Ted Schwerzler

It wasn't installed last homestand. It will be ready to go when they return next week.

Kicking the action off early today, the St. Paul Saints played a morning game against the Rochester Red Wings. With the other Twins affiliates set to taking the field later in the evening, Toby Gardenhire’s club secured a victory right away. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Mark Contreras) TRANSACTIONS LHP Kody Funderburk promoted to St. Paul RHP Josh Winder activated off IL by Minnesota LHP Brent Headrick optioned to St. Paul RHP Andrew Cabezas reinstated from development list for Wichita SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Rochester 1 Box Score Playing an early morning contest against the former Twins affiliate today, Louie Varland was on the mound for St. Paul. Having worked recently with Minnesota, it was evident that Varland sought to overpower the competition. Working 5 1/3 innings, Varland allowed one run on four hits. He walked two, but struck out eight and continues to pile them up at Triple-A. Before Varland ever took the mound, Mark Contreras stepped in for the Saints and blasted a three-run homer. Edouard Julien and Michael Helman drew walks to get on ahead of him, and Contreras continued his hot hitting with the fourth dinger of his season. Alex Kirilloff continued his rehab assignment in this one for St. Paul, and he went 1-for-4 while being hit by a pitch. Kirilloff did play first base today, and attempted to steal a base. He continues to look good and is trending toward a return for the Twins. Although St. Paul didn’t rack up hits today, the pitching continued to be impressive when Cole Sands took over for Varland. Working 2 2/3 innings, he allowed a single base runner on a walk and punched out four. Sands worked efficiently as well throwing 32 pitches, of which 20 were strikes. This game remained close up until the 9th inning went a bit awry for Red Wings reliever Gerson Moreno. Matt Wallner was hit by a pitch before both Mark Contreras and Andrew Bechtold drew walks. Tony Wolters singled to drive in Wallner, and then Edouard Julien took a bases loaded walk to bring Contreras across the plate. Contreras just keeps on hitting, and his 2-for-3 day represented half of St. Paul’s hits. He’s pushed his OPS up to .942 to begin the year. Tomorrow’s game will be the first time St. Paul sees the challenge system being implemented for 2023. With all other contests now using the ABS system to call balls and strikes, it will be interesting to see how batters and pitchers adjust. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 12, Springfield 11 Box Score The Wind Surge turned to Aaron Rozek tonight and while he did rack up five strikeouts, he also allowed five runs on seven hits. With three walks added in, there was significant traffic on the basepaths all night. Springfield took the lead with a pair of first inning runs. Wichita immediately answered though, and four runs came across in the home half of the inning. Jake Rucker started things off with a two-run double, scoring Brooks Lee and Yoyner Fajardo. Then DaShawn Keirsey Jr. plated Rucker on a single of his own, and Pat Winkel lifted a single to score Keirsey Jr. before the inning came to a close. Rozek’s unraveling came in the top of the 4th inning when he allowed a sacrifice fly and a two run single. Still, with plenty of game left, the Wind Surge had time to claw back. Before being able to add again on their own, Wichita saw Springfield add another pair in their half of the 5th inning. As he did earlier in the game, Keirsey Jr. came through big time. Fajardo and Yunior Severino stood at 2nd and 3rd base just long enough for the Wichita outfielder to hit his third homer of the season. Tying things up at seven, it was a whole new ballgame in the 5th inning. With the game quickly careening towards extras, Springfield made sure to do their part. Jacob Buchberger singled off reliever Alex Scherff and drove in Pedro Pages to take a late lead. Needing an immediate answer, Alex Isola singled to lead off the inning. He was lifted for Alerick Soularie and after a pair of pickoff attempts, Soularie was caught attempting to swipe second base. Winkel answered drawing a walk before Will Holland singled to put runners at first and second. Anthony Prato singled to load the bases for Brooks Lee, and it was up to the top prospect to come through. Springfield made a pitching change and Logan Sawyer was on to shut down the potential threat. Lee got a bender up in the zone and crushed it 97 mph to right center and cleared the bases. Fajardo followed him with a single to plate Lee, and the five-run inning was massive. Fajardo stole second to put himself in scoring position, and Rucker's third hit of the night brought him home. Now up 12-8, the Wind Surge had the opportunity to close this one out in the 9th inning. Osiris German did give Springfield breathing room as a runner came around to score on Nick Dunn's triple, and then a sacrifice fly brought him home. A solo blast then made it a one-run game, and the five run 8th inning became more necessary than nice. German did record the final out, and this one ended as a one-run win in a game that had 23 runs scored on 28 hits. Wichita put up 16 hits in this one, and multi-hit games were had by Fajardo, Rucker, Keirsey Jr., Winkel, Holland, and Prato. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, West Michigan 1 Box Score Alejandro Hidalgo made another start tonight for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, and he has done a good job of limiting damage since being acquired in the Gio Urshela trade. Tonight he went three innings allowing a single run on three hits. He did walk three batters and struck out one. Runs were at a premium this evening, especially for the Kernels who mustered just one hit through six innings. After getting behind on a West Michigan single in the 3rd inning, Misael Urbina launched his first homer of the year to put Cedar Rapids on the board. His 5th inning solo shot knotted things at 1. In the 7th inning, with things still tied at 1, 2022 Twins draft pick Tanner Schobel stepped in and launched his third home run of the season. With Noah Cardenas and Kala'i Rosario on, the three-run blast gave Cedar Rapids some much needed breathing room. The Cedar Rapids bullpen was great all night as Mike Paredes, John Stankiewicz, and Miguel Rodriguez combined to go six innings allowing a hit a piece, and each registering at least one strikeout. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Daytona 1 Box Score Dealing with a brief delay, Jose Olivares only went one inning for the Mighty Mussels before Ben Ethridge was inserted in relief. Olivares did allow a run on a single hit, but Ethridge locked things down going three scoreless innings allowing just a single walk and fanning four. After a rain delayed start, Olivares allowed a single in the bottom of the first. Carlos Jorge then stole second base, moved to third on a fly out, and scored on an infield ground ball. Things stood pat for both teams from that point until Ricardo Olivar stepped in during the top of the 7th inning. With the bases loaded, he lifted a grand slam scoring Dylan Neuse, Luis Baez, and Danny De Andrade. Fort Myers had their first lead of the evening, and it came with some breathing room. Following Ethridge's lead, Zach Veen was amazing in relief. He worked three innings of his own, allowing just a hit and a walk, while picking up five strikeouts. The bullpen keeping the Mighty Mussels in this one to give them a chance was huge. Not ready to be done adding on offense late, Mikey Perez singled in Carlos Aguiar in the 8th inning to make it a 5-1 game. Samuel Perez entered in the 8th inning for Fort Myers and he worked two scoreless innings to close this one out. Aguiar was joined by Rubel Cespedes as the only Mighty Mussels to record multiple hits on the day. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Louie Varland (St. Paul) - 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Mark Contreras (St. Paul) - 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR(4), 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: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, BB #2 - Royce Lewis (IL) - Knee #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - IL Abdomen #4 - Marco Raya (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 0-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, K #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #7 - Connor Prielipp (Cedar Rapids) - IL Elbow #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3 #9 - Louie Varland (St. Paul) - 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K #10 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - IL Elbow #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-3, R, HBP, 2 K #12 - Yasser Mercedes - Extended Spring Training: starting this week, the Twins extended spring team will get started. Each week, they will play four games against the Red Sox team, get two days of practice, and Sundays off. #13 - David Festa (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #15 - Matt Canterino (IL) - Tommy John #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #17 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - IL Elbow #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, R, 3 RBI, HR(3) #19 - Jose Rodriguez (EST) - Same as Mercedes. #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, R, RBI, (HR), 2 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Rochester (5:05PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Springfield @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - TBD West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Fort Myers @ Daytona (5:35PM CST) - RHP Zebby Matthews Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

For the first time in 2023, Alex Kirilloff looks like he’ll take the field for the Minnesota Twins. He didn’t appear during spring training, and obviously that meant he wouldn’t break camp with the big league club either. Now on a rehab assignment, he appears to be trending towards a return. What can we expect? Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Rewind a few years and Alex Kirilloff was promoted as a highly-touted prospect that debuted during a playoff game and was supposed to soften the blow of a Josh Donaldson absence. In his first season as a major leaguer, he was able to play in just 59 games after dealing with wrist issues. Undergoing season-ending surgery, the hope was that 2022 would be better. Unfortunately, Kirilloff needed to shut things down last offseason before heading into spring training, and the wrist issues persisted. Playing in just 45 games last year prior to opting for surgery that literally included a breaking of his wrist, hope was renewed that 2023 would be where health and normalcy was regained. Understandably, it seemed a bit less-than-promising seeing Kirilloff behind during spring training. He wasn’t playing in back field games early on, and swinging was largely limited to cage sessions as opposed to live at bats. We’re now roughly a month from when Minnesota broke camp down in Fort Myers, and the return appears imminent. Across nine games split between Fort Myers and St. Paul, Kirilloff is 11-for-31 with a double and four home runs. He’s also seeing the ball well owning an impressive 5/6 K/BB. It was on Sunday, homering twice for the Saints in weather hovering around 40 degrees, that it finally seemed to click and appear this guy may be back. Despite dealing with the frigid temperatures, Kirilloff split the locations of his homers for the Saints. His first shot, a two-run blast, went over the left centerfield fence. Showing opposite field power against the conditions was plenty impressive in and of itself. His three-run blast later in the game was pulled to right center, and again reflected hard hit results we haven’t seen when he has been hurt. Over the past few years, it has been wildly evident when Kirilloff was dealing with his ailment. Despite short term fixes like cortisone shots, Kirilloff simply couldn’t hit anything for power as the wrist nagged him. The batted balls that left CHS Field for the Saints had exit velocities of 103 mph and 105.1 mph. That reflected similar exit velocities that he posted earlier in the week with St. Paul, as well. Beyond just being able to hit, Kirilloff has also kept his positional flexibility during rehab work. Playing in both the outfield and first base, he will give manager Rocco Baldelli options alongside of players such as Joey Gallo, Max Kepler, Trevor Larnach, and Donovan Solano. Initially penciled in as Minnesota’s Opening Day first baseman, he should see plenty of run on the dirt. It would be unfair to expect a guy that has missed so much time to return and immediately rake. That said, even with the later timeline, there hasn’t been a point in the past two years in which Kirilloff has looked this physically ready. We have heard nothing of setbacks, and the results have indicated reason to be excited as well. The Twins have been relatively punchless on offense thus far, and despite getting Gallo back, Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa have been slow out of the gate. Jose Miranda is still looking to get things going, and Larnach has cooled of late. Adding another bat with power potential to the lineup is a great opportunity, and following shortly behind the footsteps of Jorge Polanco would be nice to see. Minnesota can’t rely on Kirilloff to be their saving grace in the early going, but for a 25-year-old that had plenty of prospect steam it would be great to see a fully healthy version of him let loose. The playoff game back in 2020 was an exciting opportunity to debut, but this might be the most important return yet. View full article

This season the Minnesota Twins have scuffled out of the gate on offense, but it has been a dominant pitching staff that has kept them in games. While the rotation is doing the heavy lifting, there are some notable offerings in the bullpen as well. Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports Back in the beginning of March, I suggested that this Minnesota Twins team was going to look a bit different. Despite needing to retire the Bomba Squad moniker a while ago, the thought has been that Derek Falvey and Thad Levine continue to construct power-heavy lineups. Although Rocco Baldelli does have some of that at his disposal in Byron Buxton and Joey Gallo, the 2023 club is focused around pitching and defense. So far, we have seen that come to fruition. It shouldn’t be shocking that Twins starters are going longer in games as the water level of the group is substantially higher. No longer are Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer being trotted out to the mound, and the effectiveness from the rotation props up the bullpen. While there are individual pitchers worthy of talking points, there are some singular pitch offerings that stand out above the rest. Here are three of the Twins best pitches: Griffin Jax - Sweeper While it may be consider a bit more of a slider than others, Jax’s breaking ball is classified by Statcast as the new sweeper variety. He’s using it nearly 3/4 of the time this year, and it’s been nothing short of dominant. He has worked some on righty-right changeups, but that pitch has yet to bear fruit for him. With the sweeper, Jax gets a 15% whiff rate, and through 22 games he’s thrown it 107 times. What’s most impressive about the offering is that despite its consistent usage, no one can touch it. He has allowed just a single hit on the pitch all year. Pairing well with his sweeper is a fastball that has gotten even better. Jax saw a velocity jump in moving from the rotation to relief, but he has added another mph of velocity this season. Averaging 96.4 mph on his fastball, it’s beyond impressive where it stands given the cold weather games thus far as well. Pablo Lopez - Sweeper Like Jax, it’s a sweeper that is doing damage for Pablo Lopez. He was acquired over the winter in a swap with Miami for Luis Arraez. His strong start allowed him to parlay a stay in tenure with Minnesota and he signed a contract extension for the most money the Twins have ever given a starting pitcher. The sweeper is a newer pitch for Lopez, and he’s dominating with it. Throwing the pitch over 20% of the time this season, he’s generating a ridiculous 21.1% whiff rate through the club’s first 22 games. Lopez has found success in changing his repertoire, and opposing hitters have only generated five hits from the offering this year. Having already shown solid stuff from a reliable rotation arm in previous years, he has only taken further steps forward since joining Minnesota's organization. Jhoan Duran - Splinker The pitch that has made Duran famous is not a fastball touching 103 mph, but instead his patented splinker. To be able to throw a ball with that much movement, that fast, is truly incredible. Duran broke out as a reliever last year, and is now seeing new heights to start out 2023. Duran’s 43% chase rate shows how often hitters are off balance and he’s ramped up the splinker usage rate to 28%. The pitch has generated an 18.2% whiff rate through the club’s first 22 games, and no opposing batter has yet to put it in play for a hit. Last season Duran set velocity records for the Twins, and now with a 101.6 mph average fastball velocity, he’s added to it. Arguably the toughest closer in the game to face, Duran gets it done with a lethal combination of gas and movement. What are some of your favorite offerings from Twins pitchers this year? View full article

The Minnesota Twins did a good job adding to the starting rotation this offseason, and their bullpen has taken significant strides forward. Now, they’ll add another flamethrowing arm to the group, and Brock Stewart has certainly earned his way back. Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports With the Minnesota Twins having an open roster spot after optioning Bailey Ober back to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday, they have decided to use it on hard-throwing righty Brock Stewart. He was not on the 40-man roster, so the Twins chose to Designate RHP Trevor Megill for Assignment. The 31-year-old's story is an interesting one, and when he takes the mound for the Twins, it will be the first time he’s been on a big league mound since 2019. Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 6th round of the 2014 Major League Baseball draft, Stewart was taken out of Illinois State University. The former Redbird worked as a reliever in college and racked up strikeouts with strong velocity numbers. Los Angeles immediately tried him as a starter, and while the results were middling in 2015, he broke out in 2016. Across 121 innings from Single-A to Triple-A in 2016, Stewart posted a sparkling 1.79 ERA with a 9.6 K/9. He made 21 starts and excelled at the upper levels of the farm. While that year didn’t get him on any top-100 prospect lists, he vaulted up the Dodgers system and was now an arm with plenty of intrigue. With the strong effort on the farm in 2016, Stewart was called up to the big leagues for his debut. He pitched 28 innings for the Dodgers, but was bit by the longball, allowing seven of them in that timeframe. Working out of the Dodgers bullpen for the majority of 2017, Stewart saw plenty of success when it came to ERA. His 3.41 number was solid, but continuously he was walking a tightrope as the strikeouts dipped and the walks rose. A lackluster 2018 with the Dodgers meant his chances were running out, and by 2019 he found opportunity north of the border with Toronto. In 21 2/3 innings with the Blue Jays, Stewart posted an 8.31 ERA and was allowing a whopping 3.7 HR/9. At 27 years old, his career was at a crossroads. Out of affiliated baseball during Covid, Stewart found run with the Chicago Deep Dish, an independent team playing in the City of Champions Cup. He turned in a strong 3.38 ERA and the strikeout numbers rebounded. Unfortunately, he blew out his arm in 2021 and underwent Tommy John surgery. Signed by the Minnesota Twins last summer, Stewart was a prioritized minor league free agent as the organization brought him in to oversee his rehab. The righty made his organizational debut on August 23, 2022 working two innings in the Complex League. He then made three appearances for the Mighty Mussels before eventually finishing his season throwing 7 1/3 innings with the St. Paul Saints. The results weren’t good last year, but it was the first opportunity for him to get his feet wet following the long road back. Invited to big league spring training for Minnesota this year, Stewart threw 9 1/3 innings across Grapefruit League action. The results weren’t ideal, but it was another building block in the process. Having now worked 8 2/3 innings to start 2023 for the Saints, Stewart has been among the best relievers at Triple-A. His fastball velocity has sat in the upper 90’s, which is a big jump from his 92.8 mph career average. He has a ridiculous 17/2 K/BB. Maybe most importantly, he has yet to allow a home run. How manager Rocco Baldelli utilizes Stewart out of the Twins pen remains to be seen. He is not a traditional long man, although he has the ability to go multiple innings. He will obviously see most of his work in lower leverage, but this is a spot for Stewart to show he can hang and enjoy the hard work paying off. It has been a long road to get back, and you can imagine emotions will run high the first time the bullpen door swings open for him. View full article

All season, the Minnesota Twins have operated with a strong desire to employ a long reliever. While that is a fair desire, it has left arguably the best blueprint for roster construction under-utilized. Image courtesy of © Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports Out of the gate, Minnesota decided against keeping Danny Coulombe or Jeff Hoffman. Instead, Rocco Baldelli went with Cole Sands to operate as his long man out of the bullpen. Sands not needing to be prioritized for innings could provide bulk work when Minnesota needed it, or mop things up if games got out of hand. Sparingly used, and pitching just a total of four innings, Sands was optioned. Simeon Woods Richardson recently provided the Twins some length in a game that got away against the Washington Nationals, but the goal has been for him to remain a member of the rotation. For now, that happens in St. Paul, but ultimately, he provides Minnesota depth behind Sonny Gray, Pablo Lopez, Tyler Mahle, and Joe Ryan. Finishing the weekend series against the Nationals was Bailey Ober making a spot start. He was solid last year as a starter for the Twins, and disappointed his strong spring didn’t provide an opportunity to crack the Opening Day roster. After looking good in his 2023 debut, it is that 13-man pitching staff where the greatest group lies. The caveat obviously is that Kenta Maeda moves to the bullpen. Shockingly, Maeda is fine after taking a line drive to his ankle. Avoiding a trip to the injured list, the Twins have Maeda listed as the probable starter on Wednesday against New York’s cheater starter, Domingo German. Minnesota has remained steadfast that Maeda would be in the rotation coming back from Tommy John surgery. Thus far, he’s been fine, but the opportunity to maximize the roster lies in front of them. Continuing to let a capable starter in Ober work out of the rotation seems to make too much sense. Ober has been nothing short of spectacular in his past three outings, and it’s clear he’s much better than being stashed away at Triple-A. Vaulting him to the big-league rotation still leaves arms like Louie Varland and Woods Richardson as immediate starting depth. By inserting him into Minnesota’s group, Maeda’s innings can be managed, and the pen becomes more fluid. Looking for a high-level arm that can eat innings, there may be no more ideal option than Maeda. He has topped out at 83 pitches this season, and has been skipped once to ease him back in. By working out of the pen, he provides a middle-inning option that can remain stretched out, but also focus on executing in short stretches rather than being perfect throughout the entirety of a start. Of course, Maeda would not be a fan of this outcome, and he wasn’t while used in the role with the Dodgers. However, he is in the final year of his deal with the Twins and isn’t likely to be around in 2024. It should not be of highest concern for Minnesota to appease everyone, and certainly not carrying more weight than building their most optimal roster. When used as a reliever with Los Angeles in 2019, Maeda posted a lower ERA and a 22/4 K/BB. He was better as a reliever in 2018 as well, and that season saw him tally a 26/3 K/BB. Being able to insert that type of dominating arm into the non-leverage spots that provide themselves during a game would immediately give Baldelli starter protection on a nightly basis. I don’t foresee the Twins making this change any time soon. They were too vocal about him being a starter, and Maeda is clearly more happy in that role. That said, if you want to put the best 13 pitchers on the roster and get more from the bullpen one through eight, this is the way to get it done. View full article

The Minnesota Twins saw plenty of rookie debuts last year, and among the most promising of them was Jose Miranda. Settled into a more consistent position this year, the hope was that his production would continue. So far, it’s been less than ideal. Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports When the Twins moved on from Gio Urshela this offseason, it meant the hot corner was going to be handed over to Jose Miranda. Alex Kirilloff and Joey Gallo would handle the bulk of work at first base, and Carlos Correa was back to take over the shortstop role. At third, Miranda has been better defensively, but the production at the dish has left plenty to be desired. Miranda finished 2022 with a 116 OPS+, which is more than fine in and of itself. However, the .651 OPS over his final 45 games as opponents adjusted to him too numbers down by a significant amount. Working on his body, and knowing the big-league level more, an offseason of preparation was expected to pay dividends. We’re still early in the 2023 season, but Miranda’s .244/.301/.267 current line represents a brutal .568 OPS. In nearly 100 at-bats he has just two doubles to his name, and batting in the middle of the order, that simply isn’t going to get it done. So what’s wrong? From a high level overview, basically everything. Miranda’s Statcast profile shows more of what is happening rather than what part of the process needs reworking. When at his best, there are so many categories that can be red for the Twins third baseman, but right now there isn’t much of it to be seen. A bit more under the hood we can find some answers. First, there is some bad luck happening. Miranda’s xwOBA sits at .286 while he has just a .247 wOBA through his first 21 games. He’s actually striking out less than last year, and drawing more walks, so it’s not exactly a discipline issue. His xBA is also .255, which checks in two points higher than it finished a year ago. From an exit velocity standpoint, Miranda is generating a similar level of hard hit contact. That signifies he is making good contact when putting the bat on the ball. One of the first issues that jumps out though, is how he is putting the ball in play. With a 50% ground ball rate, he’s throwing away so much of how he generally finds success, and he’s giving opposing defenses more easy opportunities to convert batted balls into outs. Nothing about how Miranda is being attacked suggests that opposing pitchers have made substantial changes. If anything, it’s in what Miranda is currently going after that is holding him back. He is chasing a bit less than last season which is a good thing, but he is making less contact both inside and outside of the zone. His whiff rate is only slightly elevated, but finding himself in negative counts means that Miranda is often faced with the need to hit out of a pitcher’s preferred sequence. For a hitter with this level of contact ability, and a significant profile to drive the baseball, there is no reason to suggest what we are currently seeing will be indicative of the results when the dust settles. Miranda is young and still developing, but he’s so advanced as a hitter that this will likely just be a period of time when looking at 2023 as a whole. Hitting is difficult, and poor weather makes things that much more troublesome. Miranda is certainly aware of his results right now, and for a guy looking to surpass his power numbers from a season ago, he’ll dial things in as the season goes on. You’d certainly rather have a playing going through a rough patch than seem to have a broken process, and that’s where this situation stands at the moment. View full article

It was quite the day for rehabbing players, and Noah Miller continues to look sharp for the Kernels. Michael Helman is tearing up the competition for Fort Myers, and Alex Kirilloff looks closer than ever to a return for the Minnesota Twins. Image courtesy of William Parmeter TRANSACTIONS RHP Simeon Woods Richardson optioned to St. Paul RHP Bailey Ober recalled by Minnesota SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 8, Scranton/WB 5 Box Score With Bailey Ober heading across town and rejoining the Twins today, Randy Dobnak made the start in his place. He was efficient and impressive, working four scoreless innings. Dobnak allowed just a single hit and gave up only one free pass. He struck out three. Dobnak has been used in a hybrid role this year, so he was lifted after 51 pitches. Josh Winder, rehabbing for the Twins, piggybacked Dobnak and worked three innings of relief on his own. He allowed a run on two hits. The run came off just a solo home run, and Winder generated three strikeouts. Possibly coming to the end of his rehab stint, Alex Kirilloff blasted an opposite-field homer in the cold during the 1st inning. He’s been impressive for St. Paul, and could be a significant boost for the Minnesota lineup. Elliot Soto then added another run for the Saints when he singled in Ryan LaMarre during the 4th inning. Kirilloff wasn’t satisfied with his first homer of the day, so he decided to add another. In the 7th inning, with Soto and Edouard Julien on, the Twins slugger pulled one to right center field and picked up his fifth RBI of the day. Jorge Alcala made his 2023 debut for the Saints in the 8th inning and it was almost a disaster. Allowing a pair of hits and a walk, he had the bases loaded before getting a pop out to end the inning. Looking for a little bit more insurance, the Saints added a pair in the bottom half. LaMarre scored in a Byron Buxton-like fashion after a shallow Soto sacrifice fly. Hernan Perez also came home on an error. Trevor Megill's struggles continue for the Saints and he was taken deep by Jake Bauers in the 9th inning. It was his second blast of the game and an attempt to crawl back with an unlikely rally. Megill did get two outs, but after a Billy McKinney walk and a Michael Hermosillo home run, the lead was down to just three and his day was done. Brock Stewart, who has been great for the Saints this year, came on and allowed a triple by Estevan Florial, but getting Jamie Westbrook ended the game. Kirilloff was joined by both Soto and Perez in the multi-hit category on the day. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 4, Wichita 3 Box Score The Wind Surge closed out their series against the Drillers with Carlos Luna on the mound. He gave Wichita 4 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on a pair of solo shots. Luna did punch out a trio of Tulsa batters while walking just one. It didn’t take long for Wichita to grab a lead today with DaShawn Keirsey Jr. clubbing his second home run of the year in the top of the 1st inning. Brooks Lee was on, and the two-run shot had the Wind Surge off and running. Before the frame closed, Pat Winkel stepped in and recorded his second double of the year, this one driving in Armani Smith. Unfortunately for Wichita, that is where the adding ended. Jonny DeLuca and Jorbit Vivas both homered in the 3rd inning to cut the Wind Surge lead, and then Vivas went yard again in the 6th inning to even the score. An RBI single for Jose Ramos followed a few batters later and Andy Pages crossed the plate for a go ahead run. The Wind Surge got just four hits on the afternoon, and two of them came from Keirsey Jr. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 11, Beloit 1 Box Score Pierson Ohl took the ball this afternoon for the Kernels and was very sharp. He scattered four hits across five innings giving up only a single run on a solo homer. He picked up five strikeouts and avoided allowing any free passes. Complementing Ohl’s strong performance on the mound was the Cedar Rapids offense. They came out with a first inning run when Ben Ross singled in Noah Miller, and from there they just kept adding on. The 2nd inning saw the Kernels plating four runs. Miller singled to drive in both Jeferson Morales and Ernie Yake, before Tanner Schobel lifted a line drive to center field, scoring Miller and Noah Cardenas. Cardenas got in on the run production with a double of his own during the 3rd inning. He tried to stretch it for a triple but was gunned down. That didn’t prevent both Morales and Miller from scoring on the play. Beloit finally got on the board with a 4th inning solo shot, but it was immediately answered by Cedar Rapids in the 5th inning. Cardenas put the ball in play and with the Sky Carp booting it around, Yake raced home. A 6th inning wild pitch gave Schobel a chance to cross the plate, and Miller drove Keoni Cavaco in on a sacrifice fly. The offensive outburst checked in to the tune of 10 runs on 10 hits. Miller stirred the drink strong at the top of the Kernels lineup. Going 4-for-5 with a double, three runs scored, and three walks, he’s up to an .805 OPS this year. Cardenas joined him in the multi-hit affair as well, picking up three and scoring on a 9th inning balk. MUSSEL MATTERS Jupiter 10, Fort Myers 9 (F/11) Box Score The Mighty Mussels got a start from Tomas Cleto today, and while he only went three innings, his single run was nice to see in a game that saw 19 runs on 28 hits. Both Jupiter and Fort Myers kicked off scoring in the 1st inning with a run apiece. The Mighty Mussels got their first tally from a Jorel Ortega single to score the rehabbing Michael Helman. From there, it was a back and forth offensive onslaught. Needing to answer four Jupiter runs, Ricardo Olivar’s solo shot in the 6th inning brought Fort Myers within three. Trading runs in the 7th inning, Helman tripled to drive in Alec Sayre and make it a 6-3 game. Needing a last ditch effort in the 9th inning, Fort Myers was up to the challenge. A throwing error allowed Sayre to score and the bases were loaded for Olivar. He was plunked by a pitch to get an RBI the hard way. Carlos Aguiar then evened the score at six when he drove in Helman. Jupiter’s 10th inning run scored on a fielder’s choice in the top half before Luis Baez score for the Mighty Mussels on a wild pitch. Onto the 11th inning, and trailing by three after Jupiter singled and tripled in runs, Fort Myers again had to erase a three-run deficit. Helman continued to make his presence felt and a double allowed Yohander Martinez to score. Aguiar picked up another RBI on a single as he drove in Helman, but Ortega wound up being stranded at second base and the rally ended two bases short. Playing down a handful of levels it’s not surprising to see him rake, but Helman went 4-for-5 on the day with a trio of runs scored and a pair of RBI. He’s got a 1.226 OPS during his rehab assignment and should be back with the Saints in short order. Outfielder Dylan Neuse was the only other Mighty Mussels hitter to record multiple hits on the day. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER 0 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Day – Michael Helman (Fort Myers) - 4-5, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI, 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: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-4, 2B, 1 R, BB #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-4, K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 4-5, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Rochester (5:05PM CST) - TBD Springfield @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP David Festa West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Daytona (5:35PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article

This season Major League Baseball made drastic changes to the rules surrounding the game. Notably the pitch clock and a shift ban were introduced, but large bases and pickoff restrictions were intended to create excitement on the base paths. Many teams have participated, but the Minnesota Twins have not. Image courtesy of Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports Not surprisingly, plenty of outlets have tracked stolen base frequency and success rates this season. MLB.com’s Mike Petriello put together a wonderful piece last week outlining the scenario. As you may have guessed, attempts and success are up across the board. With pitchers being allowed to disengage from the mound just twice and the bases inches closer to each other, there is more advantage than ever tilted toward the runner. Why then do the Minnesota Twins, who employ Byron Buxton, have just a single stolen base to their credit? It took until the sixth game of the season for Michael A. Taylor to steal the first base for Rocco Baldelli’s club. Both Willi Castro and Matt Wallner have been caught, making the club just 1-for-3 on attempts thus far. Needing to steal at roughly and 80% clip to be worthwhile, the Twins fall short of that threshold. But again, where is the aggressiveness? The answer is certainly multi-faceted. Buxton and Taylor are two of the best bets in the regular Minnesota lineup to swipe a bag. The former has just a .300 OBP and four of his 13 hits have gone for extra-bases. Taylor has an even lower .281 OBP and with three surprise homers, five of his 15 hits have gone for extra bases. You could call Nick Gordon somewhat of a base stealer given his relative speed, but he has started the season awfully cold at the plate. Owning just a .100/.122/.125 slash line, Gordon has gone 4-for-40 in his first 13 games. He went just 6-for-10 on stolen base attempts last year, and if he wants an opportunity to be better, it will require him more regularly getting on base. On the bench, WIlli Castro has never stolen more than nine bases in a season, but Edouard Julien should be seen as a runner. He has yet to get on base enough for the Twins to make it matter, but his 34 swipes in 2021, and 19 last year are definitely something that Baldelli and Minnesota can use. With regards to guys like Buxton and the eventually-returning Jorge Polanco, steals may not be seen worthwhile given the injury risk. Buxton has already been upended on the base paths this year, and it was running the bases last year where he found himself developing a season-long injury. Polanco has already dealt with knee issues, and inviting an enhanced opportunity for more seems foolish. That said, Baldelli can clearly see the struggles of his offense in the early going. With 63 runs to their credit through 16 games, only Oakland, Washington, the two AL Central bottom feeders, and the Miami Marlins have scored less. Needing to find additional ways to generate production, taking bases is something to consider. In talking with multiple players during spring training, aggressiveness on the base paths was going to be a focus for the Twins. Baldelli brought in former manager Paul Molitor to work with the club on base running, and multiple quick twitch initiatives have been employed during recent seasons with a focus on generating jumps. While it’s great for Minnesota to push for more base path aggressiveness, opportunity has to present itself, and for the right people. This Twins team shouldn’t exactly be considered fast, and some of their best base stealers are also capable of racking up extra-base hits, limiting opportunity. Still through, three steals in 16 games is not a way to keep the opposition honest, and if the Twins don’t do something about it they risk being significantly easier to game plan against. It’s unlikely any Minnesota player is going to steal 30 bases this season, but not having multiple guys on the move despite rule changes inviting it would be peculiar. Aggressiveness can be translated to taking extra bases and getting guys going, but without stealing bases at all, it’s harder to see than ever. View full article

Despite rain in St. Paul on Thursday night, all four Minnesota Twins affiliates got their games in, and it was down in Fort Myers where the thunder was provided. Andrew Cossetti has been on a tear, and nothing stopped him tonight either. Image courtesy of William Parmeter TRANSACTIONS C Charles Mack activated from IL for Cedar Rapids C Wilfri Castro transferred to FCL SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Scranton/WB 3 Box Score Toby Gardenhire turned to Jose De Leon for the start tonight, and he was nothing short of spectacular. Working four scoreless innings, De Leon allowed just two hits and two walks while punching out five. He once was dangled as a trade chip for Brian Dozier, and is now pushing for a debut with the Twins. The scoring started and ended in the third inning for the Saints. Rehabbing Twins first baseman Alex Kirilloff doubled to score both Elliot Soto and Matt Wallner. It was Soto's double that set up the additional runs. Mark Contreras continued his hot hitting with a double of his own to plate Kirilloff and Kyle Garlick. St. Paul had put up a four spot in the third inning and jumped out ahead. Scranton clawed back with runs in the fifth inning, seventh inning, and eighth inning, but ultimately they fell just short. Hernan Perez clubbed his second hit of the night, a solo shot in the eighth inning, to give St. Paul a bit of breathing room. Kirilloff finished his night going 2-for-3 while also being hit by a pitch. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 3, Wichita 0 Box Score Making the start for Wichita was Travis Adams. He lasted four innings and allowed just a pair of runs on four hits. Adams walked a pair, but also struck out four batters. The pair of runs came on a solo homer and a wild pitch. Jonny DeLuca led off the game for the Drillers with a solo blast in the bottom of the first inning. Adams buckled down, and while he did allow Diego Cartaya to score on a second inning wild pitch, no other damage mounted. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. made an amazing catch in centerfield to rob additional runs, but that didn't spark a Wichita comeback. The Wind Surge tallied just three hits on the evening, and Brooks Lee finally went without a hit (ending his 10-game hitting streak), though he did reach on a walk. With the lineup stalling out, a comeback was never in the works. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 3, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score The Kernels turned to Jordan Carr for the start on Thursday, and he worked around six hits during his 4 1/3 innings of work. While two runs came across, only one was earned. Carr allowed a walk and struck out three. Cedar Rapids scored first when Kala’i Rosario tripled to drive in Noah Miller as the third batter of the game. It was the start of what would wind up being an impressive night for the outfielder. After giving the run back in the bottom of the second inning, and seeing another tacked on in the fifth inning, the sixth inning saw Cedar Rapids get even. Third baseman Ben Ross smacked his second home run of the season, and his blistering start to his 2023 season continued. Unfortunately, the Sky Carp’s Yiddi Cappe singled for the second time on the night in the seventh inning, and his RBI was the difference in this one. Adding a run, the Kernels never rallied and that hit was the difference. Rosario was the lone Kernels batter to post multiple hits, but he was a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and triple. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Jupiter 1 Box Score Cory Lewis was on the bump for Fort Myers on Thursday, and he continued to rack up strikeouts. Working five innings, he allowed just a single run on a solo shot. It was the only hit against him, and while he walked a pair, Lewis also racked up six strikeouts. Although Lewis kept Jupiter down in the game, he was also given immediate breathing room. Andrew Cossetti stepped in with Michael Helman, Jorel Ortega, and Ricardo Olivar all on base. He drilled his fourth homer of the year, a grand slam, and put the Mighty Mussels up early. It’s been an impressive week for the slugger. After the solo blast against Lewis, Fort Myers immediately answered. Cossetti came through again, this time with a bases-clearing double. Ortega, Danny De Andrade, and Olivar all came across the plate. Maddux Houghton followed up with a fielder’s choice to score Cossetti, and it was an 8-1 lead when the bottom of the fifth inning concluded. Looking for more insurance runs, Houghton hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to bring Carlos Aguiar home. The Mighty Mussels plated nine runs on just six hits. Both Cossetti and De Andrade recorded a pair of hits on the evening. Helman played shortstop and led off as he is rehabbing before returning to St. Paul. He did draw a pair of walks. Capping off the scoring, Dalton Shuffield tripled in the eighth inning to score Mikey Perez and Dylan Neuse. A 10-run rule could have been enforced, but the ninth inning didn’t change the score either. Fort Myers did a great job continuing to add runs all night long. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cory Lewis (Fort Myers) - 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Andrew Cossetti (Fort Myers) - 2-4, 2 R, 2B, HR(4), 7 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top 20 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, BB, K #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-2, R, 2 BB, K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, R, BB, K #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, BB, 2 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/WB @ St. Paul (6:37PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Wichita @ Tulsa (7:05PM CST) - LHP Aaron Rozek Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35PM CST) - RHP Alejandro Hidalgo Jupiter @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP Jose Olivares Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins have had a strong start to their season, and they have a series victory against the Houston Astros along with a split with the New York Yankees in New York. Although Byron Buxton isn’t yet playing in the field, he’s been consistently in the lineup as the designated hitter. Unfortunately, his approach has been less than ideal. Image courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports For years, the Minnesota Twins operated as though Byron Buxton was a slap hitter with the ability to get on base only by putting the ball on the ground. Utilizing his otherworldly speed, it seemed the goal was to bunt or put the ball in play and then hope his quickness would translate to miscues by the defense. Since 2019, we have seen Buxton become among the best hitters in baseball. In maturing as a player, he retooled his swing and distanced himself from a process that left so many of his skills going to waste. From the Bomba Squad year up until last season, Buxton owned an .874 OPS which translated to a 136 OPS+. The only problem is that his on-base abilities have never taken off. For years it has seemed like Buxton was more of a gap and power hitter than he was truly a singles and stolen base guy. As much speed as he possesses, there is no denying that the thump brought by his bat can be powerful. On a per-162 game basis, Buxton’s home run numbers rival those of Aaron Judge and Mike Trout. With power traditionally comes strikeouts though, and while they represent an out just like any other, drawing walks to even things out is a must. When the Twins signed Joey Gallo this offseason the immediate sentiment was another Miguel Sano type player being brought into the fold. That’s not necessarily wrong in and of itself, but the reality is that Gallo has consistently produced strong on-base skills to go with his power. Sano only flashed that in small bursts, and had he been able to continue, there is less of a chance he’d be unemployed right now. Unfortunately for Buxton, he not only isn’t a great average hitter (which is fine), but he has failed to consistently deliver in the on-base category (which is not). Buxton’s slash line is so heavily skewed toward his slugging percentage that any time he goes through slumps the lack of production will be massively felt. He’s not quite a three true outcomes player, but he is much more closely tied than anyone with his abilities should be. In 2023 the Twins have seen Buxton strike out a league-high 25 times across just 16 games. He has drawn just six walks to offset that output. While Buxton was named an All-Star last year he struck out in a whopping 30.4% of his at bats. That’s just north of his career average, and has jumped all the way to 35.7% in the early going of 2023. With a process resulting in that much whiffing, it’s not surprising the contact isn’t ideal either. Buxton’s 23.7% hard hit rate is a career-low, and well off the 40% he has tallied each of the past two seasons. He is actually chasing similar to previous seasons at 32.7%, but any time he swings out of the zone it has resulted in just a 55.8% contact rate. There hasn’t been a substantial change in the way pitchers have attacked Buxton when he steps in this year either. He’s seeing a similar number of fastballs and offspeed offerings, but the usage of curveballs against him has doubled. That could be reflective of intention, or simply the repertoire carried by those arms he has faced. At any rate, strikeouts have long been an issue for Buxton, and maybe not stated to the degree of a Sano or current teammate Gallo. Both of those players have career OBP numbers north of .325. Since Buxton broke out in 2019, he has generated just a .316 OBP and he falls off a cliff entirely when the slugging output is not there. For 2023 Buxton has a paltry .300 OBP, and his .687 OPS makes him a 94 OPS+ hitter. That might be fine if he was also providing elite outfield defense. As a top-of-the-order designated hitter, it isn’t what the Twins can handle at all. This is still a relatively small sample size for 2023, but the trend is a concerning one that has gone on for years. Buxton needs to strike out less, or find a way to generate more walks. Being an all or nothing guy that misses time and doesn’t regularly play defense isn’t good for anyone involved. View full article

St. Paul - It was March 26, just days before the 2023 Major League Baseball regular season was set to kick off. Bailey Ober had been great for the Minnesota Twins in spring training, and he had just learned he was optioned to minor league camp. Now almost a month later, he’s determined to get back. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints In big league camp, Bailey Ober threw 10 innings and allowed just three earned runs with a 9/3 K/BB. With a rotation boasting arms such as Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, and Tyler Mahle, it was determined there was not room for him. As much as Rocco Baldelli has been consistent in wanting a long reliever, keeping Ober stretched out is a must. Rather than using the starter that threw 56 innings for the Twins last year in a Cole Sands type of role, the front office decided he would be the next man up from St. Paul. And then he wasn’t. Needing an arm against the New York Yankees in mid-April, Ober had just finished a dominant outing against Indianapolis. As good as that turn was, it was also enough to rule him out for an immediate promotion. Louie Varland was chosen instead, and Ober traveled back to St. Paul with the Saints. Making his fourth start of the season, Ober is locked in more than he ever has been this year, and he’s looking to keep the momentum rolling. Coming off a six-inning performance where he allowed no runs on two hits and punched out six, the bar was high. Knowing the goal was a return across town though, his focus couldn’t have been better. On Tuesday night, he reiterated that locating the offspeed stuff felt great. "Being able to fill up the zone and get weak contact on sliders and curveballs was good. Feel like the first two starts I was missing with those and getting behind." When the dust settled on his evening, it was more of the same. Ober pitched five scoreless innings and punched out six batters. He needed just 72 pitches, and after Mark Contreras hit a 1st inning grand slam, things were on cruise control the entire way. Early on, Ober touched 94 mph while sitting in the low 90s. Although the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lineup isn’t loaded with Yankees prospects, this was an outing of big-league dominance. It’s not lost on Ober that Minnesota currently has a full stable, but he can’t control when an opportunity arises. Looking to continue putting himself in the best position to succeed, nights like tonight are another strong representation of that. Talking about the end of spring training and how he started the year, Ober noted that, mentally, it probably had an impact. "More on the mental side compared to the physical aspect. I put that behind me and move on. That's really the only thing I can do. Obviously they made a decision of what they thought was going to be the best and so far it's been pretty good for them so I can't blame them on that part. Now go out there and dominate every game." Ultimately, Ober wants to be able to display a level of availability and stuff that plays. He followed up a strong rookie year with a 3.21 ERA last season, and it would be foolish to suggest that he belongs down on the farm. Continuing to pitch like this, and work with such a strong mindset, he’ll be an asset the next time Minnesota calls on him, and for years to come. Saints fans can continue trying to catch Ober's starts at CHS Field, but getting out sooner rather than later may be a good idea. Twins Notes: Jorge Polanco played all nine innings for the Saints tonight. The plan is for him to play another nine innings tomorrow and then evaluate from there. He was uncertain of any plans for him to fly to Boston on Thursday, but the Twins return home on Friday. He mentioned that he feels good and is moving well. There have been no setbacks since spring training and he is building up well. He went 0-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts on Tuesday, but is continuing to get at-bats to get ready for a big-league return. Alex Kirilloff did not speak with reporters but hard multiple hard hit balls, a pair of singles, and looked good on a couple of plays in the field. View full article

Did we just become best friends?!

Process>Results There have been more than a few guys with hitting tweaks that seem to be promising.