Ted Schwerzler

Last week, Major League Baseball unveiled three new rules that will take effect for the 2023 season. The group includes a pitch clock, bigger bases, and banning of a traditional shift. While everyone is set to play under them, which Twins benefit from each one the most? Image courtesy of Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports As has been the case with virtually any new idea Major League Baseball has come up with, the minor leagues have served as a training ground. That means many of these new rules have already been practiced at some level by prospects that would hope to come through the system Now being implemented at the highest level, big leaguers will have their first exposure to them. When looking at each individually, it may be worth breaking down who is helped most by each new rule. Pitch Clock When runners are on base pitchers will have 20 seconds to deliver a pitch, and they’ll have just 15 seconds to do so when the bases are unoccupied. I have seen this firsthand plenty throughout St. Paul Saints' action this season. It seems to be integrated seamlessly and works well. There’s no doubt that pitchers will benefit most from the pitch clock. Yes, there has been pushback in regard to routines and timing, but for the most part, the arms have adapted. Specifically, pitchers without much of a Major League track record, or those that work quickly, will benefit from the change. It was widely apparent how quickly Minnesota Twins starter Louie Varland worked against the Yankees last week, and you’ll see plenty more of that from guys who come up off the farm. With batters only being allowed one timeout per plate appearance, there should be a substantial cut down on the ticks that emanate in the form of bat taps, adjusted batting gloves, and walks around the dish. Largely, the suggestion is now to get in the box and stay there. While stealing hasn’t been largely impacted at the minor league level with a set time to deliver a pitch, it’s not maybe more important than ever for pitchers to change up their looks. Minnesota has done a terrible controlling the running game, and while neither Gary Sanchez or Ryan Jeffers throw many base stealers out, their pitchers have to help them as well. Bigger Bases Going from 15” to 18” bases isn’t all of a sudden going to increase the running games. Steals haven’t spiked with bases being larger, but the amount of bang-bang plays directly correlates. There’s also the opportunity for slightly more real estate when two players are rushing to the same base. Plays at first base should have a bit more room for the runner to step through and keep pitchers or other fielders covering a bit safer. The bases being larger is something that fans and players won’t likely realize at all, but there will be multiple instances of different calls or spared injury that could be directly attributed to the change. Byron Buxton probably won’t start stealing 30 bases per year with the new size, but Billy Hamilton would’ve been safe at third base on his steal attempt. Oh, and while we’re here, home plate is not changing and Whit Merrifield was still out. Shift Restriction This change may have the greatest impact on players and the game itself. Teams will still find ways to shift, but now two infielders must be on each side of second base, and all four have to be touching the dirt when the pitcher is on the rubber. No longer will a defender be able to play a short outfield spot, and there won’t be an entire position on the infield unmanned. Joey Gallo is the first name that comes to mind across baseball, but for the Twins, this could actually make Max Kepler good again. He’s been awful about hitting into the shift for most of his career, and the problem is largely attributed to his launch angle. Opting for ground balls and low liners, he’s been easy to steal hits from. Ground balls still probably won’t find their way through, but being able to dump the ball into short right field may be of benefit. Ultimately, I’d expect teams to get creative with their outfielders when it comes to shifting. We may see three play on one half of the grass, and that’s probably how extreme-pull hitters are attacked. What rule are you most in favor of? Are there any you have concerns about? View full article

With both the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Fort Myers Mighty Mussels dealing with a day off before resuming their championship series action at home, the St. Paul Saints were the lone team in action thanks to a Wichita Wind Surge rain out. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints TRANSACTIONS Catcher David Banuelos placed on the 7-day IL retroactive to September 13 (concussion) SAINTS SENTINEL Louisville 5, St. Paul 1 Box Score Simeon Woods Richardson made the start tonight for the St. Paul Saints and was dominant. He worked six scoreless innings allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out four. He kept Louisville off the scoreboard. Lifted after six strong innings for reliever Drew Strotman, the Saints allowed a run after their new pitcher gave up a hit and a walk. The 7th inning Louisville single broke up the scoreless tie. Answering in the bottom of the 7th inning, Nash Knight ripped a line drive single to drive in Mark Contreras and even the score at one. Unfortunately, the Saints couldn’t hold the tie and in the 8th inning, a Bats single from Cristian Santana drove in two putting the good guys behind 3-1. Louisville then added another two runs in the 9th inning and pushed the lead up to 5-1. WIND SURGE WISDOM Postponed Due to inclement weather, Wichita and Midland were postponed tonight. KERNELS NUGGETS No Game The Kernels are off tonight as they prepare for game two of the Midwest League Championship Series. They trail 1-0 and Travis Adams will start tomorrow night at home. MUSSEL MATTERS No Game The Mighty Mussels are off tonight as they prepare for game two of the Florida State League Championship Series. They trail 1-0 and Marco Raya will start tomorrow night at home. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER,1 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Nash Knight (St. Paul) - 2-4, RBI, K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will 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: #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER,1 BB, 4 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-3, BB THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Louisville @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic Wichita @ Midland (7:00PM CST) - RHP Brent Headrick South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams Dunedin @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates back and playing. View full article

With the 2022 Major League Baseball regular season coming to a close, it’s the time of the year when IBWAA members are sent out ballots to cast their selections for awards. While the year didn’t start on time, having the full 162 game schedule following the lockout was a treat, and we’ve been given a ton of great performances. You can look back to my preseason predictions if you’d like, they were made at the end of March. In turning in my ballot recently, here’s what my selections looked like. American League MVP: Shohei Ohtani (Runner Up: Aaron Judge) National League MVP: Paul Goldschmidt (Runner Up: Nolan Arenado) American League Cy Young: Justin Verlander (Runner Up: Dylan Cease) National League Cy Young: Sandy Alcantara (Runner Up: Carlos Rodon) American League Rookie of the Year: Julio Rodriguez (Runner Up: Adley Rutschman) National League Rookie of the Year: Spencer Strider (Runner Up: Michael Harris II) American League Manager of the Year: Brandon Hyde (Runner Up: Dusty Baker) National League Manager of the Year: Buck Showalter (Runner Up: Rob Thomson) American League Reliever of the Year: Jhoan Duran (Runner Up: Emmanuel Clase) National League Reliever of the Year: Edwin Diaz (Runner Up: Ryan Helsley)

It’s hard finding a way to define the Minnesota Twins 2022 season. Expected to compete for the division, but ultimately seen behind the Chicago White Sox, the Twins held first place for much of the year before sputtering at the end. What falls on Rocco Baldelli’s shoulders, and how should we view his future? Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Coming into the season, off of a long lockout, the Minnesota Twins were not seen as favorites. Even after signing a superstar in Carlos Correa, the questions about pitching remained. Yes, Sonny Gray was acquired, but Kenta Maeda was expected to be out most of the year, and a young duo in Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober were expected to carry the load. Bullpen questions remained, and only Joe Smith was brought in to answer them. After a mediocre first month, Rocco Baldelli had his guys clicking through May. Maybe the one period of relative health throughout the whole season, Minnesota’s manager orchestrated an 18-12 record. It’s been .500 or worse each month since then, and despite the initial expectations, it’s hard to suggest they weren’t raised after Derek Falvey and Thad Levine provided reinforcements at the deadline. Whether Minnesota claws back and makes the postseason or not, the manager has plenty to sort through this season. Baldelli has now managed more than 500 games for Minnesota and has accumulated a winning record. His win percentage is .533, well above Ron Gardenhire’s .484, Paul Molitor’s .471, or Tom Kelly’s .478. The Twins have won the division twice during his four-year tenure, and they should be seen as a candidate to do so again in 2023. It’s not fair to chalk 2022 up as a wash entirely because of injuries. Baldelli has consistently operated with half of his deck, but there’s been ample opportunity to provide better results. It’s probably worth wondering how things would have gone if Minnesota had seen even a slightly better outcome in terms of the guys they’ve lost to injury. It’s also not fair to suggest Baldelli has failed given the hurdles he’s had to clear. Ultimately a front office wants a manager to be their representative of process in the clubhouse. I think it’s safe to say that Baldelli is in lockstep with his bosses. It’s also more than evident that Baldelli gets along with his players, and has their respect as well. Both of those realities are integral when deciding to keep someone in the position. Unlike Molitor before him, it seems that Baldelli is able to effectively communicate with the guys on the field, and is able to get buy-in when wanting players to try new things. If the Twins were to change course, it probably would have a ripple effect throughout the clubhouse, and that sort of shakeup may not be beneficial given the youth expected to produce in 2023 and beyond. Consistency among leadership can be viewed as a positive, and Baldelli has already connected with so many that will take on larger roles in the years ahead. Should Minnesota make a move, and I think there's an opportunity for them to do so, it will come throughout the coaching staff as a whole. Maybe there's opportunity to shore up baserunning or generate a secondary voice in the clubhouse. Pete Maki has been fine in Wes Johnson’s position, but a more established pitching coach makes sense as well. At times throughout this season, it’s seemed the clubhouse needed a more vocal leader to beg for accountability or change. While that’s not Baldelli’s demeanor and isn’t really that of Correa or Byron Buxton, it could be that of a performance coach or someone tabbed with the background solely to rise to the occasion. We’ll see changes this offseason, there will be more than a few on the coaching staff, but I think it’s safe to say the front office should and will retain their manager. View full article

The Minnesota Twins postseason hopes are dwindling, and for a team that splurged on the starting lineup this season, no one should be happy with how things went. What happens to the front office when the dust settles, and should they be back? Image courtesy of © Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports First and foremost, yes Derek Falvey and Thad Levine should and will be back for the Twins in 2023. Now that that’s out of the way, there’s absolutely more to dissect here. Coming into 2022, Carlos Correa fell into the Minnesota Twins' lap. He needed a place to play, and the Twins had money to spend. $35.1 million allowed Correa to claim the richest contract by average annual value for an infielder across Major League Baseball history. He’s now produced to a point worth that valuation, and he’s going to get paid this offseason. The Twins structured his contract to allow for the length he sought last year, and the opt-outs allow him to capitalize on timing. Yes, he’s opting out. No, that doesn’t mean Minnesota can’t find a way to bring him back. Just because Correa was on this team didn’t mean that the front office was going all in. Jhoan Duran was not intended to make the Opening Day roster, and Jose Miranda started the year in St. Paul. Despite swinging a trade for Sonny Gray, Minnesota’s pitching depth included Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer rounding out the rotation. Joe Smith, an aging veteran, was the only bullpen addition. In short, there were some big moves made, but this was a rather conservative stance on talent acquisition. The goal from the beginning for this front office has been to create a sustainable winner. While they haven’t necessarily done that, they certainly haven’t failed either. Minnesota has been consistently competitive for the bulk of the past few years, and the farm system has begun to bear fruit. The Twins minor league rankings have dropped in large part due to the graduations. The development of names like Jose Miranda and Joe Ryan has been substantial, and being able to turn prospects like Cade Povich and Spencer Steer into big-league assets is a testament to growth. Falvey and Levine have consistently focused on the future though, and as they barrel towards it, now would be a misguided time to pull the plug. The core of Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, and Miguel Sano was not their group. That talent was a catalyst during the Bomba Squad season, and they remain intact now, but the pairing of what this front office has developed is where they want to go. Royce Lewis, Miranda, and a fast emergence of Brooks Lee, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, and Alex Kirilloff are what Falvey and Levine see in the lineup. They’re hoping to have the likes of Simeon Woods Richardson, Jordan Balazovic, Ronny Henriquez, Blayne Enlow, and Cole Sands give them real starter innings. Everyone mentioned there is close, and they all should provide a higher ceiling than the depth thrust onto the Twins roster this season. Of course, no plans are guaranteed, so maybe this wave flops or fails to develop, but after years of Terry Ryan or his referred successors, there’s just very little reason for ownership to pull the plug now. View full article

As the rigors of the 2022 Major League Baseball season continue to take their toll on the Minnesota Twins, it becomes more of a limp to the finish than a sprint. Should they make the Postseason, however, this team may wind up being built for October. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Let’s preface this with an adjustment of expectations. Are the Minnesota Twins legitimate World Series contenders? No, absolutely not. Unless something significant changes, this club will be lucky to win the division. However, if you’re hoping for an end to the nearly two-decade-long drought for a Postseason victory, that could set up well. Rocco Baldelli’s club has next to no healthy bodies left. Jorge Polanco was left on the active roster for nearly a week without another player being added because there was not an obvious choice. Tyler Mahle is on the injured list again and won’t be eligible to return until roughly the final two weeks of the season. Sonny Gray has been held back at times, and the return of Byron Buxton does not appear close. All of that said, fighting through one game at a time makes sense for a battered squad. Should the Twins find a way to outlast the Guardians and White Sox while they match up plenty over the final month, they can be as good as anyone during a short series. Should Gray find a clean bill of health by the end of the month, Mahle return, or Joe Ryan step up, the top three for the Twins can keep them competitive against any lineup. On the offensive side of things, it’d seem likely that Buxton could return for a short term boost. Trevor Larnach will be back, and Polanco is ideally healthy by then. A lineup of mostly Minnesota’s best bats should be a fearsome foe to virtually any opposing pitcher. Then there’s the reality that a Twins opponent likely wouldn’t be the New York Yankees. With a 12-team Postseason format, and Minnesota being the third seed in the American League, they’d face the six seed in a three-game Wild Card series. Right now the Seattle Mariners hold that spot, although it could also be the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, or Baltimore Orioles. None of those teams are bottom-feeders as you’d expect, but they should present a good opportunity to win given Minnesota would get three straight home games. It’d be great to see Minnesota make a run through the month of September, health or otherwise, to establish a stranglehold on the division. Without their depth, it just doesn’t seem like a thought based in reality. If they can hold serve and squeak out a division win while their competition also looks weak, then circumstances could turn in their favor. A team lacking health and depth will get exposed in a seven-game series, and probably in a five-game series as well. In a three-game series though, the talent this Twins team has should be enough for a win in October, and even an opportunity to advance. Threading the needle between health and positioning will be a tough task for Minnesota’s staff the next few weeks, but this should be seen as an opportunity where getting in could be just enough. View full article

The Minnesota Twins are awaiting the return of Ryan Jeffers to their active roster, and while he’s targeting a late-September return, there’s no guarantees. The outlook now is bleak, and there doesn’t seem to be any answers coming soon. Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports This offseason Derek Falvey traded Mitch Garver to the Texas Rangers for Isiah Kinger-Falefa. Eventually Minnesota found their backstop when sending Josh Donaldson to the New York Yankees and bringing back Gary Sanchez. The hope was that a change of scenery may help the one-time slugger regain his ability but that hasn’t happened. There’s no denying that the 29-year-old Sanchez has to be feeling less pressure in Minnesota, but as a free agent after the year, he should see the same struggles in finding a team that wants him. With the Twins, Sanchez has posted a .677 OPS through 99 games, coming in with a below-league-average 95 OPS+. He’s still a poor receiver behind the plate, and while he has made some defensive strides, it’s not enough to make him much of an asset. Needing an alternative following Jeffers’ thumb injury, the Twins dealt for Sandy Leon from the Cleveland Guardians. He’s now played 16 games for Minnesota, after spending most of his time this season at Triple-A, and he’s been largely unusable. With Caleb Hamilton being thrust into action, a veteran was the preferred option. Leon, save for an outlier 2016 season with the Red Sox, has never been an offensive asset, and the 42 OPS+ here echoes that. Looking to return with a 93 OPS+, Jeffers has actually posted worse numbers than Sanchez this season. The saving grace is that he appeared to be turning it around prior to the injury. Across his last 21 games before hitting the injured list, Jeffers owned an .871 OPS and had blasted four homers. That 21-game sample size is not unlike the 26-game stretch in 2019 that resulted in a 119 OPS+ and had the Twins intrigued by making him their full-time option. No matter how this season ends, whether Jeffers makes it back or not, Minnesota looks to be at a loss when it comes to the position. Both Sanchez and Leon will be gone, and Jeffers returns to a massive amount of uncertainty. He’ll be given every opportunity to win the role, and it’s hard to fathom seeing a large amount being spent on the position behind him. That said, we’ve never seen him actually establish himself at the plate in anything but short bursts. It’s hard to create longevity and certainty at every position across the diamond, but Minnesota has seen black holes for quite some time up the middle of the diamond. Carlos Correa gave them a massive boost at the shortstop position, an area that has been a revolving door for years, but he doesn’t represent longevity. Garver and Jeffers manned the plate for a while, but now we’re left wondering again. Up-the-middle issues are hard to cover up, and both will be necessary to address this winter. Without a true answer on the farm, and not knowing where they’ll turn in free agency, how comfortable are you believing that Jeffers can be the answer behind the plate when he returns and beyond? View full article

Every. Single. Game. The same refrain thunders from fans all over Twins Territory. Why aren’t the Minnesota Twins allowing their starting pitchers to go deeper in games? Unfortunately, this isn’t something tied to the organization alone, and there’s a pretty straightforward answer. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports At the Major League Baseball level, most things are about the process working to dictate ideal results. Whether you view the concept of analytics as annoying or not, the reality is that they represent an application of information. When it comes to pitching, hitting, or virtually anything else on a baseball diamond, results are calculated by statistics derived from outcomes. Every time that Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli steps onto the field and travels to the pitching mound hand-wringing ensues. Of course this is often because the removal of a starting pitcher is happening in the 5th inning or earlier. It’s not something done on gut feeling or through a knee-jerk reaction, but instead a reflection of what makes sense based on actual results. Four pitchers have made the vast majority of starts for the Twins this season. Among them, Sonny Gray is the only one you would even consider for a top spot or two in a good rotation. Joe Ryan, while flashing signs of solid stuff, more closely resembles a number three or four pitcher. He’s been pulverized by teams above .500 all season long, and while that’s to be expected given his age and exposure, it doesn’t excuse the reality. I have been vocal in that Dylan Bundy seems to be found value for Minnesota considering his output in spite of the predictive metrics. He is going to regress. Everything about his outcomes suggests regression will hit him hard. What the Twins have done is dance around having that reality smack them in the face to this point, and pitching him any more than he has would be playing with fire. Chris Archer is that fire that routinely burns both his manager and the bullpen beyond three or four innings. His stuff has been good, but the wheels fall off and things go awry. Asking pitchers to face a lineup more than two times is not a bad idea, in fact it’s one that should be welcomed. In operating that way however, you need to have a stable of pitchers capable of completing that feat. There’s absolutely no argument to be made that the Twins had those arms when the season started, and now 36 pitchers into the year, they couldn’t be further from that being a possibility. If there’s criticism to be had, it’s towards Derek Falvey and Thad Levine in failing to adequately supplement their starting staff. Major League Baseball as a whole has trended towards shorter starts for quite some time. Through the first handful of months this season, the average start was lower than five innings for the first time in history. With that reality, you’re effectively asking managers to massage a bullpen for something like four innings on any given night. That requires both high-end arms, as well as solid depth. Minnesota had no arms capable of going deep into games when the season started, and their answer to a bullpen needing supplemental capabilities was a 38-year-old sidearmer in the form of Joe Smith. It’s great that rookie Jhoan Duran has been amazing, but it’s also been absolutely necessary for the Twins to stay afloat. His win probability added leads the league because of the weight being carried on his shoulders, and Baldelli wasn’t provided any additional answers until August. Jorge Lopez has regressed, and Michael Fulmer has been mediocre. Yes, Griffin Jax is a nice development, and it’s great Caleb Thielbar returned from coaching Division 2 baseball, but what are we doing here? At the end of the day, the question as to why the Twins don’t allow starters to go deeper into ballgames really becomes why doesn’t Minnesota have better starting pitchers. It’s a process to develop arms, and very few will ever be a true ace. It’s also incredibly difficult to spend dollars on arms with 29 other teams vying for their services, and even less talent finding you desirable. View full article

It’s fair to suggest all of the excitement resonated from the St. Paul Saints today. Not only was Louie Varland making his Major League debut following a quick stop at Triple-A, but the Saints scored a bunch and Mark Contreras was the biggest bat. Image courtesy of Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports TRANSACTIONS RHP Louie Varland contract selected by Minnesota Twins RHP Jake Jewell designated for assignment SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 10, Toledo 6 Box Score The Saints got to watch teammate Louie Varland deal in New York this afternoon before Ronny Henriquez took the mound in Toledo. Henriquez was great allowing just two runs on one hit. He walked one but struck out nine. St. Paul started off the scoring with a pair of first inning dingers. Michael Helman launched his 12th of the season before Mark Contreras hit his 14th. In the 2nd inning the good guys kept rolling. First, Andrew Bechtold got his first Triple-A double to drive in Cole Sturgeon, then Elliot Soto ripped a triple to bring home Bechtold. Matt Wallner wound up grounding out, but the ball being put in play allowed Soto to scamper home. Still looking to pile on, Helman grabbed his second hit of the day, a single this time and Soto scored for the second time. After giving back two on a 4th inning Mud Hens homer, the Saints answered a few innings later. Chris Williams grounded out with the baes loaded, but Toledo couldn’t roll a double play and David Banuelos scored. After the Mud Hens got a run back on an Austin Schulfer wild pitch in the 6th inning, Banuelos doubled to bring in Bechtold and wipe it off in the 7th inning. Toledo drew closer in the bottom half, but Contreras was able to smash his second blast of the game in the 8th inning, a two-run shot scoring Matt Wallner, and double up the Mud Hens 10-5. Five different St. Paul hitters had multi-hit nights, which isn’t surprising given the 13 total for the team. Contreras was the lone batter to reach three in the game, however. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 5, NW Arkansas 0 Box Score The Wind Surge turned to Kody Funderburk tonight. He was great going six strong allowing only four hits and a walk. The Wichita starter punched out seven batters. It took no time for Wichita to get runs for their starter. Aaron Sabato started things with his third Double-A two-bagger, this one with the bases loaded, bringing in Edouard Julien, Jair Camargo, and Yunior Severino. Anthony Prato then singled to bring Sabato home and make it 4-0 early. Quietly going about their business through the middle of this one, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. added an insurance run in the 8th inning to score Anthony Prato. Edouard Julien and Prato both recorded three-hit games, and the Wind Surge tallied a total of 14 runs tonight. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, South Bend 4 Box Score It was David Festa tonight for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. After getting behind early, Festa settled in and wound up working 6 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits while also striking out three. After getting behind 1-0 after the 1st inning, the Kernels responded with a run of their own in the 3rd inning. Pat Winkel crushed his 9th double to drive in Brooks Lee and knot things up. Unfortunately the lead evaporated in the 5th inning when South Bend added two more. In the 6th inning Cedar Rapids began their comeback. Alerick Soularie drove in Mikey Perez on a ground out and the deficit was only one. After giving it back in the 7th inning, the Kernels erupted for six runs in the eighth inning. Charles Mack crushed his fifth homer of the season to draw back within one before a bases loaded walk of Dylan Neuse scored Seth Gray. Kyler Fedko then drove a single through the left side and watched both Perez and Wille Joe Garry Jr. cross the plate. Before the inning was done, Brooks Lee got into the action with his fourth double, plating both Neuse and Fedko. Both Fedko and Perez had two hits apiece, and six different Cedar Rapids batters combined to tally the eight hits. MUSSEL MATTERS Postponed Game postponed due to inclement weather. Fort Myers and St. Lucie will make it up tomorrow as part of a doubleheader. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K Hitter of the Day – Mark Contreras (St. Paul) - 3-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(15) 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: #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 1-2, R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 2B #4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-3 #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-4, R, RBI, BB #12 - Louie Varland (Minnesota) - 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K #13 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 6.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 3-4, R #16 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K #19 - Alerick Soularie (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, RBI, 2 K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Toledo (5:35PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Aaron Rozek South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams St. Lucie @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates back and playing. View full article

Coming off a 2021 Major League Baseball season that the Minnesota Twins would like to forget, there’s no denying that this version of the club has been much better. However, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone that didn’t expect more of this club, and while injuries have caused problems, there’s been performances leaving much to be desired. Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports Plenty of blame has been placed on Rocco Baldelli and the combination of Derek Flavey and Thad Levine. Some of that may be warranted, but the production, or lack thereof, falls on the shoulders of players. Whether through injury or ineffectiveness, Minnesota was certainly hoping to get more than they did this season from several different talents. There have been a few guys that could find themselves contending for the least valuable player to the Twins this season, but these five are the ones that stick out to me. Joe Smith Over the offseason there was only one bullpen addition made to a team that needed a turnaround in relief. Smith came in as a 38-year-old with shaky peripherals from last season. He’s a slider pitcher with a funk delivery that relies on deception to carry him. At no point was anyone deceived and the modest strikeout totals he used to generate never were present. Smith gave up homers in bunches and the largest issue here was probably that the front office held on too long. Jorge Alcala Disappointing not for performance, but lack thereof, Alcala was expected to be a key contributor in this bullpen. He was arguably the guy expected to step up as Jhoan Duran has, but ultimately contributed just three innings this season. Alcala suffered an arm injury and then setback after setback before his continually delayed timeline was updated to be through the end of the season. He’d be a big boost for the 2023 squad, but it’s hard to count on what he may be at that point. Alex Kirilloff Another injury-riddled season, Kirilloff underwent season-ending wrist surgery a year ago. Then he shut down his offseason routine because it didn’t entirely heal. He played through it for a while with muted results, went to St. Paul figured out how to make it work, then saw it flare up to the point of being unusable. Kirilloff was expected to be the first baseman and play plenty for Minnesota. Instead he underwent an even more significant procedure and now is a massive question mark coming into 2023. Still young, he can be an integral part of this club’s future, but his health must get right first. Gary Sanchez Acquired to be a rotational catcher with Ryan Jeffers, Sanchez was billed as being a potential solution given a fresh chance. Despite leaving New York, he’s been the same bad catcher we’ve seen for years, and without the occasional longball, there’d be no highlights to touch on at all. Ryan Jeffers going down for a significant period of time has only highlighted how little Sanchez can be relied upon on a daily basis. Emilio Pagan Acquired the day before the season began, Minnesota saw an opportunity to acquire value in the form of Chris Paddack. Taylor Rogers didn’t work out for the Padres and was ultimately shipped to Milwaukee, but Pagan could single-handedly be blamed as the reason Minnesota would wind up losing the division. He’s been given opportunity because of his raw stuff, but with little ability to execute, he’s proven to be the same pitcher Tampa Bay gave up on a handful of years ago. View full article

We’re now into the final month of the 2022 Major League Baseball and the Minnesota Twins are trying to do everything they can to make the Postseason. While that result hangs in the balance, there’s been plenty to like after an uninspiring 2021 season. Image courtesy of Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports Rocco Baldelli’s club has seen debuts of multiple rookies this season, while also enjoying the play of superstar Carlos Correa. Despite dealing with plenty of injuries and adversity, bright spots have been aplenty for a club looking to re-establish itself atop the American League Central division. Here are five of the best developments for the Minnesota Twins in 2022: Griffin Jax A year ago Griffin Jax was a starter that had next to nothing going for him. He had an ERA over 6.00 and was giving up homers at an alarming rate. Converted to a full-time reliever this season, Jax has arguably been one of the most underrated arms in baseball. Baldelli went to him often in high-leverage situations, and he worked as a setup guy for the club’s best relief arms. Now striking out over 10.0 per nine innings, he’s emerged as a weapon in relief for quite some time. Nick Gordon Finally healthy, and experiencing a full season, Gordon has emerged as a true asset as a utility player. Byron Buxton played through an immense amount of pain this season and put up All-Star numbers while doing so, but when he missed time it was Gordon who stepped up. Royce Lewis’ injury gave Gordon even more run, and having filled in all over the place, Gordon has done more than his part with both the bat and the glove. Luis Arraez There was no doubt that Minnesota’s Arraez could hit. He spent a good deal of the year batting north of the .330 mark, and he was a deserving All-Star. The shocking part is that he stepped up at first base, despite never playing there before, and has held down the role for months. No Alex Kirilloff and no Miguel Sano meant Minnesota was in dire straits. Arraez has never been considered a good defender at second base, and he’s not exceptional at first, but to pick it up on the fly and keep hitting has been nothing short of amazing. Jose Miranda There’s no argument to be made that Miranda earned his demotion. He posted a .484 OPS through 19 games and it was time to head back to St. Paul. When the roster spot opened after Lewis’ injury, he turned the car around and never made it back to CHS Field. He’s been on fire since, deserves some votes for Rookie of the Year consideration, and leads Minnesota in runs batted in. He’s not a good defender and has played a decent amount as the designated hitter down the stretch, but you have to be thrilled with the continuation of what was an amazing minor league season in 2021. Jhoan Duran Enough can’t possibly be said about Jhoan Duran. He came into the season as a starting pitching prospect and was not expected to make the Opening Day roster. A dominant showing in Fort Myers forced the organization’s hand, and he looked electric in a late-inning role. With the fastest pitches not only in Twins history, but among Major League Baseball as a whole, he’s become one of the best relief arms the sport has seen. Duran has closed out games but has given Baldelli an arm to rely on in the highest leverage scenarios and has provided Minnesota with more value than they ever could have imagined. View full article

Josh Winder made another start for the St. Paul Saints tonight as he looks to get back up with the Minnesota Twins. Star prospect Brooks Lee had a nice afternoon in a doubleheader for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. There was plenty of action on the farm to wrap up Labor Day weekend. Image courtesy of Steve Buhr, Twins Daily TRANSACTIONS LHP Jovani Moran recalled by Minnesota Twins RHP Ben Heller released by organization RHP Juan Minaya released by organization RHP Tyler Thornburg released by organization SAINTS SENTINEL Omaha 4, St. Paul 2 Box Score Josh Winder continues his return from the injured list now pitching for the Saints. He’s said to be in play for a bullpen role this month with Minnesota, and he was letting it fly knowing the outing would be shorter. His fastball sat 95-96 mph throughout his outing, and he touched 97 mph as well. Winder finished four innings allowing just a single hit and an unearned run. He struck out three. The Saints got on the board first, scoring in the 2nd inning on a pair of back-to-back jacks. John Andreoli nearly wore a pitch and then went way out to left center for his 12th of the season. Braden Bishop followed with a blast to left as well, and St. Paul was up 2-0. After an unearned run brought Omaha within one, a solo shot off Randy Dobnak in the 5th inning tied it up. Dobnak touched 94 mph with his fastball, and did get a nice strikeout on his offspeed to the second batter he saw. The Saints and Storm Chasers were knotted at two with two hits apiece when rehabbing Twins pitcher Cole Sands took over in the 7th inning. Omaha was able to manufacture a run in the 8th inning to take the lead and then tagged Sands for another in the 9th inning to double up the Saints. Down to their final at bat, St. Paul sent Chris Williams, Andreoli, and pinch hitter Michael Helman to the dish. Unfortunately they went down in order and that's how this one ended. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 4, Wichita 3 (F/10) Box Score The Wind Surge had Daniel Gossett up tonight. He was great going five scoreless innings allowing just two hits and three walks. Gossett also struck out a trio of batters. After two scoreless frames to begin the game, Wichita got on the board with a three-run 3rd inning. Jair Camargo stepped in and blasted a three-run shot to centerfield. It was his 11th of the season and brought in both Austin Martin and Edouard Julien. Neither side could push anything else across through the 5th inning and the score stayed close. After Gossett exited in the 6th inning, Springfield immediately came to life. Three runs scored and the game was all tied heading to the 7th inning. Neither side could push across the go-ahead tally until extra. Springfield scored their runner from second base and completed the walk-off comeback. KERNELS NUGGETS Game 1: Dayton 8 Cedar Rapids 7 (F/7) Box Score Playing a twin bill today, Cedar Rapids began the afternoon starting Jaylen Nowlin. He went 3 1/3 innings allowing three runs on six hits. Bowling also struck out five while walking three. Cedar Rapids raced out to an early lead scoring three in the 1st inning. Brooks Lee scored on a fielder’s choice from Kyler Fedko before a Seth Gray single drove in Pat Winkel. Wander Javier capped off the three-run inning with a sacrifice fly to plate Fedko. After giving two back in the bottom of the 1st inning, Cedar Rapids let in another four in the 4th inning, and two more in the 5th inning. Facing a five run deficit, they looked to rally in the top of the 7th inning. Jake Rucker roped his 15th double to drive in Dylan Neuse, and Lee then crushed his 4th homer for the Kernels. Gray hit his 16th home run of the season a few batters later, but the one run deficit still remained and was where this one ended. Game 2: Dayton 7, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score Jon Olsen took the ball for Cedar Rapids in game two but was chased after just 1 1/3 innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits. Olsen fanned one and allowed one free pass. Both teams matched zeroes during the 1st inning during the nightcap, but the Dragons exploded for five runs in the 2nd inning. A pair of singles and a double gave them all the run production they’d need, despite adding a two-run blast in the 6th inning for good measure. Former Twins prospect Chase Petty made the start for Dayton in game two and went five scoreless allowing just two hits and striking out two. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Bradenton 2 Box Score The Mighty Mussels turned to righty Jordan Carr this afternoon and he turned in five scoreless innings. Carr allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out four Marauders. Fort Myers didn’t wait long to get on the board this afternoon. In the 2nd inning Keoni Cavaco roped his 18th double to score Rubel Cespedes. He then came home on Dillon Tatum’s 6th dinger of the season. In the 3rd inning Carlos Aguiar recorded his 9th double of the season, plating both Noah Cardenas and Ben Ross. The lead extended to 5-0 now, Fort Myers went scoreless in the 4th inning. They weren’t done adding however, and in the 5th inning Cespedes drove in Cardenas with a sacrifice fly. Looking to continue the run scoring, Kala’i Rosario stayed hot and singled in the top of the 6th inning with Tanner Schobel racing home. Cardenas then recorded his 17th double to drive in Rosario from third base. Misael Urbina got into the action with a 7th inning sacrifice fly before Daniel Ozoria hit his first homer in the 9th inning. The two run shot erased runs by Bradenton in the bottom of the 8th inning. Ozoria was playing in his 299th professional game, and the dinger was just the third of his career. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Josh Winder (St. Paul) - 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K Hitter of the Day – Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 3-7, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, 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: #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 3-7, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR(4) #4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-3, R, 3 BB, 2B #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-1, BB, 2 K #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-3, R, 2 BB, K #17 - Cole Sands (Minnesota) - Rehab with St. Paul - 2.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - 1-4, 2 R, 2 BB #19 - Alerick Soularie (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3 #20 - Kala’i Rosario (Fort Myers) - 2-4, R, RBI TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Toledo (5:35PM CST) - RHP Ariel Jurado NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - TBD South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD St. Lucie @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates back and playing. View full article

Every single year we hear about the reality that every Major League Baseball club is dealing with injury. There’s absolutely no denying that notion, especially given the grind of a 162-game season. It is worth wondering, are the Minnesota Twins in a league of their own in 2022? Image courtesy of Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports The American League Central Division has been nothing short of an abomination this season. The Cleveland Guardians have done little to assert themselves as favorites, despite having overtaken the lead late in the year. Tony La Russa’s Chicago White Sox may have the most talented roster, but it’s certainly been the most poorly managed thus far. Rocco Baldelli has been given an opportunity for his team to rebound from 2021, but they’ve struggled to break through. Looking at the state of the division it’s easy to suggest that any of the three clubs in contention to take it will be wiped off the map come Postseason action. Diving into the Twins specifically, however, it’s worth trying to understand why September returns seem so immeasurable. As of September 3rd, the Twins had been forced to use 24 different position players and had 33 separate pitchers on the mound. Despite operating just from a 40-man roster, the Twins had a total of 17 players on varying injured lists after putting deadline acquisition Tyler Mahle on it. To say every team goes through injury waters down a bit of what Minnesota has been dealing with. Early on this season the club’s most important player, Byron Buxton, seemingly suffered a season-ending knee injury. Sliding against the Boston Red Sox on Jackie Robinson Day, Buxton looked to have suffered something gruesome. Instead, he never hit the injured list and played into late August while routinely getting his knee drained. There were multiple instances where a shutdown seemed likely. Concerns as to whether an infection could develop were real. What level of pain tolerance even the best athlete could endure was a question. All of that was taking place despite Buxton posting a team-leading 4.0 fWAR. The front office dealt for Chris Paddack, and Emilio Pagan, right before Opening Day. The former made just five starts but the stuff was so good his 0.9 fWAR remains 6th among pitchers still into September. Carlos Correa, the superstar shortstop, missed time with a hand that appeared to be broken. A superstar prospect in Royce Lewis stepped up before suffering a second straight ACL tear. Again, it may be sugarcoating it to suggest that every team goes through injury. It’s probably fair to understand there’s varying degrees of maladies suffered throughout a season, but it certainly seems as though Minnesota has been bit harder than most. For a team looking to reverse course following a bad 2021 season, far more has to go right from a health perspective alone to push the envelope. The Twins front office never viewed this season as one in which they’d push all the chips in, and that was evident at the deadline when they doubled-down dealing almost exclusively for players under team control. There’s still hope the clubhouse can continue responding to the adversity they’ve been dealt but each new name to hit the shelf seems like another knockout punch. View full article