Tom Froemming

CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 37-40 St. Paul Saints: 33-40 Wichita Wind Surge: 37-32 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 41-28 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 29-38 FCL Twins: 23-11 DSL Twins: 3-11 TRANSACTIONS Fort Myers activated OF Jose Rodriguez from the temporary inactive list. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Toledo 2 (10 innings) Box Score How do we get this version of Marco Raya more often? He threw 51 of his 76 pitches for strikes. That’s 67 percent strikes from a guy who entered today’s game with a 58 strike percentage on the year. As a result, Raya had averaged 6.4 BB/9 entering this outing. Today, he only issued one walk. When Raya is sharp like this, it’s a sight to see. Over five innings, he only surrendered three hits and struck out eight batters. Raya topped out at 96.3 mph with his fastball, but featured his curveball, throwing that pitch 21 times and getting six swinging strikes. On the outing, Raya racked up 12 swinging strikes. Unfortunately, the St. Paul lineup couldn’t provide Raya with any support and Travis Adams surrendered a pair of runs the inning after Raya’s exit. Adams did eventually settle in, however, as he delivered four innings of two-run ball despite walking four batters. The Saints lineup eventually got it together, too. Yunior Severino led off the seventh inning with a walk, then Will Holland hit a double. After Diego Cartaya struck out, Edouard Julien was intentionally walked to load the bases. That proved to be an act of overconfidence, as Anthony Prato drew a five-pitch walk to push across the first Saints run of the game. Ryan Fitzgerald ended the potential rally by grounding into an inning-ending double play. With the Saints trailing by a run in the bottom of the ninth, Yunior Severino belted a leadoff, game-tying homer. The exit velocity on the opposite field blast was 105.0 mph and the projected distance was 420 feet, the second-longest home run hit across all of Triple-A today. Severino also boasted the hardest hit ball of the day at the level, a lineout he drove 110.7 mph. The dude is strong. In a 2-2 game in the bottom of the 10th inning, Toledo turned to Riley Unroe on the mound. On one hand, he’s a position player. On the other hand, he picked up a win on the mound against the Saints earlier in the week after recording the final six outs for Toledo. So I guess it’s difficult to view that strategy as ridiculous when it was recently effective. Unroe was able to retire the first batter he faced, but Aaron Sabato ended the nonsense by hitting a 45 mph lob that was about a foot outside the other way for a walk-off single. WIND SURGE WISDOM Arkansas 9, Wichita 2 Box Score This game got out of hand in a hurry. Wichita starter Darren Bowen gave up five runs in the first inning before Joel Cesar surrendered four more in the fourth, putting the Wind Surge in an early 9-0 hole. To make matters worse, the lineup went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Kaelen Culpepper went 1-for-5 as the leadoff man and committed a fielding error at shortstop. Walker Jenkins hit third and was 1-for-4 with a double. Gabriel Gonzalez had yet another strong performance, going 3-for-4 with a walk. He’s hitting .358/.430/.473 (.902 OPS) in 27 games since being promoted to Wichita. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 3, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score The Kernels had great scoring chances in both the eighth and ninth innings, but could not find a way to scratch across the game-tying run. Jaime Ferrer had the only Cedar Rapids RBI, as he drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the second inning. Their other run came when Caden Kendle stole third base and scored on a throwing error. The eighth opened with singles from Danny De Andrade and Misael Urbina. A Kyle Hess single loaded the bases with one out, but they failed to capitalize. Cedar Rapids also led off the ninth inning with back-to-back singles, this time coming from Poncho Ruiz and Justin Connell. They came up empty once again. On a more positive note, Cole Peschl continues to be a dependable arm. He gave up three runs on four hits, but also delivered 5 1/3 innings and didn’t issue a walk. Peschl has gone at least five innings in four consecutive starts. He's not exactly an ironman, but that kind of consistency seems to be becoming more rare these days. The newly-acquired Andy Lugo was the offensive star for Cedar Rapids. He was 3-for-4 with a double and stole two bases. Lugo, acquired from Boston in the Jorge Alcala trade, has hit .370/.452/.593 (1.045 OPS) in his first eight games in the org. Kyle DeBarge stole his 38th base of the season in this one. He’s now 38-for-39 in stolen base attempts over 62 games played this season. MUSSEL MATTERS Lakeland 8, Fort Myers 4 Box Score This was a back-and-forth affair with Lakeland delivering a knockout blow late. The Flying Tigers broke a tie to go up 5-4 in the seventh inning before breaking out with a three-run eighth inning. Billy Amick, in the fifth game of his rehab assignment, was 2-for-4 and played a full game at third base. He also had the two highest exit velocities of this game, hitting a double at 105.3 mph along with a 102.8 mph single. Former indy baller Blaze O’Saben was 3-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and a stolen base for the Mighty Mussels. Dameury Pena also had a multi-hit game and stole a base. Fort Myers starter Eli Jones surrendered four runs on seven hits over three innings while also walking three batters and hitting another. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day: Marco Raya, St. Paul (5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K) Hitter of the Day: Andy Lugo, Cedar Rapids (3-for-4, 2B, 2 SB, R) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for more. 1. Walker Jenkins (Wichita): 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, K 4. Kaelen Culpepper (Wichita): 1-for-5, 2 K 10. Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-5, K, SB (38) 11. Marco Raya (St. Paul): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K 13. Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita): 3-for-4, BB, R 18. Ricardo Olivar (Wichita): 0-for-3, RBI, K 19. Danny De Andrade (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, K 20. Payton Eeles (St. Paul): 2-for-3, BB TOMORROW’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Twins at FCL Rays, 11 am CT: TBD DSL Twins at DSL Phillies White, 10 am CT: TBD View full article

Jenkins moves well, especially for his size. His speed is above average, but he may slow a bit as he ages and/or adds strength. He's been more aggressive this season, swiping six bases in 14 total games. He had 17 steals in 82 games last year. I think a lot of his base stealing future will depend on 1) How motivated he is to make that part of his game, and 2) Whether the team will give him the green light. If he continues to get as injured as often as he has, I imagine they'll discourage him from running. Like with everything else, stealing bases is easier in the minors. I do think the Twins have prioritized speed and athleticism more in recent drafts than they had previously in the Falvey era, so that's definitely part of the picture. Not sure on coaching differences, but it's possible. I'd imagine those coaches are mostly operating on a plan that comes from above, though. Something I find interesting is this year's Wichita team is running a lot more than the 2023 Kernels did despite having the same manager and a lot of the same personnel on both those teams.

Image courtesy of David Malamut CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 37-38 St. Paul Saints: 32-39 Wichita Wind Surge: 37-30 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 40-27 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 28-37 FCL Twins: 22-11 DSL Twins: 2-11 TRANSACTIONS With Cedar Rapids having clinched a first half title, Kaelen Culpepper was promoted up to Wichita. He hit .293/.385/.479 (.864 OPS) with a 16.2 K%, 10.5 BB% and 15 steals on 17 attempts while providing strong defense at shortstop for the Kernels. This move is a bit of a homecoming for Culpepper. Though he’s originally from Memphis, the 22-year-old played his college ball at Kansas State, which is only a little over two hours from Wichita. Culpepper did not make his Wind Surge debut this evening. Check back in tomorrow. The St. Paul Saints activated SS Ryan Fitgerald from the 7-day IL and sent veteran RHP Erasmo Ramírez on a rehab assignment to the FCL Twins. Fitzgerald has been an excellent minor league signing by the Twins, as he’s posted an .845 OPS in 47 games with the Saints and even made a couple of appearances on the big club. Ramírez has more than 300 MLB games to his credit, but he’s missed this entire season to date with a shoulder injury. The Wind Surge placed LF Tyler Dearden on the Development List. SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 18, St. Paul 7 Box Score Welp, at least the Saints hit a buncha homers. Carson McCusker hit his 14th home run of the season, Eduard Julien went deep in a three-hit night and Saints newcomers Noah Cardenas and Aaron Sabato each hit their second homers since being promoted. On the other hand, St. Paul pitching only surrendered a pair of home runs. They just gave up loads of everything else. Toledo racked up 16 hits, eight walks and were a bonkers 9-for-18 with runners in scoring position. Former Twins great Manny Margot was 3-for-6 and Akil Baddoo hit a couple doubles and drew three walks for Toledo. Saints starter Darren McCaughan gave up nine runs over three innings and things didn’t get any better from there for the St. Paul pitching staff. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Arkansas 2 Box Score It’s not often you see an honest to goodness straight steal of home these days. Typically, it’s done on a double steal where the runner going to second draws a throw while the other runner scampers home. Well, Ben Ross straight-up stole home tonight on a return throw from the catcher back to the pitcher. Ross was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and stole three bases tonight, giving him 10 steals on the season. Walker Jenkins also had a hit and two walks, though he “only” stole two bases. Gabriel Gonzalez had a three-hit night and chipped in a steal of his own, giving the Wind Surge six stolen bases. C.J. Culpepper made his second start since rejoining Wichita. He struck out six batters over 3 2/3 innings of work, but also walked three. Culpepper only surrendered one earned run, the first he’s given up in 11 2/3 innings on the season. Mike Paredes improved to 8-0 on the season after providing 3 1/3 innings of shutout ball. He has a 2.39 ERA and 1.10 WHIP on the year over 52 2/3 innings for the Wind Surge. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 6, Cedar Rapids 5 Box Score Maddux Houghton, who is known for his defense, made a great play in center field. He went a long way, left his feet, and slammed into the wall while making the catch. Houghton also got the Kernels on the board with his bat, hitting a two-run double in seventh inning. The Kernels put together a five-run rally in the frame to take the lead, but couldn’t hang on to win it. With Culpepper on his way to Wichita, Brandon Winokur hit leadoff and started at shortstop. It was Winokur’s 16th start there so far this season. He’s made 39 starts in center field, eight at third base and two as the designated hitter. Winokur was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, though he did reach on an error and scored a run. Jacob Kisting, a 14th-round pick in last year’s draft, delivered 2 1/3 of scoreless, hitless ball out of the bullpen. He’s yet to surrender a run in three outings since being promoted to Cedar Rapids earlier this month. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Lakeland 5 Box Score What a comeback! The Tigers jumped out to a 5-0 lead by the top of the seventh inning, but the Mighty Mussels showed some mighty mettle. Fort Myers loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh inning and managed to scratch across two runs. The eighth inning got off to a less encouraging start, as their first two batters struck out. Daniel Pena drew a two-out walk, then Jefferson Valladares hit his fourth home run of the season to bring the Mussels within one run of Lakeland. The game-winning rally in the bottom of the ninth inning got started with a Dameury Pena walk. He advanced to third on a double from Billy Amick, who is on a rehab assignment. Angel Del Rosario came in to pinch run for Amick, and the extra speed on the bases paid off. Yasser Mercedes finished off the comeback by hitting a grounder through the drawn-in infield and into center. Pena scored the game-tying run and Del Rosario raced around third to give Fort Myers a walk-off win to open the second half of their season. Hopefully this is a page-turning victory for Fort Myers, who were 27-37 in the first half, and a page-turning start for Adrian Bohorquez. The 20-year-old Venezuelan struck out eight batters over four innings of work. He surrendered two runs (one earned) on two hits and walked one batter. Bohorquez topped out at 97.5 mph and got 13 swinging strikes, nine of them with his fastball. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 8, FCL Red Sox 6 Box Score The middle infield duo of Daiber De Los Santos and Ramiro Dominguez carried the Twins in this one. They each had a pair of hits and drove in three runs. De Los Santos, who collected two doubles, also stole his 10th base of the season. Erasmo Ramírez made his Twins system debut, pitching a perfect first inning with a strikeout. He was signed to a minor league deal in mid-February and is working his way back from a torn shoulder. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Rangers Blue 9, DSL Twins 4 Box Score It’s been a tough go for the DSL Twins, but Santiago Castellanos has been a bright spot. The 16-year-old right-hander gave up a couple runs over four innings, seeing his ERA balloon to 1.86. There are much older and more developed pitchers in the system not completing four innings on a regular basis, so this is a great sign for the young product of Venezuela. Another bright spot for the Twins today was Yovanny Duran. He reached safely three times and stole three bases. Jose Barrios hit his first professional home run. Yes, the Twins really have a guy in the system named Jose Barrios. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day: Adrian Bohorquez, Fort Myers (4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K) Hitter of the Day: Yasser Mercedes, Fort Myers (2-for-5, 2 RBI, SB, walk-off single) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for more. 1. Walker Jenkins (Wichita): 1-for-3, 2 BB, R, K, 2 SB (4) 9. Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-4, R, 3 K 13. Billy Amick (rehabbing with Fort Myers): 1-for-5, 2B, K 14. Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita): 3-for-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI, SB (4) 15. C.J. Culpepper (Wichita): 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K 16. Eduardo Beltre (FCL): 1-for-4, BB, R 18. Yasser Mercedes (Fort Myers): 2-for-5, 2 RBI, SB (16), walk-off single 19. Carson McCusker (St. Paul): 1-for-5, HR (14), R, 2 RBI, K 20. Ricardo Olivar (Wichita): 0-for-5, 2 K TOMORROW’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul vs. Toledo, 6:37 pm CT: Cory Lewis Wichita at Arkansas, 6:05 pm CT: TBD Cedar Rapids at Beloit, 6:35 pm CT: Jose Olivares Fort Myers vs. Lakeland, 5:05 pm CT: Dasan Hill FCL Twins vs FCL Red Sox, 9 am CT: TBD DSL Twins vs. DSL Colorado, 9 am CT: TBD View full article

Walker JenkinsEmmanuel RodriguezLuke KeaschallCharlee SotoKaelen CulpepperDasan HillAndrew MorrisConnor PrielippMarco RayaBrandon WinokurKyle DeBargeCJ CulpepperEduardo BeltreGabriel GonzalezDanny De AndradeRicardo OlivarCory LewisRayne DonconBilly AmickKala'i Rosario

Walker JenkinsEmmanuel RodriguezLuke KeaschallCharlee SotoKaelen CulpepperDasan HillAndrew MorrisConnor PrielippMarco RayaBrandon WinokurKyle DeBargeCJ CulpepperEduardo BeltreGabriel GonzalezDanny De AndradeRicardo OlivarCory LewisRayne DonconBilly AmickKala'i Rosario

CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 36-33 St. Paul Saints: 31-34 Wichita Wind Surge: 32-29 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 36-25 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 27-33 FCL Twins: 18-11 DSL Twins: 2-7 TRANSACTIONS Aaron Sabato was promoted to St. Paul. This is the first time the Twins first-rounder from 2020 has reached Triple-A. Sabato has played 224 career Double-A games and has a .305/.399/.574 batting line (.973 OPS) with Wichita this season. Michael Tonkin, who had been on a rehab assignment, cleared outright waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A. This means he’ll remain with St. Paul, but he’s no longer occupying a 40-man roster spot and the Twins can elect not to add him to the active roster at the end of his rehab assignment. Maddux Houghton was assigned to Cedar Rapids from St. Paul. Houghton has played eight games for the Saints over the past two seasons, but this will be his first time as a Kernel. RHP Alex Speas was released. In his last eight outings for the Saints, Speas had surrendered 19 earned runs with 14 walks in 7 2/3 innings pitched. Cedar Rapids placed Rayne Doncon (quad strain) and Jay Thomason (big toe sprain) on the 7-day IL. SAINTS SENTINEL Indianapolis 7, St. Paul 6 (11 innings) Box Score Trent Baker, who the Twins acquired from the Cardinals in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft, made his Triple-A debut tonight. It went … uh, well, he’ll look to bounce back in his next outing. The 26-year-old right-hander couldn’t get out of the first inning. Baker gave up three runs, walked a pair of batters and threw 40 pitches while recording two outs. The Saints fought back from that slow start and traded leads with Indianapolis in the middle innings before the game was tied up in the bottom of the sixth. The score remained tied entering the bottom of the ninth inning. Kody Funderburk, working his second inning, walked the leadoff man on four pitches. He would eventually steal second and advance to third on a single. With the game-winning run on third base and one out, Funderburk picked up a massive strikeout. He got the hitter looking on a 95 mph sinker, thanks to an assist from catcher Noah Cardenas, who challenged the call after it was originally called a ball. Funderburk completed the impressive escape by also striking out the next batter to send the game into extra innings. The Saints couldn’t manage to score in the top of the 10th despite getting a runner to third base with no outs, but St. Paul reliever Anthony Misiewicz blew Indianapolis away in the bottom half of the inning, striking out the side to keep the score knotted at 6-6. Unfortunately, the Saints once again couldn’t plate the bonus runner in the top of the 11th. Misiewicz’s magic ran out, and Indianapolis finally managed to scratch across a run on a single that got by shortstop Tanner Schobel, who was playing in with a runner on third. The Saints lineup went 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and struck out 13 times. Oof. Aaron Sabato was 1-for-5 with a run and a strikeout in his Triple-A debut. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 9, Corpus Christi 3 Box Score Ricky Castro made a statement tonight. Wichita’s starting pitcher, Castro entered tonight with a 6.31 ERA over his first 35 2/3 innings in Double A. He turned in an outstanding performance, delivering six shutout innings while striking out eight batters. This was the first time Castro has recorded outs in the sixth inning and he’d previously topped out at five strikeouts. The Twins signed Castro out of the independent Frontier League early last season. He looked like an intriguing pickup, pitching to a 3.90 ERA and 1.16 WHIP while striking out 70 batters in 62 1/3 innings after signing with the Twins. The jump up to Double A has proved to be challenging, but perhaps tonight is a turning point. Castro put an exclamation point on his night by striking out the side in order in his final frame. He needed only 73 pitches to complete six innings, throwing 53 of them for strikes (72.6%). Kala’i Rosario provided Castro with a generous amount of run support, as he hit a grand slam in the third inning. Rosario also stole two bases tonight, giving him 14 on the season. This is a new skill he’s showing in 2025, as Rosario had only swiped 16 bases in 348 career games coming into this season. Gabriel Gonzalez was 3-for-3 and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Nate Baez, in his second game with Wichita, was 3-for-4 with a homer that was gifted to him. How’s that possible? He launched a ball into left the outfielder lost sight of and then didn’t even immediately locate after it had landed. To his credit, Baez was busting it around the bases and scored before the ball even made it to the relay man. KERNELS NUGGETS Kernels 6, Peoria 2 Box Score The Kernels lineup was consistently producing tonight. Kaelen Culpepper hit an RBI single in the third inning, Jaime Ferrer added a sac fly in the fourth and another run scratched across in the sixth thanks to a Poncho Ruiz single. Danny De Andrade supplied the knockout blow, hitting a three-run homer in the seventh inning to put Cedar Rapids up 6-0. Alejandro Hidalgo, who missed all last season due to injury, looks like he’s hitting his stride. He pitched four shutout innings tonight and stuck out four batters. In three starts this month, Hidalgo has a 2.08 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 18 strikeouts and three walks in 13 innings pitched. With the first half winding down, Cedar Rapids remains tied for first place in the Midwest League West division with Quad Cities, who also won tonight. Those two teams are also tied for the second-best records in the league at 36-25. MUSSEL MATTERS Game 1: Dunedin 3, Fort Myers 2 Box Score This was the continuation of a suspended game from yesterday that didn’t even get out of the first inning. As a result, Adrian Bohorquez took over for Jason Doktorzyk on the mound when the game picked back up today. He allowed both the runners he inherited to score and struggled with command, walking three batters in 2 1/3 innings. That was all the offense the Blue Jays needed. Yohander Martinez hit his second homer of the year. The recently-promoted Bryan Acuña was 0-for-3 but drove in the other Mussels run on an RBI groundout. Byron Chourio and Walker Jenkins, who are both rehabbing with Fort Myers, each picked up a single. Matt Gabbert pitched two perfect innings of relief while striking out three batters. Game 2: Dunedin 1, Fort Myers 0 Box Score Tough day for the lineup. The Mussels could only muster two hits in the night cap, singles from Miguel Briceno and Blaze O’Saben. On a positive note, Fort Myers starter Michael Ross had an excellent start. The Twins 18th-round pick in last year’s draft, Ross limited the Blue Jays to one run over five innings, lowering his ERA on the season to 3.41. He struck out five batters and did not issue a walk. Ross topped out at 94.3 mph with his sinker and got five of his 10 swinging strikes on his changeup. Neither Chourio nor Jenkins played in this one. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 2, FCL Red Sox 1 Box Score The FCL Twins pitching staff had little room for error today. Luckily, they were up to the task. Teague Conrad limited the Red Sox to jone run on four hits and a pair of walks. He only struck out one batter, but when you only give up one run it’s tough to find an issue with that. The bullpen trio of Xavier Kolhosser, Eider Machuca and Brent Francisco combined to yield just a pair of hits over the final four frames. Machuca covered two innings while the other two pitched an inning each. Despite that excellent pitching performance, the Twins entered the bottom of the ninth inning trailing 1-0. The bats got a little something going, but they mostly took advantage of mistakes. Daiber De Los Santos hit a one-out double and advanced to third on a Luis Fragoza single that deflected off the pitcher and forced him to leave the game due to injury. His replacement was a disaster. The new Red Sox pitcher hit the first batter he faced, Ricardo Paez. Then a wild pitch allowed De Los Santos to score the game-tying run. Fragoza scampered home on another wild pitch, giving the Twins a walk-off victory. Yasser Mercedes, who is with the FCL Twins on a rehab assignment, was 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. DSL Twins 13, DSL Phillies White 3 Box Score It’s been a slow start for the DSL Twins, who are 2-7 on the season, but they busted out in this one. Carlos Taveras and Darwin Almanzar provided the lineup with some pop. Taveras hit his first two professional home runs, drove in four runs and scored three. Almanzar also homered and hit a double. Haritzon Castill chipped in a three-hit game, and was a home run shy of the cycle. On the mound, Santiago Castellanos covered innings two through four and was excellent. He held the Phillies scoreless while striking out five of the 12 batters he faced. Castellanos surrendered three hits and did not walk a batter. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day: Ricky Castro, Wichita (6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K) Hitter of the Day: Carlos Taveras, DSL Twins (2-for-3, 2 HR, BB, 3 R, 4 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for more. 1. Walker Jenkins (on rehab assignment with Fort Myers): 1-for-2, HBP, K 6. Kaelen Culpepper (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-5, R, RBI 9. Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-3, BB, R, SB (14), 2 K 11. Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, R, K 14. Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita): 3-for-3, 2B, R, RBI 16. Eduardo Beltre (FCL): 0-for-4 17. Tanner Schobel (St. Paul): 0-for-3, BB, HBP, 2 R, K 18. Yasser Mercedes (on rehab assignment with the FCL Twins): 0-for-3, BB, K 19. Carson McCusker (St. Paul): 1-for-5, K TOMORROW’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul at Indianapolis, 6:05 pm CT: Darren McCaughan Wichita vs. Corpus Christi, 6:05 pm CT: TBD Cedar Rapids vs. Peoria, 6:35 pm CT: Tanner Hall Fort Myers at Dunedin, 5:30 pm CT: Dasan Hill FCL Twins at FCL Red Sox, 9 am CT: TBD DSL Twins vs. DSL Miami, 9 am CT: TBD View full article

Twin Case You Missed It: The Minnesota Twins dealt away struggling reliever Jorge Alcala. He’s headed to Boston with High-A prospect Andy Lugo coming back to the Twins. Lugo hasn’t been the subject of much prospect love thus far in his career, but he did make some waves by doing one of the craziest bat flips ever on a walk-off single in the 12th inning of a game he had earlier slugged a game-tying homer. Here’s a video with some highlights and analysis on Lugo plus discussion on Alcala’s tenure with the Twins. View full video

Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Dasan Hill) CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 34-30 St. Paul Saints: 30-29 Wichita Wind Surge: 29-27 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 32-23 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 26-30 FCL Twins: 15-10 DSL Twins: 1-4 TRANSACTIONS There were a ton of moves today, so let’s break things down by affiliate. St. Paul: The Twins sent Michael Tonkin back on a rehab assignment with the Saints. He was already on rehab assignment with the Saints from late-April through early-May, but things weren’t going so well (9.39 ERA in 7 2/3 innings). Here’s hoping Tonkin looks refreshed after taking about a month off. The Saints also received Maddux Houghton, who is coming up all the way from down in Fort Myers. Houghton, 26, also made the jump from Low A to Triple A at one point last year. Wichita: RHP Cole Percival was assigned to the Wind Surge. He had a 2.70 ERA in nine games with Cedar Rapids. Yes, he is the son of former All-Star closer Troy Percival. He surfaced with the Twins after being released by the Yankees in late-April, where he had been pitching for their Double-A affiliate. Also, LHP Christian MacLeod was placed on the 7-day IL. Cedar Rapids: RHP Jacob Kisting was assigned to the Kernels. The Twins 14th-round pick from last year’s draft, Kisting hasn’t pitched to a very impressive ERA for Fort Myers (3.97) but has been missing bats. The 6-foot-5 right-hander has 41 strikeouts in 34 innings of relief this season. Fort Myers: RHP Matt Gabbert, who is rehabbing his way to Cedar Rapids, has been assigned to the Mighty Mussels. He had a 3.86 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 14 innings with the FCL Twins. FCL Twins: New signee Sam Rochard was assigned to the FCL Twins. He had a 1.17 ERA in 23 innings for the Gateway Grizzlies of the Frontier League. Also, OF Byron Chourio started a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Scranton/WIlkes-Barre 1 Box Score SP: Darren McCaughan (5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K) HR: Maddux Houghton (1) Sean Aronson, Saints Director of Broadcasting & Media Relations, asked manager Toby Gardenhire about Houghton before today’s game. “You don’t get to come from A-ball all the way up to Triple-A unless you’re a polished player, unless everybody really likes you,” Gardenhire told Aronson. “We love having him here, he’s a really good defender in center field. Hopefully he’ll go out there and get a couple hits for us tonight. ” Houghton didn’t quite meet those hopes, but I think his manager will still be pleased. While Houghton fell shy of collecting a couple hits, the one hit he had was a big one. He got the Saints on the board in the fifth inning by blasting his first Triple-A homer. The Saints then grinded out a single run in each of the next three innings. Edouard Julien plated a run in the sixth inning with a two-out single, they scored on an RBI groundout by Payton Eeles in the seventh inning and Anthony Prato hit a sac fly in the eighth. Darren McCaughan picked up the win after throwing five shutout innings. Michael Tonkin was the first man out of the Saints bullpen. He’s back on a rehab assignment after taking the last month off. He pitched a scoreless sixth inning, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out a batter. He topped out at 94.5 mph and sat 93.2 mph with his four-seamer, which basically where that pitch was last season. That’s a great sign, since last time around Tonkin’s velo was consistently not reaching those 2024 levels. Kyle Bischoff covered the seventh and eighth innings before Richard Lovelady earned his fifth save of the season for the Saints. Miranda was the only St. Paul hitter with multiple hits. He was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Carson McCusker was 0-for-3 with a walk and a pair of strikeouts at the plate, but he threw out a runner at the plate in the top of the fifth inning when the score was still tied 0-0. WIND SURGE WISDOM Northwest Arkansas 6, Wichita 4 Box Score SP: Connor Prielipp (4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K) HR: None Connor Prielipp took a big step this evening. For the first time in 21 career pro starts, Prielipp recorded outs in the fifth inning. In fact, he was inches away from completing five innings for the first time. The final batter he faced hit a grounder that Aaron Sabato had to go to his right to get. He made the toss to Prielipp, but the speedy runner barely beat him to the bag. Prielipp was in attack mode, pounding the strike zone and working quickly. He threw 44 of his 60 pitches for strikes, an eye-popping 73.3%. For reference, the MLB average strike rate is 63.8% this season. He struck out five batters, did not issue a walk and the only run he surrendered was unearned. Preilipp’s ERA is down to 3.13 and he’s struck out 40 batters in 31 2 /3 innings. Jacob Wosinski , the first man out of Wichita’s bullpen, gave up five runs over an inning of work and the lineup couldn’t mount enough of a rally to come back from that. Ricardo Olivar was the only Wind Surge hitter to reach safely twice, as he was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Kyler Fedko, Aaron Sabato and Rubel Cespedes all hit doubles. Kala'i Rosario also stole his ninth base of the season. Tyler Dearden was ejected from this game in the top of the fifth inning for arguing the strike zone from the dugout. He didn’t appreciate a call during his at-bat, then the next Wichita hitter also appeared to have a call go against him. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 3, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score SP: Alejandro Hidalgo (5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 7 K) HR: None With the Kernels down to their last strike in the top of the ninth inning, Kyle DeBarge ripped a game-tying double past the third baseman. Wisconsin managed to answer in the bottom of the ninth to walk it off. The game-winning rally started with a bloop single, followed by a walk and a sacrifice fly. Then Kernels pitcher Hunter Hoopes uncorked a walk-off wild pitch. Tough way to eventually lose after battling back. Alejandro Hidalgo is getting his feel for pitching back after missing the entire 2024 season due to a shoulder injury. It’s been a mixed bag in the early going, but he was great tonight. The 22-year-old right-hander struck out seven batters over five innings, and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk. DeBarge had a pair of doubles and Rayne Doncon was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Palm Beach 1 Box Score SP: Dasan Hill (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K) HR: None Dasan Hill is off to an incredible start to his pro career. He turned in four innings of shutout ball tonight, surrendering just two hits and a walk. The 6-foot-5 lefty struck out seven of the 15 batters he faced tonight, topping out at 96.8 mph. Among Hill’s 62 pitches, 19 were sinkers, 18 were changeups, 14 were curveballs, 10 were sliders and he threw one four-seamer (per Baseball Savant/Statcast data). He got 11 swinging strikes, six of which came on his curveball. Hill, 19, now has a 1.50 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 24 innings this season. After Hill’s night was over, Adrian Bohorquez took over. It’s been a tough go for him this year, as he entered tonight with a 11.85 ERA in 13 2/3 innings, but maybe tonight will be a turning point. Bohorquez limited Palm Beach to one run over four innings and struck out five batters. He topped out at 96.5 mph and got a dozen swinging strikes. Yohander Martinez was involved in both of the Mussels' scoring plays. The first run of the game was scored when Martinez reached on an error with two outs in the fourth inning. He later broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning by hitting a two-out, two-run double. Walker Jenkins was 1-for-3 and played center field for seven innings. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Red Sox 5, FCL Twins 1 Box Score SP: Joel Garcia (3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K) HR: None There wasn’t much to highlight from this one, to be honest. The Twins only mustered three hits, struck out 12 times and committed three errors. Joel Garcia, the starting pitcher, racked up five Ks in just three innings, but he also surrendered three runs. Brent Francisco, who the Twins signed from the Washington WildThings of the independent Frontier League, was the standout performer in this one. The 6-foot-7 right-hander struck out four batters in two scoreless innings of work. Byron Chourio, who had last played May 11, went 1-for-4 with a double in his first rehab game. He drove in the only run for the Twins DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 9, DSL Yankees 4 Box Score SP: Angel Castillo (1/3 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 1 K) HR: Jhomnardo Reyes (1), Teilon Serrano (1) The DSL Twins are in the win column! The lineup made up for dud of a start from Angel Castillo by scoring four runs in each of the first two innings. Three Twins runs in the first frame were scored without the benefit of a hit. There were a pair of bases loaded walks and a run scoring wild pitch. The big blow of the second inning came when 17-year-old Dominican center fielder and A+ name Jhomnardo Reyes hit a three-run homer. Teilon Serrano added a home run of his own in the third inning. It was the first professional home run for both Reyes and Serrano, who each have an OPS north of 1.500 in the very early goings for the DSL Twins. Serrano reached base three times and stole a base. Castillo opened the game with a strikeout, but then walked each of the next three batters. Eliezer Lucena allowed two of those inherited runners to score, but the 17-year-old Venezuelan right-hander stabilized the game by throwing 2 2/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day: Dasan Hill, Fort Myers (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K) Hitter of the Day: Teilon Serrano, DSL Twins (2-for-3, HR, BB, SB, 3 R, RBI, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for more. 1. Walker Jenkins (rehabbing with Fort Myers): 1-for-3 5. Connor Prielipp (Wichita): 4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K 6. Kaelen Culpepper (Cedar Rapids): 1-for-5, K 9. Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 0-for-4 10. Dasan Hill (Fort Myers): 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K 11. Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-5, 2 2B, R, RBI, 2 K 17. Tanner Schobel (St. Paul): 1-for-2, 2B, BB, R, K 19. Carson McCusker (St. Paul): 0-for-3, BB, 2 K 20. Ricardo Olivar (Wichita): 1-for-3, BB, R TOMORROW’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 2:07 pm CT: Simeon Woods Richardson Wichita at Northwest Arkansas, 2:05 pm CT: Aaron Rozek Cedar Rapids at Wisconsin, 1:10 pm CT: Tanner Hall Fort Myers vs. Palm Beach, 11:05 am CT: Michael Carpenter View full article

Image courtesy of © Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 34-29 St. Paul Saints: 29-29 Wichita Wind Surge: 29-26 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 32-22 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 25-30 FCL Twins: 15-9 DSL Twins: 0-4 TRANSACTIONS RHP Travis Adams recalled by the Twins; LHP Kody Funderburk optioned to St. Paul. LHP Danny Coulombe was sent on a rehab assignment to St. Paul. RHP Cody Laweryson promoted to St. Paul. RHP Jacob Wosinski promoted to Wichita. SAINTS SENTINEL Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 5, St. Paul 1 Box Score SP: Andrew Morris (6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) HR: Carson McCusker (12) Andrew Morris delivered a quality start for the Saints tonight, throwing six innings of two-run ball. He allowed a solo homer in the second inning before giving up a second run in a sloppy fifth inning that featured both an error and a balk by Morris himself. Despite Morris being his own worst enemy that inning, that run goes as unearned. Morris lowered his ERA to 3.86 and topped out at 97.5 mph tonight. That the Twins had a rotation need and he wasn’t even in the discussion was both justified and a great illustration of the team’s pitching depth. This dude woulda been the No. 2 starter on some of the mid-2010s Twins rotations. Unfortunately, the only offense the Saints could muster was a Carson McCusker home run in the bottom of the ninth. He now has a dozen homers this season. Payton Eeles and Anthony Prato were both 2-for-4, Prato also stole his 10th base. The Saints were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Danny Coulombe pitched the first game of his rehab assignment with the Saints tonight. He retired all three batters he faced on nine pitches, seven of them strikes. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8, Northwest Arkansas 2 Box Score SP: Trent Baker (6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 5 K) HR: Aaron Sabato (8) Is Aaron Sabato happening? Well, no matter how you want to look at it as it relates to his long-term outlook, Sabato is undoubtedly on a tear right now, having tallied six extra-base hits in his last two games. After hitting two home runs and an RBI double last night, he hit another homer to go with a pair of doubles tonight. In 35 games since rejoining the Wind Surge, Sabato has hit .306/.407/.565 (.972 OPS) with a 26.2 K% and 13.1 BB%. He’s reached base in 24 consecutive games. Tonight was his 220th Double-A game. Wichita opened an 8-0 lead through the top of the fourth inning and never looked back. Trent Baker was the beneficiary of all that run support, but he also held up his end of the bargain. Baker, who came over in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft, went six innings and only surrendered two runs on four hits. Baker struck out five batters and walked one. Pierson Ohl earned a three-inning save. Gabriel Gonzalez was hit by a batted ball while on the bases. He singled to lead off the third inning and advanced to third on a Sabato double. With Noah Cardenas up, Gonzalez was hit with a foul line drive. The trainer came out, but he stayed in the game at that time. He scored on the next pitch and played outfield in the bottom of the inning, but exited in the top of the fourth. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 3, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score SP: Chase Chaney (7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 K) HR: Kyle DeBarge (6) This game was tied 2-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Wisconsin’s Jadher Areinamo lined a ball into left field toward Jay Thomason, a recently-promoted Kernel who has mostly been an infielder. Thomason did an excellent job of aggressively getting to the ball, but his throw in short-hopped Kaelen Culpepper, who couldn’t corral it. Areinamo managed to not only stretch the hit into a double, but he advanced to third on the error. He later scored on a sacrifice fly to walk it off. Kyle DeBarge broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning with his sixth home run of the season, putting the Kernels up 2-0. The lead was short-lived, as Wisconsin responded with a two-run shot of their own in the bottom of the frame. Chase Chaney provided a quality start, as that two-run homer was the only damage he allowed over seven innings pitched. Brandon Winokur was 3-for-4 with a double. After getting off to a slow first two months of the season, Winokur is hitting .450/.500/.800 in the very early goings in June. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Palm Beach 2 Box Score SP: Michael Ross (4 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K) HR: Maddux Houghton (6), Walker Jenkins (1) Walker Jenkins back active is enough of a sight for sore eyes, that he blasted a go-ahead homer is the cherry on top. Jenkins, who was the DH tonight, got a single up the middle in the third inning, but that’s all the Fort Myers lineup could muster that frame. In the bottom of the seventh, Palm Beach committed an error that resulted in the game being tied at 2-2. That’s when Jenkins put the Mighty Mussels ahead with a beautiful blast. Maddux Houghton, who had homered earlier in the game, added an RBI double in the eighth inning and he later scored on a Ricardo Pena sacrifice fly to provided Fort Myers with some insurance runs. Michael Ross, the Twins 18th-round pick from last year's draft, had a solid outing despite not being able to get out of the fifth inning. He topped out at 95 mph. Brennen Oxford, who the Twins signed out of the independent Atlantic League, earned his first win in affiliated ball after pitching two scoreless frames. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 14, FCL Red Sox 4 Box Score SP: Teague Conrad (4 IP, 5 H, 3R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) HR: Ariel Castro (3), Yilber Herrera (1) The Twins trailed by a run heading into the top of the seventh inning, but their lineup exploded for seven runs. Right fielder Ricardo Paez got things started with a single, then advanced to second base on a balk, and would later score the tying run from second base on a wild pitch. That opened the floodgates. The Twins landed multiple big blows in the seventh, including a two-run double from Eduardo Beltre, a two-run single from Victor Leal and a solo homer by Ariel Castro. Four Twins batters tallied multi-hit games, including Paez, Beltre, Ramiro Domninguez and Daiber De Los Santos, who also stole a pair of bases. A couple of former indy ballers were featured on the mound. Teague Conrad, who the Twins signed out of the Frontier League, gave up three runs over four innings as the starter, though only one of those runs was earned. Will Armbruester, also from the Frontier League, finished off the game with three shutout innings. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Blue Jays 6, DSL Twins 4 Box Score SP: Santiago Castellanos (2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K) HR: None Right-handed pitcher Santiago Castellanos of Venezuela made his professional debut in this one. He held the Blue Jays scoreless over 2 2/3 innings, limiting them to two hits. He struck out three of the 12 batters he faced and walked two. Per Baseball America, Castellanos touches 97 mph despite still only being 16-years-old. They put a 60 grade on his fastball, meaning they consider that a plus pitch. The Twins broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning by scoring all four of their runs. The bullpen couldn’t hold the lead, however, as the Blue Jays scratched across a run in the fifth inning before tallying five more in the sixth. Jhomnardo Reyes, a 17-year-old from the Dominican Republic, was the only Twin with a multi-hit game. He was 2-for-3, and is 7-for-13 through four games this season (.538 average). TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day: Chase Chaney, Cedar Rapids (7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 K) Hitter of the Day: Aaron Sabato, Wichita (3-for-5, 2 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for more. 1. Walker Jenkins (rehabbing with Fort Myers): 2-for-5, HR (1), R, 2 RBI 6. Kaelen Culpepper (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-5, 2B, R 8. Andrew Morris (St. Paul): 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K 9. Brandon Winokur (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-4 11. Kyle DeBarge (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-5, HR (6), R, 2 RBI, K 14. Gabriel Gonzalez (Wichita): 1-for-2, R, K (was hit by a batted ball while running the bases and later exited the game) 16. Eduardo Beltre (FCL): 2-for-6, 2B, SB (9), R, 3 RBI 17. Tanner Schobel (St. Paul): 1-for-4, 2B 19. Carson McCusker (St. Paul): 1-for-4, HR (12), R, RBI, 2 K TOMORROW’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 6:37 pm CT: Darren McCaughan Wichita at Northwest Arkansas, 6:35 pm CT: Connor Prielipp Cedar Rapids at Wisconsin, 6:40 pm CT: Alejandro Hidalgo Fort Myers vs. Palm Beach, 5:05 pm CT: Dasan Hill FCL Twins vs. FSL Red Sox, 9 am CT: TBD DSL TWINS vs. DSL Yankees, 9 am CT: TBD View full article

Twin Case You Missed It: Minnesota Twins pitching prospect Travis Adams got the call. He’ll join the big club today and likely make his MLB debut sometime this weekend at Target Field. Here’s a look back at Adams’ career to date, his minor league numbers, his pitch arsenal and more. View full video

Quantity/plate appearances were a factor. It’s always tough to rank these, since there are multiple candidates. I like this format where we give all the top five guys a good amount of attention. For what it’s worth, the Twins agreed with me. Gonzalez was also the team’s pick for their MiLB player of the month.

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge Last month, Cason McCusker took top honors with Kyler Fedko, Jay Thomason, Nate Baez and Ryan Fitzgerald also garnering consideration. While all five of those hitters also had strong performances in the month of May, a new name has emerged to take the top spot. Honorable mentions: Khadim Diaw, Carson McCusker, Emmanuel Rodriguez This trio would have cracked the top five but they lacked playing time compared to their counterparts. Diaw hit .339/.457/.663 (1.011 OPS) in 70 plate appearances for Cedar Rapids before being placed on the IL with a fractured thumb. McCusker earned his first promotion to the majors after hitting .362/.406/.603 (1.010 OPS) in 64 May plate appearances with St. Paul. Rodriguez bounced back from a poor start to the season to post a .439 OBP while slugging .517 in 82 plate appearances for the Saints. Those are excellent performances from guys who couldn't crack the top five! Let's get into this month's top hitters across the system. 5) Nate Baez, Cedar Rapids 333/.475/.462 (.937 OPS), 16.8 K%, 21.8 BB%, 2 HR, 0 SB, 101 PA Baez drew a system-high 22 walks in May while only striking out 17 times in 101 plate appearances. Add in the fact that he also hit .333 and Baez boasted an amazing .475 on-base percentage for the month. Compared to the other hitters on this list, his power output was lacking (.462 slugging percentage), but there wasn’t a hitter consistently making more positive contributions than Baez in May. Baez, who was drafted in the 12th round in 2022, also turned 24-years-old this month. Considering how outstanding he’s been so far this year, you’d have to figure he’s on the verge of a promotion up to Wichita. On the season, he’s made 20 starts at first base, 12 at catcher and five starts as the designated hitter. 4) Mickey Gasper, St. Paul 348/.437/.663 (1.100 OPS), 17.5 K%, 12.6 BB%, 7 HR, 1 SB, 103 PA Put Gasper in a Saints uniform and he transforms into the Sultan of Swat. He hit seven home runs in 22 games for St. Paul, slugging an eye-popping .663 for the month. This much power coming from a guy who is also so great at making contact is a sight to see. Gasper has nine home runs in 27 games with the Saints this year, but entered 2025 with nine homers in 70 career Triple-A games. Like Baez, Gasper is also catching some while mixing in at other positions. During his time with the Saints, Mickey has started eight games at catcher, seven at second base, four at first base, two in left field and has DHed six times. With the Twins lineup returning to health, it’s going to be difficult for Gasper to find more opportunities on the big club. Still, he’s been a blast to watch at CHS Field. 3) Kaelen Culpepper, Cedar Rapids .302/.413/.491 (.903 OPS), 18.3 K%, 12.7 BB%, 5 HR, 11 SB, 126 PA Culpepper’s play of late has him ricketing up prospect lists. A big part of that is due to how competent he’s looking at shortstop, but he also flexed his muscles at the plate in May. KC hit five home runs for the month and was an on-base machine, posting a .413 OBP. To top it all off, he even swiped 11 bases. Health is considered by some as the sixth tool for prospects. I think most Twins fans could get on board with that idea. Well, another plus to Culpepper’s month is he led the system in plate appearances. Add that to the fact that he’s looking like he’ll stick at short and hit for power — two things that were considered major question marks at the time of the draft — and Culpepper is really coming into his own here early in his first full professional season. You love to see it. 2) Tanner Schobel, Wichita .321/.387/.541 (.928 OPS), 12.9 K%, 8.9 BB%, 5 HR, 6 SB, 124 PA Double A is a real test and, to be frank, Schobel failed his first two semesters. But after posting a sub-.640 OPS for Wichita in both 2023 and 2024, something has clicked. Schobel is back to looking like the hitter he was with Cedar Rapids early in the 2023 season. After posting a respectable .752 OPS in April, Schobel broke out and hit .321 with a .928 OPS last month. He slugged .541 with five home runs and didn’t have to sacrifice his typical contact-focused approach to do it. In a league where the strikeout rate is 24%, Schobel posted a 12.9 K%. He also led the system with 25 runs scored in May and his 35 hits were one off the lead. So, is Schobel back? Maybe it’s too early to go that far, but he’s finally passing the test in Double A. After 219 games at the level, perhaps it’s time for a new assignment. 1) Gabriel Gonzalez, Cedar Rapids/Wichita .364/.416/.586 (1.002 OPS), 15.9 K%, 8.0 BB%, 3 HR, 1 SB, 113 PA Gonzalez’s stock has fallen quite a bit since MLB.com had him ranked as the No. 79 overall prospect in baseball prior to the 2024 season. He came over to the Twins as the centerpiece of the Jorge Polanco trade and had a disappointing first year in the org. This year, he looks like a new man. The Twins decided to keep things familiar for Gonzalez to start this season, and that appears to be paying dividends. Changing orgs isn’t always easy for guys. After so much change in 2024, Gonzalez was able to open this year at a familiar place, back in Cedar Rapids. After posting a .907 OPS in 34 games, he earned a promotion to Double A on May 19. Again, Double A is a real test. Other than the jump from Triple A to the majors, I think it’s the most challenging jump a player makes along the ladder up through their career. It’s early, but Gonzalez is crushing it. He’s hit even better for Wichita than he was for the Kernels, posting a .364/.440/.523 line (.963 OPS) in his first 11 games for the Wind Surge. Combining his performance at both levels for the month, Gonzalez hit an impressive .364/.416/.586 (1.002 OPS) and I don’t think the smile left his face all month. He had a system-high 36 hits in May and his 18 RBIs were one back of system leader Kyler Fedko on the month. So congrats to Gonzalez and the rest of these hitters on their marvelous months of May. What’s especially striking about this handful of prospects isn’t just how productive they’ve been, it’s also how much contact they’re making. Not a single one of them is even sniffing a 20 K%. Thanks for reading and make sure to check back to see if any of these hitters make next month’s list. View full article

Minnesota Twins ace Pablo López exited his start last night in Sacramento due to an injury. While we’re not sure the extent of the injury, one thing that appears clear is Pablo will be going on the IL. Luckily, the Twins aren’t without other options. Is Simeon Woods Richardson coming back? Will David Festa return? Or will Derek Falvey call an audible and go in a different direction? Let’s talk about it in this edition of Twin Case You Missed It. View full video

The Minnesota Twins had one of the greatest victories you’ll ever see in the regular season. Friday night in Seattle, they were trailing 6-3 down to their final out and ended up winning 12-6. It’s tough to fully appreciate that game now, as the Twins dropped their next two to the Mariners in frustrating fashion. Tonight’s System Recap includes highlights of Twins prospects Payton Eeles, Tanner Schobel, Gabriel Gonzalez, Kyler Fedko, Kyle DeBarge and Nate Baez. View full video