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SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 8, Omaha 6 Box Score A veteran on the bump for St. Paul, Aaron Sanchez took the pill and was lights out. He worked six innings of scoreless baseball. Sanchez did give up five hits and a walk, but he struck out two and never allowed damage. Dropping his ERA to 4.17 in the process, he’s again looking like an option for Minnesota should they need him. Royce Lewis was given the night off after back-to-back work, but the Saints went to battle without him. Attacking right away in the first inning, Chris Williams singled to center and drove in Andrew Stevenson in the process. Looking for some separation, breathing room came in the fifth inning. An error allowed Mark Contreras to not only reach base, but Stevenson to score for a second time. Williams then singled again and drove in Contreras, pushing the lead to 3-0. St. Paul got a bit more cushion in the sixth inning when Andrew Bechtold lifted off for his fourth homer of the year. It was just a solo shot, but the game was now 4-0. Tucker Bradley quickly responded with a seventh inning double to put Omaha on the board, but the 4-1 lead still seemed safe. Quickly evaporating, Cody Laweryson’s runners all scored after he allowed a three-run blast to Nick Loftin. What was once a lead was now a new game in the seventh inning. From there, things went crazy. First, the Storm Chasers put up a pair on a Samad Taylor single in the eighth inning. Seemingly in the driver’s seat, they would be unbuckled when Stevenson ripped his second triple of the year. In the bottom of the eighth, the Saints outfielder cleared the bases and scored himself on a throwing error. Hernan Perez, Ryan LaMarre, and Tyler White all came home. The four runs put St. Paul back up 8-6 and that’s where this one ended. Stevenson recorded a pair of hits on the evening as did Williams, White, and Perez. Jose Miranda continues to struggle and went 0-for-4 with a walk. Despite giving up two runs and again struggling in relief, Ronny Henriquez got the win. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 5, Wichita 4 Box Score Twins prospect David Festa needed a bounce back start tonight and he got one. Despite it being short, just three innings, he allowed only a single unearned run on one hit. Festa walked three on his 68 pitches, but picked up five strikeouts in the process. Springfield got on the board first with a second-inning run, but the Wind Surge answered in a big way during the fourth inning. Alex Isola blasted his sixth dinger of the year, a three-run shot scoring Brooks Lee and Jake Rucker, to put Wichita up 3-1. Springfield made it interesting with a sixth inning run closing the deficit to one, but a seventh inning Will Holland run scored on a wild pitch and pushed things back to two. The Cardinals again answered in their half of the seventh inning, and the run tightened things up just just a one-run contest. Scoring again in the eighth inning, Springfield evened things at four. Wichita couldn’t answer in the ninth inning and Noah Medlinger’s single walked off the Wind Surge. Brooks Lee and Jake Rucker both had a pair of hits on the evening, but it wasn’t enough to wind up on top. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 8, Cedar Rapids 4 Box Score Kyle Jones went tonight for Cedar Rapids and despite coming in with solid numbers, it just wasn’t his night. Making it through only one inning, Jones allowed six runs on six hits. He walked just one and struck out two. His 3.62 ERA ballooned to 5.13 on the season. Early on, things looked ok for the Kernels. Despite getting down 2-0 in the first inning, Kala’i Rosario continued his strong season and blasted his fifth home run, a two-run shot also driving in Emmanuel Rodriguez. That’s where the good news ended though. Two runs scored in the second inning without an out recorded, and both inherited runners for Orlando Rodriguez crossed the plate as well. Down 6-2 by the end of the frame, things didn’t look pretty. Before the Kernels could answer, Wisconsin drove in another pair during the sixth inning and the 8-2 rout was on. Cedar Rapids needed to make things interesting, so Keoni Cavaco blasted his second dinger of the season. Recently back from the injured list, his two-run shot scored Andrew Cossetti and had the Kernels back within a grand slam. Cossetti’s single was his first hit at High-A after recently being promoted. Unfortunately, that’s where this one ended, and Tanner Schobel was the only Kernels player to record a multi-hit effort. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Dunedin 1 (Susp 3) Box Score It was C.J. Culpepper’s night for the Mighty Mussels, but Mother Nature decided to intervene before he could really get going. Working two innings of one-run ball while striking out two, the weather came and caused a third inning suspension. Dunedin plated a run in the second inning, but Fort Myers answered in the third inning. A Jorel Ortega groundout allowed Alec Sayre to score and knot things up. Danny De Andrade then singled to drive in Dillon Tatum and put the good guys on top. What started with lightning also brought rain and the game was called. Stopped with De Andrade on first base in the third inning and just the one out, both sides will pick this up tomorrow. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Sanchez (St. Paul) - 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Hitter of the Day – Andrew Stevenson (St. Paul) - 2-4, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB, 2B(6), 3B(2) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 2-4, R #2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - Day off #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, R, K #8 - David Festa (Wichita) - 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, BB, K #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - TBD Wichita @ Springfield (7:05PM CST) - RHP Aaron Rozek Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Fort Myers @ Dunedin (4:00PM CST) - RHP Cory Lewis Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games!

Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions in the COMMENTS. I plan to check in frequently to answer as many questions as we get. TRANSACTIONS With Max Kepler going on the Injured List with a hamstring injury, the Twins recalled Trevor Larnach from St. Paul. RHP Dereck Rodriguez was optioned to St. Paul with Cole Sands being recalled by the Twins. 1B Tyler White was activated from the Development List. Wichita announced that RHP Tyler Beck has been released. OF Alerick Soularie has been activated from the IL. He had been hit by a pitch in the wrist. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 1, Indianapolis 3 Box Score In the bottom of the first inning, Matt Wallner hit his third home run for the Saints this season. Unfortunately, that was the only run for the Saints on Saturday afternoon. Aaron Sanchez made the start for the Saints. He gave up three runs (2 earned) on seven hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings. He had two strikeouts. Kody Funderburk came out of the bullpen and recorded six outs, three of them came on strikeouts. He gave up no runs and no hits, though he walked one. Patrick Murphy and Oliver Ortega didn’t allow a run or a hit over the final 2 2/3 innings. Wallner had a good day at the plate. He went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, and the home run. Edouard Julien had a single and a walk out of the leadoff spot. Jose Miranda went 1-for-5. Hernan Perez added a triple. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 12, Frisco 3 Box Score The Wind Surge offense just continues to, well, surge. After scoring 16 runs on Wednesday and 13 runs on Friday, they scored a dozen runs on Saturday and won their fifth straight game. In the first five games of the series, the Wind Surge have outscored the RoughRiders 54-26. In this game, the offense was just very consistent throughout the game. They scored in six of the nine innings. They had 11 hits and 10 walks in the game. What you’re here for… Brooks Lee was back in the lineup, leading off and playing third base. He went 0-for-4 but walked twice. Royce Lewis played the first seven innings at shortstop and batted second. He went 2-for-3 with a walk and a double. He also added a stolen base. The two combined to score five of the team’s runs. Yunior Severino remains on fire. After hitting two home runs on Friday night, he went 3-for-4 with a walk and his 10th home run of the season. That is four home runs in five games so far this series. Jake Rucker went 2-for-4 with a double and five RBI. (So yes, the top four hitters in the lineup went a combined 7-for-15 with 10 runs scored and eight driven in.) Pat Winkel went 2-for-4 with a walk and did a very nice job behind the plate. Alerick Soularie returned from his wrist injury and went 1-for-3 with two walks. David Festa made the start for the Wind Surge and looked really good, frequently hitting 98 mph with his fastball. He was charged with one run on four hits and two walks over five innings. He had four strikeouts. Festa told Twins Daily what helped make him successful, “My fastball command was definitely better than previous outings, and (Pat) Winkel did a great job calling the game. We were both on the same page, and the defense was great behind me.” And Festa also enjoyed the opportunity to face big-league rehabber Corey Seager. In the first inning, Seager grounded out to second base. In the fourth frame, Seager popped up to the catcher. In the fifth inning, Festa walked the $325 million man. “Facing Corey Seager was awesome. An elite hitter like him, in a few big situations, was such a cool experience.” Seth Nordlin came on and gave up two runs on four hits and three walks over two innings. Jose Bravo walked one and struck out four batters over the final two, scoreless, innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Quad Cities 2 Box Score The Kernels clinched a series win in Davenport on Saturday night with a 4-2 win. Kyle Jones went the first four innings and gave up just one run on three hits. He walked two batters and struck out five batters. Niklas Rimmel came on and gave up one run on three walks over 1 2/3 innings. He struck out three batters. Malik Barrington entered the game with the bases loaded and allowed just one of the inherited runners to score. In total, he went 1 2/3 innings and gave up no runs on one hit and one walk. He struck out two batters. Miguel Rodriguez gets the save with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Following the game, Barrington told Twins Daily, “Honestly, I try not to think about the runners when it’s a bases-loaded situation. My mentality in that situation is to just attack the hitter because if I give up a hit there, then runners are scoring regardless.” He continued, “Anytime I can get out of a jam, especially in that scenario, is a big confidence boost, and it gets the team going as well. So in that scenario, I just think ‘never shy away from competition. It’s a do-or-die situation, so throw the best I have and trust that I will be successful.’” The Kernels took the lead right away in the first inning when a Tanner Schobel double scored Ben Ross. Then Misael Urbina singled in Schobel for the second run. Then in the fourth frame, Ernie Yake hit a triple that scored Kyler Fedko before he was singled in by Ross. Cedar Rapids had seven hits by seven different hitters. The two batters that didn’t get a hit combined for three walks. They had more opportunities to score but went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Tampa 2 Box Score The Mighty Mussels had a four-run fifth inning and held on late to record their fifth straight win against the Yankees affiliate. In that fifth frame, Andrew Cossetti “drove in” the first run with a bases-loaded walk. That was followed by a bases-clearing triple off the bat of Carlos Aguiar. Aguiar drove in the other run on a fielder’s choice in the seventh inning. It may not surprise you that the Mighty Mussels managed just three hits in this game and had 14 strikeouts. However, they had the patience to coax 10 walks. Cossetti hit his ninth double and walked three times. Danny De Andrade, Dalton Shuffield, and Alec Sayre each had two walks. The Mighty Mussels had a really good day on the mound. Lefty Wilker Reyes made his first start (fifth appearance) of the season. He gave up two hits and walked three batters, but he threw two scoreless innings with the help of three strikeouts. The 21-year-old topped out at 91.7 mph. Sam Perez improved to 3-1 with three innings of one-hit baseball. He had six strikeouts and didn’t issue a walk. Perez is an interesting prospect. He has experienced a lot of success in the low levels of the minor leagues. He was the Twins Daily Short-Season Pitcher of the Year in 2021. As you see in this game, he gets swings-and-misses. But the southpaw tops out at 83.3 mph. Statcast calls out 38 of his 48 pitches as change ups. However, the velocity range on the pitch are from 72.5 to 83.3 mph, so my assumption is that his fastball and his changeup are both called changeups. Right-hander Jackson Hicks gave up three hits but no runs over two scoreless innings. He had three strikeouts. The 25-year-old threw 32 pitches and 20 of them were 81-84 mph sliders. His fastball topped out at 91.8 mph, but he threw just 10 fastballs. Finally, Zach Veen, the third lefty of the day, came in for the final two innings. He pitched a scoreless eighth frame, but a leadoff error led to two unearned runs in the ninth inning. He struck out two batters and dropped his ERA to 1.20 this season. The 2022 draft pick threw 25 breaking balls among his 41 pitches. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – David Festa (Wichita Wind Surge) - 5 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K. 70 pitches, 43 strikes. Hitter of the Day – Matt Wallner (St. Paul Saints) -2-for-3, BB, 2B(7), HR(3), R, RBI. PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 0-for-4, 2 BB, 2 R, K, SB #2 - Royce Lewis (Wichita-on Rehab) - 2-for-3, BB, 2B, R, RBI #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, BB, K, E(2) #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-for-3, BB, 2B(7), HR(3), R, RBI. #13 - David Festa (Wichita) - 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 70 pitches, 43 strikes. #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, BB, K, SB(6). #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, BB, 2B(4), R, RBI, 3K. #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, RBI, 2K. SUNDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Toledo @ St. Paul(2:07 PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-0, 2.45 ERA) Wichita @ Frisco (4:05 PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams (1-4, 8.50 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (1:00 PM CST) - LHP Jordan Carr (0-1, 3.00 ERA) Tampa @ Fort Myers (11:00 AM CST) - RHP Cory Lewis (3-1, 3.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Saturday’s games!

SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Nashville 3 (Game 1) Box Score Looking to play a doubleheader yesterday, the weather decided not to cooperate. Instead, the Saints were able to reschedule a twin bill today and Randy Dobnak was on the bump for game one. Dobnak worked a solid 5 1/3 innings allowing three runs on six hits while striking out four. Josh Winder took over for Dobnak in the 6th and allowed both the inherited runners to score before locking things down the rest of the way to earn the win after recently being optioned. Nashville scored first, but Kyle Farmer continued his strong rehab assignment as he returns from his hit by pitch. Having doubled twice yesterday, he launched a solo shot in the 1st inning today to knot things up. It would seem likely that he returns to the big league roster on Tuesday. Down 3-1 in the bottom of the 6th inning, Michael Helman stepped in and launched a three-run homer to put St. Paul in the lead 4-3. Farmer and Andrew Stevenson came in on the big fly. Helman’s dinger came of the brother of Twins pitcher Louie Varland, Gus Varland. Nashville 7, St. Paul 1 (Game 2) Box Score It was quick revenge for the Sounds as Aaron Sanchez recorded just two outs for the Saints in the second game. He allowed six runs on two hits. Four walks did him in as they came around on a pair of homers. Nashville led 6-0 before St. Paul took their first at bats. Leading off the game for the Saints, Edouard Julien hit his fourth home run of the year to put them on the board. Despite generating five hits on the afternoon, the one run was all they could muster. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 12, Wichita 3 Box Score David Festa took the mound today for Wichita and it wasn’t his best start of the season. Lasting 4 1/3 innings, NW Arkansas touched him up for six runs on eight hits and three walks. He did record five strikeouts on the afternoon. The Wind Surge jumped out to an early lead as they plated two in the 1st inning. Yunior Severino doubled to drive in Alex Isola before DaShawn Keirsey Jr. singled in Severino. They did give both runs back in the bottom half of the inning before Yoyner Fajardo tripled to score Will Holland in the top of the 2nd inning. Fajardo’s triple extended his hitting streak to eleven games. That was as far as Wichita would lead in this one however. Two runs in the 3rd inning were followed by three-spots in the 5th and 6th inning for NW Arkansas. The Naturals added two more in the 8th inning and the 12-3 tally stood as a final. Fajardo racked up a pair of hits as did Keirsey Jr. The six hits for Wichita checked in 13 behind the Naturals 19 for the game. Twins prospect Royce Lewis will begin a rehab assignment this week starting out at Wichita. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, South Bend 1 Box Score It was Kyle Jones on the mound today for Cedar Rapids, and he was very sharp for the afternoon. Working five innings of one-run ball, Jones allowed five hits and a single walk while striking out five. The bullpen then worked four scoreless innings while giving up just two hits to close it out. Scoring got underway in the 2nd inning when Misael Urbina grounded out but plated Kala’i Rosario in the process. Ben Ross then doubled in the 3rd inning to score Emmanuel Rodriguez and make it 2-0. After giving up a run back in the 3rd inning, the Kernels put the game away with a four-run 5th inning. Rosario walked with the bases loaded to score Rodriguez before Jose Salas singled in Ross. Urbina then took another bases loaded walk and brought in Noah Cardenas and Willie Joe Garry Jr. ended the inning on a sacrifice fly that allowed Rosario to score again. Cedar Rapids only had six hits for the game, and only Ross recorded a pair of hits, but the Kernels had great plate discipline taking nine walks. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 8, Fort Myers 5 Box Score Tomas Cleto was on the bump today for the Mighty Mussels, and his day got started a bit late after a brief delay. Working 3 2/3 innings, Cleto gave up five hits that turned into three runs. Cleto punched out four while walking three. Ronny Henriquez did get two innings of work in relief, and the Twins prospect will move up to St. Paul shortly. After getting behind 4-0 through the top half of the 5th inning, Fort Myers began to answer. Danny De Andrade singled in Rubel Cespedes to put the Mighty Mussels on the board. It was De Andrade doing damage again in the 7th inning when he took a bases loaded walk to drive in Dalton Shuffield. Andrew Cossetti then followed his lead and walked to score Dylan Neuse and make it a one-run game. Dunedin doubled their tally in the 8th inning and made it an 8-3 contest. While Alec Sayre was able to drive in Ricardo Olivar on a single in the bottom half, that’s where this rally would end. Carlos Aguiar was the only hitter to record multiple hits in the game. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Kyle Jones (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Day – Ben Ross (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, R, RBI, 2B, BB, K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 0-5 #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) -0-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 2-7, R, RBI, 2B, HR(4) K #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, RBI, K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 3 K #17 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ St. Paul (6:37PM CST) - TBD Wichita @ Frisco (6:05PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30PM CST) - TBD Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games!

Cody Christie covered the hitting portion of our awards the other day, making it time to crown the best pitcher in the Twins system for April 2023. We start with the starting pitchers. Of course, in minor-league baseball, there are a lot of starters and potential starters. Sometimes teams strategically piggyback a couple of starters together, but one looks like a reliever in the stat line. We will take a look at the starters who began the 2023 season with a strong month. Coming Soon will be the top relievers in April. But before we jump into our Top 5 Twins Minor League Starting Pitchers for April, here some honorable mentions: RHP Blayne Enlow, Wichita Wind Surge The last cut, Enlow was great in April, striking out 24 batters while pitching more than 20 innings in his most effective month since returning from Tommy John surgery last summer. LHP Jaylen Nowlin, Cedar Rapids Kernels Nowlin walked a few too many batters, holding him back from greater honor, meaning a higher ranking on this list, but he also struck out 20 batters—something only six other pitchers in the system accomplished in April. RHP Kyle Jones, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels Inhaling more than 19 frames, Jones posted a 2.42 FIP thanks in large part to a miniscule walk rate (5.3%). Jones was a 7th-round pick in the 2022 draft. 5. RHP Bailey Ober - AAA St. Paul Saints, 17 2/3 IP, 30.1 K%, 2.55 ERA, 2.70 FIP Too good to be contained by the AAA confines that limit him, Bailey Ober turned in an excellent month of pitching for the Saints, earning a 2.55 ERA and a 2.70 FIP while striking out a hair over 30% of batters faced. He allowed just one homer. The walks were troublesome, though—an 8.2% rate is far higher than his typical, trustworthy command allows—and in a cutthroat environment like the Twins Daily Minor League Monthly Awards, these are the lines that must be drawn to determine dominance. Better news comes knocking for Ober, however: recent injuries in the starting rotation open up a chance for the tall righty to prove himself once more; he appears very likely to take over a starting spot as Kenta Maeda and Tyler Mahle deal with their ailments. 4. RHP Louie Varland - AAA St. Paul Saints, 15 IP, 40.3 K%, 4.20 ERA, 1.77 FIP A similar figure as Ober, Louie Varland is simply too good for AAA. His peripherals—good lord, his peripherals—were overwhelmingly dominant in April as the Minnesota native one-upped Ober, striking out over 40% of the batters he faced in the month. That’s deGrom territory. He also walked just four hitters. So why not rank him higher? Needing to be a stickler over such minor sample sizes necessitates a certain meanness when looking at one’s body of work, and Varland lacked the innings the other starters provided (15). With ever-increasing velocity, Varland’s ascent appears never-ending; his movement from fun hometown story, to legitimate minor league performer, to potentially dominant major leaguer has been breathtaking, astounding. His final hurdle appears to be the all-important playing time—something he should run into very soon. For now, he’ll settle for 4th place on this prestigious list. 3. RHP Cory Lewis - Low-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, 19 IP, 34.2 K%, 3.32 ERA, 3.50 FIP And now we reach the unicorn. Minnesota’s 9th-round pick in the 2022 draft carries the usual pitching repertoire—a spinny fastball; a dazzling curve; ideal extension—on top of a true wild card: “an impressive knuckleball.” More than a freak side-show, Lewis’ game has translated well to the minor leagues, as the starter pitched 19 innings in April, punching out 34.2% of batters while carrying an ERA of 3.32. The peak of his bat-missing madness came on April 26th, when the 22-year-old elicited 19 swings and misses over just 4 2/3 frames. The effectiveness has more to do with his fastball/curveball punch, potentially disappointing those hoping to see MLB’s first consistent knuckleballer since Steven Wright in 2019. Still, his success may not be a fluke, and continued production may result in night classes for Twins catchers unsure of handling the dancing, unpredictable nature of the 82-mph knuckleball. 2. RHP David Festa - AA Wichita Wind Surge, 19 IP, 35.5 K%, 3.79 ERA, 3.35 FIP Back to your regular, normal right-handed prospecting. David Festa popped up in 2022, elevating from a random 13th-round pick from Seton Hall—the college of Craig Biggio, Mo Vaughn, and Zack Granite—into a respectable potential rotation fixture. He “pops mid-90s heat and pairs it with a potential plus mid-80s slider with power 11-6 depth,” giving him a classic modern starter’s profile—with more apparent limbs than your prototypical hurler. And his tools served him well in April; the righty covered 19 innings while striking out 35.5% of batters at AA, a level he had not yet touched, while in the Texas League, a division famous for hitting. The early returns favor a repeat of 2022 for Festa, and such a development could push him into rotation plans for the big-league club in 2024. 1. RHP Zebby Matthews - Low-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, 20 1/3 IP, 34.7 K%, 3.10 ERA, 2.39 FIP One of the most apparent, sweeping movements in the Twins system under Falvey and Levine has been the rapid improvements made by anonymous college pitchers suddenly breaking out after draft day. Zebby Matthews is no exception. While he’s actually the highest-drafted arm of the five we talked about today—a regal 8th-round selection—Matthews’ immediate impact was not well-predicted. But it has been glorious. Combining the efficiency of a command artist with the punch outs of a workhorse, Matthews walked just three batters, struck out 26 of them, and swallowed 20 1/3 innings over four promising starts. One was a clunker, but the other three flashed brilliance; he didn’t allow a run for 13 consecutive frames to begin the season. What’s fascinating and different about Matthews’ success is his approach: a full serving of almost every pitch a pitcher can throw (except for that one, you know which), that has apparently befuddled Low-A hitters. When a batter must react to the four-seamer, sinker, slider, curveball, changeup, or cutter, it evidently leads to missed hacks, foolish takes, and the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month Award.

The Twins offense exploded for 10 runs on Wednesday night at Fenway Park. However, the Saints, Wind Surge, and Kernels offenses really struggled to put things together. The Mighty Mussels had an interesting game. Their bats showed up early, and they took a no-hitter to the seventh inning. Find out how it ended. And while it's Twins news, minor-league report readers have to be thrilled for Edouard Julien's play in Boston. And, MLB debuts are always fun. Lefty Brent Headrick was called up on Sunday and made his debut on Wednesday. Joe Ryan pitched the first six innings. Headrick pitched the final three innings to become the 19th player in MLB history to record a three-inning Save in his MLB debut (Saves became a stat in 1969). Let’s get to today's Minnesota Twins Minor League Report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS The Twins activated OF/1B Joey Gallo and optioned OF Kyle Garlick to St. Paul. Cedar Rapids announced that IF Ernie Yake has been transferred back to the Kernels from the Saints. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 1, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 3 (game called in 8th inning due to weather) Box Score The weather isn’t expected to be good the rest of the week, but the Saints were able to get through seven innings on Wednesday night. Aaron Sanchez started and gave up one run on six hits. In five innings, he walked three and struck out five batters. Josh Winder came on and gave up two runs on one hit in the sixth inning, the big hit being a home run by Billy McKinney. Winder got one out in the seventh inning before Jordan Balazovic came on to get the final two outs of the inning. He got one out in the eighth as well, so two of the three batters he faced, he struck out. He threw 22 pitches, and 16 of them were strikes. The Saints were unable to put any sort of rally together. They had six hits and two walks, but they managed just one run. Matt Wallner was the only Saints player to get on more than once. He walked twice (and had an outfield assist). Jorge Polanco went 1-for-4 with a strikeout in his second rehab game in St. Paul. Polanco scored the Saints run on a single by Andrew Bechtold. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 0, Tulsa 4 Box Score Like you see so often at minor-league locations around the country, the Wind Surge played a weekday morning game in Tulsa, allowing kids from local elementary schools to attend a game. While the players all woke up in plenty of time for the game, their bats just didn’t. Wichita had five hits in the game and walked three additional times, but they were unable to come up with a needed hit. They were just 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base. Seth Gray went 1-for-2 and walked twice. David Festa made his third start of the season. He gave up two runs on three hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. He recorded six strikeouts. In 14 2/3 innings this season, he has 20 strikeouts and a WHIP of just 0.89. Osiris German came on and got five outs, only allowing a walk. Hunter McMahon also got five outs, but he gave up two runs on a walk, a hit batter, and a home run. Jordan Brink came on to get the final out. In the fourth inning, Alerick Soularie was hit in the hand by a Nick Brasso fastball. He left the game for a pinch runner. It definitely looked painful. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Beloit 5 Box Score For Kyle Jones, two of the three innings that he pitched were scoreless innings. Unfortunately, he gave up five runs in the second inning. In three innings, he gave up those five runs on six hits and two walks. The bullpen did very well though. Malik Barrington came on and struck out five batters over two scoreless innings. Berlin’s Niklas Rimmel gave up three hits, but no runs, over two scoreless innings. Matthew Swain pitched a scoreless frame. It was just not a good night for the Kernels hitters. They had seven walks, but they managed just three hits in the game. Jose Salas led the way. He went 1-for-2 with two walks. Kala’i Rosario had a walk and a double. He also had an outfield assist. On Tuesday morning, the Kernels had an open house for The Annex, an addition to the stadium that includes more room for batting tunnels, workout equipment and more. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Jupiter 8 Box Score In his first start of the year, left Develson Aria gave up two runs in three innings, but along with four walks, he also struck out seven batters. On Wednesday night, Aria threw five scoreless, no-hit innings for the Mighty Mussels. The 22-year-old only had four strikeouts, but most important, he had just two walks. Aria left the game with a 6-0 lead. Juan Mendez worked a scoreless sixth inning and kept the no-hit bid alive. However, the seventh was not a good inning for the Mussels. Mendez was charged with two runs, and Jhonathan Lavallee came on and before getting the final two outs was charged with three runs over his own. He got one more out in the eighth inning, but in his one inning of work was charged with four runs on three hits and a walk. Zach Veen got the final five outs. He was charged with two runs on three hits. He struck out two batters without walking any hitters. On Tuesday night, catcher Andrew Cossetti hit a 108-mph home run. On Wednesday night, he went 3-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and four RBI. He hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, his third of the season. It had an exit velocity of 110.9 mph. Cossetti was the Twins 11th round pick in 2022 out of St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Ricardo Olivar, another catcher, played center field in this game. He is hitting .306 after going 3-for-5 with his third double of the season in this game. Jorel Ortega was 2-for-3 with two walks. Michael Helman played in his second rehab game. He DHd and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. He also stole a base which is probably the best indicator that his hamstring is ready to go. Aria’s fastball early in the game was 93-94. By his third inning, he was sitting 91-92 most of the time. Throws a breaking ball upper-70s to 80 mph. Mendez’s fastball sat between 95 and 98.6 mph. He throws really hard. Also throws a cutter/slider in the low-to-mid 80s. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Develson Aria (Fort Myers) - 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Andrew Cossetti (Fort Myers) - 3-for-4, BB, HR(3), 2 R, 4 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-for-4, K, E(1) #5 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 3-for-4, HBP, HR(2), 2 R, 2 RBI. #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-2, 2 BB #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-for-1, 2 BB #13 - David Festa (Wichita) - 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K (83 pitches, 51 strikes, 61.5%) #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, BB, K #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 3 K. #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, K Thursday's Twins Minor League Pitching Probables Scranton/Wilkes Barre @ St. Paul (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Jose De Leon (0-0, 4.35 ERA) Wichita @ Tulsa (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams (1-1, 12.71 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Jordan Carr (0-0, 2.25 ERA) Jupiter @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - Cory Lewis (1-1, 4.82) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games!

TRANSACTIONS Twins selected the contract of St. Paul OF Kyle Garlick Twins acquire INF Alex De Goti from Marlins for cash considerations and assign him to St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Indianapolis 2 Box Score Minnesota native Louie Varland was set to pitch for the St. Paul Saints on Thursday night but was scratched roughly an hour before the game due to non-injury related reasons. It seems he’ll head to New York and join the Twins. Dereck Rodriguez made the start in his place and worked four innings. He allowed two runs on four hits while striking out five and walking just one. The Saints took the game’s first lead when Mark Contreras drove in both Tony Walters and Elliot Soto with a single to right field. The 3rd inning runs were quickly answered by Indianapolis when they plated one of their own in the bottom half. Former Yankees infielder Miguel Andujar then knotted the game with a 4th inning single. Minnesota pitching prospect Jordan Balazovic put up 2 1/3 innings of relief work tonight as he allowed no runs on just one hit. While he did walk three, the former top 100 prospect punched out four. Needing a go-ahead run, Ryan LaMarre came through for the Saints in the 8th inning. His third double of the season scored Contreras and that was enough to grab the victory on the evening. Austin Schulfer, who worked 1 2/3 of scoreless relief work, got the win. Jose De Leon finished the 9th inning and got his first save of the season. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 10, Wichita 3 Box Score It was another David Festa start for the Wind Surge and the blossoming prospect continues to look sharp this season. Working 5 1/3 innings tonight, he allowed three runs on five hits but struck out six and allowed just a single walk. On the season his ERA stands at a shiny 2.61. Wichita pushed Alex Isola to third base in the 2nd inning before he scored on a wild pitch by Northwest Arkansas’ Anthony Veneziano. The game’s scoreless tie had been broken early. After giving a run back in the top of the 5th inning, Seth Gray put Wichita back on top with his first dinger of the year. Yoyner Fajardo then singled to right field allowing Armani Smith to score and make it a 3-1 game. From there, the wheels fell off. In the 6th inning Northwest Arkansas scored seven runs and added another in the 7th inning. What was a close lead had turned into a 9-3 deficit. Another run being added in the 9th inning made it 10-3 and that's where this one would wind up. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was the long Wind Surge hitter to record multiple hits. Gray's solo b last was the only extra-base hit of the evening. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 4, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score Kyle Jones took the ball for Cedar Rapids and tonight and was sharp over six innings of work. He allowed just three hits, and while one run did score, Jones recorded four punch outs while walking only a single batter. Unfortunately, the Kernels lineup wasn’t there to answer the opposition this evening. Down 3-0 in the bottom of the 7th inning, 2022 Twins draft pick Tanner Schobel stepped in and blasted his second homer of the young season. It was a nice shot to left center field, but it was just a solo homer, and the Kernels still trailed by two. Allowing another run in the 8th inning, Cedar Rapids went down 4-1 on the night. No one recorded multiple hits for Cedar Rapids, but Noah Cardenas kept up his strong start with another base hit raising his OPS to 1.045. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 10, Clearwater 6 Box Score Making his 2023 debut Develson Aria went tonight for the Mighty Mussels but lasted just three innings. Allowing a pair of runs on four hits, it was the four walks that did him in. Despite punching out seven, his pitch count got to 70 and he threw just 39 strikes. Aria was handed a lead early when Ricardo Olivar singled in a rehabbing Alex Kirilloff, and Carlos Aguiar doubled to drive home Jorel Ortega. Danny De Andrade then added a single of his own to score both Olivar and Aguiar making it 4-0 before Clearwater even stepped into the box. Fort Myers gave one back in the bottom of the 1st inning, but Olivar answered with his second hit of the game, doubling in Jorge Polanco. Although Clearwater answered again with a run of their own, the Minnesota first basemen sent one over the left field fence to make it 6-2. As Kirilloff works back from his wrist injury, seeing his power play is a big deal. It was an ugly 5th inning for the Mighty Mussels as a single and three-run blast tied things up. Rather than allowing it to change the game for them, they responded in the 7th inning. Rubel Cespedes hit his first home run of the season, and with Olivar on, the two-run blast made it an 8-6 game. The Mighty Mussels weren’t done flexing and continued to add in both the 8th and 9th inning. Maddux Hougton hit his first home run of the season before Dylan Neuse used a sacrifice fly to play Cespedes. In a game that had plenty of offense, Fort Myers emerged victorious. Despite the 12 hits, only Olivar and Cespedes had multi-hit games. Olivar’s four hits represented a new career-high. Samuel Perez worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings, punching out three, to pick up his second win. Jonathan Lavallee grabbed the two inning save. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – David Festa - 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Ricardo Olivar - 4-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-4 #5 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 2-5, 2 R, RBI, HR(1) #13 - David Festa (Wichita) - 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4 #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, RBI, HR(2), 3 K #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 3 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Indianapolis (6:05PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - LHP Connor Prielipp Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:30PM CST) - RHP Cory Lewis Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday's games!

If you missed it, read Nick's Twins Week in Review after you've read about the minor league week. TRANSACTIONS With no Monday Minor League Report, we will include all transactions that we've missed. But with the lack of games on Sunday, there haven't been any moves. RESULTS Friday (3/31): Saints Battle, but Fall Short in Season Opener Saturday (4/1): Four Homers Lead St. Paul to First 2023 Victory Sunday (4/2): Saints Take Series One Thursday (4/6): Affiliates Get Underway Friday (4/7): Everyone Gets a Win! Saturday (4/8): Connor Prielipp Debuts in Twins' System; Zebby Matthews Silences for Fort Myers Sunday (4/9): Saints Bested on Easter MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Wind Surge Roster Preview Kernels Roster Preview Mighty Mussels Roster Preview TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Indianapolis (5:05PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick (0-0, 11.25 ERA) NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - TBD Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Pierson Ohl (season debut) Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:30PM CST) - RHP Tomas Cleto (season debut) WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 4-4) Overall: 4-4, 2.0 games back in the International League West. Overview: After dropping the season opener, the Saints were able to get back on track with two wins before Minnesota weather pushed the home opener back and forced the team to play five games in four days, alternating between losing and winning. Hitters: The veteran outfield of Mark Contreras, Kyle Garlick and Ryan LaMarre have led the offense. But all eyes will be on newly-minted Top 100 prospect Edouard Julien, who already has two home runs and an OBP of .417. Matt Wallner was recalled to Minnesota to replace the injured Max Kepler. Pitchers: Bailey Ober has not been as sharp as he was this spring, already walking five in 6 2/3 innings. But aside from Louie Varland, pretty much everyone has struggled. We're going to chalk this up to early-season cold weather and just assume that since Varland is "one of us" that weather will never effect him. What's Next: a trip to Indianapolis (5-4), including a 10:05 am start time on Wednesday morning, if you're into that sort of thing. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 2-1) Overall: 2-1, 1.0 game back in the Texas League North. Overview: Hard to complain about starting your season with a series win, especially when you don't hit very well (.204/.286/.245), Hitters: Newcomer Yoyner Fajardo has been Wichita's best hitter through the first series. Fajardo joined the Twins after previously being in the Pirates organization. Last season, Fajardo tore up high-A ball (1.059 OPS) while primarily playing second base and right field. He's logged all of his innings for the Wind Surge in left field so far. Having just turned 24, Fajardo is still young enough to catch some prospect-watchers' attention... but we are talking about only three games. Brooks Lee is name to watch for this team and you'll be able to follow his progress in each one of these reports. Pitchers: The Twins traded away so many prospect that would be at this level (or higher), but managed to hold on to David Festa, who was nearly perfect in his debut. Blayne Enlow also had a nice performance (six strikeouts in five innings) in his second go-around at AA. What's Next: The Wind Surge will welcome Northwest Arkansas (1-2) to Wichita for a six-game set that begins on Tuesday. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 3-0) Overall: 3-0, tied for first in the Midwest League West Overview: A sweep on the road over Peoria is a great way to start a season: two one-run wins before finishing it out in a convincing four-run win. Hitters: Slow starts for big names like Emmanuel Rodriguez (.093) and Misael Urbina (.182), but others - like Keoni Cavaco, Noah Cardenas and Noah Miller - stepped up. Despite striking out 41 times in three games, the Kernels put together 16 runs on 25 hits (with only two home runs). A strikeout ended exactly one-third of the team's at-bats, so that's something to keep an eye on. Pitchers: A mixed bag of results for the three starters. Jaylen Nowlin didn't give up any runs, but walked three in four innings. Kyle Jones struck out six and walked none in 5.1 innings. Connor Prielipp was up-and-down in his long-awaited professional debut. What's Next: Six games of home-cooking against Quad Cities (0-3). Book your trip to Cedar Rapids soon while they have all the prospects. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 2-1) Overall: Season: 2-1, tied for first in the Florida State League West Overview: After dropping the opener to Dunedin on Thursday, the Mighty Mussels came back to win the series with victories on Friday and Saturday. The team got help from appearances from Jorge Polanco and Josh Winder. Hitters: 2022-draftee Dalton Shuffield kept the power going by hitting his first home run - and Fort Myers only home run - this season after swatting four last year in 25 games. Shuffield was one of hit hitters with multiple hits in the opening series. Jorel Ortega had two doubles. The team was also successful in all six of their steal attempts. Pitchers: A trio of last year's draft picks made the starts for the Mighty Mussels. Zebby Matthews (8th round) struck out seven in five scoreless innings. Andrew Morris (4th round) also struck out seven, but allowed three runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. Cory Lewis (9th round) had a rough pro debut. What's Next: A trip north up the coast to Clearwater (2-1) to begin a six-game series on Tuesday. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated on the first of each month throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. (Season-long stats will be in parenthesis.) 20. Misael Urbina, OF, Cedar Rapids: 2-11, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K. (.182/.357/.273. .630 OPS) 19. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Extended Spring Training 18. Tanner Schobel, 2B, Cedar Rapids: 3-14, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 4 K. (.214/.214/.429. .643 OPS), played two games at second base (one error in 11 chances) and one game at third base (no errors in no chances). 17. Ronny Henriquez, RHP: On Minnesota’s injured list with elbow inflammation. 16. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0 (6.75 ERA), 1.1 IP, H, ER, 2 BB. (2.25 WHIP, .250 BAA) 15. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 14. Noah Miller, SS: 5-15, 2B, RBI, 2 R, 5 K. (.333/.333.400. .733 OPS), played shortstop in all three games and committed no errors in 17 chances. 13. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 1-0 (0.00 ERA), 5.0 IP, H, 8 K. (0.20 WHIP, .067 BAA) 12. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Extended Spring Training 11. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: 5-20, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 6 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 9 K. (.300/.364/.650. 1.014 OPS) Recalled to Minnesota 10. Austin Martin, SS: Martin is still recovering from an arm injury. 9. Louie Varland, RHP, St. Paul: 1-0 (1.80 ERA), 5.0 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 9 K. (1.00 WHIP, .222 BAA) 8. Jose Salas, INF: 1-8, R, BB, 3 K (.125/.222/.125. .347 OPS), played one game at second base (no errors in four chances) and one game at third base (no errors in five chances). 7. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0 (6.75 ERA), 4.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 6. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1 (4.91 ERA), 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, HR, 2 BB, 6 K. (1.64 WHIP, .267 BAA) 5. Edouard Julien, 2B, St. Paul: 8-29, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 9 R, 7 BB, 12 K, 1/1 SB. (.276/.417/.517. .934 OPS), played two of three games at second base and committed one error in 28 chances. (DH in the other game.) 4. Marco Raya, RHP: Getting a late start to the season after some arm soreness. 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 1-11, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K. (091/.267/.273. .540 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: Lewis is still recovering from his second ACL surgery. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 4-13, 2B, RBI, 4 R, BB, 2 K. (.308/.357/.385. .742 OPS), played all three games at shortstop and committed no errors in 12 chances. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK will return next week when all teams have a full week of action. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the players and the teams in the COMMENTS below.

Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions! TRANSACTIONS RHP Patrick Murphy activated from the Development List RHP Josh Winder has been assigned to Low-A Fort Myers on MLB Rehab. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 6, Iowa 2 Box Score Louis Varland had a phenomenal first game of his season. He threw five innings and allowed only one run, one walk, and he struck out nine batters. Jordan Balazovic, Trevor Megill and Brock Stewart each recorded four outs. Balazovic made his first appearance of the year. He gave up one run on one hit and two walks. Megill walked two. Stewart recorded his first save which gave Varland his first win of the season. Kyle Garlick is the top story today for the St. Paul Saints. The outfielder has been driving in the runs early in the season and Edouard Julien and Matt Wallner setting the table for the middle of the lineup, specifically Tyler White and Mark Contreras to drive them in. Hernan Perez gave the Saints a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning with a solo home run. Mark Contreras came up big in the bottom of the sixth inning. With Garlick and Julien on second and third, he drove them home with a two-run home run which gave the Saints a 5-1 lead. The Saints had just four hits and six walks. Julien had one of the hits and walked twice. Garlick and Contreras each drove in two runs. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 2, Springfield 0 Box Score This was a battle of the pitchers for most of the game. In the third inning, Twins top prospect Brooks Lee and Yunior Severino got on base. Catcher Alex Isola drove in Lee with a double and first baseman Aaron Sabato followed with a sacrifice fly to drive in Severino. The Wind Surge had a 2-0 lead, and that was it for run scoring. As you would expect, this game finished in just two hours and five minutes. In his first Double-A start, David Festa pitched a clean, scoreless five innings. He gave up only one hit and struck out eight batters. Hunter McMahon came on and struck out three batters over two perfect innings. Jordan Brink worked a hitless eighth from, and Michael Boyle he save with a hitless ninth frame. The Wind Surge had seven hits. Isola and Yoyner Fajardo were both 2-for-4 in the games. Kernel Nuggets Cedar Rapids 5, Peoria 4 (10 innings) Box Score The Cedar Rapids Kernels kept the baseball night alive for the Twins affiliates. The Kernels needed 10 innings to beat the Peoria Chiefs. In the third inning, the Kernels got on the board first with a three-run home run from Tanner Schobel off of Cooper Hjerpe. Kyle Jones started for Cedar Rapids. The 2022 draft pick went five innings without giving up a run. However, he was charged with three runs in the sixth inning. In 5 1/3 innings, he gave up six hits. He struck out six batters without giving up a walk. Matt Mullenbach struck out two batters without giving up a run, though one of two inherited runners scored. Matt Swain got the eighth inning. He walked three batters but gave up a run on a sacrifice fly which put the Kernels down 4-3. In the top of the ninth inning. Keoni Cavaco and Kyler Fedko got things started with singles. Charles Mack laid down a sacrifice bunt and the bases were loaded because of an error. After a strikeout, Emmanuel Rodriguez drove in pinch-runner Willy Joe Garry with the game-tying run. Regi Grace pitched a scoreless ninth inning. Misael Urbina began the top of the 10th as the Manfred Man on second base. Kala'i Rosario singled to score Urbina. Unfortunately, that was the only run they scored. Fortunately, Regi Grace remained in and kept Peoria off the scoreboard to give the Kernels the win. Rosario led the way. He went 2-for-4 with a walk. Noah Miller went 2-for-5. Fedko went 1-for-2 with two walks. Muscle Matters Dunedin 3, Fort Myers 4 Box Score Through four innings, the Mussels held a 4-3 lead. Fortunately, that was a lead they kept the remainder of the game. The game was tied in the third when Alec Sayre got out on a sacrifice fly to score Rubel Cespedes, advancing Mikey Perez to third. Dylan Nuese drew a walk. With men on the corners, and then stole second while Dunedin catcher Sammy Hernandez threw to third base to try and catch Mikey Perez. Perez saw an opportunity and took off, stole home and gave the Mussels a 3-1 lead. Designated Hitter, Andrew Cossetti got his first professional hit during the game, which secured the lead for the Mussels when he hit a line-drive to right center-field to give the Mussels a 4-1 lead. Starting pitcher, Andrew Morris threw 4 1/3i innings, striking out seven batters but gave up the only three earned runs of the game before getting pulled in the fourth inning. The bullpen really shone through to carry the rest of the game. The Blue Jays attempted to catch up to the Mussels, but the bullpen kept that from happening, shutting out the Jays the rest of the game. Twins bullpen pitcher Josh Winder joined the Mussels on a rehab assignment and threw two innings, giving up two hits, He walked two and struck out three batters.. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – David Festa (Wichita) - 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 1-for-2, 2 R, 1 RBI, HR (1), 2 BB, K PROSPECT SUMMARY The Twins Prospect Tracker is the best way to see how each of the Twins top prospects performed during their games; but in case you wanted a quick look, Here is how each of the top 20 performed today: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-for-4, 1 R, BB, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, RBI, SF, 2 K #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, 1 R, BB, K #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-5, 2 K #9 - Louie Varland (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, 1 R, BB, K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, R, K #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, HR, R 3 RBI, 2 K #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, K UPCOMING SATURDAY SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES: Iowa @ St. Paul (DH at 1:00) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (0-0, 2.70); GAME 2 - RHP Randy Dobnak (0-0, 1.93) Wichita @ Springfield (6:00PM CST) - RHP - Travis Adams, (0-0, 0.00) Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35PM CST) - LHP Connor Prielipp (professional debut) Dunedin @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP Zebby Matthews (0-0,0.00) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss today’s game!

The Wichita Wind Surge roster had 28 players on it. There are 15 pitchers and 13 position players. 17 players return to the club that played there last year. The team will have two Top 20 prospects including the #1 overall Twins prospect Brooks Lee. Let's take a look at the Wind Surge Opening Day roster. Coaching Staff Ramon Borrego is back for his third season as the Wichita manager. He is one of the more respected people in the organization. He was a coach for Team Venezuela in the WBC. His pitching coaches will be Dan Urbina and DJ Engle. The hitting coach is Shawn Schlechter. Takashi Miyoshi is the team's bench coach. Pitchers Pitching is what wins, right? So that's where we'll start. Starting Pitchers: David Festa, Travis Adams, Carlos Luna, Kody Funderburk, Aaron Rozek Festa was the Twins 13th round pick in 2021 from Seton Hall. He has developed into a very exciting prospect. He's got three solid pitches, but it comes with a fastball that routinely hit 97 and 98 mph a year ago and touched 99. Travis Adams spent most of 2022 in Ft. Myers, but he spent the final month in Cedar Rapids. He was the Twins sixth round pick in 2021 from Sacramento State. A command and control guy, Adams was hitting 97 mph by the end of last year. Kody Funderburk is a little underrated in the system, but he's one to watch. A left-hander, he's become crafty southpaw. At Dallas Baptist, he was a fantastic two-way player, but the Twins have developed him into a pitcher to watch. Rozek is a Minnesota native and went to Minnesota State-Mankato. He signed with the Twins in 2021 and has pitched at each level including Double-A, the past two years. Carlos Luna comes to the Twins from the Brewers as a minor-league free agent. Sits in the low-90s and mixes his pitches really well. Relief Pitchers: Tyler Beck, Michael Boyle, Jose Bravo, Jordan Brink, Chad Donato, Blayne Enlow, Osiris German, Hunter McMahon, Seth Nordlin, Alex Scherff. Good to see Tyler Beck back on the mound again. He had Tommy John surgery shortly after the 2021 season and was excited that he would be full-go to start this season. Blayne Enlow came off of the Twins 40-man roster this offseason, but the organization was thrilled when he cleared waivers and will stick in the organization. He is now further from the Tommy John and should be full-go this year. German is intriguing in that he has one of the best changeups in the organization. Hunter McMahon was finally healthy in 2022, and he was terrific, one of the best relievers in the organization all year. He started the season in Ft. Myers, moved up to Cedar Rapids, and ended with a few outings for the Wind Surge. Speaking of guys being healthy, Alex Scherff came to the Twins from the Red Sox organization. He had been a really good prospect as a starter, but injuries derailed that a bit. He has been on the Injured List the majority of the time with the Twins but is finally healthy and ready to go this year. Boyle, Bravo, Brink, Donato, and Nordlin all signed with the Twins as minor-league free agent this offseason. Catchers: Alex Isola, Patrick Winkel Just two catchers in Wichita to start the season. Isola returns and may need to do more catching because of it. He had a nice showing in the Arizona Fall League, mostly playing first base. He's got a good combination of plate discipline and some pop in his bat. Winkel is arguably their best catching prospect. The organization is very high on him. He spent last season in Cedar Rapids and gets the bump to Double-A this year. He should do the majority of the catching. Infielders: Seth Gray, Will Holland, Brooks Lee, Anthony Prato, Jake Rucker, Aaron Sabato, Yunior Severino. Clearly Brooks Lee is the top prospect in this group. I mean, he's the #1 prospect in the organization by many outlets, including Twins Daily. He ended the season last year by DHing for the Wind Surge in the playoffs. He had a solid showing in his first big-league camp. He didn't hit much, but he showed a good approach and played very good defense at shortstop. Likewise, Gray, Holland, Prato, Sabato and Severino all spent the final month or more in Wichita last year. Holland has primarily an outfielder at this stage. In fact, that's all he played in big-league spring training games, but he was drafted as a shortly. Prato broke out in 2022. He became a solid on-base guy with some power, and he showed he can be a plus-defender in the infield and in the outfield too. Severino seemed to put some things together last year with the bat and did a nice job after moving up to the Surge. He played mostly second base in Cedar Rapids and then mostly third base in Wichita. Aaron Sabato continued to struggle to make contact, but he kept walking and he kept hitting home runs. He moved up to Double-A late and was just getting going when a pitch hit his wrist and ended his season. Jake Rucker started last year in Ft. Myers and then he moved up to the Kernels. When their season ended, he was promoted to the Saints for the final couple of weeks of their season. Outfielders: Yoyner Fajardo, DaShawn Keirsey, Jr., Armani Smith, and Alerick Soularie. DaShawn Keirsey was healthy in 2022 and really put things together. First and foremost, he is a tremendous defensive centerfielder, with great range and the ability to close on fly balls and create web gems. But he also had a ver solid offensive year as well. He got on base, but he hit for some power. He turns singles into doubles. He had a couple of inside-the-park homers. And he can steal bases like crazy. Hopefully he can get up to Triple-A at some point. Alerick Soularie was the second round pick in 2020 from Tennessee, but he started his career by getting hurt. Last year in Cedar Rapids, he struggled with the bat, but he can play second base and in the outfield. Hopefully a bump to Double-A will help him take off. Fajardo and Smith were both selected in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft. Smith is very intriguing. He's a big dude with tremendous power potential, kind of in the Franmil Reyes mold. TWINS DAILY TOP 20 PROSPECTS #1 - Brooks Lee #13 - David Festa

The outliers of the top 10 Twins prospects feature names that became more commonly known to avid Twins fans this last season. Two pitchers and three hitters are a part of this section of the rankings, and all have great potential to be big names for the Twins in the coming seasons. Here are the 11-15 ranked prospects going into the 2023 season. 15. RHP Matt Canterino Age: 25 2022 (Rk, AA): 12 starts, 37 IP, 1.95 ERA, 34.7% K, 15.3% BB Canterino showed great flashes of success at Double-A Wichita last season posting a 1.95 ERA in 37 innings pitched. His pitches are still ranked at an average level in scouting grads with his slider and change-up as the outliers graded at 60 per FanGraphs, putting those pitches slightly above average. The greatest struggle that Canterino has had in his professional career so far is his command of the strike zone. Canterino can top out at 97 and 98 mph with his fastball and if he can get his command under control as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, that can make him a greater threat to hitters on the mound. The downside for Canterino is he is going to miss most, if not all, of the 2023 season due to undergoing Tommy John surgery last August. If things progress well, there is a slight chance he could see some time on the mound come September. 14. SS Noah Miller Age: 20 2022 (A): 108 games, .212/.348/.279, 12 2B, 2 HR, 23/30 SB, 23.5% K, 16.2% BB Noah Miller, the Twins second, first-round pick in 2021 out of high school in Wisconsin, played his first full season of professional ball in Ft. Myers. While his offense didn't develop, he did work counts, take his walks and put the ball in play. His power was limited to just two home runs and a .279 slugging percentage. Miller is still very young, having just turned 20 in November. There is still room and plenty of time for his power to develop. He is seen more as a contact hitter, that being his best attribute with a scouting grade of 60 according to FanGraphs. He is already arguably the best defensive shortstop in the Twins minor leagues right now. He provided consistency and the occasional web gem for the Mighty Mussels. No surprise as those who watched some spring training games saw what he could do late in big-league spring games. The hope for Miller is to develop his all-around game in 2023 to reach High-A Cedar Rapids before the season's end. 13. RHP David Festa Age: 23 2022 (A/A+): 18 starts, 103.2 IP, 2.43 ERA, 23.1% K, 8.6% BB David Festa pitched in only four games after being drafted in the 13th round by the Twins in 2021. In 2022, he became a starter and worked 103 2/3 innings. His story is very similar to Louie Varland's a year earlier. Day 3 draft pick dominated in the two A-ball levels. Now, Festa will have to show what he can do against hitters in the upper levels of the minor leagues. Festa’s performance across the 2022 season showed great development in his pitch command. His 34 walks to 108 strikeouts between Low-A and High-A brought about a 3.18 K/BB ratio, which shows great potential for better command development in his second full season. The scouting grade rankings for Festa still place him at an overall average ranking, but the 6’6 righty will do what he can to show he has a place in a future Twins rotation. Those numbers should change as his fastball was sitting 96-97 most of the year and touch 98 and 99 later in the season too. He will need to continue working on his secondary pitches as well. 12. Yasser Mercedes Age: 18 2022 (Rk): 41 games, .355/.421/.555, 13 2B, 4 HR, 30/35 SB, 19.9% K, 10.2% BB Yasser Mercedes has only been in the Twins organization for a little over a year when he signed for $1.7 million, but he already made himself a standout in the DSL in 2022. Mercedes posted a fantastic triple slash and showed mature plate discipline for a 17-year-old across 176 plate appearances. Mercedes's skill set based on scouting grades is also a good place for him to be at his age with nothing ranking below an average grade of 50. Speed seems to be his greatest attribute as the youngster stole 30 bases in 35 attempts last season, being one of only six players in the Dominican Summer League to reach the 30 stolen base threshold. He also has power potential, plays solid defense and has a strong arm. It will still be a long while before Mercedes ends up in a Twins uniform, but the potential this 18-year-old has shown indicates that he could be the Twins' best prospect a couple of years from now. 11. Matt Wallner Age: 25 2022 (AA/AAA): 128 games, .277/.412/.542, 32 2B, 27 HR, 9/14 SB, 31.3% K, 18.1% BB The Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2022 and Forest Lake native made a name for himself throughout the 2022 season. Matt Wallner may have the best throwing arm in the outfield in all of the Twins organization right now, and he will have a chance to show it off at CHS Field and Target Field in 2023. Wallner’s power as a left-handed hitter also makes him a standout in the Twins system. Granted, the current Twins outfield depth with Joey Gallo, Max Kepler, Nick Gordon, Michael A Taylor, Trevor Larnach, and Byron Buxton will likely leave Wallner starting his season with the St. Paul Saints. However, he will do his best like his teammate and fellow Minnesota native, Louie Varland, to make managerial choices for the 26-man roster as hard as possible. Feel free to discuss these prospects and ask as many questions as you like in the COMMENTS below. For more Twins Daily content on these five Twins prospects, click on the link with their name here: Matt Canterino, Noah Miller, David Festa, Yasser Mercedes, Matt Wallner. Previous Installments Honorable Mention Prospects 21-30 Prospects 16-20 Prospects 11-15 Prospect #10: Coming Monday!

With Carlos Correa in the fold, the discourse of Twins fandom has turned to possible rotation upgrades. There has been rumored interest in Pablo López and the Marlins as a possible trade partner. Fair enough. López, however, doesn’t really check the cost-benefit box for the Twins. Coming off a career-best season, he accumulated 2.8 fWAR in 2022. A free agent in 2025, he doesn’t clear the Sonny Gray (2.4 fWAR in 2022) echelon of starting pitching candidates with enough conviction. Pass, especially if it would take a package including Max Kepler or Luis Arraez and more to acquire him. I would assert the following guidelines in working toward a trade for starting pitching: They have to be clearly better than Sonny Gray (3.5-4.5 fWAR ideally), OR There has to be some projectability left. Edward Cabrera is a good example of the latter qualifier (25 K%, 24 years old, and not a free agent until 2029) With those criteria in mind, here are a few ‘less talked about’ starting pitching trade candidates for the Twins to pursue. For each, I’ll attempt to answer ‘what’s the appeal’? and ‘what’s the deal’? I leveraged ‘Baseball Trade Values’ to find approximate value equivalency for each trade. As with any hypothetical trade scenario, they’re meant to outline potential cost, as opposed to specific names teams might target, because, what do I know? Zac Gallen What’s the Appeal? The Diamondbacks would maximize Gallen’s value by trading him now. In 2022, he accumulated 4.3 fWAR (14th in baseball) from 180 innings after accumulating 4.4 fWAR in his previous 270ish innings spread over three seasons. Gallen was misery for hitters last season, sporting a 26.9 K%, 6.6 BB%, and 111.7 stuff+. Gallen is under team control for three more seasons, so the cost would be breathtaking. The Diamondbacks aren’t in a position to win a loaded NL West division and have some of the most elite prospect talent in baseball. Trading with the Twins allows them to continue to load up for 2024 and beyond. What’s the Deal? The Twins acquire RHP Zac Gallen from the Diamondbacks for SS Brooks Lee, OF Emmanuel Rodriguez, and RHP David Festa Verdict? Too rich for me. Nestor Cortes What’s the Appeal? Cortes was one of the feel-good stories in baseball in 2022. After a promising 2021, he exploded last season, amassing 3.6 fWAR with a 26.6 K% and a stingy 6.2 BB%. Cortes isn’t a free agent until 2026, so he would be expensive, but the Yankees and Twins are a good match to trade. The Yankees have Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Frankie Montas, Domingo Germán, and Luis Severino in the rotation mix, with more options close to the major-league level. Cortes might strike the balance between adding real quality to the rotation, at a price the Twins can stomach. What’s the Deal? The Twins acquire LHP Nestor Cortes from the Yankees for OF Max Kepler, OF Matt Wallner, and RHP Josh Winder Verdict? I would accept this trade. The Twins have a huge dearth of left-handed corner outfielders. This trade gives the Yankees a defensively strong starting outfielder, an additional outfielder for the future who can also fill in at DH, and a powerful arm who hasn’t yet clicked in Minnesota. Brandon Woodruff What’s the Appeal? Simply put, a dominant track record. Over the last four seasons, Woodruff has averaged 3.4 fWAR. While Woodruff isn’t a free agent until 2025, we know that the Brewers are not opposed to cashing in on or maximizing value. In 2022, Woodruff struck out over 30% of batters faced while maintaining a 6.8 BB%. At his best, he’s dominant and would immediately be the Twins best starting pitcher. What’s the Deal? The Twins acquire RHP Brandon Woodruff for 3B José Miranda, and RHP Bailey Ober Verdict? This deal is more a reflection of cost than a possibility. We all know Assistant General Manager Carlos Correa would immediately veto a trade of José Miranda. This situation simply bumped Ober, (who has struggled to remain healthy) from the bottom of the Twins' rotation and substituted Woodruff at the top. This also sees Brooks Lee as the Twins' long-term third baseman, debuting in 2023, with Miranda as more of a first base or DH option. Honorable Mentions I put the topic of pitching trade candidates on twitter and, as usual, Twins Daily readership came through in style. Other candidates that I didn’t include in-depth either as they had been recently written about, OR the trade fit wasn’t as obvious. They are, however, worth mentioning: Tyler Glasnow, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Logan Gilbert, Chris Sale, and Frankie Montas. The list goes on. It’s worth widening the lens when considering Twins trade targets. Thinking back to the Rangers/Yankees double trade last season, it feels likely they pursue a similarly creative path to upgrade the high-end talent on the roster. Ultimately, I’m in favor of the 3.5 fWAR threshold for starting pitching acquisitions. Given the prices, I think the Twins are unlikely to be, as it would involve parting with a close-to-the-majors prospect they see as part of their core, or MLB-level pieces they view as indispensable. Time will tell. Who would you like the Twins to trade for? Who are you willing to part with and who is off limits? Join the discussion and leave your thoughts in the chat.

Despite a strong 2021 in the minor leagues, Jose Miranda did not start the year on the Twins Opening Day roster. He needed to wait for an opportunity and then ran with it once one presented itself. We saw Matt Wallner force his way into the big league outfield by season’s end, and a handful of pitchers including both Simeon Woods Richardson and Louie Varland made their way to the majors. For Rocco Baldelli and the 2023 Minnesota Twins, plenty will be made about the remaining moves to come this offseason. There is no denying that Joey Gallo and Christian Vazquez aren’t enough to supplement this team. There is plenty more to be done in terms of acquisitions, but the more that Minnesota can draw from internal development the better. Who are some of the names on the farm that could fill some gaps in the year ahead? Edouard Julien A late round pick from Auburn in 2019, Julien has progressed nicely. He put on a show during the Arizona Fall League this year, and it only further substantiated his .931 OPS from Double-A Wichita. His power stroke is legit, and that’s a strong asset from the second base position. He could be a replacement for Jorge Polanco should he suffer an injury, or he could move around the diamond some. Julien will be 24 in 2023, and there is almost no reason for him to start anywhere but Triple-A St. Paul this season. He has crushed the ball every place he has gone for Minnesota, and getting this type of production from an 18th round selection is a massive win. Jordan Balazovic If there was a Twins prospect that had a nightmarish 2022 it was Balazovic. He entered the season as arguably Minnesota’s best pitching prospect, and he ended it failing to remain among many top 15’s. His 3.62 ERA at Double-A Wichita last season looked to have him close to Major League ready. Then the season got off to a slow start with a knee injury, and despite suggesting he was healthy, a 7.39 ERA across 70 2/3 Triple-A innings followed. The strikeouts stayed, and while his command faltered some, Balazovic basically became a batting practice pitcher allowing a whopping 2.5 HR/9. His previous career worst was 1.1 HR/9 as an 18-year-old in 2017, and if that can be figured out, a sucessful rebound should be in store. Brooks Lee A candidate to be taken first overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, Lee fell into the Twins lap at number eight. He wound up advancing all the way to Double-A and posted an .839 OPS in his first professional season. I’m still not sure if Lee will remain a shortstop, but there is zero question about his hit tool. There is probably not a ton of power in the bat, but he’s going to be a consistent gap hitter, and he looks extremely refined at the dish already. Barring an unexpected turn of events at shortstop, Lee could factor into an infield that will include young talents like Royce Lewis and Jose Miranda as soon as this year. With a ton of pre-draft hype, he’s lived up to all of it. David Festa Another later round pick that Minnesota has turned into found money, Festa was taken in the 13th round out of Seton Hall. He threw just 8 1/3 innings as a pro during his 2021 debut. Last season he racked up 103 2/3 innings split between two Single-A levels and posted a combined 2.43 ERA. His 9.4 K/9 was strong and Festa allowed only six homers. It may be a leap to think he’ll jump up high enough to make a Major League debut in 2023, but there’s no reason he shouldn’t start at Double-A, and that basically puts him on the doorstep following strong performance. Festa could take a path similar to that of Louie Varland, Bailey Ober, or Josh Winder in being somewhat of an overlooked prospect that forces his way into significant action. Blayne Enlow Another season removed from his Tommy John surgery, this could be the one that Enlow puts it all together. He was a draft prospect that this front office targeted with saved pool money, and he was projected to have a power arm. Throughout his minor league career Enlow has certainly been a strikeout pitcher, and that came back last season. Command was a bit of an issue during his first exposure at Double-A, but that’s not entirely unexpected given the return from injury. He’s done a good job limiting homers and has progressed nicely from a physical development perspective. It remains to be seen if he’ll stay starting or transition to a bullpen role, but there is reason to believe he’s not far from contributing at the Major League level. After a season in which we saw plenty of big league debuts, some from highly noteworthy Minnesota prospects, is there someone you’re excited for in the year ahead? Who do you think is worthy of this list and went unmentioned?

Derek Falvey has been tasked with building a pipeline of pitching talent since he was brought over from Cleveland to head up the front office. Minnesota has been intentional in targeting arms with upside that they can mold into solid workhorses. There were plenty of strong performances this season the farm, but only one took the title of Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. Before getting to the winner, here are some others that were in contention: Honorable Mention- Pierson Ohl (Fort Myers) - 20 G 91.2 IP 3.53 ERA 1.178 WHIP 9.9 K/9 1.3 BB/9 Jaylen Nowlin (Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids) - 22 G 71.0 IP 3.80 ERA 1.352 WHIP 14.1 K/9 4.6 BB/9 Travis Adams (Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids) - 22 G 100.2 IP 3.93 ERA 1.162 WHIP 9.7 K/9 2.3 BB/9 #5 Marco Raya (Fort Myers) - 19 G 65.0 IP 3.05 ERA 1.077 WHIP 10.5 K/9 3.2 BB/9 Raya was taken in the 4th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft from United South High School in Laredo, TX. With the Covid shutdown and injuries over the past couple of years, 2022 was his professional debut. Skipping the Complex League entirely, Raya pitched as a 19-year-old for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. Across 19 games and 17 starts, he was nothing short of dominant. Arguably the staff ace, Raya racked up strikeouts in bunches while doing a good job to limit damage. He’s got mid-90s stuff and is someone Minnesota could mold into a number three starter or better. #4 Brent Headrick - (Cedar Rapids/Wichita) - 25 G 108.1 IP 3.32 ERA 1.080 WHIP 11.3 K/9 2.1 BB/9 Selected in the 9th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft out of Illinois State University, Headick has really seen the ceiling for his stuff grow. Last year was his first full professional season and he put up strong numbers for Low-A Fort Myers. Splitting time between High-A Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita this year, Headrick has become an anchor on the staff at whatever level he plays. Headrick has continued to rack up strikeouts in bunches, and has shown a very strong ability to command the baseball. He gave up a few more homers after the promotion to Double-A, but was every bit as dominant. When the Wind Surge advanced to the Texas League postseason, it was Headrick tabbed as the Game 1 starter. #3 David Festa - (Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids) 21 G 103.2 IP 2.43 ERA 1.090 WHIP 9.4 K/9 3.0 BB/9 Festa made quick work of Fort Myers after starting the season there following his 13th-round selection out of Seton Hall during the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. Pitching substantially for Cedar Rapids this season, he made adjustments to continue strong outings while the strikeouts took a slight dip. Just 22 years old, Festa has done a great job avoiding big innings by limiting the longball. In just over 103 innings this season, he allowed opposing batters to leave the yard only six times. For a late-round pick, the immediate development here has been incredibly encouraging. Runner-Up Simeon Woods Richardson - (Wichita/St. Paul) 21 G 2.93 ERA 1.080 WHIP 9.7 K/9 3.0 BB/9 Acquired alongside Austin Martin from the Toronto Blue Jays when Minnesota sent Jose Berrios north of the border, Woods Richardson has been nothing short of dominant this season. Not being interrupted by the Olympic appearance as he was last season, Woods Richardson has settled into a routine. His 2.55 ERA at Triple-A St. Paul is even better than it was with Double-A Wichita, and he continues to average over a strikeout per inning. This is a top-half-of-the-rotation arm that Minnesota could call upon as soon as 2023. 2022 Minnesota Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year - Louie Varland - (Wichita/St. Paul) - 24 G 126.1 IP 3.06 ERA 1.259 WHIP 10.4 K/9 3.0 BB/9 Winning this award for the second season in a row is none other than Concordia St. Paul product Louie Varland. A St. Paul native, Varland was a 15th-round pick by the Twins during the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. After dominating Single-A in 2021, Varland continued his roll by earning a promotion to Triple-A late this season. After a 3.34 ERA across 105 innings with Wichita, Varland posted a dominant 1.69 ERA in four starts for the Saints. As has been the case over the duration of his professional career, Varland has been a strikeout arm. This season he’s tallied 146 strikeouts while ceding just 42 walks. Once working in the low-90s, Varland has put in the offseason work to push his fastball in the mid-90s on a consistent basis with the ability to top out near 97 mph. When Minnesota needed an arm for a doubleheader against the New York Yankees, it was Varland who was called on to make his big league debut. Brother, and Dodgers prospect, Gus Varland was in the stands to see Louie punch out Aaron Judge for the first strikeout of his career. Varland will continue to grow at the big league level, but he has looked the part of an arm with intrigue. He’s a hard thrower that works quick and isn’t afraid to trust his stuff. Although the Twins may not have immediate room for Varland in the 2023 Opening Day rotation, there should be no doubt that he’ll make a handful of starts and be ready to make an impact when his number is called. Previous Starting Pitcher of the Year Winners: 2021 winner - Louie Varland 2019 winner- Randy Dobnak 2018 winner - Tyler Wells 2017 winner - Stephen Gonsalves 2016 winner - Stephen Gonsalves 2015 winner - Jose Berrios 2014 winner - Jose Berrios 2013 winner - Taylor Rogers 2012 winner - BJ Hermsen

TRANSACTIONS In advance of their playoff series, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels placed RHP Niklas Rimmel on the temporarily inactive list. Rimmel is joining Team Germany in a WBC Qualifying tournament this week. The organization also assigned perhaps a secret weapon in 2022 fourth-round draft pick, RHP Andrew Morris in his place. SAINTS SENTINEL Louisville 1, St. Paul 8 Box Score The St. Paul Saints bludgeoned the Louisville Bats at CHS Field on Tuesday behind the bats of Andrew Bechtold and the surging Matt Wallner. While they had just seven hits, they scored eight runs by taking advantage of five walks and two errors. From the leadoff spot, Wallner reached base four times in the game, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a hit-by-pitch. He scored a run and drove in two, and his OPS for September is now up to 1.161. And if you’re under any impression those 11 games are a small sample, going back to the start of August his batting line is .290/.413/.573 (.986), and he’s hitting .322 in his last 23 games. I’ve also said it several times this year, but he absolutely demolishes just about everything he hits: Then you have Andrew Bechtold, who outshined Wallner on this night by blasting two home runs and driving in four. They were his first two home runs with the Saints after knocking 14 with the Wind Surge. Ariel Jurado made the start for the home team and completed five strong innings to pick up his first win with the Saints. He allowed just one hit, one walk, and struck out four. Ronny Henriquez finished the game with the rare four-inning save, allowing one run (on a home run, as expected) on two hits while striking out three. Cole Sturgeon (1-for-4, 2B, RBI) and Braden Bishop (0-for-3, R, RBI) drove in the other two runs for the home team. In “you don’t see that everyday” news, there was a delay in this game's fourth inning, caused by a “UFO” that would not vacate the CHS Field airspace: WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Midland 1 Box Score With their fellow affiliates starting their league playoffs tonight, the Wind Surge got good news before this one was over, as they clinched their division and will join their friends in the Texas League playoffs, which will start next week. The Wind Surge took a 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning in this one when Edouard Julien reached base with a single and was driven in by a Yunior Severino bomb to right field two batters later. It was Severino’s seventh of the year with Wichita, and he wasn’t done on this night. Making the start for Wichita was lefty Kody Funderburk. He was able to scatter five hits and three walks over 5 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out four RockHounds along the way. In the sixth, a pair of walks to start the inning led to his replacement by Steven Cruz, who tossed the next 1 2/3 scoreless, striking out two. Severino made the score 3-0 in the fourth with his second home run of the game, this one onto the berm in center field. That was all the offense for the Wind Surge, but they got multiple hits from Severino (3-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI), Julien (2-for-3, R, BB), and DaShawn Keirsey Jr (2-for-3), who also stole his 40th base of the season. Relievers Jordan Brink (1/3 IP, 2 H, ER, BB), Osiris German (2/3 IP, K), and Blayne Enlow (S, IP, H, BB) finished off the game before they were able to celebrate. KERNELS NUGGETS - Midwest League Division Series, Game 1 (Best of 3) Cedar Rapids 1, South Bend 2 Box Score The Cedar Rapids Kernels made it to the Midwest League playoffs by winning the first half division title, with the best record in the league. South Bend won the division in the second half, and they ended the regular season playing each other last week, with the Kernels winning three of five. As the road team for Game 1, Cedar Rapids took to the batter’s box first and thanks to Pat Winkel, wasted little time putting a run on the scoreboard. His no-doubt home run put them in front 1-0 for some early breathing room. Right-hander David Festa took the mound for the Kernels and was unhittable for four innings. The only runner he allowed in that timeframe was on an error in the first, and he went on to retire 10 in a row, including six punchouts. The leadoff man in the fifth ended that bid with a single, and the Cubs had their first scoring threat a few batters later after another single. Festa kept his cool, however, striking out two and getting a groundball to keep South Bend off the scoreboard. That would be all the Cubs would muster, as Festa went on to strike out three of the final four hitters he faced, including Chicago Cubs' #1 prospect and #31 overall (per MLB.com), Pete Crow-Armstrong, for the last out of his start. In all, Festa went six innings, allowing just two hits, no walks, and punching out 10 total hitters. He threw 88 pitches, with 59 going for strikes (64%), and racking up 19 swinging strikes. He even did this: Sean Mooney came on for the seventh and delivered a one-two-three inning. Back out for the eighth, he gave up a leadoff double to put the tying run in scoring position and was removed for Bobby Milacki. Playing for the tying run, the Cubs went with the bunting approach, and it proved successful. Milacki had to rush off the mound for a bunt in front of him for his first batter, and he threw it away toward first for a run-scoring error. He nearly made another mistake on a bunt from the next hitter, looking to third before realizing nobody was covering and having to spin himself around to go back to first. Fortunately, this one went down as a sacrifice, but the go-ahead run was now just 90 feet away with one out. A single from the next batter made it 2-1 Cubs before Milacki got out of the inning by getting Crow-Armstrong to fly out to center. Deflated, the Kernels six, seven, and eight hitters were mowed down by Cubs reliever Jake Reindl, with all three striking out to end the game. Cedar Rapids outhit South Bend 7-5 in the game, but were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base, while their opponent was 2-for-5 and took advantage of the late miscue to steal game one. The top of the lineup accounted for five of their seven hits in the game, with Jake Rucker (2-for-4, 2 K), Brooks Lee (2-for-4), and Winkel (1-for-3, HR, BB, 2 K) accounting for five of their seven hits and their only run. Kyler Fedko also drew two walks as the cleanup hitter. The remaining games of the series will take place in Cedar Rapids, with Travis Adams getting the start on Thursday at 6:35 PM CDT, with the Kernels needing to even the series up at one. MUSSEL MATTERS - Florida State League Division Series, Game 1 (Best of 3) Fort Myers 4, Dunedin 6 Box Score Like their High-A counterparts, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels made the Florida State League playoffs by winning their division in the first half of the season, also with the best record in the league. Dunedin clinched a playoff spot by winning the division in the second half, and the teams were 7-7 against each other during the regular season. In the top of the first, the Mighty Mussels strung together three singles from Noah Miller, Noah Cardenas, and Ben Ross led to the first run of the game, but Cardenas was thrown out at third on the play to end the inning. The Florida State League Pitcher of the Month for August, Pierson Ohl, was an easy choice to start game one for the Mighty Mussels, but things never even got on the rails for him in this one. Four consecutive hits to start the game (and an error on one of them) led to two runs and prompted a mound visit before he got his first out. After that, a balk and a sac fly led to two more runs and the Blue Jays had a 4-1 lead after the first inning. Ohl had a one-two-three second inning, needing only five pitches, but the aggressiveness from Blue Jays hitters struck again in the third inning, as three singles (two on first pitches, and two other at-bats went only two pitches) led to another run and 5-1 lead. A one-out double in the fourth finally chased Ohl from the game, and Mike Paredes came on and got two outs to keep his team within four. The Mighty Mussels lineup scratched single runs across in the fifth and sixth inning, with Miller driving in one with a single in the former, and Cardenas hitting a solo home run in the latter. Paredes got them through the seventh inning, allowing one run of his own on four hits and one walk in 3 2/3 innings pitched. He struck out two. A.J. Labas pitched a scoreless eighth inning, striking out two to keep his team within three heading into their last at-bat. Ben Ross did his best to kickstart a rally, leading off the inning by taking a 3-1 pitch deep to left field to make it 6-4. Kala’i Rosario followed with a single, but the next three hitters went down in order and they fell to the Blue Jays in game one. Ross led the way with three hits in four at-bats, including a double, home run, two RBI, and a run scored. Miller (2-for-3, RBI, BB) and Cardenas (2-for-4, R, HR, RBI) also had multiple hits in the game. The final two games of the three-game series will be in Fort Myers at Hammond Stadium, with the next on Thursday at 6:00 PM CDT. Right-hander Marco Raya will be on the bump for the Mighty Mussels with their season on the line. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - David Festa, Cedar Rapids Kernels (6 IP, 2 H, 10 K) Hitter of the Day - Yunior Severino, Wichita Wind Surge (3-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4 #4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-for-4 #7 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 2-for-3, RBI, BB #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 3-for-4, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K #13 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 6 IP, 2 H, 10 K #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 2-for-3, R, BB, K #15 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - S, IP H, BB #16 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - S, 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - 0-for-4, R, K #20 - Kala’i Rosario (Fort Myers) - 1-for-4 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Louisville @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CDT) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 3.38 ERA) Wichita @ Midland (6:30 PM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (0-0, 6.28 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games!

On Sunday, the High- and Low-A regular seasons came to a close. Luckily, both of Minnesota’s affiliates qualified for the postseason, and they will begin play on Tuesday. In the Midwest League, the Cedar Rapids Kernels face the South Bend Cubs in a semifinal round. For the Florida State League, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels square off against the Dunedin Blue Jays. Multiple names below will be getting their first taste of postseason action. Cedar Rapids Prospects To Watch Brooks Lee, SS (TD No. 2) Lee has already impressed during his professional career after being taken as a top-10 pick in June. The Twins had him skip Low-A and head directly to High-A. In 25 games, he posted a .848 OPS with four doubles and four home runs. An argument can be made that he is the organization’s best prospect, and now he has a chance to prove it on a big stage. David Festa, RHP (TD No. 13) Festa was a 13th-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, but his stock has risen significantly over the last year. Between Low- and High-A, he has a 2.43 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP and a 108-to-34 strikeout to walk ratio. Festa is a year younger than the average age of the competition in the Midwest League, and the team will ask him to get some big outs if they make a September run. Kernels Expected Starters Game 1: David Festa Game 2: Travis Adams Game 3: Jaylen Nowlin Fort Myers Prospects To Watch Noah Miller, SS (TD No. 7) Minnesota took Miller with the 36th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft out of high school in Wisconsin. During the 2022 season, he was over two years younger than the average age of the competition in the FSL. Miller lacked power production during his first full professional season, but the playoffs offer a new opportunity. He has the potential to be one of the team’s top prospects by 2024. Marco Raya, RHP (TD No. 8) Raya was Minnesota’s first draft pick from high school in 2020 as the team took him in the fourth round. As a teenager in the FSL, over 82% of his plate appearances have come against older batters. In 19 appearances (65 innings), he has a 3.05 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP and 10.5 K/9. He missed time at the beginning of August, so he has averaged less than four innings per start in September. Tanner Schobel, SS (TD No. 18) Schobel was Minnesota’s second-round pick in 2022 from Virginia Tech, where he had a .980 OPS in three seasons. He hit 18 doubles and 19 home runs during his final collegiate season. As a professional, he has been limited to a .651 OPS with five extra-base hits in 32 games. Hopefully, his college experience shines through in the postseason. Kala’i Rosario, OF (TD No. 20) Like Raya, the Twins took Rosario out of high school in the 2020 MLB Draft. As a regular in the Mussels line-up, he has hit .239/.320/.408 (.727) with 21 doubles, three triples, and 12 home runs. His numbers are even more impressive, considering that nearly 90% of his plate appearances have come against older pitchers. Mighty Mussels Expected Starters Game 1: Pierson Ohl Game 2: Marco Raya Game 3: Jordan Carr Obviously, any player can shine under the postseason spotlight, but big players step up in critical games. Will any of the names above lead their teams to championships? Who are you looking forward to watching? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

Currently, one can make an argument for both Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee being Minnesota's top prospect. By 2024, both will have graduated from prospect lists and should be helping the Twins at the big-league level. In recent years, Minnesota's farm system has dropped in national rankings, but it's hard not to get excited about the talent level of the players listed below. 1. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF ETA: 2024 Rodriguez's stock has significantly risen this season as many national outlets included him in their updated top-100 rankings. As a 19-year-old, he hit .272/.493/.552 (1.044) with five doubles, three triples, and nine home runs in 47 games. He only faced younger pitchers in four plate appearances during the 2022 campaign. Unfortunately, a knee injury ended his season prematurely. Minnesota can have him repeat Fort Myers to start 2023, and he has plenty of development to do before he reaches Target Field. 2. Connor Prielipp, LHP ETA: 2025 The Twins took Prielipp with their second-round pick in 2022 from the University of Alabama. He was initially projected as a top-10 pick but missed the 2022 collegiate season due to Tommy John surgery. Minnesota will likely hold off on his professional debut until 2023, but he is already in the conversation as one of the team's top pitching prospects. By 2024, Prielipp has the potential to be the team's top prospect if he can return to his pre-injury form. 3. Marco Raya, RHP ETA: 2024 Like Rodriguez, Raya is another player that has put himself on the prospect map as a teenager in the Florida State League. In 61 innings, he has posted a 3.25 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP and a 69-to-22 strikeout to walk ratio. Over 81% of his at-bats have come against older batters who Raya has held to a .592 OPS. He has three terrific secondary pitches that should allow him to continue as a starter as he moves up the organizational ladder. 4. David Festa, RHP ETA: 2024 The Twins drafted Festa in the 13th round of the 2021 MLB Draft. It's exciting when a team can find value late in the draft and develop a prospect in the organization. His velocity has significantly jumped since joining the Twins organization, as he can consistently hit in the upper-90s. In 100 2/3 innings, he has a 2.43 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP and a 108-to-34 strikeout to walk ratio. In 2023, he should get a chance to pitch in the upper minors with a chance to prove he is part of the team's long-term plans. 5. Noah Miller, SS ETA: 2025 Minnesota has traded away much of their 2021 draft class, and Miller is the highest pick still with the organization. The Twins sent him to Fort Myers this season, where he has hit .212/.347/.281 (.628) with 108 strikeouts in 106 games. As a 19-year-old, he still has offensive development to accomplish, especially as he adds weight to his body. His baseball instincts should allow him to stick at shortstop, a position the Twins have previously struggled to fill. Which player will be the team's top prospect in 2024? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

TRANSACTIONS Recently signed non-drafted free agent LHP Michael Boyle was assigned to Ft. Myers. So was MLB veteran RHP Brock Stewart who has worked his way back to affiliated ball after recovering from injuries the past few seasons? SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 6, St. Paul 5 Box score Ronny Henriquez has been coming out of the bullpen for the Saints the past couple of months, generally still working multiple innings situations. He returned to the starting rotation this week and put together arguably his best start of the season. The right-hander gave up one run on three hits over five innings. He struck out six batters, and maybe most important for his development, he walked none. The bullpen came on and had some moments. Juan Minaya recorded the first two outs in the sixth inning. But, he gave up one run on two walks. Austin Schulfer came on and got the final out of that inning. Jharel Cotton gave up a run on one hit and one walk in the seventh inning. Heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Saints held a 5-3 lead. Jovani Moran came on and struck out two in the eighth inning. Unfortunately, he gave up three runs on two hits and two walks, and a hit batter to blow the save and take the loss. The outing bumps his Saints season ERA up to 6.00. Just 15 of his 31 pitches were strikes. There are openings in the Twins bullpen, and he certainly isn’t putting up the Triple-A numbers to force the Twins’ hand. Matt Wallner went 2-for-4 with a walk and his sixth double since joining the Saints. Jermaine Palacios went 2-for-5. Nash Knight went 2-for-4. WIND SURGE WISDOM Frisco 2, Wichita 1 Box Score Lefty Kody Funderburk gave up two runs in the third inning, and that was it for the Frisco run-scoring on this night. Unfortunately, it was one run more than the Wind Surge were able to muster. Funderburk gave up those two runs on two hits and two walks. He struck out four. The bullpen followed with four scoreless, hitless innings. Denny Bentley walked one and struck one out over two innings. Alex Phillips and Steven Cruz each worked one inning. Cruz struck out two batters. The Wind Surge batters had twice as many hits as Frisco, but just half as many runs. Wichita had four hits, but the lone run came in the top of the seventh inning in the form of Jair Camargo’s eighth Double-A home run. Austin Martin found three different ways to get on base. He was hit by a pitch, walked, and had a single. He also stole his 31st bag. KERNELS NUGGETS Lake County 1, Cedar Rapids 5 Box Score Cedar Rapids got some great pitching and kept the offense rolling, scoring their five runs in four different innings. Let’s start on the mound where David Festa improved to 7-2 with a 2.25 ERA with 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, no walks, and he struck out six batters. Matt Mullenbach got four of the five batters he faced out. He did hit one batter. Bobby Milacki struck out four batters over the final two innings. The lone run allowed came on a ninth-inning home run. It’s been a tough season for outfielder Willie Joe Garry. He missed more than two months with injury, but since his return, the speedster has been playing very well. On this night, he went 3-for-4 with a single, double, and a home run. He drove in two of the Kernel runs and scored three runs. Jake Rucker went 2-for-3 with a walk and was hit by a pitch. If not the fewest in the league, the Minnesota Twins big-league club has very stolen bases. On Friday night, infielder Mikey Perez stole his 12th base since joining the Kernels. He had 32 stolen bases in Ft. Myers earlier in the season. Here are the organization’s Top 10 leaders in Stolen Bases in 2022: Mikey Perez - 44 DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. - 34 Austin Martin - 32 Michael Helman - 30 Yasser Mercedes - 30 Will Holland - 26 Daniel Ozoria - 20 Anthony Prato - 20 Luis Baez - 19 Noah Miller - 19 MUSSEL MATTERS Lakeland, Fort Myers (Game Suspended in the 3rd inning) Box Score The Mighty Mussels played two games on Thursday but only completed two innings on Friday night due to rain. We’ll have more on this game when it is completed (hopefully on Saturday), but we’ll show you a little of what happened. 30-year-old Brock Stewart started for the Mussels and went the first two innings. He gave up two runs on just one hit. Immediately following a hit batter in the second innings, he gave up a home run to Mike Rothenberg. But all that is the background to a potentially great story. Stewart was drafted by the Dodgers in the 6th round in 2014 out of Illinois State. Just two years after signing, he made his big-league debut. Between 2016 and 2019, he pitched in 36 games for the Dodgers, including 11 starts. He went 6-3 with a 6.05 ERA over 105 2/3 innings. When the Dodgers let him go, the Blue Jays claimed him and he went 4-0 over 10 late-season appearances. After that season, he was selected by the Cubs in the Rule 5 draft, but they let him go in late May of 2020 as the season was in doubt. He pitched in six games for the Chicago Deep Dish of the City of Champions Cup League. The Dodgers signed him before the 2021 season, but he had Tommy John surgery in May of 2021 and rehabbed the rest of the season. He hadn’t pitched at all this year either, but after a tryout, the Twins signed him in mid-July to a minor league deal. Maybe it’s a long shot, but maybe he works his way back and gets to the big leagues in a bullpen role. Those are the kind of stories that are fun to tell when a game is suspended in the bottom of the third. Michael Boyle pitched a scoreless top of the third. He is 28 years old and hasn’t pitched since 2019 with the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate in Tulsa. He’s healthy and attempting to come back. Hopefully we’ll continue to write about him the next year or so and get to know more about his story too. Noah Cardenas hit a solo home run in the second inning, his ninth of the year. In the bottom of the third inning, Misael Urbina led off with a double. Ben Ross drove him in with a double. One batter later, Ross stole third base and then scored on a Cardenas single. Kala’i Rosario followed with an RBI double, his 20th two-bagger of the season. And that’s when the game was delayed by rain. The teams will attempt to finish this game as part of a modified doubleheader on Saturday late afternoon. That will be a nine-inning game. The regularly-scheduled game will then be a seven-inning game. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, (73 pitches, 47 strikes) Hitter of the Day – Willie Joe Garry, Jr. (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, 2B (9), HR (2), 3 R, 2 RBI, K PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, BB, RBI #4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-2, BB, HBP, SB (31) #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-4, BB, R, RBI, 2 K #13 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, (73 pitches, 47 strikes) #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K #16 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (67 pitches, 45 strikes) #18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - 0-2, 2 K #20 - Kala'i Rosario (Fort Myers) - 1-2, 2B(20), RBI K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Here are the start times and probables for their games. St. Paul @ Iowa (6:08 PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Wichita @ Frisco (7:05 PM CST) - LHP Aaron Rozek Cedar Rapids @ Lake County (5:35 PM CST) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin Lakeland @ Fort Myers (DH starting at 3:30 PM CST) - TBD, RHP Tomas Cleto Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday's games

TRANSACTIONS LHP Devin Smeltzer recalled from St. Paul Saints Sentinel (Game One: 7 Innings) St. Paul 4, Scranton Wilkes-Barre 5 Box Score Mario Sanchez: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K HR: Chris Williams (4), Braden Bishop (2) Multi-hit games: None The Saints lost the first game of their doubleheader. Devin Smeltzer was slated to start this match, but the Twins required his services, and Mario Sanchez became the game-one starter. A 1-2 punch 1st and 2nd inning dashed his hopes of dominating; he walked away from those frames with four earned runs to his name. St. Paul’s bats scratched across four runs—on just two hits—with Chris Williams and Braden Bishop both swatting homers in the effort. Two other runs scored off a groundout from Caleb Hamilton and a sacrifice fly donated by Williams. There is something aesthetically strange when a game has two homers—both solo shots—and no other hits while still ending up with four runs. That conundrum worked because of seven walks taken by Saints’ batters. Austin Schulfer tossed a pair of scoreless frames in the final two innings. (Game Two: 7 Innings) Saints 0, Scranton Wilkes-Barre 4 Box Score Juan Minaya: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The Saints lost an even uglier match for game two. The offense mustered up just two hits; the team took an equal number of walks and strikeouts (6 to 6), but the BABIP gods frowned upon St. Paul, and nothing came of their free passes. Juan Minaya pitched three scoreless innings as the opening act; Jovani Moran struck out five over two frames. Evan Sisk added a pair of punch outs in his scoreless frame. Michael Helman took two walks and swiped his 19th base of the season; no other hitter reached base more than once. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 10, Tulsa 7 Box Score Kody Funderburk: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K HR: Jair Camargo (6), Yunior Severino (2) Multi-hit games: Jair Camargo (3-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), DaShawn Kiersey Jr. (2-for-4, RBI) Wichita won a high-scoring game on Saturday. Despite the runs, most of the effort stemmed from just two innings; Wichita bunched homers in the 3rd inning, then bombarded Tulsa with piranha-style small ball in the 7th frame. Three singles and a groundout scored four runs. Outside of the blasts, Wichita took more walks than strikeouts (6 to 5) and collected eight other hits; Edouard Julien reached base five times. Kody Funderburk found the most success of all arms, swallowing five innings with just a pair of earned runs to his name. The 25-year-old lefty owns an ERA of 2.82 with the Wind Surge this season. Kernels Nuggets (Game One) Cedar Rapids 2, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 6 Box Score Luis Rijo: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Charles Mack (2-for-4, 2B, R) In the first game, the Kernels lost a battle that had begun the day before. The rain ended the prior engagement, but that pause did not gift the Kernels enough fortunate to win the game; Jake Rucker knocked in two runs with a 5th inning double but capped the scoring for Cedar Rapids. The Timber Rattlers had jumped on Luis Rijo on Friday; the righty allowed four credited runs in an eventful early game showing. Cedar Rapids’ bullpen smothered Wisconsin’s bats after play resumed, as the group allowed a single earned run—a 9th inning addition off an infield hit. Derek Molina carried the effort, tossing a trio of clean innings with two strikeouts. (Game Two) Cedar Rapids 8, Wisconsin 3 Box Score David Festa: 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K HR: Seth Gray (13) Multi-hit games: Seth Gray (3-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI), Jake Rucker (2-for-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), Pat Winkel (2-for-2, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB) The Kernels found better fortune in the second game. David Festa led the way with an unusual stat line; the righty allowed three unearned runs, walked four batters, and still walked away with an improved season ERA. This game probably falls into the “we take those” category of starts. A trio of batters—Seth Gray, Jake Rucker, and Pat Winkel—led the offensive charge; the batters accounted for every hit by Cedar Rapids and knocked in seven runs. No other batter really contributed, but none needed to, thanks to the tremendous effort by the Gray-Rucker-Winkel triumvirate. Hunter McMahon and Matt Mullenbach worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings, giving Cedar Rapids pitchers a clean earned-run slate in this effort. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 2, Palm Beach 14 Box Score Marco Raya: 2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Noah Miller (2-for-4, R), Kala’i Rosario (2-for-4) The Mighty Mussels endured an old-fashioned clock-cleaning on Saturday. The Cardinals piled up 14 runs on 16 hits, haunting Mighty Mussels’ pitchers in six of the eight innings they hit in; no arm walked away with a clean ERA. Fort Myers batters racked up an impressive tally of hits as well—10 of them, in fact—but they failed to extend any of those knocks beyond the chance to claim first base. The team served up a doughnut—0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Keoni Cavaco earned his 18th error of the season; Noah Miller collected two hits. Complex Chronicles FCL Twins 2, FCL Red Sox 3 Box Score Wilker Reyes: 3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4K HR: Danny De Andrade (4) Multi-hit games: None The DSL Twins lost a slow, tightened game on Saturday. The arms did their part; DSL Twins pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 2 earned runs. Seven players participated. Unfortunately, an extra un-earned run proved deadly, as the batters failed to hold up their end of the bargain. Hitters collected just three hits; one of the knocks found its way over the fence, but that would be it for extra-base damage. Danny De Andrade was the culprit, and his 1st inning two-run shot both started and ended the night’s scoring output. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 9, DSL Rockies 10 Box Score Cesar Lares: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K HR: Yilber Herrera (1) Multi-hit games: Brayan Acuña (2-for-5, R, RBI), Anderson Nova (3-for-4, R, RBI), Denyerbe Gervis (2-for-5, R) The DSL Twins lost in an absurd affair. The game was your typical 5-5 matchup; neither team found an advantage over the other as each squad landed an equal total of jabs. An unbelievable flourish broke out in the 9th inning, as the DSL Rockies plated four runs and the DSL Twins called with four of their own. A two-run homer from Yilber Herrera—his first of the year—lead the offensive charge. Cesar Lares worked another impressive start; the lefty allowed one run over five innings, picking up five strikeouts along the way. His ERA on the season now stands at 2.93. No single batter stood out—it was more of a democratic approach on Saturday—but Jose Rodriguez collected his 15th double of the season, and Yasser Mercedes earned his 13th. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Cesar Lares Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jair Camargo PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, BB, K #7 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 2-4, R #8 - Marco Raya (Ft. Myers) - 2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-6, 2 BB, 2 K #13 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 3 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-1, 2 R, 3 BB, HBP #15 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K #20 - Kala’i Rosario (Ft. Myers) - 2-4 SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton Wilkes-Barre @ St. Paul (2:07 PM) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Tulsa @ Wichita (1:05 PM) - LHP Aaron Rozek Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 PM) - TBD Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (11:00 AM) - RHP Regi Grace

TRANSACTIONS No transactions within the Twins organization on Sunday. SAINTS SENTINAL Indianapolis 5, St. Paul 3 Box Score A stellar day at the plate from Mark Contreras wasn't enough to push the Saints to a win against Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon. Contreras crushed two homers in St. Paul's loss, marking his multi-homer game of the season and first game with a home run since July 2 against Omaha. Contreras' first moon shot came in the fourth inning with Jermaine Palacios on base, scoring the Saints' first two runs. Contreras would launch a solo shot to right-center field in the eighth inning to plate St. Paul's final run of the day. Both of Contreras' homers came on the first pitch of the at-bat. That aggressive approach at the plate is only going to benefit him as he continues to develop his offense in hopes of a return to the parent club in Minneapolis. Elliot Soto was the only other Saint with a multi-hit game, tallying a double (11) in the second inning and a single in the fourth. The pair of hits were Soto's first since July 10 at Louisville, where he recorded a pair of singles. Starting pitcher Cole Sands lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six in Sunday's loss. Sands threw 45 of his 70 pitches for strikes and pitched scoreless innings in the first and third innings; ultimately, the talented prospect ran into trouble with a trio of hits in the second and a leadoff walk followed by a homer in the fourth. St. Paul's bullpen was excellent on the day. RHP Ariel Jurado followed Sands with 3 1/3 innings of hitless, scoreless, and walk-less ball while striking out three. Northfield, Minnesota native Jake Petricka pitched a flawless eighth inning for his hometown organization, striking out two while walking none. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 3, Wichita 0 Box Score Like a wind turbine on a still day, the Surge weren't able to propel any momentum, dropping a shut-out loss to Tulsa that resulted in the Drillers taking home the Propeller Series for the first time. Wichita tallied just five hits in the loss, going 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and leaving seven men on base. Two of those hits came from highly-touted prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who laced singles in the first and third innings. Encarnacion-Strand has recorded multi-hit games in four of his last eight games and is slashing an impressive .400/.438/.833 in the month of July. Starting pitcher Kody Funderburk (L, 7-3) didn't have his best outing....but it still wasn't all that bad. Through three innings, the Mesa, Arizona native allowed just one run on two hits and a walk while striking out five. And while accelerating prospect was tabbed with the loss, his performance was far from poor. The Surge used five relievers through five innings following Funderburk; Daniel Gossett allowed two runs on two hits while striking out five through the fourth and fifth innings. Following Gossett's two runs, the bullpen shut out the Drillers. Bryan Sammons, Andrew Cabezas, and Osiris German allowed just one hit through the final three innings while allowing no runs and just one walk while striking out a combined four batters. KERNELS NUGGETS Peoria 9, Cedar Rapids 7 Box Score There's a first time for everything...including sweeps. Despite a three-hit game from Yunior Severino, the Kernels dropped the series finale to Peoria on Sunday, resulting in their first time being on the wrong side of a sweep through 2022. Severino laced three singles and two RBI alongside a walk in Sunday's matinee, making it his second consecutive game with three hits. The 22-year-old is on a tear, hitting safely in five of his last six games and slashing .292/.433/.583 through July. Aaron Sabato also made some noise for the Kernels at the plate, crushing a three-run homer in the fifth inning to keep Cedar Rapids in the game. Sabato also homered on Saturday against Peoria and has recorded four extra-base hits through eight games in July. Starting pitcher David Festa (L, 6-1) suffered his first loss of the season, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks through four innings. And while Festa did strike out three hitters, his moment of brilliance came in the third and fourth innings. Allowing three consecutive singles (two in the third, one in the fourth), Festa picked off all three baserunners. While the end result wasn't there, that's pretty incredible. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Dunedin 3 (7 innings) Box Score After a weather delay limiting Saturday's play to just 1/2 of an inning, the Mussels came to play on Sunday, taking down the D-Jays thanks to stellar hitting from Keoni Cavaco and a total team effort from the pitching staff. Crushing an opening inning two-run shot of game one last night, Cavaco brought his bat on Sunday. With Nelson Roberto on base in the fifth, Cavaco punched a single to left field to score Roberto and knot the game at three. Cavaco's RBI served as the ignition for a monster three-run inning in the sixth for Fort Myers. The Mussels were rock-solid on the bump through all seven innings in game one. After Steve Hajjar got the ball rolling in the first, Mike Paredes (W, 6-2) carried the weight through 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits while striking out three. With a three-run lead in the final frame, Anthony Escobar shut down the D-Jays to nab the Mussels' 50th win of the year. Game Two Fort Myers 3, Dunedin 2 (7 innings) Box Score A flat 50 just wasn't enough for the Mighty Mussels on Sunday afternoon. After swiping their 50th win of the season in game one of Sunday's twin bill, Fort Myers earned win number 51 on the season thanks to a multi-hit game from Cavaco and a solid outing from Travis Adams. Cavaco got the first run of the day on the board with a first-inning single that scored Misael Urbina to put the Mussels up 1-0. The 21-year-old's daily dinger derby continued in the third inning when he crunched a solo shot over the left field wall to give Fort Myers a 2-0 lead. Cavaco now has eight home runs on the season and has hit safely in his last four games (three of which have been multi-hit games). Starting pitcher Travis Adams gave up a flurry of hits but locked down when it mattered, allowing just one run through 4 2/3 innings while striking out five. The Mighty Mussel bullpen was just as (if not more) effective. Niklas Rimmel (W, 3-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless ball followed by a scoreless seventh inning courtesy of Samuel Perez (H, 3) and Johnathan Lavallee (S, 2). TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day: Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) - 4-for-7, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 K Pitcher of the Day: Travis Adams (Fort Myers) 4.2 IP, 6 H, R, ER, 5 K PROSPECT SUMMARY See how our Twins Daily Minor League Top 20 Prospects did on Sunday afternoon. #6 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, K #8 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-5, 2B, H, R, BB, 2 K (two games) #12 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-for-3, BB, K #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita) - 2-for-4, K #17 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - (L, 1-5), 3.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 K #18 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - (L, 6-1) 4.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K #19 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - 0.2 IP, H, BB, K MONDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Twins @ FCL Rays (11:00am CST) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Rockies (11:00am CST) - TBD

2022 Prospect PreviewToo often, as the draft approaches, we focus on the first-round pick and nothing else. That’s a mistake we’re doomed to repeat over and over again. It’s also true retrospectively, and it clouds our analysis and judgment. For example, thinking about the 2020 draft, folks immediately think about Aaron Sabato and less about Marco Raya. With that in mind ahead of draft kickoff on Sunday night, let’s check in with the Minnesota Twins draft class of 2021. It’s shaping up to be incredibly impressive. Round 1: Chase Petty, RHP (A-Ball) Petty was an exciting pick for the Twins, bucking a trend of not selecting prep pitchers in early rounds. A 102 mph fastball also added to the excitement (let’s hope they stick with the high-velocity trend). Petty was traded in the off-season to the Reds for Sonny Gray. So far in 2022, Petty has struck out 58 in 61 innings of work to go along with a 3.39 ERA in A ball, a solid start for a 19-year-old. (2022 Prospect Preview) (Preseason #9 Prospect) Competitive Balance A: Noah Miller, SS (Fort Myers) Miller is still just 19 and has spent all of 2022 at Fort Myers. A legitimate shortstop prospect, he has the defensive chops, movement, and range to stay at the position long-term. While Miller’s hitting is still a work in progress (.238 average) he has incredible strike zone control and has worked 50 walks in 73 games in 2022 (.365 OBP). Patience is key with Miller, but things are ticking over nicely in Fort Myers. (2022 Prospect Preview) (Sire of Ft. Myers Consideration) 2: Steven Hajjar, LHP (Fort Myers) The first of a pair of talented left-handed starters drafted by the Twins, Hajjar has battled injuries in 2022 but has been completely dominant when on the mound. Despite walks being an issue (23 in 37 innings), Hajjar has struck out 61 batters and limited opposing offenses to a .160 batting average. (2022 Prospect Preview) 3: Cade Povich, LHP (Cedar Rapids) Povich is another exciting talent from the early rounds of the 2021 draft that is proving abundant for the organization. Povich has a 3.62 ERA at Cedar Rapids in 69 2/3 innings of work in 2022. He’s also managed an eye-popping 97 strikeouts in that time. Povich has added velocity as he has filled out and has a ton more projectability in his frame. He’s one to watch for the Twins. (2022 Prospect Preview) (Twins Spotlight Interview) 4: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B/3B (Wichita) Encarnacion Strand is another incredible success story in 2022, with a Jose Miranda-like breakout. He’s already crushed 26 home runs in his first 98 minor league games across three levels. After putting up a .370 OBP at Cedar Rapids he was promoted to Wichita. In his second Double-A game on Friday night, he clobbered two home runs. In 76 games this season across two levels, he’s managed a .616 SLG, 22 home runs, and 74 RBIs. Based purely on performance, Encarnacion-Strand would be a first-round pick in a redraft of 2021 selections. 5: Christian MacLeod, LHP (Rookie Ball) MacLeod has pitched just 1 2/3 innings so far in his pro career. His career with the Twins is yet to get off the ground because he had Tommy John surgery during spring training. 6: Travis Adams, RHP (Fort Myers) Adams has been in the rotation for Fort Myers all season, accumulating 14 starts. He’s pitched well overall, striking out 64 batters in 64 2/3 innings to go along with a 3.62 ERA and pinpoint control (15 walks). 7: Jake Rucker, 3B (Cedar Rapids) A 22-year-old third baseman, Rucker has played at two levels in 2022, recently being promoted to Cedar Rapids. In his first 12 games in Iowa, he has a .367 OBP. 8: Noah Cardenas, C (Fort Myers) The Twins eighth-round pick out of UCLA has been at Fort Myers all season after getting his feet wet in rookie ball at the end of 2021. Cardenas has shown excellent strike zone control, racking up 50 walks in 63 games, contributing to a gaudy .409 OBP. 9: Pat Winkel, C (Cedar Rapids) A college teammate of Kyler Fedko, Winkel is currently at Cedar Rapids. His season was delayed by almost two months on the Injured List. The Twins 9th round pick has a .726 OPS through his first 25 games at High A. 10: Ernie Yake, SS (St. Paul) Yake has played at four levels in 2022, mostly to plug holes for other promotions. He began the season in Ft. Myers but was called up to St. Paul when needed. He then spent time in Wichita. Currently, he is rehabbing in the FCL. Speaks to the confidence the organization has in his makeup, and his defense. 11: Brandon Birdsell, RHP (did not sign) Birdsell was a pitcher who fell in the draft due to injury concerns and opted to return to school at Texas Tech. He struck out 106 in 85 innings of work in college in 2022 and promises to be a top 150 pick this July. 12: Kyler Fedko, OF (Cedar Rapids) An outfielder selected out of UConn, Fedko lit up Fort Myers early in the 2022 season to the tune of a .422 OBP through 26 games. He was promoted to Cedar Rapids, where the on-base numbers still look good (.340). (Three Questions With... Interview) 13: David Festa, RHP (Cedar Rapids) Festa is one of the greatest early success stories of the 2021 draft. A weekend starter for Seton Hall, he checks in at 6’6, 185 pounds (so plenty of projectability left). Festa struck out 33 batters in just 24 innings at Fort Myers, sporting a 1.50 ERA. He was the starter in the Mussels first no-hitter of the season. After being promoted to Cedar Rapids, he’s kept at it. In 48-plus innings at High A, he has a 1.86 ERA with 51 punch outs. Festa sports an upper 90s fastball and is a rising star in the Twins system. (2022 Prospect Preview) (Twins Spotlight Interview) 14: Pierson Ohl, RHP (Fort Myers) Ohl was a pitcher Seth interviewed and we wrote up prior to the 2022 season. Drafted as a control pitcher, Ohl has put up impressive strikeout numbers so far at Fort Myers. In 55 innings, he’s struck out 65 batters. His great challenge is lower velocity. He’s surrendering a .282 batting average against in his 12 starts so far this season. (2022 Prospect Preview) (Twins Spotlight Interview) 15: Mikey Perez, SS (Fort Myers) The 22-year-old infielder already has 240 at-bats at Fort Myers in 2022. He’s hitting .222/.327/.396 through 70 games so far this season. 16: Jonathan Lavallee, RHP Lavallee has pitched very limited innings in 2022. After starting at rookie ball, he was moved up to Fort Myers. The 22-year-old is yet to give up a run in five innings of work in A ball, striking out six batters. 17: Dylan Neuse, SS (Cedar Rapids) An older prospect at 23, Neuse started the season at Fort Myers but was moved up to Cedar Rapids. He’s struggled in his first 26 games with the bat, hitting just .198, but is on base plenty (.343). His brother Sheldon plays for the Oakland A's. 18: Mike Paredes, RHP (Fort Myers) A 21-year-old right-handed pitcher, Paredes is at Fort Myers in 2022. In 54 plus innings pitched this season, he surrendered just a 2.15 ERA, striking out 44, and walking just 10. His highlight may be throwing the first six innings of one of the Mighty Mussels no-hitters. 19: Jaylen Nowlin, LHP (Fort Myers) Nowlin is a developmental arm to watch. Pitching for Fort Myers, largely in a starting role in 2022, he’s racked up 68 strikeouts in just 41.2 innings pitched. Walks have been a problem (25 so far in 2022), but he’s giving up a .226 average to opposing hitters. Keep an eye out for his development. 20: Dillon Tatum, C (Fort Myers) The 22 year old catcher drafted out of UC-Irvine is currently at Fort Myers. In 145 at-bats, he’s hitting just .166 with five home runs. He has also been the catcher for both of the Mussels no-hitters this season. How do you think the Twins 2021 draft class is shaping up? Who are the prospects you are most excited about?

Transactions: OF Matt Wallner has been promoted to Triple-A St. Paul C David Banuelos activated off IL by St. Paul RHP Ben Heller signed by Minnesota and assigned to Triple-A St. Paul INF Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been promoted to Double-A Wichita C Roy Morales transferred to Double-A Wichita from St. Paul C Frank Nigro was transferred to Single-A Fort Myers from Wichita C Alex Rodriguez was transferred to FCL Twins from Fort Myers CF Kennie Taylor activated off IL by Cedar Rapids C Jair Camargo begins rehab assignment for Wichita with FCL INF Ernie Yake begins rehab assignment for Wichita with FCL Making his Double-A debut this season, Wallner raked after a slow start. Across 78 games he posted a .299/.436/.597 slash line with 24 home runs. He’s reigned in the strikeouts to the tune of a manageable 107/62 K/BB, and he finished his time with the Wind Surge putting up a 4-for-4 effort on Wednesday night. Encarnacion-Strand was Minnesota’s 4th round pick in 2021, and he spent 74 games this year with High-A Cedar Rapids. Encarnacion-Strand got off to a hot start and has maintained the production to the tune of a .296/.370/.599 slash line. His 20 home runs are eye-popping, and the power plays well from the hot corner. Both players will now get extended run at the next level of the farm, likely remaining there through the duration of the season. Wallner joins teammate Spencer Steer as representatives for the MLB Futures Game taking place on Saturday in Los Angeles as part of the All-Star festivities. SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 10, St. Paul 1 Box Score Former top Twins pitching prospect Jordan Balazovic was on the bump for the Saints tonight. He’s really struggled this year and couldn’t escape that same fate tonight. He went just two innings and allowed four runs on five hits. Balazovic gave up a walk, and a homer, while striking out one. Toledo scored first tallying two in the first frame. Then Kody Clemens, son of Roger Clemens, crushed a two-run bomb in the next frame. Down 4-0 in the third inning, rehabbing Miguel Sano roped a line drive single to plate Spencer Steer for the Saints first run. It continued to go sideways from there and by the time St. Paul batted in the 7th inning, they trailed 8-1. Failing to score in their half of the frame, the Saints Ariel Jurado served up two more on an 8th inning Mud Hens blast. Wallner was hitless to this point, and Sano's two raps didn't matter. It was a laugher at 10-1. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 11, Arkansas 5 Box Score Wichita went with Cody Laweryson tonight and he turned in a good outing. Working 3 1/3 innings, the righty allowed no runs on three hits. He allowed two walks but also struck out two batters. The Wind Surge jumped ahead early when Andrew Bechtold blasted his 12th homer of the year, a solo shot to left-center. Chris Williams continued his hot hitting, and his 13th double scored Cole Sturgeon to give the good guys a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning. Not content with the first bit of production, Wichita went back to work in the 3rd inning. Williams hit his 12th homer of the year, this one a grand slam, to drive in Roy Morales, Bechtold, and Sturgeon. Then Edouard Julien took advantage of a fielding error allowing Anthony Prato to race home and make it a 7-0 lead. The Travelers got on the board with a 5th inning solo blast, but it was quickly negated when Prato scored on Ozoria’s fielder’s choice. Then the newly-promoted Christian Encarnacion-Strand recorded his first Double-A hit, a double, scoring both Ozoria and Julien making it 10-1. Offense remained the name of this game into the late innings. Arkansas drew closer with four runs in the 6th inning, but Williams answered with his 13th homer, and second of the game, to push the lead back up to 11-5. Bechtold and finished with four hits tonight while Williams had three hits and six RBI. Sturgeon also had a multi-hit game. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Beloit 1 Box Score David Festa has cruised this season for the Kernels and tonight was more of the same. He worked six innings allowing a single run on four hits. The righty picked up six punchouts and walked three. His ERA on the year is down to 1.86. Run production was in short supply tonight. Kyle Fedko ripped a solo shot in the 1st inning to make it 1-0, and then a passed ball allowed Alerick Soularie to scamper home. Despite giving up a run in the 6th inning, Cedar Rapids maintained the tight lead. After both Fedko and Soularie reached base in the 8th inning, Yunior Severino doubled the lead on a single and gave the Kernels breathing room to the tune of 4-1. Will Holland wanted to make sure a save situation wasn’t necessary, so his sacrifice fly in the 9th inning scored Wander Javier did just that. With eight hits total on the night, two hits came from each of Fedko, Severino, and Pat Winkel. MUSSEL MATTERS Postponed Tonight's game has been postponed due to unplayable field conditions. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates 7, FCL Twins 4 Box Score Infielder Ernie Yake was rehabbing while on the injured list today with the FCL Twins. He was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and played second base. Jair Camargo was also playing as part of a rehab assignment. As the designated hitter, Camargo was 1-for-4 with a triple and an RBI. Luis Rijo was recently removed from the 60-day injured list and transferred to the FCL so he could continue to rehab. Today, he made another start. He went four innings while allowing two runs and striking out four. It was the first of his six appearances this season in which he’s allowed an earned run. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 6, DSL Colorado 5 Box Score Outfielder Yasser Mercedes was 4-for-5 including a leadoff homer in this one for the Twins. Anderson Nova also had a two-hit game while Anthony Narvaez punched out four across 2 2/3 innings of one-hit relief work. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Chris Williams (Wichita) - 3-4, 2 R, 6 RBI, 2B, 2 HR(13) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #6 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-2, R, BB, K #7 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 2.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K #12 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-3, K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-4, R #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita) - 1-5, 2 RBI, 2B, K #18 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - LHP Kody Funderburk Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35PM CST) - RHP Sean Mooney Clearwater @ Fort Myers (3:30PM CST/Game 2 to follow) - TBD/TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates and the two Complex Season affiliates back and playing,

TRANSACTIONS RHP Jon Olsen activated from 60-day IL, assigned to High-A Cedar Rapids RHP Pierce Banks transferred from High-A Cedar Rapids to Rookie Ball FCL Twins SAINTS SENTINEL Louisville 4, St. Paul 1 Box Score The Saints fell short on Friday night due in large part to an offense that sputtered all evening. Spencer Steer (2-for-3, 2B, BB) was the lone St. Paul batter to register multiple hits. His .876 OPS is currently third on the team behind Tim Beckham (1.090) and Jake Cave (.878). (Jake Cave's 49-game on-base streak ended during the loss.) Elliot Soto—the Saints’ No. 9 hitter—drove in the team’s lone run with a solo home run, his third of the season. Mario Sanchez started on the bump for St. Paul and surrendered four runs and two home runs across 3 1/3 innings. Ariel Jurado pitched the bulk of the remaining innings, striking out three and allowing only a single base runner during the game’s final four innings. Austin Schulfer lowered his ERA to 2.70 and picked up two strikeouts. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 6, Amarillo 4, F/11 Box Score An Andrew Bechtold walk-off three-run home run sent the Wind Surge home victorious over the Sod Poodles on Friday. It was Bechtold's ninth dinger of the year. Leobaldo Cabrera (2-for-3, RBI, BB) joined the Wichita third basemen in the homer column with his sixth. Anthony Prato (2-for-5, RBI) and Edouard Julien (1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, R) each contributed a double. Blayne Enlow put together perhaps his best performance of the campaign, striking out five and allowing a single unearned run in four innings. His fastball touched 94 mph and sat 92-93 mph while his breaking ball sat in the low-80s and featured sharp, downward break. Osiris German, Bryan Sammons, Steven Cruz, Jordan Gore, and Andrew Cabezas pitched spectacularly out of the bullpen, combining to strike out five and not allow an earned run in seven innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Quad Cities 2 Box Score The Kernels coasted to a victory over their intrastate rivals thanks to a standout performance by David Festa as well as their bats. Festa improved his High-A record to 5-0 on the season after striking out eight batters and not allowing a single run in six innings of work. He now owns a 1.91 ERA to go along with 45 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings with Cedar Rapids. At the plate, the Kernels popped with aplomb, smoking five extra-base hits, four of which were home runs. Seth Gray (2-for-5, 3 RBI), Jake Rucker (1-for-2, 2 RBI), Dylan Neuse (1-for-4, RBI), and Alerick Soularie (1-for-5, 3 RBI) all hit long balls. Christian Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-4 with a double, walk, and two runs scored. MUSSEL MATTERS Tampa 5, Fort Myers 3 Box Score Tampa 3, Fort Myers 1 Box Score The Mighty Mussels dropped both of their contests to the Tarpons on Friday, despite an offense that collected 13 hits combined. Mike Paredes started and pitched admirably in the first game, striking out three and allowing a single run on a solo shot across four innings. But Tampa touched John Wilson for four runs in the sixth inning, which ultimately gave them the win. Rubel Cespedes (2-for-3, 2 RBI) was the lone Fort Myers batter to pick up multiple hits. Cespedes also picked up two hits in three at-bats in the second game, contributing his seventh double of the season. He was joined by Kala’i Rosario (2-for-2) whose ninth home run plated the Mighty Mussels only run. Malik Barrington punched out six batters but surrendered three runs in three innings. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 2, FCL Red Sox 0 Box Score Old friend Miguel Sanó hit a double, walked twice, and drove in a run as the FCL Twins took down the Red Sox on Friday. Andres Centeno (2-for-3, BB) drove in the game's only other run. Luis Rijo tossed the first three innings for the Twins and struck out five batters. Alex Phillips, Cleiber Maldonado, and Danny Moreno combined to strike out five batters in six innings of hitless work out of the bullpen. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 7, DSL Giants Orange 5 Box Score Independence Day may have been earlier this week, but that didn’t stop the DSL Twins from lighting off some fireworks on Friday. Jose Rodriguez (3-for-5, RBI, BB) led the Twins' offensive charge with all three of his going for two bases. Yasser Mercedes (1-for-2, 3 BB, 2 R) was particularly pesky on the base paths, stealing three bags bringing his total to eight on the season. Rafael Cruz (2-for-4, 3 RBI, BB, R) hit his third home run. On the mound, Christian Jimenez pitched five innings, striking out six and allowing only one earned run. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Andrew Bechtold (Wichita) - 2-for-5, HR (9), 3 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - IL (ACL surgery) #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - Did Not Play #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Fort Myers) - IL (Knee surgery) #4 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - (Covid IL) #5 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - (IL-elbow/forearm) #6 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 2-for-3, 2B, BB #13 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, R #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 R #18 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (3-0, 4.21 ERA) Wichita vs. Amarillo (6:05 PM CST) - LHP Kody Funderburk (6-2, 3.06 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities (6:35 PM CST) - LHP Aaron Rozek (6-2, 3.35 ERA) Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities (TBD) - TBD Fort Myers @ Tampa (5:30 PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya (3-1, 2.77 ERA)

Previous Minor League Starting Pitchers of the Month May Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month: Steve Hajjar April Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month: John Stankiewicz For an organization fished with trophy pitching prospects, there were surprisingly very few outstanding starting pitching performances through the month of June. The diagnosis doesn't solely lie on the shoulders of poor outings; top prospects Matt Canterino and Simeon Woods-Richardson have struggled with injuries while names like Jordan Balazovic and Blayne Enlow are easing their way back from significant injuries. Still, June presented an opportunity for some likely and unlikely names to steal the show on the mound. Here are our top five starting pitchers in the month of June. Number Five: RHP Mario Sanchez (St. Paul Saints) - 4 G, 2 GS, 21 2/3 IP, 1.66 ERA. 0.55 WHIP, 10 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Signed to a minor league contract at the beginning of the year after time in the Nationals organization, June was a breakout month for the 27-year-old righty. Coming off a lackluster May where opposing hitters cooked off of him (.258 AVG), Sanchez found his stride as both a starter and long reliever, with opposing hitters averaging a meager .144 AVG off of him. Sanchez's best start came actually came in a loss on May 26 against Buffalo when he allowed just two runs on three hits while striking out six through six innings. The journeyman's 0.22 BB/9 of .022 in June was a career-best and the veteran certainly knows how to eat up innings in an effective way. Number Four: RHP Cole Sands (St. Paul Saints) - 3 GS, 14 IP, 1.29 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 12 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 16 K After a less than perfect stint with the Twins, Sands returned to Triple-A St. Paul and returned to the consistency that makes him a great pitcher. Sands earned his first win of the season in a seven-strikeout masterpiece on June 29 against Omaha, allowing just one run on four hits and three walks through five innings. 2022 hasn't been a dreamy year from Sands. A talented pitcher who has seen the game's highest level, July could provide an opportunity for Sands to return both physically and mentally to the things that garner him an impressively high ceiling. Given bullpen struggles with the parent club, that is needed now more than ever. Number Three: RHP Louie Varland (Wichita Wind Surge) 5 GS, 26 1/3 IP, 3.08 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 24 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 8 BB, 35 K There's no doubt that Louie Varland has been the most exciting story in the Twins farm system over the past two years. A Minnesota kid with slight chances of 'making it,' Varland was absolutely brilliant in Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids last year and has been rock-solid for the Wind Surge in 2022. Now a top-tier prospect, the 24-year-old has come back down to earth after a few 'not bad, but not great' starts. Still, Varland wasn't shelled in any of his five starts and reached at least five innings in each one en route to a 2-1 record on the month. The pinnacle of that came on June 10 when Varland blew by Arkansas through six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and striking out nine. Varland has always been a strikeout pitcher and it appears that trend won't be going anywhere. Still on an excellent trajectory, expect Varland to dominate in Double-A the rest of the season and maybe even see a glimpse of St. Paul come August or September. Number Two: RHP David Festa (Cedar Rapids Kernels) 5 G, 4 GS, 27 2/3 IP, 2.28 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 22 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 9 BB, 28 K Our May pitcher of the month continued to dominate in June. Festa's 28 strikeouts led the Kernels and was second in the organization to Louie Varland's 35. Rozek went 2-0 on the month wins over Lansing on June 3 and Wisconsin on June 28. Yet Festa's best start came in a no-decision on June 9 against South Bend when he tossed six shutout innings with eight strikeouts while allowing just four hits and one walk. Festa keeps his walk numbers down for the most part, but even when he doesn't, the righty from Verona, NJ limits damage control. Despite giving up a season-high four walks on June 21 against West Michigan, Festa still allowed just one run and two hits through six innings. The versatility is beautiful and Festa is just getting started. Drafted by the Twins in the 13th round of the 2021 Draft, Festa's first full season in pro ball has been electric and the train shows no signs of stopping. It would be foolish to say that Festa won't be in Wichita by this time next season. Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month LHP Aaron Rozek (Cedar Rapids Kernels) - 4 GS, 18 2/3 IP, 1.45 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 16 K Velocity and flare win clicks, consistency wins baseball games. A son of Burnsville, MN, Rozek had as solid and steady of a month as anyone in the organization...and in minor league baseball. Despite only garnering one win on the month, Rozek put the Kernels in a position to win each time he took the mound. Even in his worst start of the month, Rozek limited damage, and the Kernels ended up beating Lansing 9-3 in dominating fashion. In that start, Rozek allowed three runs on three hits (two of which were homers) and one walk while striking out five. Rozek pounded the zone and only missed on three pitches that resulted in a single and two homers. Need more proof that it wasn't that bad? Rozek threw 41 of his 60 pitches for strikes. That's pretty damn good. Speaking of consistency, Rozek's strike percentages in each outing were 64%, 68%, 64.5%, and 69 %. The Burnsville Blaze alum's 0.80 WHIP not only led the Kernels but was only second to Mario Sanchez's 0.75 WHIP from Twins' minor league pitchers with over ten innings pitched. Rozek's best outing came against the Daytona Tortugas on June 17 when he pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings while allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out four. Rozek shut out his opponents in three of his four starts and averaged less than two walks in those three starts while giving up no homers. A graduate of Minnesota State, the undrafted Rozek signed a minor league contract with the Twins midway through the 2021 season. After bouncing between the FCL Twins, Wichita, and Fort Myers in 2021, Rozek seems to have found his stride with the Kernels in 2022. The 26-year-old is a prime example of an organization taking a chance on a player with quite a bit of uncertainty. After a lukewarm start to the season, it appears that Rozek has found his stride and his future looks bright. Think there are any other players deserving of Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month accolades? Converse and comment below!

Let’s see what happened this Wednesday in the Twins organization. TRANSACTIONS The Twins optioned RHP Josh Winder to AAA St. Paul 3B Jake Rucker was promoted from Low-A Fort Myers to High-A Cedar Rapids SAINTS (AAA) St. Paul 6, Omaha 2 Box Score The Saints used two big innings on Wednesday to gain a 6-2 victory over the Omaha Storm Chasers. Cole Sands made the start for the Saints, and he continued his dominance since being sent down from the Twins, throwing five innings of one-run ball while striking out seven. In the first inning, Jake Cave extended his on-base streak to 43 games, the second-longest in the minor leagues this year and the longest by a Twins minor leaguer since 2006. After Sands allowed his lone run in the top of the third inning, the Saints responded for three in the bottom of the inning. Spencer Steer hit a bloop triple and came around to score on a single by Cave. Two batters later, Cave came around to score on a wild pitch. After a walk, Jermaine Palacios hit an RBI double to give the Saints a two-run lead through three innings. In the fifth, the Saints put up three more runs thanks to a two-run double from John Andreoli and an RBI fielders’ choice from Elliot Soto. The Saints bullpen was given a five-run cushion thanks to those big innings and great starting pitching from Sands, and the bullpen did not disappoint, only giving up two hits in four innings of work. Juan Minaya pitched two scoreless innings, Hunter Wood pitched a scoreless eighth, and Ian Hamilton pitched the ninth and allowed a run despite not allowing any hits. Saints pitching combined for 13 strikeouts in the dominant victory. Two-hit games led the offense by Steer and Cave and a three-hit performance from Palacios. The win improved the Saints' record to 36-37 in 2022, and they will look to get to .500 on Thursday. WIND SURGE (AA) Wichita 10, Springfield 1 Box Score The Wichita Wind Surge won in an offensive onslaught on Wednesday by a score of 10-1. Casey Legumina got the start on the mound for the Wind Surge and pitched 2 2/3 innings, not allowing any runs on three hits while striking out five. Legumina was mowing down Springfield hitters until a line drive hit him in the back, forcing him to come out of the game in the bottom of the third. After Legumina was removed, Cody Laweryson pitched 2 1/3 innings, not allowing any hits and striking out four batters. The tandem of Legumina and Laweryson combined for five innings, three hits allowed, no runs, and nine strikeouts. Quite the night for the L&L boys. Offensively, it was the Edouard Julien show. Julien got the offense started in the top of the first when he hit his fifth homer of the year to give the Wind Surge a 1-0 lead early. In the top of the third, on the next pitch he saw, Julien hit a three-run homer to right-center to extend the Wind Surge lead to four. In the top of the fourth, he hit a two-run double for his fifth and sixth RBI of the night. And in the top of the sixth, he drove in Kevin Merrell with a groundout for his seventh RBI of the night. One batter later, Austin Martin drove in a run with a single to extend the lead to nine runs. Steven Klimek, Steven Cruz, Osiris German, and Denny Bentley each pitched in relief of Laweryson and allowed one run between the four of them while striking out four in four innings. In the top of the ninth, Chris Williams hit his seventh home run to extend the lead back to nine runs. The Wind Surge improved their record to 36-34 on the year. Julien finished 4-for-5 with seven RBI to lead the offense, and Martin went 3-for-3 with two walks. Matt Wallner continued to be an offensive force as he went 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored. KERNELS (HIGH-A) GAME ONE Cedar Rapids 6, Wisconsin 2 Box Score This game was the continuation of Tuesday’s game which was suspended. Before suspension on Tuesday, the Kernels jumped out to a 5-0 lead thanks to a two-run homer from Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and back-to-back-to-back doubles from Kyler Fedko, Yunior Severino, and Pat Winkel. Brent Headrick threw two innings of this game before it was suspended. Headrick did not have his best stuff as he allowed three hits, and it took him 40 pitches to get through two innings, but he did so without giving up a run. After the game was picked up on Wednesday, David Festa was given the (re)-start for the Kernels. Festa continued to be one of the best pitchers in the Twins' minor-league system as he went 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and striking out seven. The Kernels picked up an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning when Alerick Soularie singled, scoring Dylan Neuse to push the Kernels’ lead to six. In the bottom of the eighth, Festa gave up a run and got pulled with two outs. Derek Molina came out of the bullpen and allowed an RBI single but nothing after that as he got the final four outs of a 6-2 victory for Cedar Rapids. Festa picked up the win for Cedar Rapids to improve his record to 4-0 on the year. Soularie led the offense by going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and Fedko reached three times via a double and two walks. GAME TWO Cedar Rapids 1, Wisconsin 3 Box Score In their second game of the day, the Kernels offense struggled mightily, only collecting one hit and striking out 13 times in seven innings. Hunter McMahon got the start in game two for the Kernels, and he went three innings while allowing one run on three hits while striking out three. Seth Gray provided the only offense for the Kernels with his ninth homer of the year in the top of the third to tie the game at one. After McMahon exited, Orlando Rodriguez came in relief for the Kernels, and after he had faced two batters, he had allowed two runs after a leadoff single and a two-run homer. After the homer, Rodriguez pitched well, getting five more outs without allowing a run. After Rodriguez, Tyler Palm came in and got four outs for the Kernels without allowing a run. The Kernels couldn’t get anything going in response to the two-run homer and picked up the loss 3-1. The double-header split puts the Kernels’ record at 45-26, the best in the Midwest League. MIGHTY MUSSELS (LOW-A) Fort Myers 4, Dunedin 5 Box Score The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels battled back from a four-run deficit but couldn’t get over the hump on Wednesday as they fell 5-4 to Dunedin. Fort Myers took an early lead in this one when Dillon Tatum hit a solo homer in the bottom of the second inning. Pierson Ohl was the starter for Fort Myers in this one, and he turned in a quality start, going six innings while allowing three runs on seven hits and no walks. Ohl struck out four batters in the start. After Tatum’s home run, Dunedin scored five unanswered runs through the top of the seventh inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Kala’i Rosario hit his eighth homer of the year, and Rubel Cespedes drove in Carlos Aguiar with a single to get the Mighty Mussels within two runs. In the top of the eighth, the Mighty Mussels brought in Anthony Escobar, who threw two hitless innings to keep the game close. In the bottom of the eighth, Keoni Cavaco scored on a wild pitch to bring the game within a run. However, the Mighty Mussels couldn’t manage a run in the bottom of the ninth and took the loss. The loss drops Fort Myers to 42-26 on the year. Cavaco picked up two hits to lead the offense, and Ohl took the loss to drop to 3-4 on the year. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 3, DSL Cleveland Blue 2 Box Score Starting Pitcher: Ledwin Taveras (5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, W) Multi-Hit Games: Yasser Mercedes (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB) 2B: Jose Rodriguez (2), Mercedes (2) TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Ledwin Taveras (DSL Twins) - 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, W Hitter of the Day – Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 4-for-5, 2B (9), 2 HR (6), 7 RBI, 2 R PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins' top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 3-for-3, RBI, 2 BB #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 1-for-4 #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, 3B (1), R #9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-5, 2 K #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 4-for-5, 2B (9), 2 HR (6), 7 RBI, 2 R #17 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-1, HR (17), 2 R, 2 RBI #20 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (7:07 CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-2, 6.93 ERA) Wichita @ Springfield (7:05 CST) - RHP Louie Varland (6-2, 3.42 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:40 PM CST) - LHP Cade Povich (5-4, 3.93 ERA) Dunedin @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya (3-1, 3.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! Thank you for reading, and Go Twins!

My secretary is informing me that the trade deadline is actually August 2nd, but because I’ve already written the previous paragraph, and because I found it funny, I will ignore that. There has recently been a weird but unsurprising defeatist mentality amongst Twins fans. Some have asked not what the Twins can do to improve at the deadline, but instead which veterans they can deal to consolidate their losses and give it another try next season. I disagree entirely with this notion. The Twins are a good baseball team lacking an extra arm, or two, or three, but acquiring those necessary few players is easily doable. Here are some of the prospects they may give up to do so. Matt Wallner It will be hard to part with a Minnesota boy, but the team may have to do it. Wallner stands at the crossroads of an excellent 2022 season and a weird position fit for the team in the future. There’s no shortage of young left-handed power-hitting outfielders on the Twins, making fate the beholder for any potential playing time for Wallner; his spot is far from saved. Wallner is a legitimate prospect as well; Fangraphs gives him a 45 FV rating—a number that doesn’t blow anyone away but does represent a quality player with MLB potential. After all, Luis Arraez was just a 40+ FV prospect according to the same website. When drawing up trades, it’s easy to clump up the bottom of the barrel (Brent Rooker and Nick Gordon for Luis Castillo, anyone?) in a foolish attempt at swindling grown men out of their other, more talented grown men. That doesn’t happen in this era of MLB. Wallner alone will not net Frankie Montas, but he could be the 2nd best piece in a package deal for him or a starter like him. The only thing that could make teams shy away from Wallner is that he may be too MLB-ready. Remember, out-of-contention organizations like the Athletics hate spending money even more than they hate their own fans, and they don’t like holding on to a player who will be arbitration-eligible around the time they’re supposed to compete again. Cole Sands Like Wallner, whether a team wants Cole Sands depends on how much they’re willing to pay a player more than the vet minimum. Still, Sands is an awkward fit on the Twins. He has potential—that sweeping breaking ball is something vicious—but are they willing to throw him to the major league wolves and potentially take losses in exchange for learning experiences? A team out of contention can say yes, but the answer is far trickier for the Twins. Sands is similar to Wallner in that he will likely be the 2nd best piece if the trade is of the big-splash variety. College Arm in the Low Minors This is cheating, but I make the rules, so I get to break them at will. The Twins have a glut of recently-drafted college arms laying waste to hitters in the low minors (hey, someone should write about that), and the team may dangle one in front of a team looking for the most sought-after commodity in sports: a young starting pitcher. I think the team will avoid bringing up Cade Povich in talks, but Brent Headrick, David Festa, and Travis Adams could be the lotto tickets necessary to coax an elite reliever out of another organization. Players the Team Will Not Move Remember, this is theorizing, not prophecizing; I have no idea which prospects the Twins covet and secretly loathe. I have a hard time seeing the team move Austin Martin; he’s both significantly underperforming and a crucial cog in their return for José Berríos. If the team liked him enough to part ways with their best homegrown starter in a generation, then I don’t see them reversing course so soon. Spencer Steer is another player I don’t see the team parting ways with unless the return is massive. Gio Urshela is a stop-gap to nowhere, and Jose Miranda should avoid playing 3rd base as much as possible. Steer fits so perfectly in the team’s plan for next season that dealing him would make little sense. Final player: Marco Raya. This is even more speculation-y than before, but he feels anointed by the Twins to be the next Berríos. A team would have to make an overwhelmingly generous offer to convince the team to trade him away, and sellers usually aren’t the ones to make such concessions.