Tom Froemming

Justin Smoak entered the 2010 season as the No. 13 overall prospect according to Baseball America and No. 17 per Baseball Prospectus.

"Impression from his (Darren Wolfson's) responses I have got, was that the Twins do not have permission to spend over their draft pool." Painting that as a Twins Daily writer confirmed that the Pohlad's refuse to authorize the FO to overspend their draft allotment is a bit of a stretch. Here's a link to that original Tweet. Nowhere is it stated that the Twins/Pohlads refuse to go over the slot allotment.

Link?

I'm not sure that's true. Cleveland sold off parts and reduced payroll this offseason despite being the defending division champs and the favorites to repeat.

I'll Venmo you the $0.45

I also linked to those at the end of the article

Eno Sarris actually examined that question just this morning in a piece for The Athletic (subscription required). It's worth a whole read, and acknowledges that many pitchers say the ball feels different, but the end conclusion is no, the new ball isn't impacting pitch velocity or movement in a significant way.

The Home Run Derby took place Monday evening … and every single day of the 2019 season prior to that. The baseball is different, and it’s resulting in more home runs than ever. Has it made a mockery of the game? The Twins lead the league in home runs during this power surge, but are they all ill-gotten bombas?Because Major League Baseball can’t seem to get out of its own way, a big storyline of this season that also became a focus during the All-Star break is the current state of the actual baseball. Justin Verlander went so far as to say “Major League Baseball’s turning this game into a joke.” There’s been some really amazing reporting and scientific studies done on the ball itself that have shown its current composition is different, and the end result is a ball that travels farther than ever before. The ball creates less drag, has thicker laces and is actually more round (I’ll include links to the excellent work others have done on these subjects at the bottom of this article). The end result is home runs and in particular home run-to-fly ball ratio is up. I’m not going to deny either of those things. If we just take a look at run scoring and offense in general, however, things don’t actually look all that out of whack when compared to the past 25 years of baseball. Below is a graph that shows the average number of runs per game over the past 25 years. Things have definitely been on an upward trend the past few seasons, but as you can see, pitchers enjoyed quite a comfortable stretch from about 2007-14. Download attachment: RPG.JPG A similar look into slugging percentage shows the same type of trend. Download attachment: SLG.JPG Taking a look at things from this perspective, I don’t feel it’s fair to say something like the game is turning into a joke. Verlander himself is managing to pitch to a 2.98 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and has limited opponents to a .168/.221/.386 batting line (.607 OPS). This is despite giving up a league-high 26 home runs. It’s also fair to point out that his home ballpark is an excellent home run hitter’s environment. If you want to say the past 25 years is a poor choice in sample, I guess then you’re going to have a bit of a different perspective. A lot of this conversation comes down to what you think is supposed to be “normal” for Major League Baseball. If you want to really be a traditionalist, the amount of scoring back in the late-1800s was actually much higher than it is right now. Even shifting the focus a little bit closer, the 1920s and 1930s had many seasons in which more runs were scored than they are today. On the other hand, in the 10-year span from 1963-1972 runs were greatly suppressed. Things are constantly changing. Along with the baseball, we’re seeing bigger, faster and stronger players than ever. Advances in technology even over the past five years have dramatically changed the way players train and design their pitches or swings for maximum effectiveness. Many hitters have put an emphasis on getting the ball in the air, pitchers have searched for ways to combat that approach. The cat and mouse game continues. Below is a video in which I provide some more information on this topic and share some more of my opinions. Let me know what you think. Should there be a giant asterisk next to this season's stats? Additional Links Jeff Passan’s original reporting on Justin Verlander’s thoughts. ESPN’s report on Rob Manfred’s response. Astrophysicist Dr. Meredith Wills’ examination of the ball. Jayson Stark’s investigation into possible factors that could have resulted in the homer surge. Rob Arther’s piece on the drag/aerodynamics of the 2019 ball. Bob Nightangale’s reporting on what pitchers are saying about the 2019 ball. Juiced ball and home run discussions from the Twins Daily forums. Click here to view the article

Dyson has not given up a run over his last nine innings, giving up only four hits and a walk while striking out eight batters. I talked about how I think they should make the move to bring him (or at least someone like him) in now.

Here's a look at Buxton's two-run single from the second inning. I think pre-2019 Byron goes down swinging in that at bat. He's making adjustments and anticipating pitches much better this year.

Here's a fun look at what Taylor Rogers did to get Joey Gallo out to start the eighth inning:

The Twins have also hit 12 more home runs with projected distances between 430-438 ft. Nelson Cruz has three of them, Miguel Sano and Marwin Gonzalez have two and there's one each from Jonathan Schoop, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, C.J. Cron and Jake Cave. Seems odd that Eddie Rosario's longest home run so far this season is just 421 ft. Jason Castro leads the Twins with an average home run distance of 421 ft.

Sure, fireworks are fun, but have you seen the 2019 Twins lineup? The bomba squad has brought plenty of explosive firepower to the park so far this season. To celebrate the 4th of July, let’s kick back and take a look at the 10 longest home runs crushed by Twins hitters so far this season.Check out some of these moonshots! Make sure to add your own ooohs and ahhhhs while watching this highlight reel. Here's some more info on the taters included in that video are below. 10. Max Kepler and Miguel Sano (tied) Kepler: 438 ft., 112.3 mph exit velocity April 26 off Alex Cobb at Target Field Sano: 438 ft., 113.2 mph exit velocity May 23 off Matt Harvey at Angel Stadium 9. Jason Castro 443 ft., 108.5 mph May 11 off Spencer Turnbull at Target Field 8. Jason Castro 443 ft., 110.1 mph exit velocity April 27 off Jimmy Yacabonis at Target Field 7. Nelson Cruz 445 ft., 108.3 mph exit velocity June 6 off Blaine Hardy at Comerica Park 6. C.J. Cron 453 ft., 114.3 mph exit velocity May 16 off Erik Swanson at T-Mobile Park 5. Miguel Sano 454 ft., 108.9 mph exit velocity May 23 off Matt Harvey at Angel Stadium 4. Byron Buxton 454 ft., 111.0 mph exit velocity June 5 off Tyler Olson at Progressive Field 3. Jonathan Schoop 465 ft., 108.1 mph exit velocity May 1 off Collin McHugh at Target Field 2. Jonathan Schoop 467 ft., 110.4 mph exit velocity May 23 off Matt Harvey at Angel Stadium 1. Nelson Cruz 469 ft., 112.4 mph exit velocity June 29 off Jose Ruiz at Guaranteed Rate Field Here’s to more fireworks from our favorite firecrackers. Have a happy and safe 4th of July everybody! Click here to view the article

Edwar Colina dominated, there were eight home runs hit and some epic comebacks. Cedar Rapids was down to their final out but came back in the ninth inning to win, Pensacola overcame a seven-run deficit and Rochester came back in the seventh. Come see what else happened across the system Wednesday.TRANSACTIONS -Zack Littell recalled from Rochester by the Twins. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Syracuse 3 Box Score Chase De Jong: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 70.5% strikes (62 of 88 pitches) HR: Jordany Valdespin (7), Jaylin Davis (6) Multi-hit games: Jaylin Davis (2-for-4, HR), Nick Gordon (2-for-4, 2B, 3B) Rochester entered the bottom of the seventh inning of this game trailing 3-2. Jaylin Davis gor things going with a leadoff single and Nick Gordon later added a go-ahead two-run triple.

I'll say that my postseason list for the Prospect Handbook will likely be much different. That's not so much because of what happens between now and then, I'll just have a lot more time to invest in it.

Had Brusdar Graterol continued to pitch well and be healthy, I would have considered putting him at No. 1. There's really no reason to be concerned over an 8.69 K/9, 24.3 K% and a swinging strike rate of 13%. All of those numbers could certainly be better, but I think the overall quality of hitters you face once you get to Double A is a massive difference. He's the second-youngest pitcher to log at least 40 innings in Double A this season. He'll start to get more refined and consistent the more he throws and the longer he's in the high minors. When his slider is good, that's his best pitch. Pretty crazy thing to be able to say about a guy with a 100 mph fastball. And he can get a ton of arm-side run and sink on that heater, which has helped him post a ground ball rate in excess of 50%. If you want to try and do a statistical comp of Graterol to another top prospect, Sixto Sanchez would be a good place to start. They're nearly the same age and both are pitching not just at the same level, but in the same league. Southern League numbers Graterol: 1.89 ERA, 24.3 K%, 13.0 SwStr% (47.2 IP) Sanchez: 2.77 ERA, 25.4 K%, 10.7 SwStr% (52.0 IP) MLB Pipeline has Sanchez at No. 22 overall while Graterol is No. 50. They have Ian Anderson at No. 26. Keep in mind that he's 21 and had a four-game cameo in Double A last year, but here are his Southern League numbers: Anderson: 2.94 ERA, 31.4 K%, 12.1 SwStr% The Tigers have No. 2 overall prospect Casey Mize, who's 22, and No. 32 Matt Manning, 21, in Double-A's Eastern League: Mize: 1.21 ERA, 25.1 K%, 14.0 SwStr% (52.0 IP) Manning: 2.60 ERA, 29.4 K%, 13.2 SwStr% (86.2 IP) I think Graterol stands up pretty well against all these guys.

IIRC Royce Lewis didn't play shortstop for his high school team either. At least one of his final two years he was in center, right?

If you missed the game and have nine minutes to spare, here's every pitch of Thorpe's outing and the entire interview with his parents, which was outstanding:

We continue to roll along with our midseason prospect list, and this next group of five includes both the biggest new arrival and the highest climber from our preseason list. This quintet of prospects features pitching, power and potential. Come find out who landed in our Nos. 6-10 spots.Make sure to let us know how you feel about these rankings in the comments below. We put a lot of work into compiling these lists, but it is an inexact science. As you can see, there’s quite a bit of disagreement just between the five of us who contributed to these rankings. 10. Blayne Enlow, RHP Age: 20 ETA: 2022 2019 Stats (A+/A): 72.2 IP, 3.47 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 3.00 K:BB Ratio 2019 Preseason Ranking: 9 Seth: 11 | Tom: 14 | Cody: 8 | Ted: 10 | Steve: 10 Enlow is on quite a roll right now. Over his final four starts with Cedar Rapids and his first five outings for Fort Myers, Enlow has pitched to a 2.13 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 55 innings. While he’s not posting huge strikeout numbers, Enlow is flashing signs that the potential is there. Among the pitchers in the system with at least 50 innings, Enlow ranks fourth with a swinging strike rate of 14.0%. The only guys he trails are Austin Schulfer (17.4%), Jhoan Duran (16.2%) and Lewis Thorpe (14.3%). On top of that ability to miss bats, Enlow is also a ground ball machine. His ground ball rate of 55.3% also ranks fourth in the system in that same sample. 9. Jhoan Duran RHP Age: 21 ETA: 2021 2019 Stats (A+): 59.1 IP, 3.19 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 11.4 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 3.26 K:BB Ratio 2019 Presason Ranking: 7 Seth: 8 | Tom: 9 | Cody: 9 | Ted: 8 | Steve: 8 Speaking of Duran and his impressive swinging strike rate, he’s our No. 9 prospect. The thing that really stands out about Duran is his velocity. He sits in the upper 90s, reaching triple-digit heat on a regular basis. Duran has also been blazing hot of late. Over his last 30 innings he has a 1.80 ERA and 45 strikeouts against 12 walks. Opposing batters are hitting just .158/.265/.198 (.463 OPS) against him over that stretch. One thing to keep an eye on going forward is how Duran handles opposite-side hitters. Lefties are hitting .316/.396/.468 (.864 OPS) against him so far this year. That being the case, it's impressive he's been effective as he has despite those struggles against southpaws. 8. Brent Rooker, LF Age: 24 ETA: 2019 2019 Stats (AAA): .283/.412/.549 (.960 OPS), 13 2B, 0 3B, 12 HR, 81 K, 32 BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: 6 Seth: 9 | Tom: 7 | Cody: 10 | Ted: 4 | Steve: 7 A big storyline of this season across the minor league system has been injuries and underperformance, but in Rooker we now have yet another guy who is hitting his stride right now. Since being activated off the IL at the start of this month, Rooker has hit .340/.512/.617 (1.129 OPS). Prior to that stay on the IL, Rooker was having a difficult time in his first taste of Triple-A. He posted an alarming 44.3 K% and 38.1 K-BB% over his first 97 plate appearances. Since then, however, Rooker has a 29.5 K% and impressive 9.3 K-BB%. Here are some highlights of the damage he did earlier this month: 7. Keoni Cavaco, SS Age: 18 ETA: 2024 2019 Stats (Rk): .143/.143/.143 (.286 OPS), 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 K, 0 BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: Unranked Seth: 6 | Tom: 6 | Cody: 7 | Ted: 11 | Steve: 11 How have so many prospects on our list thus far slid down? To make room for the next two guys on our list. First up is 2019 13th-overall pick Keoni Cavaco. Finding spots for the recent draftees is the most difficult part of doing these midseason updates, but one thing I kept asking myself was “what’s really the difference between Cavaco today and where Royce Lewis was in June of 2017?” Cavaco shows all the same athletic potential that Lewis did at that time. He has a chance to be a true five-tool player. High school picks always come with a lot of uncertainty, but when it comes down to it, the big difference is familiarity. Cavaco was a huge pop-up prospect in the draft. He was under the radar mainly due to the fact he didn’t play in the majority of showcases. Being so new to the system, we’re obviously still learning more about Cavaco, but I suspect if anything this ranking is conservative. For more on Cavaco, check out the Q&A Ted did with him shortly after the draft. 6. Jordan Balazovic, RHP Age: 20 ETA: 2022 2019 Stats (A+/A): 65.2 IP, 2.74 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 12.5 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 4.79 K:BB Ratio 2019 Preseason Ranking: Honorable Mention Seth: 7 | Tom: 10 | Cody: 6 | Ted: 7 | Steve: 5 Balazovic rockets up our list after not just being among the top performers in the system, but all of the minor leagues. Among the 580 pitchers to log 50 innings across the minors this year, Balazovic ranks 13th in K/9, 16th in K-BB%, 25th in FIP and 19th in xFIP. After a great first four starts with Cedar Rapids, Balazovic moved up to Fort Myers and made quite the first impression. He struck out 22 batters in just 12 innings his first two starts in the Florida State League. He’s had a bit of mixed results since then, and closes out June with a 4.12 ERA and 1.63 WHIP on the month. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Balazovic is still only 20 and made a grand total of 16 appearances with Cedar Rapids before making the jump to High-A. For comparison's sake, Enlow made 28 appearances for the Kernels and Duran tallied 21 outings in the Midwest League prior to moving up. So I think it’s reasonable to expect a bit of an adjustment period from Balazovic. His overall performance has been outstanding, but another reason to be encouraged is Balazovic has already set a career high in innings pitched this season. Here’s a look back at some highlights from a couple of his starts for Cedar Rapids earlier this season: Twins Daily 2019 Midseason Prospect Rankings Prospects 36-40 Prospects 31-35 Prospects 26-30 Prospects 21-25 Prospects 16-20 Prospects 11-15 Prospects 1-5 Coming Soon Click here to view the article

That had to have felt good for Royce Lewis. Why? Bradenton was the team that threw at him after he did pushups on second base. I took a look back at that situation and gave my interpretation of what went down:

Plenty of people who would have believed Max Kepler was going to set a new career high in home runs this season, but to do it before the end of June? This is incredible. Max homered twice, giving him a career-high 21 homers, as the Twins beat the White Sox 10-3 this afternoon.Box Score Pineda: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 71.6% strikes (63 of 88 pitches) Bullpen: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Home Runs: Kepler 2 (21), Cruz 2 (15), Sano (12) Multi-Hit Games: Cruz (4-for-5, 2 HR, 2B), Kepler (2-for-5, 2 HR), Polanco (2-for-4, BB), Castro (2-for-4) Top 3 WPA: Pineda .229, Cruz .223, Kepler .086 Bottom 3 WPA: Buxton -.086, Gonzalez -.049, Cron -.048 Kepler’s first homer came off White Sox starter Ivan Nova, the second came against left-handed reliever Josh Osich. That’s Max’s fifth home run off a left-handed pitcher already this season. He entered 2019 with nine homers off southpaws in his entire career. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet Click here for a review of the number of pitches thrown by each member of the bullpen over the past five days. Click here to view the article