing both Edouard Julien and Michael Helman to score before Ryan LaMarre drove in Garlick with a single of his own. Chris Williams finished the frame with his third double of the season to score LaMarre, and the good guys were off and running. After allowing six Nashville runs to cross the plate, St. Paul got back to work. Julien crushed his third homer of the season to draw within one, and then his single in the 6th inning plated Williams and Elliot Soto to regain the lead. Ryan LaMarre crushed his third homer of the season to provide a bit of additional insurance, and it was needed in the 9th inning. Former Twins prospect Brian Navarreto singled off of Kody Funderburk to pull Nashville within one. Rather than grab his second Triple-A save, Funderburk allowed the tying run to score on a Payton Henry single. With Connor Sadzeck on in the 10th inning, Nashville went back to work and added a pair of runs to put themselves back in the lead. With St. Paul unable to answer in the 10th, that's where this one would end. Although he is no longer rehabbing, Alex Kirilloff continues to produce for the Saints. Tonight he was 1-for-4 with a double. Kyle Farmer had the night off. The Saints picked up a franchise record 19 strikeouts on the evening. WIND SURGE WISDOM Scheduled to square off against NW Arkansas after their 3-1 victory last night, the Wichita Wind Surge saw the action tonight get banged. With the contest canceled due to weather, the clubs will play a doubleheader tomorrow night. Carlos Luna is expected to start game one for Wichita. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, South Bend 1 Box Score The Kernels turned to Orlando Rodriguez for the start this evening and he was nothing short of extraordinary. Working five innings allowing only a single unearned run, Rodriguez worked around five hits while punching out six and ceded no free passes. The dominant effort on the mound was more than enough on a night where the lineup did heavy lifting on its own. Cedar Rapids quickly gave Rodriguez a lead when Jose Salas singled in Ben Ross during the opening frame. After things were evened up in the bottom half, Kala’i Rosario singled in the 5th inning to plate both Ernie Yake and Noah Cardenas. The 6th inning turned the game into a blowout. Keoni Cavaco brought in Jeferson Morales with a double, and then Yake sent Cavaco home with a triple of his own. Ross found a way on thanks to a throwing error that allowed Yake to score, and Cardenas then doubled to bring him home. When the dust settled it was a four-run inning that led to a 7-1 lead. Rosario contributed again on a line drive in the 8th inning to score Ross, and the 8-1 lead held up as a final tally. Rosario posted a three-hit game on the evening with both Cavaco and Yake grabbing a pair of their own. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 6, Fort Myers 5 Box Score Zebby Matthews was on the mound tonight for Fort Myers and while he continued to rack up strikeouts, he did give up some traffic on the evening. Across four innings of work, Matthews allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits. His eight strikeouts came with only one walk. Dunedin jumped out to an early lead scoring on an RBI single in the 1st inning. Rubel Cespedes did answer things for the Mighty Mussels when he singled in Andrew Cossetti during the bottom half however. From there, it was largely Dunedin’s ballgame. They plated two more in the 3rd inning, and a double steal of Ricardo Olivar and Jorel Ortega saw the latter swipe home. Trailing 6-2 entering their final at bats of the night, Ortega again came through as he ripped his 9th double of the season, scoring Yohander Martinez, Fort Myers was within three. Fort Myers made things even more interesting after a Carlos Aguiar single brough in Ortega, and then Cossetti singled to drive him in. Down one with runners on second and third, that's where the rally ended. Ultimately, the 15 hits by Dunedin were too much to overcome. Ortega was the lone hitter to record multiple hits on the evening, but Cossetti was given his due earlier in the day being named the Florida State League player of the month. During April he slashed an incredible .339/.474/.678 and tallied a league-best 20 RBI. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Orlando Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR(3), BB 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: #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR(3), BB #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, RBI, K #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-5, 3 K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, BB #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-5 FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Nashville @ St. Paul (6:37PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Wichita @ NW Arkansas (5:00PM CST) - RHP Carlos Luna Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Dunedin @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - LHP Develson Aria Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

This offseason the Minnesota Twins needed to shore up their catching position. With a free agent departure, and lack of production from the role in general, it was a clear need. They accomplished that goal by adding veteran Christian Vazquez, but Ryan Jeffers has held his own as well. Image courtesy of Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports When the Minnesota Twins signed Christian Vazquez as a free agent this offseason, it was under the premise that he would garner the bulk of the starts behind the plate. So far that has been the case for manager Rocco Baldelli. The unexpected outcome has been an extremely productive Ryan Jeffers, and he’s arguably off to the best start of his career. Gary Sanchez provided the Twins with 1.3 fWAR a season ago, but it still came with rather empty offensive production, and defense that left plenty to be desired. Jeffers managed to play in just 67 games due to a thumb injury, but he still only posted a 0.9 fWAR and remained a question mark behind the plate. Just to get through the season, Minnesota needed to turn to the likes of Sandy Leon, Caleb Hamilton, and Jose Godoy. Drafted as a bat-first player that may not stay behind the dish (if you asked the draft 'experts' at that time), Jeffers flew through the system after revamping his receiving style. Working to be a solid pitch framer and better game-caller, he got his first chance behind Mitch Garver. The bat flashed at times, but Jeffers never truly showed the defensive acumen to make a team comfortable. Fast-forward to today, and Jeffers has a 0.4 fWAR through his first 12 games. Working as more of a rotational backup for Vazquez, Jeffers is tracking towards a 2.2 fWAR across an entire season. That would more than double his career high, and be among the better marks for a tandem catcher across baseball. The sample size we’re dealing with is admittedly small given the Twins have played just 29 games and Jeffers has drawn starts in less than half. That said, there are some key factors at play which outline why he is having such a solid year. First, his process at the plate has returned. Not only is he hitting for a solid average (.270), but his on-base percentage (.357) is back to where it was during his debut season. There is a good deal of luck involved as Jeffers has an unsustainable .409 BABIP and also owns a .203 xBA, but there are a couple of things going in his favor. Chasing less than he ever has at just 23.4%, and whiffing only 10.6% of the time, it appears he has honed in on the zone. For Jeffers to keep regression at bay, he’ll need to work on quality of contact. Unfortunately this season he has only generated hard hit contact 17.4% of the time, a truly dismal number. He’s also currently toting the lowest average exit velocity of his career, just north of 86 mph. What that may indicate is a process that is working but lacks execution. It seems that Jeffers has a solid command of the strike zone right now, but he isn’t effectively attacking the pitches he should be looking to do damage on. Being able to marry both of those aspects together is something that can keep him rolling in 2023. What’s maybe most impressive is that his defense has improved a notch. His framing runs, which could be a calling card, are slightly down, but he’s on pace to surpass his career high in defensive runs saved. There is also how exceptionally well he has combated the new rule changes. With baserunners more active than ever, the Twins needed substantially better than a guy who caught just 18% of base stealers last season. For his career, Jeffers has not been a great catch-and-throw guy. Some of that is on Minnesota pitchers failing to hold runners on, but a guy owning a career 19.5% caught stealing rate isn’t good either. In 2023, not only has Jeffers yet to allow a passed ball, but he’s also thrown out five-of-twelve base stealers. His 42% ranks at the upper tier across MLB, and it was just a game ago that he led the league. Becoming more well-rounded is something that Jeffers needed. He couldn’t afford to lack offensively while failing to excel behind the plate. He has taken his defensive game to new heights, and although the numbers are fine on the surface from the bat, more can be done to make sure it stays that way. View full article

Was in the shoulder right about his pad. Stayed in the game and was no worse for the wear.

Yeah, not ideal. Austin Martin with this long going without an update isn't good either.