Tom Froemming

Twins System Recap: A couple of Saints starting pitchers had impressive performances this week. Mike Paredes kept it rolling with five quality innings on the back of his dominant sweeper. Ryan Gallagher topped out at 97 mph while firing five shutout innings. On the hitting side, the big stars were Hendry Mendez, Yasser Mercedes, and 19-year-old Merphy Hernandez. View full video

Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Hendry Mendez) TRANSACTIONS IF Harry Genth was assigned to Cedar Rapids from Wichita. OF Kala’i Rosario was activated off Wichita’s injured list. OF Graham Brown was signed as a free agent and joined Fort Myers. He had been playing for the Washington Wild Things of the independent Frontier League. C Ian Daugherty was placed on the developmental list. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 6, Louisville 4 Box Score SP: John Klein (3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K) HR: Kaelen Culpepper (11) Multi-hit games: Hendry Mendez (4-for-4, BB, 2 2B), Matt Wallner (2-for-5, 2 2B) The Saints lineup steadily piled up runs, tacking on a pair in the first, third and sixth innings. Hendry Mendez was a menace. He went 4-for-4 with a walk and a pair of doubles. All four of his batted balls were hard hit, registering exit velos of 104.2 mph, 103.7 mph, 100.6 mph and 95.7 mph. In 17 games with St. Paul, Mendez is hitting .400/.513/.600 (1.113 OPS). He also has more walks (18.8 BB%) than strikeouts (12.5 K%) so far is his first taste of Triple A. The Saints lineup combined to record 11 batted balls hit in excess of 100 mph. Matt Wallner led the way with both of his doubles clocked at 109.1 mph. Wallner and catcher Richardo Olivar had two RBIs each. Kaelen Culpepper led off the game by hitting a low 82 mph curveball out for his 11th home run of the season. He’s hitting .266/.392/.557 (.949 OPS) so far in May. John Klein had a rocky first inning that featured two hits, two walks, a stolen base and a run-scoring wild pitch. After surrendering two runs in that first frame, Klein retired six of the next seven batters he faced. He topped out at 95.8 mph and got 10 swinging strikes on his 60 total pitches. The only two runs the bullpen surrendered were unearned. Grant Hartwig and Cody Laweryson provided an inning each before both Marco Raya and Raul Brito went two frames. Royce Lewis was 0-for-4, was hit by a pitch and drove in a run. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 8, Wichita 5 Box Score SP: Eli Jones (2 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Kyle DeBarge (2-for-5, 2 2B), Jaime Ferrer (2-for-4, 3B, BB) Since this game was delayed and the first pitch wasn’t thrown until after 8 p.m. CT, you just knew the final innings were destined to drag on. Seven of the game’s 13 runs were scored in the final inning and a half. The final out was recorded at 11 p.m. Wichita starter Eli Jones gave up a lot of traffic and surrendered a pair of runs before exiting with an injury in the bottom of the third inning. The Wind Surge could never climb out of that hole. Not only did Kyle DeBarge and Jaime Ferrer carry the offense, but the rest of the lineup struggled to just make contact, going 2-for-21 with 13 strikeouts. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Quand Cities 8 Box Score SP: Michael Ross (3 1/3 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) HR: Yasser Mercedes (2) Multi-hit games: Yasser Mercedes (2-for-4, HR, BB), Eduardo Tait (2-for-4, 2B, BB), Khadim Diaw (2-for-4, 2B, BB) What a comeback! The Kernels entered the bottom of the ninth inning trailing 8-5. Brandon Winokur provided the spark, leading things off with a walk and then stealing second base. Eduardo Tait capped an eight-pitch at bat by hitting a double into the gap to plate Winokur. Back-to-back singles followed from Khadim Diaw and Yasser Mercedes that brought Tait around to score, putting Cedar Rapids within a run of tying the game. Mercedes stole second to put two runners in scoring position, but Quinn McDaniel went down swinging for the first out of the inning. Next, Jacob McCombs was intentionally walked to load the bases. Rayne Doncon managed to foul off two two-strike pitches in an eight-pitch battle that resulted in him drawing a bases-loaded walk to score the game-tying run. Jay Thomason came up with the opportunity to play the hero, and he was perfect for the role. Thomason chased a pitch away that was nearly in the opposite batter’s box but was able to get a bat on it. He swatted the pitch the other way, sending a soft liner through the drawn in infield to deliver a walk-off win. MUSSEL MATTERS Jupiter 9, Fort Myers 7 Box Score SP: Ramiro Villanueva (3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 K) HR: Luis Fragoza (2) Multi-hit games: Dameury Pena (2-for-5) The Mussels led 7-3 heading into the seventh inning, but the Hammerheads, well, kept hammering ... ahead. Things really unraveled in the top of the ninth for Fort Myers, as some poor defense contributed to what ended up being a three-run inning. Starter Ramiro Villanueva tallied another solid start. Over 3 2/3 innings, the 20-year-old surrendered one run on two hits. He did walk three batters, though. Villanueva struck out three batters, got eight swinging strikes and topped out at 96 mph. He has a 2.66 ERA through 20 1/3 innings but his 16 walks are cause for some concern. Matthew Dalquist had been among the many pitching bright spots for Fort Myers, but he was rocked for five runs (four earned) while only recording four outs. Luis Fragoza, a 19-year-old playing in his fifth game with the Mussels, hit a two-run homer. He was in center field tonight and has played all three outfield positions in addition to first base in his handful of games with Fort Myers. Enrique Jimenez had a pesky day at the plate. He went 1-for-1 with a two-run double and three walks. One of his free passes was thanks to a successful check swing challenge, which is something that’s being tested in some of the lower levels. Unfortunately, Jimenez also exited this game early. In that messy ninth inning, there was a play at the plate that put Jimenez in a tough position to both catch the throw and apply the tag at the same time. Though he couldn’t corral the throw, he managed to get through that unscathed. He actually appeared to suffer the injury retrieving the ball. He took an awkward step and came up limping. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 1, FCL Orioles 0 (8 innings) Box Score SP: Cristian Hernandez (5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: Miguel Caraballo (2-for-2, BB) The Baby Twins finally broke through in the top of the eighth (which is an extra inning in the FCL) when Yovanny Duran drove in Jose Barrios on a single. That’s right, Duran driving in Barrios. It’s like we’re in the year 2057 in an OOTP simulation or something. Pitching was the standout in this one, with Cristian Hernandez delivering five shutout frames of two-hit ball. Geremy Villoria, who was acquired alongside Hendry Mendez in the Harrison Bader trade, followed with a perfect inning. Villoria, 17, has now logged 5 2/3 scoreless innings to start his season. Carter Holjes held off the O’s in both the seventh and eighth innings TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day: Cristian Hernandez, FCL Twins (5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K) Hitter of the Day: Hendry Mendez, St. Paul (4-for-4, BB, 2 2B) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for more. 2. Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) 1-for-4, HR, BB, 2 R, RBI, K 5. Eduardo Tait (Cedar Rapids) 2-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 R, RBI, K and threw out one of three attempted base stealers 7. Marek Houston (Cedar Rapids) 0-for-4, BB 10. Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) 1-for-4, 2B, R 12. Andrew Morris (Twins) 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K 13. Hendry Mendez (St. Paul) 4-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 R, CS 14. Quentin Young (Fort Myers) 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K 15. Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids) 1-for-3, 2B, BB, HBP, SB, 3 R 19. Khadim Diaw (Cedar Rapids) 2-for-4, 2B, BB, R, RBI 20. Kyle DeBarge (Wichita) 2-for-5, 2 2B, R, RBI TOMORROW’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul: Mike Paredes Wichita: Off Cedar Rapids: Jason Doktorczyk Fort Myers: Merit Jones CURRENT W-L RECORDS Minnesota Twins: 27-28 St. Paul Saints: 26-25 Wichita Wind Surge: 21-25 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 24-22 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 24-22 FCL Twins: 10-8 DSL Twins: (season begins Monday, June 1) View full article

And part of the point I'm making is he needs to let that timing stuff go. Lots of guys play unfamiliar positions in season. He needs to be open minded, not rigid about when a change can/should happen.

He literally said he was terrified playing second base. How is that creating a false context?

Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-Imagn Images Royce Lewis needs to accept that he’s owed nothing. The Twins have no reason to keep his path back to third base open. Lewis needs to be open-minded about playing other positions. In fact, he should probably pursue that, eagerly. Back in September 2024, Lewis was asked to play second base on occasion. He played there a couple of times. It didn’t go over well. At the time, Lewis questioned why he was playing second base and admitted he was “terrified’ out there. To refresh your memory, here’s a link to Gregg Masterson’s article that provided an overview of why the Twins tried Lewis at the keystone. To be fair to Lewis, it’s unusual to have a player suddenly mix in at another position late in the season. That’s especially true on a team that’s in a playoff race. But what about now? Another thing Lewis said back in 2024 about playing second base was “it's not Spring Training—or Triple A, for that matter.” Well, that’s no longer a sticking point. Now, that's exactly what "it" is. To be clear, there’s no indication that the Twins have approached Lewis about playing other positions yet. He’s played third base in all four of his games back with the Saints. However, both the team and the player should embrace the idea of expanding his positional flexibility. This demotion alone should be a wake-up call for Lewis, but that the Twins have also shifted Brooks Lee into his old position should be extra sobering. Nor is that a temporary thing. Derek Shelton said Lee is playing third base going forward, only making occasional cameos at shortstop. It’s not as if Lee is going to completely block Lewis, as he’s struggled himself, but why not open up other potential paths for Lewis? That’s right, paths, plural. I wouldn’t stop at just second base. Get him in at first base. Heck, put him back in the outfield. Sure, his ACL might explode again at any moment out there, but what’s left to protect? Back in 2024, Lewis was viewed as a potential franchise cornerstone, so it made sense to try to keep him comfortable and attempt to shield him from injury. He doesn’t get that benefit anymore. There are a lot of moving parts in the Twins' infield at the moment, and nobody is a lock. Even Luke Keaschall has struggled to the point where he may eventually join Lewis and Matt Wallner for a St. Paul refresh of his own. The veteran trio of Tristan Gray, Ryan Kreidler and Orlando Arcia have all played well to varying degrees, but they’re all better suited to be reserves than starters. Kaelen Culpepper is going to be the Twins' starting shortstop, sooner rather than later. That’s the only thing I feel confident enough to say about the infield right now. In addition to Lee already having been pushed off of shortstop, Culpepper’s arrival will move any of the Gray/Kreidler/Arcia class who are still around to play more second and third base. That’s a crowded infield picture, even before factoring in Lewis. The Twins need to keep their options open. Royce Lewis needs to keep an open mind. Otherwise, the end of this decade-old relationship between player and team might come pretty suddenly. View full article

Kaelen Culpepper exited Friday’s Saints game in the bottom of the first inning. While stealing second base, his helmet came off, bounced back, and hit him in the face. Culpepper’s lip was busted open, and the Saints' training staff couldn’t get the bleeding to stop. View full rumor

Twins prospect Gabriel Gonzalez has been called up and is making his Major League debut on Friday. Though he was off to a slow start in Triple-A, this opportunity presented itself with Tristan Gray being away from the team for a few days on paternity leave. Can Gonzalez take advantage? Here's a discussion on his game, how long he might be with the big club, and a couple of player comps. View full video

Twins System Recap: Quentin Young hit the ball harder than just about anybody in baseball early this week. Another guy blasting his way through is Billy Amick, who now has a system-leading 11 home runs. Also this week, Eli Jones impressed in his Double-A debut. Today's video features info on those players plus all the other top performers from Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday's games. View full video

Today's video is a roundup of all this weekend's action across the system. Among the top performers were Zebby Matthews, Brandon Winokur, Dasan Hill, Matthew Dalquist, and Jaime Ferrer. View full video

Walker JenkinsKaelen CulpepperEmmanuel RodriguezEduardo TaitConnor PrielippDasan HillMarek HoustonRiley QuickKendry RojasCharlee SotoAndrew MorrisGabriel GonzalezBrandon WinokurHendry MendezRyan GallagherQuentin YoungJames EllwangerKyle DeBargeCJ CulpepperAdrian Bohorquez

Walker JenkinsKaelen CulpepperEmmanuel RodriguezEduardo TaitConnor PrielippDasan HillMarek HoustonRiley QuickKendry RojasCharlee SotoAndrew MorrisGabriel GonzalezBrandon WinokurHendry MendezRyan GallagherQuentin YoungJames EllwangerKyle DeBargeCJ CulpepperAdrian Bohorquez

Twins System Recap: It was a Wichita Homer Surge ... 10 home runs!?!?!?!? How is that even possible!? Garrett Spain hit three homers by himself, Billy Amick also had a mulit-homer game and you know Ricardo Olivar got one in. Olivar is now the system leader with 10 homers on the season, and is among the Double-A leaders, as well. View full video

Twins System Recap: Mom's letting the Saints stay up late this week. With St. Paul playing out west, tonight's video covers only the other three full-season affiliates. Tonight's discussion features an impressive all-around performance from Yasser Mercedes and plenty of discussion on the 2025 draft class. View full video

Twins System Recap: Well, this sucks. Both Joe Ryan and Walker Jenkins exited their games on Sunday due to injury. For Ryan, it's his elbow, which is obviously always spooky. For Jenkins, it was his shoulder as he crashed into the wall after making a great catch. Anyway, tonight's three stars are Ricardo Olivar, Quentin Young, and Justin Mitrovich. View full video