Search the Community

It’s Monday which means that we only had the short-season teams in action. Both teams have struggled a bit to put numbers in the Win column this year, so the playoffs are out of their reaches. However, for both teams the prospect got innings and got plate appearances. Some unknown players have played well enough that we will want to consider getting to know more about them in the offseason and following more closely next season. Unfortunately, the DSL and FCL Twins seasons come to an end after their games on Tuesday. It’s likely a couple of players will join the Mighty Mussels for the rest of their season. Their final game is scheduled for Sunday, September 10th. It’s even possible a player or two jumps up to play with the Kernels through their playoff run. Their first-round Division Series is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 12th. They’ll be on the road for Game 1 before playing Game 2 (and potentially Game 3) in Cedar Rapids. Wichita won’t make the playoffs. Their season ends on Sunday, September 17th. Finally, the Saints final game is scheduled for Sunday, September 24th. Obviously they will need to play later in the season so that the Twins can continue to move guys up and down throughout their final month. Here are the records of the Twins and their six affiliates through games on Monday. Minnesota Twins: 65-60 St. Paul Saints: 69-50 Wichita Wind Surge: 52-61 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 71-43 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 56-58 FCL Twins: 24-29 DSL Twins: 14-37 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS RHP Francis Peguero was promoted from Wichita to the Saints. LHP John Wilson and RHP Niklas Rimmel were released by the Twins. They had both been doing solid work out of the Cedar Rapids bullpen. LHP Gabriel Yanez and RHP Jackson Hicks were promoted from Fort Myers to the Kernels. . SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul (69-50) @ Omaha (52-63) Pitching Probables Tuesday: RHP Louie Varland (7-0, 3.79 ERA) Wednesday: RHP Blayne Enlow (2-5, 9.20 ERA) Thursday: LHP Brent Headrick (4-2, 5.01 ERA) Friday: RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (4-6, 5.44 ERA) Saturday: RHP Randy Dobnak (4-6, 4.79 ERA) Sunday: RHP Louie Varland (7-0, 3.79 ERA) WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita (52-61) @ Arkansas (63-50) Pitching Probables Tuesday: RHP Travis Adams (3-8, 5.86 ERA) Wednesday: TBD Thursday: TBD Friday: TBD Saturday: TBD Sunday: TBD KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids (71-43) @ South Bend (49-63) Pitching Probables Tuesday: LHP Christian MacLeod (4-1, 4.39 ERA) Wednesday: RHP Andrew Morris (3-1, 2.57 ERA) Thursday: RHP Cory Lewis (4-1, 2.42 ERA) Friday: RHP C.J. Culpepper (2-0, 2.81 ERA) Saturday: RHP Zebby Matthews (3-2, 4.84 ERA) Sunday: RHP Kyle Jones (5-5, 4.41 ERA) MUSSEL MATTERS Daytona (50-61) @ Fort Myers (56-58) Pitching Probables Tuesday: RHP Ben Ethridge (2-5, 2.89 ERA) Wednesday: RHP Jack Noble (0-2, 3.15 ERA) Thursday: RHP Miguelangel Boadas (0-2, 9.72 ERA) Friday: RHP John Klein (1-1, 4.67 ERA) Saturday: RHP Jose Olivares (2-4, 6.43 ERA) Sunday: TBD COMPLEX THOUGHTS from FLORIDA FCL Twins 10, FCL Orioles (7) Box Score Have a day, Daniel Pena! It’s always fun to see young players get an opportunity to move up from the DSL to the FCL. And while they don’t get enough recognition for success, we try to give them their due. Raise your hand if you had heard about FCL Twins catcher Daniel Pena before you read this paragraph. Now put a finger down if you knew he was 1.) 18 years old, 2.) a catcher, and 3.) from Venezuela. On Monday, he powered the FCL Twins to a win. He hit two home runs and is now hitting .278/.376/.474 (.850). He has four doubles, five homers, and maybe more impressive, he has 15 walks to go with 14 strikeouts. Jose Rodriguez played first base and went 2-for-4 with a walk. Cole Elvis went 2-for-5. Anderson Nova went 2-for-4 with a walk as well. Jankel Ortiz went 1-for-3 with two walks and a double. He scored three runs. Walker Jenkins played his first game at a position other than DH. He played in center field. He went 1-for-4 with a walk. He drove in two runs. Jacob Wosinski made the start. He gave up four runs on six hits in three innings. He had five walks and struck out four batters. Carlos Gutierrez went the next 3 2/3 innings. He gave up three runs (1 earned) on two hits and two walks. He had an impressive nine strikeouts. Yon Landaeta walked three and gave up one hit over two scoreless innings. He had two strikeouts. Miguel Olivares got one out, a strikeout, to end the game and record his second save. The two teams were supposed to play two games but the second game was canceled. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from BOCA CHICA DSL Twins 7, DSL Yankees Bombers 8 Box Score It’s always important to remember that the further a player is from the big leagues, the less important their actual stats are to a player’s potential or ceiling. The Dominican Summer League is six promotions from the big leagues, the lowest level in affiliated baseball. Why is that important to remember? Well, in January, the Twins signed three players to seven-figure signing bonuses. Ariel Castro (OF): .206/.323/.375 (.698) with seven doubles, four triples, four home runs. Hendry Chivilli (IF): .173/.278/.284 (.562) with one double, one triple, two homers. Carlos Silva (Catcher): .196/.328/.277 (.605) with six doubles, one home run. While those numbers aren’t good without any context, but the fact is that they are high profile, very athletic and top prospects. Sometimes just as fun as following those players and understanding the above concept is the reality that a lot of times, an unheralded prospect will spend a year or two in the DSL, advance a year at a time, fighting the odds and making their way to the big leagues. Luis Arraez is a good example of that player. Which players could fit that profile from the 2023 DSL Twins roster? How about: Jayson Bass (OF): .308/.406/.378 (.784) with five doubles, a triple and a homer. (22 BB, 24 K) Dameury Pena (IF): .382/.453/.496 (.949) with eight doubles, three triples. (14 BB, 13 K) It’s also possible that it is someone else completely. Anyway, to Monday’s game: The Twins fell behind early. Through five innings, the Yankees led 8-1. The Twins scored four in the top of the sixth inning and then two runs in the eighth frame to cut it to 8-7. They were unable to add just one more. Juan Cota started and was charged with four runs (2 earned) on four hits and a walk. In four innings, he had seven strikeouts. Reynel Garcia came in and gave up four runs on four hits and two walks in just 1/3 of an inning. Christopher Dishmey came on and got two strikeouts to end the fifth inning. Jose Vasquez threw the final three innings. He gave up no runs and no hits. He walked one and struck out five batters. Ewing Matos went 3-for-4 with his eighth double. Ariel Castro went 2-for-5 with his fourth home run and three RBI. Yilber Herrera walked three times and stole two bases which gives him 10 on the season. . TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day – Daniel Pena (FCL Twins) - 2-for-5, 2-HR(5), 2 R, 5 RBI Pitcher of the Day – Jose Vasquez (DSL Twins) - 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #2 - Walker Jenkins (FCL Twins) - 1-for-4, BB, 2 RBI. #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 2-for-4, BB, 2 R. MONDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Indianapolis @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (2-5, 9.85 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - LHP Aaron Rozek (2-3, 6.11 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05 PM CST) - LHP Christian MacLeod (4-1, 4.39 ERA) Dayton @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Ben Ethridge (2-5, 2.89 ERA) FCL Red Sox @ FCL Twins (9:00 AM CST) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Angels (10:00 AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Monday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics!

Walker Jenkins is an incredibly exciting prospect for the Twins and he had a big day in the FCL today. But there are some exciting prospects who finally made their way to the Saints last week and will be playing their first games at CHS Field this week. In addition, the organization's most electric player begins his rehab with the Saints and may have an opportunity on Wednesday to face a high school opponent and Team USA teammate who is rehabbing as well. In addition, there are some really, really cool events planned for the fans at the stadium. And one of the premiere prospect gurus will be at CHS Field on Friday night to sign copies of his new book. So much more below, so check out today's Minor League Report. And check out @Jeremy Nygaard's Minor League Week in Review as well. Here are the records of the Twins and their six affiliates through games on Monday. Minnesota Twins: 60-54 St. Paul Saints: 61-46 Wichita Wind Surge: 43-58 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 63-39 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 49-53 FCL Twins: 18-25 DSL Twins: 9-32 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Kernels closer Miguel Rodriguez was promoted to Double-A Wichita. LHP Jarret Whorff was promoted from Fort Myers to Cedar Rapids. The Mighty Mussels have added RHP John Klein from the FCL Twins. RHP and 2022 Competitive Balance Pick Charlee Soto has been assigned to the FCL Twins. Infielder Cole Tate decided to retire. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul, Louisville The Saints are back at home for the next two weeks with another exciting week of event and ball games. Of course, I’m guessing the #1 reason to get to CHS Field just might be because Brooks Lee, Yunior Severino, and DaShawn Keirsey were promoted to the Saints last week and will be playing their first games at home. Oh, and Royce Lewis is set to begin his rehab assignment with the Saints. For sure, you'll want to see that pitching matchup on Wednesday. (also, be sure to "Like" Twins Daily on Facebook) But I want to encourage you to head to CHS Field on Friday for that game (and the others too, of course). You may have seen him on MLB Network, and on MLB.com’s draft coverage, he certainly knows prospects. Jonathan Mayo will be at the ballpark that night signing copies of his new book, Smart, Wrong, and Lucky; The Origin Stories of Baseball’s Unexpected Stars. I got my copy on Amazon a few weeks ago, and I will tell you it is fantastic. In addition, Jonathan is a terrific person who clearly loves what he is doing and has a strong passion for writing about, talking about, and really promoting prospects and the minor leagues and the scouts who found them. Get to meet him at CHS Field on Friday (August 11th). In addition, Harvey Kuenn III will be recognized for being named to the Roland Hemond Scouts Hall of Fame. And hey, there will be some really good baseball being played with some really intriguing players. Tuesday: Simeon Woods Richardson Wednesday: Randy Dobnak Thursday: Blayne Enlow vs. a rehabbing Hunter Greene (with a rehabbing Royce Lewis… that’s three Team USA teammates from their high school days) Friday: Louie Varland Saturday: TBD Sunday: Simeon Woods Richardson Tickets Available! Click here. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids , Quad Cities If you happen to be in eastern Iowa or western Illinois, head to the Quad Cities this week and check out one of the most photogenic stadiums in minor-league baseball, and see a really good, really young Kernels team take on the River Bandits. Here are the pitching probables: Tuesday: Zebby Matthews Wednesday: Kyle Jones Thursday: Christian MacLeod Friday: Andrew Morris Saturday: Cory Lewis Sunday: C.J. Culpepper COMPLEX THOUGHTS from FLORIDA FCL Twins 9, FCL Rays 7 Box Score Walker Jenkins had a pretty big role in the Twins win on Monday afternoon. It was quite the breakout. He came to the plate with two outs in the top of the first inning and rippled a double to left field. With no score, Jenkins came to the plate in the top of the third inning. The bases were loaded. Jenkins crushed the first home run of his professional career, a grand slam that gave the team a 4-0 lead. The Twins scored another four runs in the fourth inning to take an 8-0 lead. First, Isaac Pena singled in Wilfri Castro. Pena stole a base, and when Daniel Pena walked on a pitch that went to the backstop which brought in another run. Soon after, Jenkins walked to load the bases. That was followed by a Brandon Winokur walk that allowed Daniel Pena to score. Jose Salas scored on a wild pitch, the Twins eighth run of the game. In the ninth inning, Harold Grant scored the team’s ninth run on a wild pitch. When it was 8-0, one would have been surprised to know that it was a nice insurance run. Jacob Wosinski made the start. He was charged with two runs on four hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out five batters. Kyle Bischoff came on and was charged with four runs (2 earned) on three hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out just one batter. Yon Landaeta came on and went the final 2 1/3 innings. He gave up an unearned run on one hit. He walked two and struck out two to record his third save. Along with his first pro homer, he added his second double. He was 2-for-5 with a walk. Jose Rodriguez went 2-for-4 and hit his ninth double. Isaac Pena was 2-for-3 with his third triple. He also stole his eighth base. Byron Chourio led off and reached three times via walk. Jose Salas was in a lineup for the first time since July 16th when the Kernels were playing in Cedar Rapids. He was first placed on the Kernels’ development list, but recently he was activated and assigned to the FCL Twins. Monday was his first game. He went 1-for-5 with a walk and two runs scored. He played second base and had an error. He just turned 20 years old. The average age of players in the FCL is 19.5. The average age in the Florida State League is 21.1. He was in Cedar Rapids and the average Midwest League player is 22.2. As you can see, this “reset” should not damper his ceiling in the eyes of fans. Maybe the Marlins pushed him way too fast a year ago by getting him to High-A so quickly. At the same time, it also lowers his potential floor. That said, I’m a big believer in taking that step back, just playing, working on things and then getting back. As we often say, “prospect development is rarely linear.” COMPLEX THOUGHTS from BOCA CHICA DSL Twins 1, DSL Phillies White 0 (suspended bottom 2) Box Score This game was over almost before it started. I mean, they got through about 1 1/2 innings before the rains came. Yilber Herrera led off the game with a triple and scored soon after on a sacrifice fly by Denyerbe Gervis. Juan Cota started for the Twins. He struck out every single batter he faced in the outing - I mean, all three of them. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day – Walker Jenkins (FCL Twins) - 2-for-5, BB, 2B(2), HR(1), R, 4 RBI Pitcher of the Day – Yon Landaeta (FCL Twins) - 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Monday. #2 - Walker Jenkins (FCL Twins) - 2-for-5, BB, 2B(2), HR/GS(1), R, 4 RBI #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-for-0, PR #6 - Charlee Soto (FCL Twins) - assigned to FCL Twins #13 - Brandon Winokur (FCL Twins) - 0-for-3, 2 BB, RBI, 2 K #18 - Jose Salas (FCL Twins ) - 1-for-5, BB, 2 R, 2 K. #19 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 42 pitches, 28 strikes (66.7%) #20 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 2-for-4, BB, 2B(9), K. TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Louisville @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (3-5, 5.62 ERA) Wichita @ NW Arkansas (7:05 PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30 PM CST) - RHP Zebby Matthews (3-1,4.81 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Jose Olivares (2-3, 5.86 ERA) FCL Pirates @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM CST) - TBD DSL Giants Orange @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Monday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics!

TRANSACTIONS Dallas Keuchel decided to extend his opt out with the Twins to August 1. SAINTS SENTINEL Omaha 5, St. Paul 4 Box Score Simeon Woods Richardson got the start on Friday for the Saints, and he went five strong innings. He allowed just two runs on five hits. His command was better in this game. He didn't give up a walk, and he still put away four Omaha hitters via strikeouts. The third inning saw Omaha plate two runs and take the lead, but St. Paul stormed backed in the fifth inning. Austin Martin singled home Ernie Yake before Kyle Garlick drew a bases loaded walk to bring in Alex De Goti. Gilberto Celestino then singled home Martin, and it was a 4-2 lead for the Saints. Unfortunately, they didn't add the rest of the game. Cody Laweryson struck out two batters over two scoreless innings. Michael Boyle tossed a scoreless eighth frame. Josh Winder came in for the bottom of the ninth inning to protect a two-run lead. He gave up three runs on three hits and two walks and recorded just one out. Andrew Stevenson was the lone Saints hitter to record a pair of hits on the evening. WIND SURGE WISDOM Amarillo 3, Wichita 2 Box Score The Wind Surge went with top pitching prospect Marco Raya on Friday night, and he twirled four strong innings. He gave up just a single run on two hits. Raya avoided free passes and punched out four in the process. After giving up a first-inning solo blast, the Sod Poodles didn't score again until they added a pair of runs in the seventh inning. Needing a rally to stay alive, David Banuelos homered for the seventh time to make it a 3-1 game in the eighth inning. Yoyner Fajardo continued to produce with a ninth-inning single, but no one followed Severino home. Tanner Schobel was left on third base. Severino had two singles in the game. Will Holland had two hits, including his eighth double of the season. Pierson Ohl gave up two runs on three hits and two walks (one intentional) in the final four innings. He had seven strikeouts. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Peoria 5 Box Score The Kernels gave Zebby Matthews the ball on Friday night, and he turned in five innings of three-run baseball. Matthews gave up five hits but walked no one and struck out six batters. After allowing an opening inning blast to Peoria, Cedar Rapids went to work if the bottom of the first. Kala'i Rosario launched his 13th dinger of the season which also drove in Noah Miller. That was followed by solo shots from Ben Ross (14th) and Jorel Ortega (4th) to make it a 4-1 game entering the second inning. In the fourth inning, Willie Joe Garry Jr. singled home Andrew Cossetti before Miller smacked his fifth big fly to make it a 7-1 game. Peoria tried to claw back in the sixth inning and drew within four, but Garry Jr. launched his third homer or the year in the bottom half to make it an 8-3 contest. Although Peoria again added in the eighth inning, the two runs weren't enough to make a difference. Miller led off and went 2-for-3 with a walk. He also stole his ninth base. Garry Jr. batted ninth. He was also 2-for-3. A.J. Labas gave up two runs on five hits and recorded three outs. Niklas Rimmel came into the game with the bases-loaded in the eighth frame. One run scored on a sacrifice fly, but Rimmel got all six batters he faced out, four on strikeouts. MUSSEL MATTERS Bradenton 11, Fort Myers 3 Box Score Jarret Whorff took the ball for Fort Myers and things went sideways early. He lasted just 2 1/3 innings and gave up five runs on six hits and four walks. Whorff struck out out four, but the damage had been done. Down 11-0 heading to the ninth inning, Fort Myers was essentially playing for pride. After Danny De Andrade was hit by a pitch and Kamron Willman walked, Rubel Cespedes singled home Danny De Andrade for the team's first run. It came on their first hit. Later, Yohander Martinez added a two-out single that drove in two runs and finish out the scoring. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 6, FCL Red Sox 3 (F/7) Box Score Zarion Sharpe drew the start for the Twins as his rehab continued. He gave up one run on two hits over two innings. He struck out a pair. Jacob Wosinski gave up two runs on four hits in one innings. Matt Gabbert came on and struck out four batters over the final four scoreless innings. The Red Sox and Twins matched tallies in the second and third innings. Getting down one, the Twins responded with Isaac Pena singling home Jose Rodriguez. Then getting down two in the third inning, Harold Grant doubled home both Yasser Mercedes and Byron Chourio. Rodriguez’s fifth inning homer, his fourth, provided the Twins with their first lead. Adding another pair in the sixth inning, the Twins saw Fredy Michel race home on a Giovanny Rivero groundout before Anderson Nova singled home Endy Rodriguez. That was enough to secure the victory in this one. Rodriguez doubled along with his homer on Friday, and his two hits represented the only Twins player recording a multi-hit effort. This was a seven-inning game because the teams also completed a previously-suspended game. Box Score here. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Phillies Red 4, DSL Twins 2 (F/7) Box Score The good news is that Friday the DSL Twins kept the opposition in single digits. The bad news is that they dropped another game and now are 7-24. Leonardo Lugo got the start and worked three innings allowing two runs (one earned) on a hit and two walks. He did strike out three. The Twins were down 2-0 after the first inning, but got on the board in the third inning when Dameury Pena singled home Angel Trinidad. The Phillies extended the lead to 4-1 in the fifth inning, and the Twins could only answer with one run in the seventh inning. Carlos Silvas was back in the lineup working behind the dish today, and Hendry Chivilli led off. Only Ewing Matos, who drove in Jesus Peraza for the second run, had a pair of hits today for the Twins. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Marco Raya (Wichita) - 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 47 pitches, 37 strikes, 78.7% Hitter of the Day – Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 2-4, 2B, HR(4), RBI, 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) - 0-4, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, K #4 - Marco Raya (Wichita) - 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 47 pitches, 37 strikes (78.7%) #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 1-3, R, BB, K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-5, R, RBI, K #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 0-3, BB #11 - Yasser Mercedes (FCL Twins) - 1-3, R #14 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER , 0 BB, 4 K #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR9(13) #17 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 2-4, R #20 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 2-4, 2B, HR(4), RBI, K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (7:05PM CST) - LHP Dallas Keuchel Wichita @ Amarillo (7:05PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Kyle Jones Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30PM CST) - RHP Andrew Morris Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games!

TRANSACTIONS The FCL Twins sent a couple pitchers from the back fields of the Lee County Sports Complex to Hammond Stadium and the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels on Tuesday. They were RHP Jack Noble and RHP Ricardo Velez. Recent minor-league free agent signing, OF Francis Florentino, was also assigned to the Mighty Mussels roster. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates 10, FCL Twins 6 Box Score The Pirates built a 4-0 lead through the top of the sixth inning against Twins pitchers Jacob Wosinski and Pierce Banks. Wosinski got the start and went the first 4 1/3 innings, being charged with two earned runs on three hits and a pair of walks, while striking out six. Banks entered the game with a pair of runners on base in the fifth, and a wild pitch would lead to one of Wosinski’s runs, before Banks gave up a pair of his own in the top of the sixth. Banks finished 1 2/3 innings, allowing three hits of his own and striking out one. In the bottom of the sixth the Twins finally got on the board, closing the Pirates lead to two runs. The rehabbing Austin Martin led off the inning with a single, reached second on a wild pitch, then stole third base before a pair of walks to Jose Rodriguez and Harold Grant loaded the bases. Another walk from Andres Centeno scored their first run, and a sac fly from Bryan Acuna scored their second. Carlos Gutierrez entered the game to start the seventh inning, and got knocked around by the Pirates lineup. In all, he would be charged with six earned runs on seven hits and one walk in his 1 2/3 innings, striking out two. Yon Landaeta would finish out the game for the Twins, walking the bases loaded in the ninth, but not allowing a run in his inning and a third. He struck out two. The Twins lineup made it 10-6 with a four-run eighth inning, but it wasn’t nearly enough to keep them in it. Grant and Centeno singled in front of Acuna who launched a three-run home run, his first as a professional, before Fredy Michel followed a few batters later with a solo shot, his first of the season. Martin played second base and batted second, finishing 1-for-3 with a run scored, walk, and stolen base. Grant (2-for-4, R, BB, K) and Centeno (2-for-3, R, RBI, BB, K) each had two hits. Rodriguez finished 1-for-4 with a run scored and a walk, batting third. Acuna led the way with four RBI. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Twins 0, DSL Pirates Gold 1 (7 innings) Box Score The two teams combined for just nine hits in the game, but the Pirates squad got the big one in the form of a solo home run in the first inning, and the pitchers took it from there. Twins starter Jeicol Surumuy was responsible for that home run, and allowed a total of three hits in his 1 2/3 innings. He walked none and struck out one. With a couple of runners on base in the second inning, he was replaced by Adrian Bohorquez who went on to finish the game. He held the Pirates scoreless for the final 4 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit, walking two, and striking out six. The Twins got doubles off the bats of shortstop Yilber Herrera and designated hitter Carlos Silva, but weren’t able to push them over to third base. Their lone hit with a runner in scoring position came in the third inning, after Herrera drew a walk and stole second base. Jayson Bass’s infield single didn’t get him past third base, then Bass was thrown out attempting to steal second base to end that threat. Herrera (1-for-2, 2B, BB, K, SB) and Denyerbe Gervis (1-for-2, BB) each reached base twice in three at-bats to lead the way for the offense. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Adrian Bohorquez, DSL Twins (4 1/3 IP, H, 2 BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day - Bryan Acuna, FCL Twins (1-for-3, R, HR, SF, 4 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - Night game. Batting sixth and playing 3B. #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - Night game. Batting leadoff at 2B. #11 - Austin Martin (Rehab-FCL) - 1-for-3, R, BB, K, SB #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL) - 1-for-4, R, BB, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Gwinnett @ St. Paul (1:07 PM CDT) - RHP Louie Varland (2-0, 5.49 ERA) NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Zebby Matthews (1-1, 6.61 ERA) Lakeland @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CDT) - RHP Andrew Morris (2-1, 3.48 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games!

It was a full day in the Twins minor league system on Friday, but there were some really exciting games as well. It seems so early, but Cedar Rapids clinched another playoff spot and the Midwest League's first-half West Division title. The Saints needed extra innings but still crushed in Louisville, Likewise, the Wins Surge got some big hits late in the game. Fort Myers did not have a good game, but the FCL Twins had a strong showing and a top 20 prospect hit a pretty massive home run. And there was a five-hit game in the Dominican. Read all about it and more. Win-Loss Records St. Paul Saints: 39-27 Wichita Wind Surge: 26-34 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 36-25 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 32-29 FCL Twins: 5-4 DSL Twins: 2-7 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Following their game, the Twins announced that left Brent Headrick was being called up to the Twins. Josh Winder has been optioned to St. Paul. Cedar Rapids placed LHP Jordan Carr on the IL with left elbow inflammation. OF Willie Joe Garry was activated from the Cedar Rapids Injured List. RHP Ricky Mineo and C.J. Culpepper was activated from the Development List (which he was on for one day) . SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 8, Louisville 3 (10 innings) Box Score Hard to imagine that this game was tied at 1-1 at the end of nine innings. However, the Saints scored seven runs in the top of the 10th to grab an “easy” extra-innings win. They are now 5-1 in extra-inning games. The Saints got on the scoreboard first with a Matt Wallner opposite field solo home run. And the Bats got their run in the fifth inning when Joey Votto was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Alright, let’s get to the good stuff, the top of the 10th inning. Elliot Soto began the inning as the Manfred Man. He advanced to third base on a ground out. Mark Contreras pinch-hit for the rehabbing Gilberto Celestino and drilled a triple which allowed Soto to walk in from third. Next, Trevor Larnach singled in Contreras. That was followed by a double by Jose Miranda. With runners on second and third, Matt Wallner was intentionally walked to load the bases. But that brought red-hot Chris Williams to the plate. He lined a single to left that drove in two more runs to make it 5-1 Saints. But that wasn’t it. With a new pitcher, Jair Camargo walked to reload the bases. Then Anthony Prato drove in two runs with a single to center. Then Soto singled to score Camargo and end the Saints scoring. They gave up two runs in the bottom of the 10th, but no worries. Kenta Maeda made another rehab start. He was charged with one run on two hits. In his 4 1/3 innings, he walked four and struck four batters out. Kody Funderburk got the next five outs, two on strikeouts. Austin Brice worked a scoreless inning. Patrick Murphy struck out two batters over the eighth and ninth innings. He recorded the Win and improved to 5-0 and has given up just one run over his past 21 2/3 innings. Alex Scherff gave up two runs (1 earned) in the 10th inning, but he also struck out three batters in his Triple-A debut. The Saints had 10 hits and eight walks in the game, but until the 10th inning, they struggled to score. Larnach and Prato went 2-for-5. Wallner was 1-2 with three walks and his eighth homer. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8,Midland 5 Box Score This was really a back-and-forth game, but the Wind Surge scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to give them their margin of victory. The top of the Wichita lineup continued to produce. DaShawn Keirsey is now hitting .323 after going 2-for-5. Brooks Lee went 2-for-5 with his system-leading 23rd double. Yoyner Fajardo went 2-for-5 and drove in three runs, two in the ninth inning. David Festa made the start on the mound. He gave up four runs on six hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out seven batters. Hunter McMahon was fantastic. He got all eight batters he faced out, three on strikeouts. Francis Peguero gave up the game-tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning. With the lead, Regi Grace got the ninth inning and recorded his first Double-A save. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, South Bend 1 Box Score The Kernels got strong pitching from Marco Raya and Zebby Matthews, and just enough offense to win the game. Cedar Rapids has been a Twins affiliate since 2012, and every year they have made the playoffs. That streak will continue as the win clinched the first-half title for the Kernels. Congratulations to Brian Dinkelman, his staff and players. Raya made the start and again worked three innings. He gave up one run on two hits. He also struck out six batters without a walk. Coming off of his first bad appearance of the season, Matthews came in and tossed six shutout innings. He gave up five hits, struck out four and also did not walk a batter. He was credited with his first High-A Win. Down 1-0 going to the bottom of the fourth, Misael Urbina doubled to score Noah Miller and tie the game. Urbina then scored on a single by Jose Salas to give them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Noah Cardenas gave them a little insurance in the eighth inning when he singled to score Emmanuel Rodriguez for the team’s third run. Urbina led the way. He went 2-for-3 with his seventh and eighth doubles. Salas was also 2-for-3. Rodriguez walked and doubled in the game. Twins 2022 11th round pick Brandon Birdsell, who didn’t sign with the Twins, opting to spend another year at Texas Tech, took the loss in the game for the Cubs. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 1, Bradenton 6 Box Score The Mussels were unable to muster a run until they scored a single run in the top of the ninth inning, but that certainly wasn’t enough on this night. Fort Myers had just five hits in this game, and 2022 sixth-round pick Jorel Ortega had three of them, including his 22nd double. Rubel Cespedes added his ninth double of the seasons nd drove in the lone run. Jose Olivares gave up four runs on just two hits over 4 1/3 innings in the start. He was hurt by the four walks, but he also notched seven strikeouts. Danny Moreno came in to finish the fifth inning, but before he got two outs, he allowed an inherited runner and two more runs to score. Ricky Mineo returned to action and struck out two in a scoreless inning. Jackson Hicks finished with two scoreless innings. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from FLORIDA FCL Twins 12, FCL Red Sox 11 (7 innings) Box Score Man, I heard this was a wild one! And to think, it only went seven innings. The Red Sox scored two in the second inning. They busted out for six in the fourth and three more in the fifth. After four innings, the Twins were down 8-3, but they scored four runs in the fifth, two in the sixth and three in the top of the seventh to take the lead. The hero? Jose Rodriguez hit a three-run homer to give the Twins the lead, and eventually the win. Let’s start with the good news, the offense. Anderson Nova went 2-for-2 with two walks and his first two doubles of the season. Jose Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with a walk and his first home run of the year. Bryan Acuna went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Isaac Pena added a double. On the mound, Brayan Medina started. In 3 1/3 innings, he gave up seven runs (6 earned) on seven hits and two walks. He struck out one. Yon Landaeta got the final two outs of the fourth inning, but not before both of Medina’s runners scored and he gave up a run of his own. Cleiber Maldonado gave up three runs on three hits and a walk over 1 2/3 innings. Finally, Matt Gabbert came on and got the final for outs, three of them on strikeouts. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from BOCA CHICA DSL Twins 12, DSL Brewers (1) 1 Box Score The Twins Dominican Complex team scored five in the first inning and then scored in six of the first seven innings to earn a lopsided win from the now 6-3 Brewers squad. The hitting star was infielder (DH in this game) Dameury Pena. He went 5-for-6 with two doubles and three RBI in the game. He is now hitting .467 (1.051) on the young season. Catcher Jesus Peraza went 3-for-5 with his first double of the season. Juan Hernandez went 2-for-5 with his first double as well. Ariel Castro led off and went 1-for-3 with a walk, a triple, three runs scored and two driven in. Miguel Cordero started and gave up just one hit over four scoreless innings. He walked four and struck out six batters. Joel Garcia gave up one run on three hits and two walks over three innings. He recorded the Win and struck out five batters. Juan Cota and Eider Machuca each struck out two batters in a scoreless inning. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Zebby Matthews (Cedar Rapids) - 6 IP, 5H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 71 pitches, 52 strikes. Hitter of the Day – Dameury Pena (DSL Twins) - 5-for-6, 2-2B(3), 2 R, 3 RBI, SB (3) 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) - 2-for-5, 2B(23), R, RBI, K #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 0-for-3, BB, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, BB, 2B(4), R. #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 2-for-4, 2 K #6 - Marco Raya (Cedar Rapids) - 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 47 pitches, 31 strikes.. #8 - David Festa (Wichita) - 4.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 78 pitches, 51 strikes.. #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-for-2, 3 BB, K, 2 R, RBI #10 - Yasser Mercedes (FCL Twins) - 1-for-2, 2 R, SB(2). #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-3, RBI, CS #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, R, K #15 - Brent Headrick (Minnesota) - Called up to Twins after the game. #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 2-for-3, BB, HR(1), 2 R, 3 RBI. . SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES St. Paul @ Louisville (6:15 PM CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (first AAA start) Wichita @ Midland (7:00 PM CST) - RHP Carlos Luna (1-3, 5.40 ERA) South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin (2-3, 4.11 ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 PM CST) - RHP Ben Ethridge (0-3, 2.96 ERA) FCL Red Sox @ FCL Twins (9:00AM CST) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Giants Orange (10:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games!

I enjoy following the Twins minor-league system. I've been doing that for a minimum of 20 years, and really even further back. Why? Well, even when the Twins are struggling, I can follow four more box scores and keep up with over 100 Twins prospects. Well, then in early June when the short-season, rookie leagues begin, there are two more teams and nearly 60 more prospects to keep up with. The FCL roster includes several of the Twins top young prospects, like 17 and 18 year olds who were signed to seven-digit signing bonuses six months ago. Soon, you will see the Twins Daily Minor League Week in Review which will discuss the good, the bad and the ugly. That will be limited to the four full-season this week. But we would love your input. Is it better to post a Twins Minor League Report on Monday's for the two Complex teams, or do you think it should be included in the Week in Review? Let us know below. Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Austin Martin began a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. RHP Miguelangel Boadas has been promoted from the FCL to Fort Myers. Infielder Jankel Ortiz and outfielder Argenis Jimenez have been placed on the FCL Twins 7-Day IL. RHPs Pierson Ohl and Regi Grace promoted from Cedar Rapids to Wichita. RHP Cory Lewis promoted from Fort Myers to Cedar Rapids. RHP Orlando Rodriguez activated from Cedar Rapids' Development List. Wichita placed RHP Chad Donato on the Development List, and RHP Seth Nordlin was released. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from FLORIDA FCL Twins 4, FCL Rays 1 Box Score Opening Day for the Florida Complex League Twins was on Monday at noon local time at Bill Smith Field in Fort Myers. The roster certainly has some intriguing players. The first thing to point out is that Austin Martin played in his first game since early in spring training. He has been rehabbing an elbow injury. He batted second and played second base. He grounded out to shortstop in his first plate appearance. Then in the third inning, he came up and hit a solo home run. He came to the plate one more time and was hit by a pitch. He added a stolen base. His game was complete soon after, replaced by Isaac Pena who singled in his line at-bat. He scored the team’s fourth run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jose Rodriguez. The offensive star of the game was Venezuelan catcher Daniel Pena who went 3-for-3. In the fourth inning, the 18-year-old hit a two-run homer to increase the Twins lead to 3-1. 19-year-old lefty Cesar Lares posted a 2.93 ERA in 11 starts in the DSL last year (with 71 strikeouts in 46 innings). On Monday, he got the nod to make the team’s first start. Lares gave up one run on two hits and two walks in four innings. He had an impressive nine strikeouts. Juan Mercedes then struck out five batters over three scoreless innings. He gave up one hit and one walk. Yon Landaeta walked two and struck out two batters in a scoreless inning. 24-year-old Ricardo Velez struck out the side in a perfect ninth to record the save. Velez signed with the Twins in July of 2021 as an undrafted free agent from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, an NAIA school. He had been playing in the United Shore League. He has pitched a lot the last couple of offseasons in the Puerto Rican Winter League. Byron Chourio, who came to the Twins in the Luis Arraez/Pablo Lopez deal, batted fifth and played center field. He went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts. Bryan Acuna batted fourth and played shortstop. Ronald and Luisangel’s younger brother went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Finally, the Twins 14th round pick last year was Florida prep infielder Omari Daniel. He didn’t play in 2022 because he had Tommy John surgery. So Monday was his professional debut. He batted ninth and played third base. He went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from BOCA CHICA DSL Twins 1, DSL Giants Orange 5 Box Score The DSL Twins began their season with a home game. Ledwin Taveras started and gave up three runs in the first inning. The 18-year-old responded with two scoreless innings before two unearned runs scored in the fourth frame. The error was his own. In four innings, he gave up five runs (3 earned) on eight hits and two walks. He also notched seven strikeouts. Eduardo Soriano (20) came on and tossed three scoreless innings. He gave up four hits and no walks, and he struck out four batters. Eider Machuca (18) worked the final two innings without further runs scoring. He gave up one hit, walked one, and hit one batter. He had three strikeouts. Meanwhile, the DSL bats were quiet in their first game of the season. Hendry Chivilli had two of the team’s four hits in the game. He played shortstop and hit leadoff. The 17-year-old signed with the Twins in January for $2.1 million. Yilber Herrera had the lone extra base hit, a double, and added the team’s lone walk in the game. He also stole a base. Moises Lopez, who turned 17 a month ago, had the team’s lone RBI, a single to score Herrera. Lopez also stole a base and was hit by a pitch. The Twins top international signing in January was outfielder Ariel Castro who reportedly received a $2.4 million bonus. He batted third and played center field. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. The third seven-digit signing bonus the Twins gave in January went to catcher Carlos Silva, who got $1.1 million. On Opening Day, he batted seventh and was the team’s DH. He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cesar Lares (FCL) - 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 K. Hitter of the Day – Daniel Pena (FCL) - 3-for-3, HR(1), R, 2 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Monday. #10 - Yasser Mercedes (EST) - 0-for-5, K #11 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-for-2, HBP, HR(1), R, RBI, E (played 2B) #18 - Jose Rodriguez (EST) - 1-for-3, SF, RBI, K TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-1, 4.45 ERA) Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05 PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Kyle Jones (3-3, 4.70 ERA) Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - TBD FCL Twins @ FCL Rays (11:00AM CST) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Phillies Red (10:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Monday’s Complex League Opening Day games!

Earlier this week, Seth Stohs took a dive into the deeper end of the Minnesota Twins system, highlighting players who finished in the 21-30 range of our voting tabulation, and honorable mentions who fell just outside that threshold. (For what it's worth, note that Luis Arraez was once found in these very same outside ranks of our lists and others. And he's only one fresh-in-mind example.) With that said, the odds of an MLB future start to increase as we break into the top 20 of our list. In this group of five, representing Twins Daily's choices for the organizations 16th-through-20th best prospects of 2023, we find an intriguing mix of untapped promise and fading high-end upside. 20. Misael Urbina, OF Age: 20 2022 Stats: 263 PA, .247/.323/.407, 5 HR, 27 RBI He was the Twins' big-money signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2018, scoring a $2.75 million bonus, but four years later he hasn't played a game above Low-A. That's how it can go for players that sign as extremely raw talents at age 16 (especially with a lost COVID season mixed in). Through it all he still won't reach legal drinking age until this April. Urbina's outstanding tools remain intact but he needs to start backing them up with production in order to keep his prospect status from fading. Thus far he has a .228/.326/.359 slash line as a pro. 19. Jose Rodriguez, OF Age: 17 2022 Stats (Rookie): 219 PA, .290/.361/.605 , 13 HR, 49 RBI Typically speaking, when teenage players sign from another country and head to the States to play pro ball, it takes a little while to acclimate and warm up. You'll often see meager results in short-season debuts for players who go on to accomplish a great deal. Rodriguez broke the mold after he signed last summer and joined the Twins' affiliate in the Dominican Summer League. He wasn't the most high-profile player acquired in Minnesota's 2022 international signing class, which helped make his spectacular showing on the field so jarring. Rodriguez posted a jaw-dropping .966 OPS and led the short-season league with 13 homers in 55 games. He was an absolute slugging machine and it's scary to think how that might evolve as he ages. The stellar showing earned him Twins Daily's nod as short-season hitter of the year. "Rodriguez’s exit velocities may have been even more impressive than his homer total," wrote Aaron Gleeman, who is higher than most on the prospect, ranking him 13th on his list. "He destroyed the ball, in an environment where that isn’t supposed to take place." So far, so very good. And the strikeout/walk rates are promising for future development. But Rodriguez has a long way to go, as a player from a mold that has high burnout rates. He's a candidate to fly up these rankings with a reinforcing 2023 campaign. 18. Tanner Schobel, 2B Age: 21 2022 Stats (Rookie/A): 136 PA, .242/.367/.303, 1 HR, 11 RBI The Twins snagged Schobel in the second round of last year's draft out of Virginia Tech, where he emerged as a slugging shortstop to boost his appeal. After signing him to a $1 million bonus the Twins him to get his feet wet in Low-A. There, Schobel's power evaporated. Following a 19-homer outburst in the college season, Schobel managed just one home run in 120 plate appearances at Fort Myers, producing a mere .303 slugging percentage. He did, however, show good plate discipline with a 23-to-18 K/BB ratio while swiping seven bags. The power drop-off and move from short to second keep Schobel's helium in check, leading to a lower ranking than you'd normally see from such a highly-drafted prospect in the latest class. But there are some Brian Dozier parallels here, and he's the poster child for late-blooming middle infield power. 17. Ronny Henriquez, RHP Age: 22 2022 Stats (AAA): 95.1 IP, 5.66 ERA, 10.0 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 The Twins were excited to get Ronny Henriquez as an addition to Isiah Kiner-Falefa in last offseason's Mitch Garver trade. They viewed him as underrated addition to their pitching pipeline, capable of racking up strikeouts and moving quickly to the majors. They were correct on those two counts. Henriquez tallied 106 strikeouts in 95 innings at Triple-A, and reached the majors in September at age 22, posting a 2.31 ERA in three appearances. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== With the goods news out of the way, he also allowed a 5.66 ERA at St. Paul, coughing up 19 homers and 33 walks in those 95 innings. Some changes in pitch usage could help Henriquez take the final step to fulfill his potential, and that'll probably start with moving him to full-time relief duty. The righty made 14 starts for the Saints last year among 24 appearances. Don't sleep on him as a significant factor in Minnesota's bullpen this year. 16. Jordan Balazovic, RHP Age: 24 2022 Stats (AAA): 70.2 IP, 7.39 ERA, 9.7 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 What was supposed to be Balazovic's breakthrough year turned into a total breakdown. From start to finish it was an abject disaster. He was all over the place, utterly hittable when in the zone, and incredibly home run prone. Virtually every start unraveled on the big right-hander, at least up until a decent final month softened his landing at season's end. There were reports of a bothersome knee issue, but Balazovic was healthy enough to avoid the injured list following his late start, so this seems more an issue of mechanics and execution. The reason he remains as high as he does in our ranks is because Balazovic had elevated himself to such a level prior to this lost season. Bad as it was, it's only one season, and the 24-year-old still has time to get (at least somewhat) back on track to recapture the form that made him arguably the system's best pitching prospect prior. Over the past three years he's ranked fourth, sixth, and fifth on this list. Feel free to discuss these prospects and ask as many questions as you like in the COMMENTS below. I will try to get to as any of them as I can. For more Twins Daily content on these ten Twins prospects, click on the link with their name here: Jordan Balazovic, Ronny Henriquez, Tanner Schobel, Jose Rodriguez, Misael Urbina. Previous Installments Honorable Mention Prospects 21-30 Prospects 16-20 Prospects 11-15 - Coming Soon!

Minnesota signed Jose Rodriguez as part of the 2022 international signing period. At the time, the Twins were signing other players for higher signing bonuses, which may have helped Rodriguez fly under the radar. As a 17-year-old, Minnesota had him spend the entire season in the Dominican Summer League, where he showed why he might be a prospect to keep an eye on in the years to come. The DSL Twins started their season in June, and Rodriguez slowly started to see his bat warm up. In his first 18 games, he went 17-for-61 (.279 BA) with three doubles, two triples, and two home runs. For the month, he had three games with three or more hits. It was an impressive start to the season, especially since he faced older pitchers in all but 12 of his plate appearances this year. July was Rodriguez's most impressive month as he hit .333/.414/.747 (1.161) with eight doubles, one triple, and seven home runs. He added on three stolen bases and a 19-to-10 strikeout to walk ratio. Rodriguez had a 14-game on-base streak that saw him go 22-for-52 (.423 BA) with 14 extra-base hits. In August, he posted a .919 OPS with nine extra-base hits in 15 games. To end the season on a strong note, Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI on August 18th. Ranking teenage prospects before they sign can be challenging for evaluators, but Rodriguez showed he might have been a steal from last year's signing class. Runner-Up: Ricardo Olivar, C/OF Rookie League Stats (40 G): .349/.442/.605 (1.046), 12 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 23 RBI Olivar has a unique skill set as the Twins use him as a catcher and an outfielder. His bat is so good that there is no wonder the team wants him in the lineup as much as possible. Last season, he struggled in his professional debut with a .686 OPS in 34 games for the FCL Twins. In July and August this season, he combined to hit .344/.446/.677 (1.123) with 18 extra-base hits in 27 games. His performance earned him a September promotion to Fort Myers, where he played three games, including a 2-for-4 effort in his final appearance. Second Runner-Up: Yasser Mercedes, OF DSL Stats (41 G): .355/.421/.555 (.975), 13 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 30 SB Mercedes ranked as one of the best international prospects in this year's signing class, and he showcased all of his tools in his professional debut. He hit for average and power, played terrific outfield defense, and stole 30 bases in 41 games. Mercedes had multiple hits in 16 games, and he saw his OPS increase each month of the season. He's one of the team's top prospects, and he should rise on prospect rankings this winter based on his professional debut. Honorable Mentions: Rafael Cruz, 1B/3B (FCL/DSL): .297/.398/.558 (.956), 8 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR Cruz saw his OPS jump over 370 points in his second professional season. Alexander Pena, 1B/3B (FCL): .317/.374/.537 (.910), 7 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR Pena repeated the FCL as a 20-year-old but saw a significant increase in his power production this season. Bryan Acuna, SS (DSL): .310/.409/.393 (.803) 12 2B, 0 HR, 9 SB, 20 BB Acuna showed he can hit for average and draw walks, and his power will develop as he adds to his frame. Anderson Nova, OF (DSL): .355/.465/.476 (.932) 8 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR Nova drew 21 walks in 40 games to help boost his OBP, which is good to see from a 17-year-old. Which players will most likely impact the Twins down the road? Who would you vote as the short-season hitter of the year? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. PREVIOUS WINNERS: 2016 - Lewin Diaz 2017 - Akil Baddoo 2018 - Chris Williams 2019 - Matt Wallner 2021 - Kala’i Rosario

TRANSACTIONS - RHP Jake Jewell claimed off waivers, assigned to Triple-A St.Paul - FCL Twins activated OF Reynaldo Madrigal from the 7-day injured list - C Nate Baez assigned to Low-A Fort Myers - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels transferred 2B Jorel Ortega from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels released C LaRon Smith. - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels activated RHP A.J. Labas from the 60-day injured list. SAINTS SENTINEL The game between the St.Paul Saints and the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders was postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wind Surge 3, Drillers 7 Box Score The Wind Surge were quiet offensively until the late innings, as Drillers’ starter Nick Nastrini took a no-hitter into the seventh. Aaron Sabato hit a solo homer to right center to break it up. Sabato’s home run is his second is as many days, as he walked off the game last night with a grand slam. It was a slow start for Sabato at Double-A but it’s possible he’s starting to hit his stride. Brent Headrick started for the Surge and struck out 10 over five innings. Headrick gave up a three-run homer in the fifth but otherwise was fantastic. Cole Sturgeon drove in two runs in the ninth on a single but it wasn't enough. The Surge are 62-48 and lead the Double-A Central by 1.5 games over the Drillers. This is a big weekend. KERNELS NUGGETS Kernels 1, Timber Rattlers 0 Box Score Four Kernels pitchers combined to shutout the Timber Rattlers in a 1-0 victory Thursday. Tyler Palm started and pitched three scoreless innings, giving way to six more outstanding innings from Jon Olsen, Matthew Swain, and Bradley Hanner. The Kernels allowed only three hits and three walks. Mikey Perez broke a scoreless tie with a solo homer in the fifth, his first of the season. Stunningly, it was the Kernels only hit of the night. They went 1-for-25 and won the game! On the whole, both offenses went 4-for-54. What a game. It was over in two hours and two minutes. The Kernels improved to 66-45. It's been a great year in Cedar Rapids. MUSSEL MATTERS Mussels 2, Cardinals 1 (Game suspended in in third) Box Score The Mighty Mussels will resume this game Friday and lead 2-1. Ben Ross hit a solo homer in the first, his second of the season. Alec Sayre drove in Kala’i Rosario on a sacrifice fly in the second. Rosario doubled for the 19th time this season. Mike Paredes gave up one run on a solo homer and struck out three. Paredes has a 2.92 ERA on the season. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 4, FCL Orioles 3 Box Score The FCL Twins rode a strong fifth inning to their 24th victory of the season. Trailing 2-0 in the fifth, the Twins scored four runs on an RBI single from Ishmael Pérez and three bases-loaded walks. The Twins held on thanks to two scoreless innings from Miguelangel Boadas. Making his fourth start on the year, José Olivares gave up two runs on a homer and an RBI single in three innings of work. Olivares struck out five and walked only two. He has a 4.01 ERA. The Twins are working back toward .500 and improved to 24-27 with this win over a scuffling FCL Orioles squad (12-38). DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 7, DSL Rockies 6 Box Score The middle of the Twins’ order continued their excellence in a tight, one-run victory Thursday. It was another banner day for José Rodríguez, who went 3-for-5 with two homers and 5 RBI. Rodríguez's second homer was a three-run shot that gave the Twins the lead. Rodríguez owns a .989 OPS with 13 homers in 52 games. Bryan Acuña went 3-for-5 with a double, bringing his season line up to .313/.415/.403. Isaac Peña also notched a multi-hit game, including a double. Peña is hitting .364/.455/.458. The Twins are crushing the ball. On the mound, the Twins did just enough to win while striking out seven. The Twins are 32-24 and continue to wow with their lineup. TWINS MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Minor League Hitter of the Day - José Rodríguez: 3-for-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Tyler Palm: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, BB, 3 K PROSPECT SUMMARY #4 Austin Martin - 1-for-4, R #14 Edouard Julien - 0-for-3, BB #20 Kala’i Rosario - 1-for-1, 2B, R FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Saints - TBD (7:07 p.m.) Surge - RHP Daniel Gossett (7:05 p.m.) Kernels - TBD (6:35 p.m.) Mussels - RHP Pierson Ohl (5:30 p.m.) FCL Twins - TBD (10:00 a.m.) DSL Twins - TBD (11:00 a.m.) Questions or comments? Leave them below!

SAINTS SENTINEL Saints 3, Storm Chasers 9 Box Score The Saints had trouble offensively in Thursday’s loss to the Storm Chasers. They struck out 15 times and recorded seven hits, two of which came from the new Saint Nash Knight. Elliott Soto homered in the fifth, his fifth of the season. Caleb Hamilton also went deep in the eighth, his 11th long-ball of the year. Jordan Balazovic started and gave up five runs on six hits in three innings. Balazovic walked two and struck out four. His ERA is 10.75 in 37 ⅔ innings for the Saints. Ronny Henriquez struggled in relief, allowing four runs in four innings. Henriquez walked one and struck out six. The Saints had won four straight and six of their last seven. They fell to 49-51 with the loss on their trek to .500. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wind Surge 4, Missions 3 Box Score The Wind Surge, after giving up their lead in the ninth, won the game in the 10th on an RBI single from Anthony Prato and a scoreless outing from Steven Cruz. Cruz entered the game with a runner at third and one out in the bottom of the 10th. He got a key strikeout and forced a flyout to end the game. Louie Varland started for the Surge and pitched six scoreless innings, allowing seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Varland has a 3.34 ERA on the season, his follow-up from an outstanding Minor League Pitcher of the Year season in 2021. Andrew Bechtold had a two-hit, two-walk night, including his 14th homer of the season. Prato, the hero in the top of the 10th, notched two hits on the night and drew a walk. He’s hitting .308 with an .808 OPS in 49 games for the Surge. Edouard Julien hit his 13th homer, continuing a scorching hot streak. Wichita is 52-46. KERNELS NUGGETS Kernels 4, Sky Carp 5 Box Score The Kernels scored their first two runs on wild pitches in the first and second innings, jumping to an early lead. Seth Gray made it a 3-1 game with a double in the fifth, his 12th double and 51st RBI of the season. Gray went 2-for-4 on the day. Orlando Rodríguez started for the Kernels and pitched well. Rodríguez struck out six of the 13 batters he faced, allowing three hits and one run in 3 2/3 innings. The Kernels blew the lead in the sixth, giving up a game-tying two-run homer and a two-run single. The Kernels battled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with three straight singles to pull within one run. They had the tying run on third and the winning run on second but couldn’t cash in. The Kernels are 59-40. They’ve lost three straight to Beloit and five of their last six. MUSSEL MATTERS Mighty Mussels 7, Marauders 4 Box Score The Mighty Mussels built a 7-0 lead behind a tremendous start from Jordan Carr. Carr pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits with four strikeouts and zero walks. Misael Urbina and Rubel Cespedes each hit solo homers to give the Mussels a 2-0 lead. Urbina entered the game hitting .290/.333/.548 with 11 extra-base hits over his last 69 plate appearances. Daniel Ozoria added an RBI double in the fourth, his fourth on the season. Cespedes and Urbina had multi-hit nights, as did Noah Cardenas. Nelson Roberto added a double and came around to score. The Mussels gave up four runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but Jackson Hicks ultimately shut the door to secure the win. The Mussels are 55-40. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 8, FCL Pirates 5 Box Score Brooks Lee made his much-anticipated debut Thursday, leading off and playing shortstop for the FCL Twins. Lee went 1-for-4 with his first professional hit, a single to left. Lee, the Twins’ first-round pick mere weeks ago, should be fun to watch down the stretch. Brayan Medina started for the Twins and pitched four solid innings, allowing just one run with five strikeouts and one walk. It was a massive day for Rafael Cruz, who went 2-for-4 with a triple, a homer, and five RBI. Dennis Ortega notched two hits as he rehabs on route back to Wichita. The FCL Twins are inching back toward .500, improving to 20-21 with the win. They’ll face the FCL Red Sox Friday morning in Fort Myers at the historic JetBlue Park. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 6, DSL Dodgers 2 Box Score The DSL Twins took down the DSL Dodgers Thursday, thanks to stellar performances from Yasser Mercedes, José Rodríguez, and the pitching staff. Mercedes went 3-for-4 with a double, and Rodríguez went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, his 10th of the season. Both Mercedes and Rodríguez have crushed DSL pitching this summer. Anthony Narváez struck out seven over his three-inning start, allowing only one run and walking none. Orlando Rubio and Bianger Liedo combined to allow zero earned runs over four innings, locking down the victory. It was a strong day. The DSL Twins improved to 27-18 with the win and will return to play the DSL Tigers Friday at 10 a.m. CT. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Minor League Hitter of the Day - José Rodríguez (2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI) Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Louie Varland (6 IP, 7 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 3 K) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY #7 Jordan Balazovic - 3 IP, 6 H, 5 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 K #11 Louie Varland - 6 IP, 7 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 3 K #12 Matt Wallner - 1-for-4, 2B #14 Ronny Henríquez - 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R/ER, BB, 6 K

Of course with virtually all of the action on hold, getting your fix from a prospect standpoint can still be had through the Major League Baseball draft. Since the league moved the draft to All-Star Week, Minnesota is currently working on an influx of new minor league talent. The draft can be consumed today through the Twins Daily Draft Tracker, and you can catch up on picks from the first two rounds by checking out how thrilled Minnesota was with the way the board fell to them. A rundown of each pick from the first night is found by player. Check out Brooks Lee here, Connor Prielipp here, and Tanner Schobel here. As the players sign and some of them get into action the rest of the summer, make sure to check out the Twins Daily prospect rankings as they'll begin to be included in the top 30 should merit determine placement. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Mariners 7, DSL Twins 6 (F/8) Box Score Leonardo Lugo was on the mound today for the Dominican Twins and worked three innings of three-hit baseball. Unfortunately three runs were also scored against him. Lugo tallied four strikeouts and two walks. The Twins got on the board first when Jose Rodriguez ripped a single to drive in Yasser Mercedes. Rodriguez wound up going 3-for-3 today, including a pair of doubles, and now owns a 1.102 OPS on the season. The Twins scored again in the 2nd inning, this time on a wild pitch, and Bryan Acuna was plated in the third to even the score at three. Despite having allowed runs the Twins continued to add on their own. Daniel Pena drove in Ricardo Pena with a 4th inning single, and a Rafael Cruz double made it 5-3 in the 5th inning. Junior Marino drove in Cruz on a sac fly before the frame was over and the Twins now had doubled up the Mariners. This game featured fives errors and things were extremely sloppy on the Twins side. The Mariners tied things up at six despite tallying just three hits through 6 innings. Allowing another run in the 8th inning, the Twins found themselves walked off. The Twins DSL team is off tomorrow before facing the DSL White Sox on Wednesday. THE CARD MARKET Much of the allure behind Bowman prospect trading cards from Topps is being able to capitalize on the emergence of a young talent. Collecting cards and autographs of minor league players prior to their big league debuts is what drives true prospectors. For Minnesota, names like Austin Martin and Keoni Cavaco have been hot over the past few seasons following their acquisitions. Based on the performance thus far, that should highlight all you need to know about the difficulty to accurately project who will consistently produce. That being said, the Dominican Summer League team has been a key area of interest this season following the Twins signing of Bryan Acuna. Brother to Atlanta Braves superstar, the Acuna name is always going to carry some massive expectations. The Twins Acuna was not a huge international signee, and he was ranked just the 39th best international prospect by MLB Pipeline. Still, with autographs and chase cards, he was among the hottest two find when the product released. Now with some of his prices dropping, the opportunity to get in appears a bit better. With a two-hit game today, Acuna's OPS is up to .619. He's still incredibly raw and is among the youngest players in the league at just 16-years-old. Acuna turns 17 in August.