Ted Schwerzler

The Minnesota Twins are currently in the midst of a solid season, and they are now halfway through the second year of Carlos Correa’s long-term deal. He was paid around the same time as a few other stars at the position. Was he the right choice? Image courtesy of Kyle Ross-USA Today (Turner), Nick Wosika-USA Today (Seager), Brad Rempel - USA Today (Correa),, Gregory Fisher - USA Today (Baez), Melissa Tamez-USA Today (Swanson) Of course not all superstar shortstops would have been a fit for the Minnesota Twins. Carlos Correa was the most logical candidate given he played what was ultimately a one-year deal during the 2022 season. That said, he still explored deals with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets. Just past the midway point of the 2024 season, Correa leads Minnesota in fWAR at 2.9, and would be more than worthy of All-Star consideration. Where does that rank amongst those that signed similar long-term deals though? Corey Seager - 10 years, $325 million (2022-31) Nothing matters when you win a World Series, right? Seager, paired with Marcus Semien, helped the Texas Rangers win it all during just the second season of his deal. He was an All-Star in year one, and repeated that feat last year. Though he did miss time and played in just 119 games during 2023, he posted a career-best 174 OPS+ and finished second in the American League MVP voting. He’s having a more pedestrian season by his standards in 2024, but has still been worth 1.8 fWAR. Two and a half years into his deal, Seager has already been worth $97.1 million. While he’ll age and eventually move off shortstop, this deal was a win for both parties. Dansby Swanson - 7 years, $177 million (2023-29) Swanson is the same age as Seager, playing 2024 at 30 years old. He was exactly league average offensively with the Cubs last year, and he has posted just an 85 OPS+ in 2024. The Cubs are among baseball’s biggest disappointments this season, and Swanson is part of that problem. He is currently rocking an on-base percentage below .300 for the first time in his career, and the production across the board leaves plenty to be desired. Swanson hasn’t shown the same defensive acumen this year either, and that saps a significant amount of his value. Generating just $47.8 million of value thus far, he’ll need to rebound with more years like 2023 as he ages. That seems unlikely. Trea Turner - 11 years, $300 million (2023-33) After being named to his second all-star team in 2022, and finishing just outside the top ten for National League MVP honors, the Phillies hoped they were getting a superstar. Despite Philadelphia’s success in 2023, it wasn’t largely reflective of Turner’s presence. His 109 OPS+ wasn’t anything to write home about, and while he launched 26 homers, other production dipped. He has picked things back up in a big way during the 2024 season, and his 137 OPS+ is well above his career average. Turner has missed a good chunk of time though, playing in just 45 games, and he has only three dingers on the year. Having provided $48.7 million of value thus far, Turner will need to age well (and is already 31 years old) if he is going to make good on his deal. Trevor Story - 6 years, $140 million (2022-27) Signed during the same offseason that Minnesota agreed to terms with Correa for the first time, Story too was a late acquisition by the Boston Red Sox. Leaving Colorado always is met with skepticism on the open market, and how the hitting production translates out of the elevation is something that is often dissected. Playing second base in his first season with Boston, since Xander Bogaerts was entrenched at shortstop, he posted just a 102 OPS+ and played in only 94 games. 2023 resulted in an even worse 43 games with a 52 OPS+, and his 2024 season ended after just eight games. Having been worth just $22.7 million through three years, the deal couldn’t possibly look worse. Both injury and ineffectiveness have been the narratives. Javier Baez - 6 years, $140 million (2022-27) Earning the same exact deal as Story, Baez has found a way to play more and be worth less. The Detroit Tigers felt like they were trending upwards, and providing manager A.J. Hinch with a star in the form of Baez made a decent amount of sense. Following his 117 OPS+ split between the Mets and Cubs in 2021, Baez was going to command a premium on the open market. Unfortunately his 91 OPS+ in 2022 has been the high-water mark for his tenure with the Tigers. Baez is currently one of the worst hitters in baseball, and despite a 29 OPS+ in 2024, his 53 games played is still indicative of earning regular playing time. He has generated just $12.3 million of value, and that number will continue to go down the more he costs his team. Signing long-term deals in free agency is always going to be a cautionary tale. Players hit the open market either into or after their prime. Correa was scrutinized for an ankle injury that has yet to be a problem, but production will always lag as age creeps upwards. So far, Correa has been something that each the Mets and Giants wish they had. He hasn’t brought a World Series to Minnesota, yet, but he is the youngest of this group at just 29 years old. His contract should be viewed as better than everyone-not-named Seager to this point, and that’s a great reality for the Twins. View full article

The Minnesota Twins sent Simeon Woods Richardson to the bump on Tuesday, and facing a Cy Young contender, he bested Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. Rocco Baldelli saw his stars shine, and they began a new homestand with a victory. Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Simeon Woods Richardson 5.2 IP 4 H 3 R 3 ER 2 BB 4 K (94 pitches, 61 strikes, 9 whiffs) Home Runs: Manuel Margot (3), Carlos Correa(10) Top 3 WPA: Royce Lewis .201, Byron Buxton .193, Manuel Margot .161 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Slump This Facing the Detroit Tigers best starter, Tarik Skubal, Minnesota was forced with figuring him out. Having faced him earlier this season, Skubal bested the Twins over five innings during a scoreless outing. After a pair of scoreless frames on Tuesday, which were matched by three scoreless from Simeon Woods Richardson, Minnesota was threatening. Kyle Farmer and Manuel Margot had reached on singles, and while Carlos Correa went down looking on an 11-pitch at bat, Royce Lewis still had a chance. Having dealt with illness since the Oakland series, his performance had suffered. Healthy again tonight, he took aim at Skubal during his second at bat of the game and ripped a two-run, two-out double down the left field line. Justyn-Henry Malloy took Woods Richardson deep to kick off the fifth inning, and it was apparent that needing extra names was the way for Detroit to score. Former Twins prospect Akil Baddoo followed with a single, and after a Jake Rogers lineout, he advanced all the way to third on an errant pickoff attempt. Ryan Kreidler deposited the second pitch of the inning into the bleachers. And the Tigers had a 3-2 lead. Manuel MarGONE Still facing Skubal in the fifth inning, Minnesota wasn’t interested in trailing long. After a quick pair of outs, Manuel Margot blasted a home run into the Detroit bullpen. Tying things at three, he definitely gave starter Woods Richardson new life on the bump. Starting the sixth inning, Max Kepler took over in right field for the Twins, but it was because Lewis had to be removed from the game due to groin tightness. Of course he missed more than two months earlier this year because of a quad strain. Kyle Farmer went to third and Willi Castro took over at second. Woods Richardson couldn’t quite make it through six innings, but Jorge Alcala came on and got a punch out to end the frame. Byron Buxton doubled to open the seventh inning, and he quickly advanced to third on a wild pitch. Ryan Jeffers grounded back up the middle and reached safely on a fielder’s choice, but first base umpire Alex MacKay made an out call suggesting he had turned incorrectly after reaching the base. Twins Daily's winning "Make It Official!" game recaps are sponsored by Official Fried Chicken, which you can find in center field of Target Field. With a name like "Official," we know we have to be the best in the game every day, and from your first bite, you'll know that's a promise we make good on. In Case of Emergency, Blast Off Griffin Jax shut down the Tigers during the eighth inning and gave his lineup another chance to provide some breathing room. Carlos Correa took the opportunity to do just that when he launched his tenth home run of the year to make it a 5-3 game. Minnesota loaded the bases against Beau Brieske, but kept it a two run game to give Jhoan Duran his flowers. Entering under a solid summer sunset. The Twins closer got the Tigers in order to end the game. He still had diminished velocity, topping out at 101.9 mph, but his stuff was good enough to get the job done. Margot was the lone Twins batter to record a pair of hits while they scattered seven, but an 8/5 K/BB in a game started by Skubal is hardly a bad effort. Notes Brooks Lee is headed to the All-Star Futures Game as Minnesota’s representative. He will also participate in the Futures Skills Showcase. A recent update to the MLB Pipeline top 100 has Lee flying up prospect lists. He also blasted a three-run homer for the Saints tonight. Darren Wolfson had a few notes on his latest Scoops podcast. Matt Canterino does not need surgery after his MRI came back clean, but he’s no closer to returning to the mound. Brock Stewart’s return remains a long way off, and that’s quite the unfortunate development after the injury was initially described as “shoulder fatigue.” Also, Minnesota is getting calls on Matt Wallner. Justin Topa is scheduled to throw a couple of bullpens while Stewart has graduated to live batting practice. Zack Weiss, who was signed as a free agent this offseason and was placed on the 60-day injured list, has had his rehab moved from the FCL to Low-A Fort Myers. Two more big flies tonight meant that the Twins have homered in a franchise-record 20 straight games. When setting the single-season record of blasts during the Bomba Squad year, Minnesota didn't accomplish that feat. Recent Timberwolves first round picks Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. we’re in the house to throw out ceremonial first pitches. They should stick to the hardwood. If you were holding out hope of buying that atrocious corduroy Twins City Connect cap, your dream is dead. What’s Next? Wednesday night features rookie David Festa’s second start, and Target Field debut. After Jack Flaherty was scratched by the Tigers, he will be opposed by Keider Montero. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

Not many games are played on Monday's at the minor league level, but everyone was in action outside of the Saints for the Minnesota Twins farm system today. Image courtesy of David Malamut (@MWLArchives on X) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 47-37 St. Paul Saints: 41-39 Wichita Wind Surge: 34-42 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 44-30 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 37-36 FCL Twins: 19-22 DSL Twins: 11-10 TRANSACTIONS INF Tony Kemp released by Twins from St. Paul (exercised 7/1 opt out) SAINTS SENTINEL The lone Twins affiliate not in action on Monday, the Saints will welcome Gwinnett to CHS Field this week. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 12, Tulsa 5 Box Score Sent between St. Paul and Wichita all season, it was Aaron Rozek again for the Wind Surge. Working five innings, he allowed just one run on two hits while walking three. Rozek struck out six. Wichita scored first with a pair of first inning runs. Jefferson Morales doubled home Jake Rucker before he scored on a balk with Aaron Sabato at the dish. The Drillers got their first run in the second inning, but the Wind Surge scored both Rucker and Sabato on Carson McCusker’s third inning double. Ben Ross scored McCusker on a sixth inning groundout before Luke Keaschall singled home Andrew Cossetti to make it 6-1 in the sixth inning. Ross then reached on an eighth inning error to bring McCusker in yet again and Jorel Ortega singled home Tanner Schobel to make it an 8-1 game. Rucker kept the good inning going with a single that scored Ross and Ortega before Morales grounded out and plated Keaschall. Sabato's tenth double of the season brought Rucker home and Wichita led 12-1 heading into the ninth inning. Tulsa clawed back with four runs, but it certainly wasn't enough to do Wichita in. Scott Engler and Miguel Rodriguez recorded the final four outs to end the game while John Stankiewicz picked up his fourth hold. Rucker had three hits and each of Sabato and McCusker had two. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 1, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score Jordan Carr got the start and he left without allowing a run. Pitching 5 2/3 scoreless, Carr worked around six hits and two walks. He struck out four and just needed his lineup to get him some production. A seventh inning wild pitch from Kyle Bischoff allowed the game’s first run as the River Bandits capitalized. Unfortunately that was the only run to score during the contest and the Kernels fell short. Ricardo Velez took the loss after allowing the baserunner that came around to score. Cedar Rapids recorded just five hits and no one recorded a pair. None of them went for extra bases either. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 9, Bradenton 6 Box Score Playing on a Monday allowed the Mighty Mussels to actually get a game in without weather. Cesar Lares started and worked four innings allowing a pair of runs. He gave up four hits and walked none while striking out five. Daniel Pena kicked off the scoring by blasting his first Fort Myers home run in the second inning. The Marauders evened things at one in the second inning. A four-run fourth inning gave the Mighty Mussels some breathing room, and they combined to hit for the cycle during the frame. Poncho Ruiz doubled and scored Rixon Wingrove before Carlos Aguiar’s triple brought him home. Nick Lucky then went yard, a two run shot, and made it a 5-1 game. Bradenton added runs in the fourth and fifth innings to draw closer, but Isaac Pena made it a 6-3 contest with a seventh inning single that scored Yohander Martinez. Julio Bonilla and Xander Hamilton gave up runs that allowed Bradenton to even the score, and the sides were headed to extras. Playing through a scoreless tenth inning, Fort Myers made their mark in the eleventh. A fielding error scored Aguiar on a Martinez batted ball before Byron Chourio drove home both Martinez and Maddux Houghton with a single. Samuel Perez came on to close out the contest, and he struck out one while keeping the 9-6 lead intact. Eight of the nine Fort Myers batters recorded a hit, despite them registering 15 strikeouts on the night. Pena and Houghton were the only players to record two hits. Walker Jenkins got a night off and Brandon Winokur remained out of the lineup. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 7, FCL Pirates 3 Box Score Juan Cota started on Monday and worked three innings of scoreless baseball. He allowed a single hit while striking out two. Anthony Narvaez got the win working four innings of relief. While he gave up three runs, only one was earned. Jayson Bass kicked off the scoring with a first inning single that scored Bryan Acuna. They added in the third inning when Moises Lopez drilled his second home run of the season. Ariel Castro took a bases loaded hit by pitch to score Acuna, and Yilber Herrera walked in Bass to make it 4-0. In the fourth inning Bass continued to make his presence felt. A triple drove home Yasser Mercedes and pushed the Twins lead to 5-0. The Pirates got a pair back in the bottom half of the frame, but Lopez scored Castro on a ground out and pushed the score to 6-2. Another run scored for the Pirates in the fifth inning. Javier Roman answered with a sixth inning double that scored Bass, and the Twins held on for a 7-3 victory. Bass finished 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, runs, and RBI. Ricardo Pena went 3-for-3. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 13, DSL Miami 12 Box Score It was a mess of offensive explosions on both sides for the Twins and Miami. The teams combined for 25 runs on 24 hits. Entering the ninth inning trailing by two runs, the Twins got walks from Luis Fragoza and Nestor Urbina before Luis Rodriguez reached on an error to load the bases. Miami pitcher Melvin Cuevas walked Irvin Nunez to bring Fragoza home and shrink the lead to one. A Daiber De Los Santos walk then tied the contest before Merphy Hernandez struck out and finally gave Miami a chance to slam the door. Eduardo Beltre singled off of new pitcher Jeyson Mejia and scored Rodriguez to walk it off for the Twins. The Twins used seven pitchers on the afternoon, and they combined to walk ten batters while striking out just eight. De Los Santos, Hernandez, and Beltre all recorded a pair of hits for the Twins. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jordan Carr (Cedar Rapids) - 5.2 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Jake Rucker (Wichita) 3-5, 3 R, 2 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Thursday. #5 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4 #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 1-4, RBI, BB, 2 K #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 1-3, R, BB #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 1-3, BB TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul vs Gwinnett (7:07 PM CST) – RHP Randy Dobnak (6-5, 4.05 ERA) Wichita vs Tulsa (7:05 PM CST) – TBD Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30 PM CST) –RHP Andrew Morris (3-1, 1.41 ERA)P Mike Paredes (1-0, 3.38 ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 PM CST) – RHP Ricky Castro (2-1, 3.38 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Monday’s games! View full article

When the Minnesota Twins went into the offseason, they knew there was a need for more top-tier starting pitching talent. Unfortunately, they didn’t acquire any of that over the winter, but they may have finally gotten Joe Ryan over the hump and into that tier for good. Image courtesy of © John Froschauer-USA TODAY Sports The moment that Joe Ryan was acquired for a shell of Nelson Cruz, it looked like Derek Falvey had made a great deal. In the time since, the former top-100 prospect has developed his game a bit each year, and the results have translated on the field. Now in his fourth big-league season, Ryan looks like the best possible version of himself. Coming into the year, Rocco Baldelli had a Cy Young hopeful in the form of Pablo López. The former Marlins pitcher had already made the Luis Arráez trade look like a good one, and another step forward would land him among an elite tier of pitchers at the top of the game. Unfortunately, López's season has been marred by poor performances and some bum luck. The results from López have placed greater importance on the rest of the starting rotation. Simeon Woods Richardson has answered the call, and is among the best rookies in the American League. Bailey Ober has flashed well at times, and looks the part of a mid-rotation starter. With the team needing a Sonny Gray-type performance from 2023, though, it’s been Ryan who has come closest. After being bitten by home runs to the tune of 1.8 of them per nine innings pitched in 2023, he has cut down the longballs to the tune of a near-career-best 1.3 HR/9. His 3.21 ERA is the lowest of his big-league career, and he has never walked fewer batters. Ryan is still being carried by a fastball that plays up significantly higher than the 93.9 mph it has averaged (though that number, itself, is notably higher than in the past), and his expected statistics suggest that a sub-3.00 ERA is in the cards. At 2.3 fWAR on the season, Ryan sits among the top 15 pitchers across baseball, and he matches American League Cy Young contender Corbin Burnes. With another 10-strikeout performance over the weekend against the Seattle Mariners, Ryan has a pair of them in 2024. He twirled six such outings a year ago, and more should be coming down the stretch. When looking ahead to the postseason, Ryan is the type of starter who can be counted on to go out and get the job done. He was given just two innings against the Houston Astros during the American League Division Series in 2023, but will likely earn a longer leash when his name is called upon this season--assuming he can sustain what we've seen so far throughout the second half. He's already gone at least seven innings five different times this year; he did so just four times during the entirety of the 2023 season. Pitching remains a need for the Twins ahead of the trade deadline, and acquiring someone to bolster the rotation or bullpen should be atop the priority list. Still, Ryan is giving them a welcome anchor around which to build their playoff rotation, in light of the disappointing fact that López hasn't been. Making sure they supplement Ryan, and get López back on track, should be focal points. Arbitration-eligible for the first time next year, Ryan will earn a nice bump in his salary. Being under team control as he continues to get better is definitely a positive outcome for Minnesota. We'll surely hear some conversations about a contract extension between Ryan and the Twins this autumn and winter, but maybe we should listen for them even sooner. View full article

I think, given the consistency in which he hasn't been at 2B, the infield isn't ideal.

He hasn't been good down there.

The Minnesota Twins still trail the Cleveland Guardians at the end of June, but a handful of pitchers combined to keep closing the gap and give Rocco Baldelli’s club a chance into the heart of summer. While the starting rotation has been a strength for Rocco Baldelli in recent seasons, the group has seen some turnover during 2024. Chris Paddack hit the injured list for a reset as June came to a close, and top pitching prospect David Festa is hoping for Simeon Woods Richardson-like rookie results. It wasn’t that outfit leading the club in June though. Bring on the bullpen. Honorable Mentions: #4 Bailey Ober - 5 G, 31.0 IP, 3.19 ERA, 22 H, 11 R, 11 ER, 11 BB, 34 K While the rotation wasn’t noteworthy during June, Ober was the bright spot. He turned in his first calendar month of the season in which he didn’t allow a true clunker. There was also the complete-game performance against the Oakland Athletics, and his 10 strikeouts tied a career-high. He turned in a strong performance against the division-leading Seattle Mariners, and had the game not been blown late, Minnesota would have been victorious in four of his five starts. #3 Josh Staumont - 9 G, 9.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 7 K Signed after being jettisoned by the Kansas City Royals this offseason, Minnesota was hoping that Staumont could be productive after undergoing Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery. He felt positive heading into spring training, but a late injury had him starting with Triple-A St. Paul. Needing to settle in there before a promotion, June was his first full month at the big league level. Still yet to give up an earned run with the Twins, he has skirted around a 3.25 this month while allowing opposing hitters to generate just a .322 OPS off of him. #2 Jorge Alcala - 12 G, 12.2 IP, 1.42 ERA, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 10 K After being sent through the ringer during the first two months of the season, Alcala was finally given a chance to stick with Minnesota in June. He turned in a stellar month, and it appears this may be the year that he both produces and stays healthy. Of course Baldelli would like a wider gap between the strikeout and walk numbers, and the underlying metrics suggest some regression could happen, but Alcala has been a welcomed presence. With Jhoan Duran’s velocity down all season, it has been the rise in Alcala’s that has helped to provide more triple-digit heat. Twins Pitcher of the Month for June 2024 Griffin Jax - 11 G, 11.0 IP, 1.64 ERA, 9 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 14 K When Duran couldn’t go to start the season, Griffin Jax was there. As Duran has returned and struggled to be the same pitcher, Griffin Jax has been there. While working primarily as the setup man in June, Jax has been virtually unhittable. He did blow a save to end the month, but his 14/3 K/BB is beyond impressive, and he has taken his velocity to new heights in 2024. The Twins having baseball’s best bullpen was largely predicated on the depth of their high-leverage arms. While Brock Stewart and Duran haven’t been as advertised, Jax has been all that and then some. Congrats to Jax on winning the Twins Daily pitcher of the month for June. He certainly would be a well-deserved All-Star selection in July if Bruce Bochy so chooses to include him. What do you think? Who would have you tabbed as the Twins pitcher of the month for June? View full article

Helps that Olivar plays everywhere.

With limited action on the Minnesota Twins farm Sunday it was clear that the key to winning was scoring seven runs. Both Wichita and Cedar Rapids got the memo. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 46-37 St. Paul Saints: 41-39 Wichita Wind Surge: 33-42 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 44-29 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 37-36 FCL Twins: 18-21 DSL Twins: 10-9 SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 9, St. Paul 1 Box Score Adam Plutko drew the start and was exceptional for the Saints. Working five scoreless innings, he scattered four hits while walking none and striking out six. St. Paul couldn’t find a way to break through, and the Cubs scored a pair of runs in both the sixth and seventh inning off of Hobie Harris to lead 4-0. Tony Kemp singled home DaShawn Keirsey Jr. in the eighth inning, but the one run didn’t make much of a difference. Scott Blewett was tagged for five runs while recording only a single out, and the 9-1 tally held as a final. Brooks Lee had the afternoon off, and only Matt Wallner recorded a pair of hits. Edouard Julien struck out in three of his four plate appearances. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, NW Arkansas 3 Box Score Cory Lewis took another turn in the Wichita rotation and worked 3 1/3 innings. He allowed three hits and four walks while striking out three during the scoreless outing. A fifth inning, two-run homer, gave the Naturals the first lead of the game. Wichita responded with a run of their own in the bottom half. Jake Rucker singled to drive home Dalton Shuffield. Noah Cardenas took a bases loaded walk in the sixth inning to score Jeferson Morales, but the tie was all they could muster during the frame. NW Arkansas took the lead again in the seventh inning, and Wichita was running out of chances now down 3-2. A five-run seventh inning changed the course of the game and gave Wichita the victory. Carson McCusker doubled home Rucker and Aaron Sabato before Tanner Schobel brought him home with a single of his own. Jorel Ortega tripled and scored both Schobel and Noah Cardenas to make it 7-3. Jared Solomon worked the final inning and capped off the WInd Surge victory. Wichita recorded 14 hits on the afternoon and six of the nine starting hitters had multi-hit efforts. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Beloit 3 Box Score Christian MacLeod started for Cedar Rapids and worked five innings allowing three runs. He gave up six hits and walked three. MacLeod also struck out six on the afternoon. After a scoreless first inning, the Kernels broke it open during the second inning. Jose Salas singled home Jay Harry before Ricardo Olivar’s double cleared the bases. Misael Urbina, Payton Eeles, and Salas all scored to make it a 4-0 game. The Sky Carp chipped away and made it a one-run contest heading into the sixth inning, but Olivar doubled again and scored Agustin Ruiz with Salas to make it 6-3. Rayne Doncon tacked on a seventh run with a single that scored Salas. Jarret Whorff recorded a hold with a scoreless outing as he worked three innings of relief. He allowed a single hit and struck out four. Olivar had a three-hit day and contributed five RBI. Urbina and Salas both had two hits. MUSSEL MATTERS Saturday’s game was resumed following a second inning suspension and Fort Myers played through the sixth inning with Tampa on Sunday. A 3-2 score was called final after six innings with rain coming once again and wiping out the potential doubleheader. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Adam Plutko (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, 5 RBI, 2 2B, BB, K PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Thursday. #8 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – 1-2, 2B, RBI #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 2-5, K #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 2-4, R, RBI #15 – Cory Lewis (Wichita) – 3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K #18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 1-4, 2 K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 3-4, 5 RBI, 2 2B, BB, K View full article

The Minnesota Twins turned to Pablo Lopez on Saturday night and their ace gave them a lockdown performance. Byron Buxton continued his hot streak, and the Buck Truck remained on track with yet another home run. Image courtesy of © John Froschauer-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Pablo Lopez 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K (94 pitches, 64 strikes, 18 whiffs) Home Runs: Byron Buxton(8) Top 3 WPA: Byron Buxton (.346), Pablo Lopez (.195), Carlos Santana (.115) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Max Stirs the Drink The Twins and Mariners went through a feeling out period during the first inning. Minnesota went down in order, and while J.P Crawford was at third with two outs for Mitch Garver, Pablo Lopez recorded a pair of strikeouts to end the inning unscathed. Max Kepler ripped a one-out double in the second inning off Bryce Miller. Jose Miranda stepped in to celebrate his birthday and battled to a 2-2 count before dumping a single to left center scoring the game’s first run. Byron Buxton and Ryan Jeffers couldn’t move Miranda, but the Twins put the pressure on. Buck Answers the Call Lopez has struggled with home runs for most of this season, and that reared its head again in the third inning. Mitch Haniger homered for the seventh time this season and tied the game at one. Buxton made his presence felt in the fourth inning with his 13th double of the season. He plated Carlos Santana on the play and put Minnesota up 2-1. Eclipsing the 20.0 fWAR mark recently, Buxton continued to add to his impressive run. His sixth inning home run scored Carlos Correa and Miranda to make it 5-1 and put the Twins well ahead. Jorge Alcala worked a scoreless inning of relief, and hit 101.2 mph on the radar gun. He is now throwing faster than closer Jhoan Duran this season. Steven Okert worked a 17-pitch scoreless eighth inning, but had to dance around both a hit and a walk. After the Twins went down in order during the ninth inning, it was on Griffin Jax to close the game out. He got Garver on strikes for the fourth time during the tilt and needed just two more outs to shut things down. Luke Raley followed with a strikeout of his own and it was on Ty France to extend the game. He too went down on strikes and Jax struck out the side in the final frame. Minnesota struck out a whopping 12 times while drawing just one walk, but that was better than the 15 strikeouts Seattle put up. The Twins managed ten hits, and Santana had three of them with Buxton adding a pair. Notes The Twins beat remains cultured! In case you’ve ever googled Carlos Santana, The Athletic’s Dan Hayes has you covered either way. The victory for Minnesota represents their 5,000 in franchise history. The Twins have also won the last four Lopez starts, as well as five of his last six. What’s Next? The Seattle Mariners will go with Luis Castillo for Sunday’s matinee, and Joe Ryan starts for Minnesota. This will be the seventh and final game between these squads during the 2024 regular season. Baldelli’s squad can push the season series to a 5-2 victory with a win. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The Minnesota Twins should be expected to operate as buyers when July’s Major League Baseball trade deadline rolls around. What they add remains to be seen, but finding room for someone in the lineup seems a bit of a reach. At different points this season Rocco Baldelli has definitely wanted more from his lineup. With Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, and Byron Buxton all missing time, key contributors have been out of action for stretches. There is also the reality that veterans Manuel Margot, Carlos Santana, and Kyle Farmer failed to show early consistency. Right now though, finding a place for an offensive addition doesn’t really work. Sure, Daulton Varsho might make sense as a corner outfielder that prioritizes defense. What happens to Trevor Larnach though? Max Kepler has been league average, and produced to a greater extent when going great. Matt Wallner is raking at Triple-A, and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. could arguably do the same thing. Oh, and the Blue Jays guy is left-handed too. The outfield situation is also why a recently proposed acquisition of Mark Canha from ESPN’s Jeff Passan just doesn’t make sense. Maybe the Twins would like to add Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Pete Alonso. Each should be available, and even with Santana now going great at first base, either could be argued as an addition. Alex Kirilloff isn’t going to factor in at the position, and both would lengthen the lineup. What happens to Santana though? He’s been great defensively, and he owns a .910 OPS over his last 43 games. More playing time, not less, is the key there. The left side of the infield is set with Lewis and Correa, while both have immediate insurance in the form of Brooks Lee. Jose Miranda has had a resurgent year playing the hot corner, and Willi Castro has been Minnesota’s best player. Casting off a veteran rotational player, either Farmer or Christian Vazquez, would definitely improve the overall roster. Eating a $7 million deal for the second baseman, of what’s left of two-years and $20 million for the catcher, doesn’t seem likely when dealing with an ownership group that scaled back payroll by $30 million this season. Any available trade asset would be an upgrade to Farmer, but there aren’t many straightforward catching suggestions. Short of promoting prospect Jair Camargo and hoping it works, the position isn’t exactly ripe with alternatives. Maybe Derek Falvey could talk with Tampa Bay about getting Ben Rortvedt back, but that’s more comical than it is logical. One could scour the entirety of the Twins 26-man roster, and you can bet the front office will, but the most straightforward way to supplement the group is pitching. The franchise failed to invest in something that replaced Sonny Gray, and they did nothing to resemble the depth brought by Kenta Maeda. With Chris Paddack getting a reset, and Louie Varland having already been demoted, the rotation is hanging on thanks to Simeon Woods Richardson. Maybe David Festa is the guy, but that’s a big ask when needing to get it done in October. The bullpen was supposed to be great, but Jhoan Duran has looked like a shell of himself, and Brock Stewart remains in WITSEC. Griffin Jax has held down the fort, but veterans like Steven Okert, Caleb Thielbar, and a host of others have all but been cycled through. Acquiring an arm for the rotation, bullpen, or both seems to be the greatest way for the Twins to add talent in a couple of weeks. Those players should be available, but how aggressive will Minnesota go after them? View full article

Absolutely hate the way they have used him too.

The stats haven't translated, but his process has been exceptional and the type of contact is good too. Assume it will turn.

There was minimal offense Friday for Rocco Baldelli's club. Carlos Correa was in the lineup and showed his arm felt good with a blast, but key missed plays sank the squad. A game that the Twins were in a position to win went by the wayside. Image courtesy of © Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Bailey Ober 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K (88 pitches, 59 strikes) Home Runs: Carlos Correa (9) Bottom 3 WPA: Christian Vazquez (-.214), Griffin Jax (-.212), Cole Sands (-.196) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Ober, Correa, Go Deep Through the first five innings of the game, Minnesota and Seattle struggled to get much of anything going offensively. The Twins managed just three hits with the Mariners recording a pair. It wasn’t until the bottom of the fifth inning that Josh Rojas doubled to score Mitch Haniger. He should have been out by 20 feet, but Christian Vazquez booted Willi Castro's relay to the plate. The Twins had a quick response when Willi Castro provided a sixth inning baserunner by again getting hit by a pitch. Carlos Correa, back in the lineup after being hit on Thursday, just like he said he would be, launched a two-run dinger. His ninth blast of the season made it a 2-1 game. Bailey Ober turned in another great start, and his one allowed run came on two hits and a trio of walks. He struck out nine in his six innings and turned it over to Jorge Alcala. Jax Jumped Late Griffin Jax took over for the eighth inning and needed to hold the slim lead. Walking Haniger to start the inning, Luke Raley came on to run. A throwing error by Jose Miranda allowed him to score and the game was tied late. Intentionally walking Cal Raleigh, before getting Mitch Kepler to fly out. Dominic Canzone struck out and the Twins needed to win it in the ninth inning. Jhoan Duran took over for the bottom half after the Twins couldn’t score. Seattle pushed runners to second and third with just one out, but got a strikeout of Rojas before J.P. Crawford flew out to end the inning. He didn’t touch more than 100.3 mph on the night, but made it work. On To Extras Facing Ryne Stanek with Miranda starting at second base in the tenth, Max Kepler began the frame with a fly out. Manuel Margot moved the runner with a fly out, but the Twins were working with two outs. Christian Vazquez grounded out and dropped his OPS to a truly astonishing .465. Beyond giving up the first run, and continuing to be an automatic out at the plate, he has become a substantial problem for Minnesota. Cole Sands came on for the bottom of the tenth inning and Julio Rodriguez moved Crawford to third base for the first out. Raleigh grounded back behind Sands and Crawford raced home to walk it off for the Mariners. Correa was the only player to record a pair of hits with Minnesota totaling just six on the evening. The Twins struck out only four times but didn’t draw a walk. Bad defense down the stretch was the story that sank Rocco Baldelli’s club. What’s Next? Pablo Lopez starts for the Minnesota Twins, and gets to do so at a place in which he always enjoyed seeing fellow Venezuelan Felix Hernandez’s Kings Court. He’ll be opposed by the Mariners Bryce Miller. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The Minnesota Twins saw a few key prospects show out on Friday night, but the results were mixed from a team perspective. Check out the action within. Image courtesy of William Parmeter CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 45-36 St. Paul Saints: 40-38 Wichita Wind Surge: 32-41 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 42-29 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 36-36 FCL Twins: 18-21 DSL Twins: 10-9 TRANSACTIONS UTIL Will Holland has been placed on the 7-day IL by St. Paul with a right fibula fracture. IF Rubel Cespedes placed on the 7-day IL by Cedar Rapids with a right wrist sprain. SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 8, St. Paul 1 Box Score Caleb Boushley could have been considered by the Minnesota Twins for their open rotation spot on Thursday. Instead he was making the Friday night start for St. Paul. He worked five innings of one-run baseball. He gave up four hits and walked two while striking out five. Giving up a run in the first inning, the Saints were without a hit through the sixth inning. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. changed that with his tenth home run of the season. St. Paul coughed up another six runs in the eighth inning and couldn’t claw back in the ninth inning. Keirsey Jr. recorded the only two hits of the game for the Saints and they couldn’t do anything with their five walks. All of the six late Iowa runs were charged to Ronny Henriquez, but only one of them was earned. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 11, Wichita 6 Box Score Pitching prospect Marco Raya went for Wichita on Friday. Consistently handled with kids gloves, he threw just 63 pitches. Raya allowed a pair of runs on three hits and two walks while striking out seven. The Naturals scored first with a run in the first inning. Carson McCusker responded with a triple that scored Tanner Schobel and Andrew Cossetti to take the lead. The Naturals tied it in the second inning, but the Wind Surge answered again in the third inning. McCusker homered, his fifth of the season, scoring Schobel and making it a 4-2 game. Jaylen Nowlin coughed up a fifth inning solo shot, but Wichita held a 4-3 lead. Unfortunately, Northwest Arkansas got Nowlin for another eight runs, five of which were earned. A Jake Rucker bases loaded sixth inning walk scored Luke Keaschall to make it 7-5 at the time, but four more runs coming across put the Wind Surge in a bad spot. McCusker scored Schobel on a ninth inning single, before Dalton Shuffield singled home Cossetti. Wichita had the bases loaded with two outs and all of a sudden the tying run was up. Ortega worked a 3-2 count but he grounded out to end the game. The Wind Surge got three hits out of McCusker with two more coming from Schobel. McCusker drew five RBI in the game, and Jorel Ortega walked three times. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Beloit 6 Box Score It was Ty Langenberg’s turn on the bump. He had a tough outing allowing six runs on ten hits. He walked a pair and struck out three. The sides traded runs in the first inning. After getting down 3-0, the Kernels responded with three runs. Rayne Doncon homered for the second time this year, and Payton Eeles came across the plate. With Beloit pushing it to a 6-2 lead by the middle of the fifth, Cedar Rapids had worked to do. Nate Baez scored on a Jose Salas groundout, and Misael Urbina raced home on a wild pitch, drawing back within two. Kevin Maitan doubled home Jay Harry and suddenly it was a 6-5 game heading to the seventh inning. Needing a run to tie in the ninth inning, the Kernels walked it off. Ricardo Olivar drew a bases loaded walk to score Urbina, and Gabriel Gonzalez ended it with a sacrifice fly that scored Salas. The Kernels recorded seven hits with Harry recording two of them. Juan Mendez and Jacob Wosinski both worked a pair of scoreless innings while allowing a hit apiece. MUSSEL MATTERS Tampa 9, Fort Myers 2 Box Score Charlee Soto worked 3 1/3 innings while giving up six hits and five runs. He walked one and struck out three. Wilker Reyes came on in relief and allowed three runs. The Mighty Mussels lineup needed to get it done. Through six innings the Tarpons posted nine runs and had Fort Myers in a big hole. Yohandez Martinez doubled home Carlos Aguiar. Nick Lucky brought home Martinez with a single of his own, and the Mighty Mussels had posted a pair of runs. Fort Myers couldn’t put together a greater rally and that’s how the game ended. The Mighty Mussels managed just four hits while striking out nine times and drawing four walks. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Red Sox 17, FCL Twins 5 (F/7) Box Score Zack Weiss drew the start for the Twins on Friday. He has been on the injured list since spring training, and his scoreless inning with a pair of strikeouts was his first work of the year. Miguel Cordero followed him allowing eight runs (five earned) in 1 1/3 innings, and Cleiber Maldonado allowed six runs (three earned) in just one inning. Davin Kirby gave up three runs (two earned) across 2 2/3 innings to close out the game. Yasser Mercedes homered for the fourth time, and his first inning solo shot put the Twins up 1-0. The Red Sox then took and extended their lead to 16-1 by the end of the fourth inning. In the fifth inning Moises Lopez hit his first home run and scored Harold Grant on the play. Hendry Chivilli drove in Mercedes and it was 16-4 by the bottom of the fifth inning. Following another Red Sox run, Mercedes doubled home Giovanny RIvero in the sixth inning to make it 17-5 and that’s how things ended. Mercedes was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs and RBI with two extra-base hits. He’s got a .973 OPS through 35 games this year. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 7, DSL Nationals 4 Box Score Cristian Hernandez got the start and worked three innings of one-run (unearned) baseball. He didn’t give up a hit, but allowed four walks while striking out five. Daiber De Los Santos started the game with a leadoff home run, his fourth of the season. Edouard Beltre then doubled home Luis Fragoza before scoring on a passed ball himself. A wild pitch brought Ramiro Dominguez home and the Twins had a first inning four-spot. Allowing the Nationals to draw closer with three runs of their own, the Twins scored two more in the seventh inning. Carlos Silva scored on a wild pitch before a Ricardo Paez triple brought home Dominguez to make it 6-3. The Nationals added another run in the seventh inning, but Paez hit his second hom run of the year, and the ninth inning solo shot made it 7-4. Beltre finished with three hits while Paez had a pair of his own. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Caleb Boushley (St. Paul) - 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Day – Yasser Mercedes (FCL Twins) 3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B(9), HR(4) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Thursday. #1– Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) – 0-3, BB #2 – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) – 0-4, K #3 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Wichita) – IL #5 – Gabriel Gonzalez (Cedar Rapids) – 0-4, RBI, K #6 – Marco Raya (Wichita) – 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K #7 – Charlee Soto (Fort Myers) – 3.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K #8 – Austin Martin (Minnesota) – #9 – Luke Keaschall (Wichita) – 0-4, BB #13 – Tanner Schobel (Wichita) – 2-4, 3 R, BB, K #18 – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) – 0-4, K #20 – Ricardo Olivar (Cedar Rapids) – 0-3, RBI, 2 BB, K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (6:08 PM CST) – RHP Louie Varland (2-6, 7.33 ERA) Wichita vs NW Arkansas (6:05 PM CST) – RHP Travis Adams (4-5, 4.72 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs Beloit (6:35 PM CST) – RHP John Klein (4-2, 4.75 ERA) Fort Myers vs Tampa (5:05 PM CST) – RHP Jose Olivares (2-1, 2.55 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! 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