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0:00 Intro 2:40 Will Jackson Chourio sign an extension? 9:50 Sonny Gray to the Cardinals and what that means for the Twins and their draft. The addition of another pick, which should come around #33, will be a boon to the team's bonus pool. 23:11 MLB Pipeline Top 30 updates 24:20 Brewers 31:16 Cubs 42:37 Twins 50:00 Listener Questions 57:22 What's Next? You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at iTunes or Spotify, retweeting show related content on Twitter, and subscribing to the Twins Daily YouTube page. You can follow us @DTS_POD1, @J_D_Cameron, @Jeremynygaard, and @TheodoreTollef1 on Twitter. Send us your prospect and draft related questions for our next episode. Find Destination: The Show on all major podcast platforms including Spotify, iTunes, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. The show is available on Libsyn, our podcasting platform, in addition to YouTube.

Baseball player development is a non-linear path, with players facing different obstacles on their way to the big-league level. Organizations can be aggressive with some top prospects and move them through the farm system quicker than expected. Other prospects might suffer injuries or poor play and be forced to repeat a level for multiple years. Every prospect follows a different journey, making it intriguing for fans to follow. Below is a look at the top 10 prospects in the Twins organization according to Twins Daily’s end-of-the-season voting. Not every outlet updates its ranking multiple times per year, but Twins Daily updates the player rankings and scouting reports monthly so there is a live view of each prospect's progress. Multiple names below are on pace to impact the Twins roster next season. 1. Walker Jenkins, OF ETA: 2026 The Twins took Jenkins with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft. He was promoted relatively aggressively during his professional debut by ending the year at Low-A. In 26 games, he hit .362/.417/.571 (.989) with five doubles, four triples, and three home runs. It’s expected that he will start the year in Fort Myers with a chance to play in Cedar Rapids at the end of 2024. That should put him on pace to reach the big leagues in the second half of 2026, at which point he'll be 21 years old. 2. Brooks Lee, SS/3B ETA: 2024 The 2023 campaign was Lee’s first full season as a professional after the Twins took him with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. He started the year at Double-A, posting an .841 OPS in 87 games. Minnesota promoted him to St. Paul in the season’s second half, and his OPS dipped to .731 at a level where he was over four years younger than the average age of the competition. Lee will start the year in St. Paul and be one injury away from making his big-league debut. 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF ETA: 2025 Rodriguez will have an advantage over other names on this list due to being added to the 40-man roster this winter. These roster spots are valuable, and it gives him a better chance at making his debut because the team might need to dig into their depth if there are multiple big-league injuries. Rodriguez played the 2023 season at High-A, hitting .240/.400/.463 (.863) with 38 extra-base hits in 99 games. The Twins will plan for him to spend the 2024 campaign at Double-A, which puts him on pace to debut in 2025. 4. Marco Raya, SP ETA: 2025 The Twins have taken a unique development path with Raya by aggressively promoting him while limiting his innings pitched. He ended last season at Double-A in his age-20 season. Between two levels, Raya posted a 4.02 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP in 62 2/3 innings spread across 22 starts. He never pitched more than four innings in an appearance and never threw more than 54 pitches. It seems likely for Raya to spend all of 2024 at Double-A unless the team continues to be aggressive with him. 5. David Festa, SP ETA: 2024 Festa emerged as one of the organization’s top pitching prospects last season after being taken in the 13th round of the 2021 MLB Draft. He pitched at Double-A and Triple-A with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. He posted an 11.6 K/9 in 92 1/3 innings across 24 appearances (22 starts). Minnesota faces a self-imposed payroll crunch next season, which may leave the team relying on internal options for added depth. Festa will be at Triple-A, waiting for his opportunity to join the Twins’ rotation at some point next season. 6. Charlee Soto, SP ETA: 2027 Soto has yet to make his professional debut after being drafted by the Twins with the 34th overall selection last June. He didn’t turn 18 until after the draft, so he has a lot of time to develop in the organization’s farm system. He will likely be the last player on this list to debut, but he has an exciting future with his pitching profile. 7. Austin Martin, 2B/OF ETA: 2024 Martin was the top-ranked prospect included in the Jose Berrios trade with Toronto, and he’s seen some ups and downs during his time with the Twins organization. He struggled during the 2022 season with a .683 OPS at Double-A before heading to the AFL and being one of the league’s best hitters. Last season, he injured his elbow during spring training, and there was some discussion that he’d need surgery. Martin rehabbed the elbow and posted a .791 OPS in 59 Triple-A games. The Twins have an opening in center field, and Martin might be able to take over that role at some point in 2024. 8. Brandon Winokur, OF ETA: 2027 Minnesota went well over-slot to sign Winokur for $1.5 million as a third-round pick. Winokur played 17 games during his professional debut and hit .288/.338/.546 (.884) with five doubles and four home runs. He has shown flashes of being a potential five-tool outfielder, but he is far from Target Field. Like Soto, he won’t debut for multiple seasons, and many things can go wrong with development along the way. 9. Luke Keaschall, 2B ETA: 2026 The Twins love to draft college bats, so the club targeted Keaschall with their second-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Minnesota was aggressive after signing him by having him play at three different levels and finishing the year with Cedar Rapids. In 31 games, he hit .288/.414/.478 (.892) with 14 extra-base hits. The Twins will likely have him return to High-A to begin 2024, which puts him on pace to debut during his age-23 season. 10. Tanner Schobel, 2B/3B ETA: 2025 Schobel was selected in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, so his development path shows what the Twins might follow with Keaschall. He split time in 2023 between High- and Double-A while posting a .776 OPS in 126 games. Minnesota continues to play him at second and third base, and this defensive flexibility might help him reach the big leagues even sooner. Do you agree with the ETAs listed for each prospect? Which player will have the most significant impact on the Twins next season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

We have read about and written about and talked about a “Pitching Pipeline” for the Minnesota Twins. It was one of the reasons that many were so excited about the Twins bringing in Derek Falvey as President of Baseball Operations seven years ago. Starting Pitchers 2023 Starting Staff: Pablo Lopez, Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Louie Varland Free Agents: Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda Projected 2024 Starting Staff: RHP Pablo Lopez, RHP Chris Paddack, RHP Joe Ryan, RHP Bailey Ober, RHP Louie Varland. Ended 2023 in St. Paul: RHP Randy Dobnak, RHP Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP David Festa, LHP Brent Headrick. Ended 2023 in AA Wichita: RHP Marco Raya, RHP Travis Adams, RHP Pierson Ohl, LHP Jaylen Nowlin, LHP Jordan Carr. The six starting pitchers mentioned above made 149 of the team’s 162 starts (92.0%). Add Dallas Keuchel’s six starts and Tyler Mahle’s five starts, and you cover 160 starts. That is not normal, and the Twins can’t make any sort of assumption that it will happen again. Chris Paddack returned late in the season in the bullpen and showed that he is strong. The Twins are still likely to add a pitcher or two in free agency or via trade, but which minor leaguers have a chance to contribute in 2024? Also, who are the exciting prospects to follow through the pitching pipeline? We saw some of the candidates make their debuts in 2022 and 2023. Josh Winder and Cole Sands moved to the bullpen full-time in 2023. In addition, former top starting pitcher prospect Jordan Balazovic debuted in the bullpen. He had one strong month with the Twins and was getting opportunities in key spots before struggling late and being optioned. Brent Headrick came up a few times and worked in relief, both long and short. However, when he was in St. Paul, he was used as a starter. Louie Varland made 10 starts for the Twins, but in September, he was used out of the bullpen and showed dominance. However, he should remain a starter, at least for the foreseeable future. And, finally healthy, Randy Dobnak should be considered for a spot just like others who reach St. Paul.

Here we are: the final minor league weekly recap of the season. Read all about the Twins week in Nick’s Week in Review . WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 37-32 (1-5 last week) in the second half; second in the IL West by 1.5 games; tied for seventh overall in the International League. Overview: The Saints ended their week on a five-game losing streak, which quickly eliminated the idea that they were going to make one last push for the playoffs. 🔥: It wasn't a pretty week for the Saints, but you can always count on Yunior Severino to hit some home runs (and strike out). Severino hit two more, bringing his season total to 34 (in 451 at-bats). In his first 1,189 minor league at-bats (five years), he hit 39. (He also struck out 10 times... and 164 times on the year). 🔥: Simeon Woods Richardson struck out five in five innings, allowing only one run on three hits and three walks. 🔥: Trevor Larnach led the Saints with seven hits (including a home run). Larnach got significantly more at-bats in the minors this year (258) than last year (44), though his big-league at-bats were almost exactly the same from last year to this year. He was able to stay mostly healthy, but he'll be 27 when he reports to spring training next year... so it's do or die time for Larnach. 🤔: Nick Gordon started rehabbing with the Saints. He struck out in two of his seven hitless at-bats. 🥶: Randy Dobnak struggled in his lone start, allowing six runs on nine hits. He struck out four over 5 2/3 innings. 🥶: DaShawn Keirsey , who has had a better season than anyone anticipated he would, went hitless this week (13 at-bats). His batting average dropped from .298 to .265 over the course of the week. Keirsey has batted only .188 in the month of September What's Next: The Saints season will end their season by hosting Toledo. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 36-33 (2-4 last week) in the second half and finished two games behind Springfield in the division. Overview: Entering the final day of the regular season, there was a still a chance: a win and help. Wichita failed to get the win and their season was over. 🔥: Jake Rucker and Alex Isola led the Wind Surge offense with ten and nine hits, respectively. Both doubled and homered. 🔥: Pierson Ohl and Marco Raya had very good starts. Ohl allowed three hits, a walk and hit two batters in his start, but lasted 5 1/3 innings without giving up a run. Ohl struck out five. Raya gave up a hit and walk while striking out four in four innings. 😏: Chris Paddack struck out six in four innings as he works his way towards potentially joining the Twins for the playoffs. 🥶: Jaylen Nowlin had a poor ending to his season, allowing four runs on three hits (and two home runs) in three innings. Nowlin figures to start next season in Wichita's rotation and still has a chance at the big leagues, which is a victory in itself when you're a 19th round pick. 🥶: After his promotion to Wichita in mid-July, Tanner Schobel got off to a slow start - it took him until September to get his batting average over .200 - so his 5-for-22 week to end his season isn't a terrible outlier, but he also didn't take any walks or get an extra base hit. It was his first full professional season, so you'll take some struggles with the 126 games and 479 at-bats. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overview: After losing the opener of the West Division Championship Series to Peoria, the Kernels returned home and won their next two games to advance to the Midwest League Championship Series. Then they used a comeback win to take a one-game lead on Great Lakes. 🔥: Noah Cardenas had a champion-type box score for the past week. He was 4-for-10 with a double, three runs scored and batted in. Most impressively, though, he drew seven walks and didn't strike out. While the big hit might get the highlights, it's the great plate appearances that help teams win big games. 🔥: C.J. "Big Game" Culpepper struck out eight and only allowed one run on four hits and a walk over five innings to earn a playoff win. 🤨: Maybe Jose Salas has just been holding it in until the games were really, really important. He may have only had three hits in 15 at-bats, but he managed to drive in six runs by homering and tripling. 🥶: Christian MacLeod allowed four runs on three hits and three walks (and a hit batter) while striking out three and recording only four outs. (Luckily, the offense came through in that game.) 🥶: Emmanuel Rodriguez has always used walks to beef up his OBP. This week he was 2-for-20 with no walks and nine strikeouts. (But maybe the freezing emoji is the wrong call because he hit two huge home runs on Sunday.) What's Next: One more win and the players will get a new piece of jewelry. Or two more losses and an offseason full of disappointment. 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 periodically 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. Brent Headrick, LHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.1 IP, HB, 4 K. (1.30 WHIP, .254 BAA). (1.44 WHIP, .267 BAA ), 19. Cory Lewis, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 4 IP, 4 H, ER, HB, 4 K (1.06 WHIP, .198 BAA). 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: (.262/.325/.412. .737 OPS) 17. Danny De Andrade, SS, Fort Myers: (.244/.354/.396. .750 OPS), played five games (90 total games) at shortstop and committed two errors in 18 chances (15 errors in 326 total chances). Previously played one game at third base and had no errors in four chances. 16. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 K. (1.70 WHIP, .267 BAA); Minnesota: (1.56 WHIP, .274 BAA). 15. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 5 K (1.49 WHIP, .249 BAA); Minnesota: (1.56 WHIP, .274 BAA). 14. Yunior Severino, 3B, St. Paul: 4-18, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 10 K. (AA/AAA combined .275/.352/.550. .902 OPS). 13. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Cedar Rapids: 3-15, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 4 BB, 7 K. (.252/.364/.467. .831 OPS). 12. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: (.196/.248/.381. .629 OPS) 11. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Prielipp underwent season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 10. Luke Keaschall, 2B, Cedar Rapids: 4-13, 2 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K. (rookie/l-A/h-A combined .288/.414/.477. .891 OPS), played four games (24 total) at second base and committed two errors in 22 chances (three errors in 83 total chances), played one game in centerfield (four games total) and committed no errors in no chances (no errors in two total chances), and played one game at third base (two total) and committed no errors in one chance (one error in three total chances). 9. Brandon Winokur, OF, FCL Twins: (.288/.338/.545. .883 OPS), played nine games at shortstop and committed two errors in 34 chances and played seven games at centerfield and committed no errors in 19 chances. 8. Tanner Schobel, INF, Wichita: 5-22, RBI, 3 K. (high-A/AA combined .265/.352/.424. .776 OPS), played four games (58 total) at second base and committed one error in 12 chances (10 errors in 224 total chances), played one game (59 total) at third base and committed no errors in no chances (four errors in 115 total chances), previously played five games at shortstop and committed no errors in 14 total chances. 7. Austin Martin, 2B/OF, St. Paul: 4-15, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 8 BB, 3 K, 2 SB. (rehab/AAA combined .266/.389/.408. .797 OPS), played two games (38 total) at second base and committed no errors in 8 chances (four errors in 152 total chances), played two games (13 total) in left field and committed no errors in eight chance (no errors in 35 total chances). Previously played 11 games in centerfield and committed one error in 28 total chances. 6. David Festa, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 3.38 ERA, 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. (AAA/AA combined 1.39 WHIP, .246 BAA) 5. Charlee Soto, RHP: Did not pitch. 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.0 IP, H, BB, 4 K. (AA/Hi-A combined 1.07 WHIP, .197 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 3-13, 3B, 3 RBI, 3 R, 7 BB, 6 K. (.240/.400/.463. .863 OPS) 2. Walker Jenkins, OF, Fort Myers: 6-19, 2 3B, 4 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K, SB, CS. (FCL/low-A combined .362/.417/.571. .988 OPS) 1. Brooks Lee, SS, St. Paul: 4-23, 2 2B, RBI, 7 R, 4 K. (AA/AAA combined .277/.349/.460. .809 OPS), played three games (106 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 7 chances (18 errors in 437 total chances) and played one game (seven total) at third base and committed no errors in five chances (one error in 19 chances total chances). DESTINATION: The Show In this week's episode, Jeremy and JD tackle a variety of topics. Lots of Twins talk, especially regarding their 2023 draft class. Below is a quick out-take from the show. Click here to watch the full episode. You can find Destination: The Show on all major podcast platforms including Spotify, iTunes, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. The show is available on Libsyn, our podcasting platform, in addition to YouTube.

TRANSACTIONS LHP Brent Headrick optioned to St. Paul RHP Bailey Ober recalled by Minnesota UTIL Nick Gordon begins a rehab assignment with St. Paul RHP Brock Stewart begins a rehab assignment with St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 7, St. Paul 6 Box Score Former Twins pitcher Stephen Gonsalves was on the bump Friday night for Iowa against St. Paul. The Saints gave the ball to Blayne Enlow looking to bounce back from the defeat on Thursday. Enlow worked an abbreviated three inning outing allowing two runs on five hits. He didn’t surrender a walk and struck out one. After Matt Mervis drove in the game's first run for Iowa, the Saints responded as Kyle Garlick doubled home Trevor Larnach in the top of the second inning. St. Paul then loaded the bases against Gonsalves, still with no outs, and added a second run with Anthony Prato taking a walk to drive in Garlick. Austin Martin also drew a walk to drive in DaShawn Keirsey Jr. making it a 3-1 game headed to the bottom of the second. With Iowa grabbing a run back in the third inning, St. Paul looked to find some extra breathing room again. Entering in the fourth inning, Twins reliever Brock Stewart made his first game appearance since June 25. Picking up where he left off, he struck out two of the three hitters he saw. Ronny Henriquez came on and worked a scoreless fifth inning of relief, but going back out for the sixth inning proved to be a disaster. He allowed five runs and recorded just two outs before Jordan Balazovic came on to take over. Continuing to run out former Twins prospects, the Cubs sent Nick Burdi to the mound in the eighth inning, and the 2014 second round pick worked a scoreless frame against his former organization. Closing out the game for Iowa was former Minnesota reliever Tyler Duffey . St. Paul tried to put together a rally in the ninth inning with Michael Helman grabbing a one-out single before Martin walked for the third time in the game. He got Lee to strike out on a ball in the dirt and it was on Trevor Larnach to extend the game. He blasted a pitch on the outside edge over the wall to bring St. Paul back within one. Garlick went down swinging to end the game. Nick Gordon was 0-for-3 in his appearances at the dish Friday night. With just seven hits to their credit, only Gilberto Celestino and Larnach recorded two on Friday night. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 7, Midland 0 Box Score Marco Raya was on the bump Friday night for the Wind Surge. He worked four innings of scoreless baseball allowing just a single hit and walk. Raya struck out four, and has now allowed just two earned runs over his past 17 innings pitched. It took a few innings for a run to come across the board, but Yoyner Fajardo plated a pair when he blasted his ninth home run, scoring Will Holland, in the third inning. A couple innings later, Jake Rucker took a ball over the fence for his ninth home run, and the solo shot made it a 3-0 game. Getting in the box score again, Fajardo tripled for the eighth time and drove in Alerick Soularie making it a 4-0 lead by the end of the fifth inning. Patrick Winkel joined the home run pair by blasting his tenth, a solo home run, in the sixth inning to make it a 5-0 game. The Wind Surge kept adding in the seventh inning, and it was again Fajardo at the center of it. His single drove in Holland before Winkel used a sacrifice fly to make it 7-0. Rehabbing Twins reliever Jorge Alcala worked 1 1/3 innings and struck out four batters. He did allow a hit and a walk. Taylor Floyd closed out the game with 1 2/3 innings of work. Fajardo was the highlight reel Friday with three hits. Both Winkel and Holland had two of their own. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Peoria 3 Box Score Looking to win two in a row and utilize the home field advantage, Cedar Rapids sent C.J. Culpepper to the mound on Friday night. He was nearly flawless going five innings and allowing just a single earned run on four hits and a walk. Culpepper also struck out eight. The Kernels jumped out to an early lead, scoring four runs in the first inning. Andrew Cossetti singled home Emmanuel Rodriguez before Jorel Ortega drove in Kala’i Rosario with a single of his own. Luke Keaschall then singled in Cossetti and Jose Salas brought Ortega home on a ground out. Chasing the four-spot, Peoria did grab a run of their own in the top of the second inning. The Kernels answered that in the fifth inning when Noah Cardenas singled home Ortega and put the good guys back up by a grand slam. The two sides stretched and then the Kernels flexed their muscle again. In the bottom of the the seventh inning Cardenas singled home Cossetti before Jose Salas tripled in Keaschall and Cardenas to make it an 8-1 game. With time running out, the Kernels were inching their way towards a Midwest League Western Division championship. Piling on for good measure, Keaschall drove in Rodriguez before Peoria stepped in for their final at-bats, trailing 9-1. Kyle Jones remained on the mound and closed the game out working two innings, allowing just a pair of meaningless ninth inning runs. Both Keaschall and Cardenas grabbed three hits while Ortega had a pair of his own. Cedar Rapids will take on the Dodgers affiliate, the Great Lakes Loons, in the Midwest League Championship series. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – C.J. Culpepper (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Yoyner Fajardo (Wichita) - 3-5, R, 4 RBI, 3B, HR(9) 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 (St. Paul) - 0-4, 2 K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K #4 - Marco Raya (Wichita) - 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB 4 K #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 0-2, RBI, 3 BB, 2 K #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-4, K #10 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 3-5, R, 2 RBI, K #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, BB, 2 K #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (6:08PM CST) - RHP Patrick Murphy Midland @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Jaylen Nowlin Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games!

Evaluating prospects has become ingrained in fans' evaluation of a team. It's easy to point at organizations like the Baltimore Orioles or Houston Astros that went into full rebuild mode to restock the farm system with the promise of better long-term outcomes. However, there are plenty of examples of teams who get caught in rebuild mode without ever having sustained success at the big-league level. Dreaming of the future can be fun for fans, but there are no guarantees that prospects will ever pan out. According to MLB.com, the Twins' farm system was moderately helped by jumping up to the fifth overall pick in MLB's first Draft Lottery. The 2023 MLB Draft was widely considered a five-player draft with a quintet of elite players sitting at the top of draft boards. Minnesota's farm system moved up two spots from 19th to 17th overall in MLB Pipeline's reranking of farm systems following the draft. Since 2021, this is the highest the Twins farm system has ranked, with the club's lowest ranking being 23rd (2022 midseason rank). Currently, the Twins have two prospects that rank among baseball's top 30, and an argument can be made for either to be the team's top overall prospect. Brooks Lee has remained at the top of the Twins Daily prospect rankings even after the team drafted Walker Jenkins with the fifth overall pick. Lee was recently promoted to Triple-A and has a chance to debut in the next calendar year, so it's expected for him to graduate from the team's prospect rankings by 2025. Instead, the team's top prospects project to be among baseball's best. Jonathan Mayo, one of MLB.com's prospect writers, believes the Twins will have two of baseball's top five prospects by 2025. Walker Jenkins is only a handful of games into his professional career, but many national outlets already rank him as a top-20 prospect. In his first nine professional games, he went 13-for-38 (.342 BA) with two doubles, one triple, and two home runs. Also, he's gone 3-for-4 in steal attempts and limited himself to six strikeouts. There is certainly a lot of pressure on high draft picks to perform in their first taste of professional baseball, and Jenkins has passed the first test. Emmanuel Rodriguez joins Lee and Jenkins in most national top-100 rankings and can potentially be a top-5 prospect by 2025. He's spent his age-20 season at High-A, where he has hit .228/.391/.443 (.834) with seven doubles, five triples, and 15 home runs in 81 games. After a slow start, Rodriguez has found his power stroke in August with four home runs and a .962 OPS in 12 games to start the month. For the second straight season, he is over two years younger than the average age of the competition at his level. In over 370 plate appearances, he has only faced a younger pitcher in two at-bats. The Twins have other prospects that will be among the team's top prospects by 2025. Marco Raya, one of the team's top pitching prospects, is pitching at Double-A in his age-20 season. Connor Prielipp will miss most of the 2024 season after having his second UCL procedure in three seasons on his left arm. He should be back to full strength by 2025 and working his way back into the team's top prospect conversation. Charlee Soto, the team's 2023 competitive balance pick, has yet to make his professional debut and might be the team's top pitching prospect by 2025. Brandon Winokur has been in the same FCL Twins line-ups with Jenkins and is off to a hot start. It will be interesting to see how these two players push each other as they club the organizational ladder. Few top Twins prospects have had a clear runway at the big-league level because injuries have impacted players, including Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, and Austin Martin. Prospect development only sometimes follows a linear path, and other hiccups can occur with a player's performance from top prospect to MLB contributor. Jenkins and Rodriguez have two of the highest ceilings of any prospects coming through the Twins system in quite some time, and it's exciting to project what the team's farm system can look like in two years. Will the Twins have two of baseball's top five prospects by 2025? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

TRANSACTIONS 1B/OF Alex Kirilloff activated off rehab assignment from St. Paul. 1B/OF Joey Gallo placed on IL with a "foot contusion." SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 7, Louisville 6 Box Score Randy Dobnak was on the bump Friday for the Saints and worked five innings. He worked three strong innings before the Bats plated four in the fourth inning and ruined his line. Giving up six hits, Dobnak allowed six runs and four walks. He did strike out six on the evening as well. After scoring double-digits Thursday night, St. Paul didn’t waste time putting runs up on Friday. Brooks Lee opened the scoring with a first inning triple, his third, that brought home Michael Helman. Trevor Larnach then lifted a sacrifice fly that allowed Lee to jog the last 90 feet home. After a rehabbing Joey Votto doubled in the bottom of the first inning to tie things up, the Saints went back to work in the second inning. Chris Williams ripped a single that scored DaShawn Keirsey Jr. before Tony Wolters brought home Gilberto Celestino on a single of his own. In the third inning the Saints kept the runs coming when Wolters homered for just the third time this season. The three-run shot scored Anthony Prato and Williams to push St. Paul’s lead to 7-2. Louisville came charging back with four runs in the fourth inning against Dobnak. Jonathan India’s double plated two of the four, and the Saints lead was down to one. Austin Schulfer and Cole Sands both worked scoreless relief outings to keep the score as-is headed to the ninth inning. Former Twins reliever Alan Busenitz pitched the ninth inning for Louisville, and he got two outs before walking Celestino. Sands stayed on to finish the ninth inning and slammed the door. St. Paul got a three-hit game from Helman, while both Prato and Wolters added two of their own. WIND SURGE WISDOM Corpus Christi 8, Wichita 2 Box Score Marco Raya was taking another turn on Friday for the Wind Surge, and he worked 3 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball. Raya allowed only two hits while issuing no free passes. He struck out three during the outing. This one was a pitcher’s duel for much of the game. Willie Joe Garry Jr. grounded into a double play, but Aaron Sabato did come home and that gave Wichita a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Hooks did tie it up in the bottom of the eighth against Regi Grace, and then a two-run homer put Corpus Christi ahead 3-1. Corpus Christi added another run on a solo blast in the sixth inning to make it 4-1, and a run in the seventh inning made it 5-1. Wichita needed to find an answer, and soon. Instead of responding with a run, the Wind Surge gave up three Corpus Christi runs in the eighth inning, only pushing the comeback reality further away. They couldn't find an answer in the ninth inning and a close game ballooned to a blowout. Looking to make things a bit more respectable, Yoyner Fajardo reached on an error in the ninth inning that allowed Dalton Shuffield to score. Although he didn't record a hit, Fajardo extended his on-base streak to 22 games. Schobel recorded two hits on the night. Alex Isola also had two hits, going 2-for-2 after he took over for Sabato. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 2, Cedar Rapids 1 Box Score Zebby Matthews was on the bump for Cedar Rapids on Friday. He turned in three scoreless innings allowing just a single hit, and a pair of walks. Matthews also struck out three Wisconsin batters. Mike Paredes worked two scoreless innings of relief, and then Gabriel Yanez turned in a pair of scoreless frames of his own. For some reason, Emmanuel Rodriguez was lifted for a pinch hitter in the third inning, and that will definitely be something to monitor. No one pushed across a run until the eighth inning when Noah Miller reached on an error that allowed Jeferson Morales to score. Ricardo Velez got the ninth inning and looked to slam the door. Wisconsin evened the score when Eric Brown Jr. singled in a run, and then Velez balked with Brown Jr. at third base to give away the victory. Only Luke Keaschall and Kyler Fedko recorded hits for the Kernels Friday night. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Bradenton 5 Box Score Matt Gabbert, who signed with the Twins out of indy ball with Boise in the Pioneer League, made his first start Friday for the Mighty Mussels. He turned in five scoreless innings allowing just a single hit and a pair of walks. Gabbert also punched out six. The Mighty Mussels didn’t score until the fourth inning, but they added in a big way. Nate Baez singled home Ricardo Olivar and Danny De Andrade. Rubel Cespedes followed with a triple to drive in Baez, and Alec Sayre lofted a sacrifice fly to bring home Cespedes and make it a 4-0 game. In the fifth inning, Fort Myers tacked on more. Olivar doubled home both Jay Harry and Walker Jenkins to make it a 6-0 game. Cespedes then grabbed another hit, this time a single, and Olivar raced across the plate. The Marauders scored five in the eighth inning, and Fort Myers saw their lead quickly shrinking. Samuel Perez held on though, and the Mighty Mussels grabbed the victory. Both Baez and Cespedes had a pair of hits on the evening. Although Walker Jenkins didn’t record a hit, he did reach base with a walk. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Matt Gabbert (Fort Myers) - 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Tony Wolters (St. Paul) - 2-4, R, 4 RBI, HR(3), 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 (St. Paul) - 1-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, 3B(3) #2 - Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) - 0-3, R, BB, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - BB #4 - Marco Raya (Wichita) - 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 2-4 #10 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3 #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 0-5, K #17 - Danny De Andrade (Fort Myers) - 1-5, R SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (6:15PM CST) - RHP Bailey Ober Wichita @ Corpus Christi (7:05PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:40 CST) - RHP John Klein Bradenton @ Fort Myers (5:00PM CST) - RHP Jose Olivares Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games!

While it's certainly not perfect - I'd love for Byron Buxton and Connor Prielipp to be healthy - I don't think there are many people that wouldn't willingly take where the organization is right now if presented this chance in the spring. The Twins have an excellent chance to make the playoffs (and have a huge series this week), Royce Lewis looks the like savior we've yearned for since Joe Mauer stopped catching, the St. Paul Saints have been exciting to follow (and a welcome distraction when the Twins have tripped over themselves both figuratively and literally *coughJoeyGallocough*) and the Cedar Rapids Kernels boast one of the most impressive rotations and winningest records in all of baseball. Oh, and first-round pick Walker Jenkins is playing a game that currently looks way too easy for him. Read all about the Twins week in Nick’s Week in Review. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 32-25 (3-3 last week) in the second half; In first place in the IL West by two games; tied for sixth place in the International League. Overview: The Saints had another great chance to make up ground in the standings and couldn't. Their path to the playoffs just got cloudier. 🔥: Trevor Larnach. Finally. Seven hits in 19 at-bats (including two doubles and a home run). He drove in four and walked more times (3) than he struck out (2). With the emergence of Matt Wallner and the resurgence of Max Kepler, it's hard to say how Larnach fits in the Twins long-term plans. But it certainly behooves him to not be terrible and have a week like this. 🔥: David Festa made quite an impression in his first AAA start. He fanned seven over five innings, while only allowing one run (a home run). 😍: Alex Kirilloff is rehabbing and proving that AAA is beneath him. In 17 at-bats, Kirilloff collected seven hits (including a double and a two home runs). He didn't walk and struck out three times, but all of that is good enough for a 1.236 OPS. Kirilloff is likely to rejoin the Twins later in the week. 😏: Louie Varland is making his transition to the bullpen to help out the Twins and reportedly will be joining them in Cleveland. He pitched once for the Saints and threw a pitch over 100 mph. He's going to look nice as a Minnesota reliever for the next month, but expect him to return to the rotation next season. 🥶: Jordan Balazovic (3.1 IP, 4 ER) and Andrew Bechtold (2 IP, 5 ER) both really struggled out of the Saints pen this week. 🥶: Austin Martin was lighting up Triple-A... and then this week happened. Only two hits in 23 at-bats, seven strikeouts with only two walks and one stolen base. There's a need in centerfield across the river, but performances like this aren't going to get you promoted. What's Next: Now the Saints head to Louisville (28-29) to try to make up ground. They haven't been good on the road in the second half (10-14). One nice thing is the two hottest teams in the league (Buffalo and Lehigh Valley) play each other. One not-nice thing is that Durham heads to Charlotte, who is absolutely brutal. The Saints will probably have to win five or six just to keep pace. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 32-25 (3-3 last week) in the second half and has pushed their division lead to 3.0 games. Overview: The four-series win streak has come to an end with a split against San Antonio, but the Wind Surge remain in the driver's seat in the Texas League North Division. 🔥: Willie Joe Garry Jr might be getting his first mention of the year, but he deserves it. He collected eight hits in 19 at-bats including four doubles and two home runs. He also stole two bases. The ninth-round pick has really struggled as a pro (never hitting over .228 at any level and) but has really shined in his 22 Double-A games this year (.286/.346/.600). He's always had the ability to steal bases, but here he is over 1000 minor league plate appearances and finally showing signs of maybe figuring it out a little bit. 🔥: Most of the staff deserves mention here. Marco Raya was fantastic in four shutout innings. Aaron Rozek allowed three hits over 5 2/3 shutout innings. Denny Bentley, Taylor Floyd, and Curtis Taylor combined to pitch 10 shutout innings out of the bullpen. Pierson Ohl continues to be great, this time allowing a single run (on a home run) in 5 2/3 innings. 🔥: Tanner Schobel had seven hits (two doubles, home run) this week. 🥶: Alex Isola has gotten a lot of love at the top of these breakdowns, but a 4-for-24 week with six strikeouts puts him at the bottom of this list. He has put together a really solid year and looks deserving of getting his shot at AAA to start next year. 🥶: Jaylen Nowlin had a rough start, allowing six runs on eight hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. What's Next: The Wind Surge head to Corpus Christi (29-28) where a split might give some hope to Springfield (29-28) who hosts Tulsa (22-35). High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 40-20 (5-1 last week) in the second half, five games ahead of Peoria. The Kernels have clinched a postseason berth and own a 80-46 overall record on the season. Overview: Even though both Wisconsin and Peoria have been two of the hottest teams in the Midwest League, they haven't been able to make much ground on the also-hot Kernels. 🔥: Big weeks all over as eight of the 11 Kernels with double-digits at-bats posted weeks with OPSes over .900. Emmanuel Rodriguez led the way with seven hits (three doubles, two triples, home run). Jose Salas also had seven hits and though he showed little power, stole three bases. Keoni Cavaco and Jorel Ortega both had five hits 🔥: Christian MacLeod scattered three hits and a walk in his five shutout innings. He struck out three. C.J. Culpepper (4 2/3 innings) and Cory Lewis (5 innings) also left their starters allowing no runs. 🥶: Alejandro Hidalgo posted the Kernels worse start, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks over three innings. What's Next: ... but if the Timber Rattlers (32-28) do want to make up ground, they will have a chance this week. Wisconsin, who is on an eight-game winning streak, will welcome the Kernels for six games. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 31-28 (4-1 last week) in the second half, 7.5 games behind Lakeland. Overview: It's too bad Fort Myers got off to such a poor start in the second half, but they have been arguably the best team in the entire league over the last two-plus weeks. They are 8-2 in their last ten and have a +52 run differential (trailing only Lakeland) in the second half of the season. 😍: It's Walker Jenkins' world right now and we're all just living in it. He had nine hits (three extra base hits) in 17 at-bats. He didn't strike out, walked once and stole a base. He's improved upon all of his numbers from his stint in rookie ball and when the Mighty Mussels season ends, there is no reason he shouldn't be promoted to Cedar Rapids for the playoff push. Even if he starts next year back at low-A, it seems like it should be a pretty easy decision to allow him to be challenged this year and putting him into a playoff atmosphere would be a challenge. 🔥: Jay Harry and Ricardo Olivar are probably getting talked about more if Jenkins wasn't so impressive. Harry had seven hits including two doubles and a home run. Oliver had six hits including two doubles and a triple. Harry will just jump in line with the Schobels and Keaschalls of the organization as middle infielders who rake. 🔥: John Klein had another great start. The Minnesota native has had an exceptional six-game run in low-A and probably deserves a shot to start at a higher level. The problem, of course, is that Cedar Rapids has a loaded rotation. 😏: The 2023 draft class of pitchers is certainly on a pitch-limit, but this week all of Xander Hamilton, Ty Langenberg, Jeremy Lee and Nolan Santos pitched more than one inning and none gave up a run. I'm very intrigued to see how this group - as well as the 11 guys who haven't pitched yet - look in the spring after getting a little Velocity Camp action this fall. 🥶: The Kyle Schmidt hitless streak has no reached a new level. Two straight weeks with no hits. Last week was 0-13 with one strikeout. This week was 0-8 with two strikeouts. That either suggests extremely bad luck or inability to hit the ball very hard. What's Next: Fort Myers hosts Bradenton (37-22). Ironically, the Mighty Mussels have struggled at home in the second half and Bradenton has been excellent on the road. A split probably leaves Fort Myers with too little time to catch up, but five or six wins against Bradenton and there might be a race (though the probability still remains very, very low). 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 periodically 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. Brent Headrick, RHP, Minnesota: Recalled to the Twins bullpen. (1.31 WHIP, .238 BAA ), St. Paul: (1.36 WHIP, .263 BAA). 19. Cory Lewis, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 7 H, 6 K (1.08 WHIP, .205 BAA). 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: (.262/.325/.412. .737 OPS) 17. Danny De Andrade, SS, Fort Myers: 4-16, 4 RBI, R, 2 BB, 3 K, 3 SB. (.244/.353/.398. .751 OPS), played three games (85 total games) at shortstop and committed no errors in 13 chances (13 errors in 308 total chances). Previously played one game at third base and had no errors in four chances. 16. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 10.80 ERA, 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB. 2K. (1.65 WHIP, .266 BAA); Minnesota: (1.56 WHIP, .274 BAA). 15. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 3.60 ERA, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, HRA, HB, 3 BB, 6 K (1.55 WHIP, .257 BAA); Minnesota: (1.56 WHIP, .274 BAA). 14. Yunior Severino, 3B, St. Paul: 4-16, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K. (AA/AAA combined .280/.357/.546. .903 OPS). 13. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Cedar Rapids: 4-15, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 2 R, 4 BB, 5 K. (.255/.370/.468. .838 OPS). 12. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: (.196/.248/.381. .629 OPS) 11. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Prielipp underwent season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 10. Luke Keaschall, 2B, Cedar Rapids: 2-5, 2B, R, 2 K, SB. (rookie/l-A/h-A combined .299/.439/.460. .899 OPS), played one game (20 total) at second base and committed no errors in one chance (one error in 61 total chances), played one game in centerfield (three games total) and had committed no errors in no chances (his first chances of the year). Previously played one game at third base and committed one error in two chances. 9. Brandon Winokur, OF, FCL Twins: (.288/.338/.545. .883 OPS), played nine games at shortstop and committed two errors in 34 chances and played seven games at centerfield and committed no errors in 19 chances. 8. Tanner Schobel, INF, Wichita: 7-22, 2 2B, HR. RBI, R, 2 BB, 7 K. (high-A/AA combined .267/.357/.440. .797 OPS), played two games (50 total) at second base and committed no errors in 9 chances (9 errors in 200 total chances), and played one game (57 total) at third base and committed no errors in five chances (four errors in 114total chances). Schobel also played his first three games at shortstop this week and committed no errors in eight chances. 7. Austin Martin, 2B/OF, St. Paul: 2-23, R, 2 BB, 7 K, SB. (rehab/AAA combined .261/.367/.402. .769 OPS), played two games (10 total) in centerfield and committed no errors in four chances (no errors in 24 total chances), played three games (33 total) at second base and committed no errors in 14 chances (four errors in 135 total chances), played one games (nine total) in left field and committed no errors in one chance (no errors in 21 total chances). 6. David Festa, RHP, St. Paul: 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 4 H, ER, HRA, BB 7 K. (AAA/AA combined 1.34 WHIP, .247 BAA) 5. Charlee Soto, RHP: Did not pitch. 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 IP, 2 H, 2 K. (AA/Hi-A combined 1.14 WHIP, .207 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 7-18, 3 2B, 2 3B, HR, 2 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 K. (.240/.395/.466. .861 OPS) 2. Walker Jenkins, OF, Fort Myers: 9-17, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, 4 R, BB, SB. (FCL/low-A combined .372/.413/.581. .994 OPS) 1. Brooks Lee, SS, St. Paul: 6-21, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K. (AA/AAA combined .285/.355/.463. .818 OPS), played four games (99 total) at shortstop and committed one error in 25 chances (18 errors in 410 total chances) and played one game (five total) at third base and committed no errors in once (one error in 11 chances total chances). PLAYERS OF THE WEEKHITTER - Walker Jenkins, Fort Myers (72.5% of the vote) PITCHER - John Klein, Fort Myers (45.2% of the vote)

On most national lists, Brooks Lee and Walker Jenkins are the organization's top two prospects, with Emmanuel Rodriguez not far behind. Royce Lewis only recently graduated from prospect status, or he'd also rank near the top of the list. It seems unlikely for the Twins to include any of these young players in a deal unless they are making a blockbuster trade. Jenkins isn't allowed to be traded this soon after the team drafted him. Outside of those players, here's a look at other top Twins prospects that might find themselves in other organizations by the week’s end. Marco Raya, RHP TD Prospect Rank: 4 Raya is arguably the team's top pitching prospect, and he's pitched well up to this point in his professional career. In 2023, he began the season in Cedar Rapids and posted a 2.94 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP and 10.4 K/9. He was over three years younger than the average age of the competition in the Midwest League, making his performance even more impressive. Minnesota continued to be aggressive with him and pushed him to Double-A. In four starts (12 IP), he has allowed 11 earned runs with a 1.33 WHIP. The Twins have been very careful with Raya's innings, and he might only be traded if the team acquires one of the top available trade pieces. Matt Wallner, OF TD Prospect Rank: 5 Wallner destroyed Triple-A pitching in 2023 (.927 OPS) after being the team's Minor League Player of the Year last season. Minnesota kept him in St. Paul even though the club's offense struggled, and he continued to perform well. He's made his way back to the big leagues, but the club has a plethora of left-handed hitting corner outfield options. Minnesota has been fielding calls about their lefties, and it is likely for one of them to be traded from the group that includes Wallner, Trevor Larnach, Joey Gallo, and Max Kepler. David Festa, RHP TD Prospect Rank: 7 Festa was the organization's representative during the 2023 MLB Futures Game after a tremendous 2022 season. Last year, he posted a 2.43 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP and 9.4 K/9 in 103 2/3 innings. In 2023, the Twins sent him to Double-A, and he allowed 37 earned runs over 64 2/3 innings. He is giving up too much contact this season, which is hurting him, but he's posted increased strikeout totals (11.7 K/9). Festa is the type of player this front office might trade since they drafted him late (13th round) and improved his stock over the last three seasons. Austin Martin, IF/OF TD Prospect Rank: 8 Martin is a very intriguing name for the Twins to consider trading. His stock has dropped since the Twins acquired him as part of the Jose Berrios trade, but other teams might continue to see value in his skillset. An elbow injury has limited his 2023 season, and he posted a .576 OPS with the Saints in 18 games. Teams interested in him will want a long look at his medicals before making a deal, so it isn't likely for him to be traded before the deadline. Tanner Schobel, IF TD Prospect Rank: 10 The Twins thought highly of Schobel and drafted him in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft. During his professional debut, he hit .237/.353/.298 (.651) with five extra-base hits and a 26-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Minnesota bumped him up to High-A to begin 2023, and his bat responded. In 77 games, he posted an .859 OPS with ten doubles, one triple, and 14 home runs. He's been a threat on the base paths by going 9-for-10 in stolen base attempts. The Twins promoted him to Double-A earlier in July, so he's getting closer to the big leagues. The Twins might want to include him in a deal similar to last year when the team traded Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand after seeing their stock rise. Will the Twins trade any prospects currently ranking in Twins Daily's top 10? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. The Twins are a league-best 8-2 since the All-Star break. But there's much more to be talking about as well. The draft wrapped up but the activity following the draft will start to ramp up this week with assignments. But, of course, the Twins still have business to do in regards to signing their first-round pick. You can catch up on all the draft news here. Additionally, the Trade Deadline is a week away too. TwinsDaily has you covered for that too! WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 12-9 in the second half; 1.5 games behind Iowa. Overview: The Saints dropped four of six to Omaha, including the final three games. 🔥: Left-handed hitting outfielders continue to rake in the minors. This time it's Mark Contreras, who went 6-for-18 with two doubles and a home run. 🔥: Randy Dobnak made two starts, spanning 10 innings. He allowed only one run on five hits and three walks while striking out 11. 🔥: Not to be outdone by Contreras, Andrew Stevenson went 7-for-21 with a double and home run. 🔥: Louie Varland only struck out three in his six innings of work, but walked none and surrendered five hits. The two earned runs were the blemish but an overall strong start. 🥶: Blayne Enlow allowed seven runs on five hits and two walks. He only recorded four outs. 🥶: Gilberto Celestino went only 1-for-12 on the week. What's Next: St. Paul will play hose to Toledo this week. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 9-12 in the second half; 3.5 games behind Arkansas. Overview: The Wind Surge lost four of six to Amarillo, ending two-game losing streaks with each of their wins. 🔥: Will Holland was 6-for-16 which is impressive enough, but four of his hits were of the extra-base variety (one double, one triple, two home runs). He also stole a base. 🔥: Marco Raya allowed a home run, but in four innings, he only allowed one other hit and struck out four. 🔥: Yunior Severino went a ridiculous 10-for-25 this week, with three doubles and a home run. He continues to strike out a lot, walking back to the dugout eight times over his last six games. 🔥: David Festa has had an uneven year at AA, but this was a successful week. In three innings, Festa yielded only two hits and a walk while striking out six. He definitely needs more seasoning, but seeing how his stuff plays out of the major league bullpen could be sorta fun. 🥶: Aaron Sabato went 2-for-19 with four walks and six strikeouts to post a .419 OPS. 🥶: Taylor Floyd appeared twice and retired four batters. He also allowed seven hits (including two home runs) that resulted in six runs. What's Next: Back home, Frisco will come visit Wichita. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 16-8 in the second half, 3.0 games ahead of Beloit and Peoria. Overview: It's been a continuation of a good month. After dropping the opener to Peoria, the Kernels take a five-game winning streak and first place in the standings into next week 🔥: We got to see a stretch of the good Emmanuel Rodriguez. He went 7-for-16 with a double, triple and home run. He drove in two and scored five runs. He drew six walks while striking out four. 🔥: C.J. Culpepper tossed five shutout innings. He struck out four. In 16 innings at High-A, Culpepper has allowed only nine hits and three walks with no earned runs. He's getting four times as many outs on the ground as he is in the error. 🔥: Noah Cardenas continues to impress. He collected six hits in 17 at-bats, including a double. 🔥: Both Zebby Matthews and Jaylen Nowlin pitched six innings and had a WHIP lower than one. They struck out six and seven, respectively. 🥶: Misael Urbina was 1-for-18. It's beyond time for a reset. 🥶: A.J. Labas gave up five hits and two runs in his only inning of work. What's Next: On the road for six games against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 11-13 in the second half, 6.0 games behind Clearwater. Overview: Fort Myers split with Bradenton, winning the last two games. 🔥: Ricardo Olivar led the Mighty Mussels with two home runs and six walks and tied for the lead with seven hits, three doubles, seven runs and five runs batted in. 🔥: Andrew Morris struck out eight in six innings and allowed only four hits and a walk. One of the two runs he allowed was unearned. Morris hasn't made it to high-A like many of his draft counterparts, but he's still have an impressive start to his pro career. This just happened: 🔥: Yohander Martinez was limited by his lack of power, but 6-for-16 was the best average (.375) on the team and his four walks helped him post a team-high OBP of .476. 🔥: Jose Oliveras walked four, which is too many in 4 2/3 innings. But he struck out eight and held opponents to a .125 batting average. 🥶: Kamron Willman struggled in his 14 at-bats, collecting only one hit. 🥶: Jarret Whorff struggled in his only start of the week. In 2 1/3 innings, he allowed six hits and issued four free passes. This resulted in five runs. What's Next: Fort Myers will return home to host Palm Beach. Rookie: FCL Twins Overall: 15-18, 10.0 games behind the FCL Pirates in the FCL South. 🔥: Endy Rodriquez led the team with six hits despite only getting 10 at-bats. He collected two doubles, a triple and a home run for a robust OPS of 1.936. 🔥: Brayan Medina pitched five innings in his start, allowing only three hits and two walks, but the result was two runs. His WHIP was 1.00 and his opposing batting average was .150. 🔥: Byron Chourio was almost perfect going 5-for-7 in the two games he played. 🥶: Jankel Ortiz, Andres Centeno and Alec Sayre all got double-digit at-bats and only had one hit a piece to show for it. 🥶: Pierce Banks (six hits, three walks and five runs) and John Klein (five hits, three walks and four runs) both struggled in this shortened week. Rookie: DSL Twins Overall: 7-25, 18.5 games back in the DSL South. 🔥: Ariel Castro led the lineup with five hits, including a home run, in 13 at-bats. He tied for the team lead with four RBIs and collected the team's lone stolen base. 🔥: Juan Cota had the best pitching performance of the week, allowing only one hit, a walk and an unearned run over four innings. He struck out six. Though he did hit two batters, the opposing batting average of .071 is impressive. 🔥: Moises Lopez had a double and home run among his four hits. Angel Trinidad had three doubles. 🥶: Christian Hernandez allowed three hits and four walks in three innings in the least impressive start of the week. 🥶: Hendry Chivilli is back in the lineup after being out of it since his two-hit debut, but he's been struggling. Only one hit (a double) in 11 at-bats. He did draw four walks, but struck out six times. 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 periodically 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. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 4-15, 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 4 BB, 5 K. (.270/.341/.426. .767 OPS) 19. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 3.00 ERA, 3 IP, H, ER, HB, 4 BB. (1.29 WHIP, .262 BAA). 18. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: currently on the Development List. (.181/.268/.265. .533 OPS), previously played two games at shortstop and committed one error in seven chances (13 total; four errors in 43 chances total), played one game (14 total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance (three errors in 32 total chances). He played five games (40 total) at second base with no errors in 16 chances (three errors in 161 total chances). 17. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 10-25, 3 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 8 K, CS. (.285/.259/.525. .884 OPS). 16. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Cedar Rapids: 5-22, 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, 5 K. (.271/.385/.477. .862 OPS). 15. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.60 WHIP, .261 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 14. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 3.60 ERA, 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 K (1.63 WHIP, .287 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 13. Brandon Winokur, OF: Has signed with the organization, but has not been assigned to a roster. 12. Luke Keaschall, 2B: Has signed with the organization, but has not been assigned to a roster. 11. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: 4-20, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 4 K, 2 SB. (.200/.244/.413. .657 OPS) 10. Tanner Schobel, INF, Wichita: 3-18, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 5 K (high-A/AA combined .281/.364/.475. .839 OPS), played 3 games (28 total) at second base and committed no errors in 6 chances (5 errors in 123 total chances), played two games (48 total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance (three errors in 100 total chances). 9. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Announced that Prielipp will be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 8. Austin Martin , SS, St. Paul: 4-19, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K. (.164/.266/.218. .484 OPS), 7. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K. (1.37 WHIP, .253 BAA) 6. Charlee Soto, RHP: Has signed with the organization, but has not been assigned to a roster. 5. Matt Wallner, OF, Minnesota: St. Paul (.291/.403/.524. .927 OPS); currently with the Twins. 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-1, 2.25 ERA, 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, HRA, 4 K. (AA/Hi-A combined 0.92 WHIP, .176 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 7-16, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, 5 R, 6 BB, 4 K, SB, CS. (.228/.392/.434. .826 OPS) 2. Walker Jenkins, OF: Unsigned as of Sunday night. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 7-21, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K. (.283/.360/.472. .832 OPS), played 4 games (75 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 16 chances (11 errors in 309 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK Pitcher - Randy Dobnak. It's been a disappointing few years for Dobnak after exploding onto the scene and starting a playoff game for the Twins in 2019. Prior to the 2021 season, the Twins locked Dobnak up with a five-year extension which guaranteed him almost $10 million. He would spend the next handful of years in the Twins rotation and the "happily ever after" story would continue. Instead, Dobnak suffered a pulley injury to his right middle finger that derailed his career. Healthy again, Dobnak is starting to perform like the Randy of old and gives the organization some starter depth going into the late summer. Hitter - Emmanuel Rodriguez. He won't turn 21 until spring training next year, so even during the cold streaks it's too early to be alarmed. But during the hot streaks... woo boy. He's got all the tools, just too much swing-and-miss. He's this close to getting it straightened out and being a 21-year-old at AA knocking on the door for an opportunity in 2024. But right now it's more tease than something you can count on. And there was plenty of teasing over the last seven days.

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!

Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. Please check out all the upcoming draft content here! All referenced stats are over the last 15 days. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 53-36 Overview: The Saints have played .500 ball since the last update. 🔥: Anthony Prato has slowly worked his way up the organization ladder and, though it's only been 91 at-bats at AAA, is posting his career-best OPS of 1.069. His three home runs in the last 15 days gives him six for St. Paul and eight total on the year (only two short of his career best). He's worked his way into the conversation in that he could be a utility-type player who can give you defensive value in the infield or outfield and can swipe a base too. 🔥: Simeon Woods Richardson is sporting a 0.60 WHIP and 1.52 batting average against over his last two games/ten innings. He's struck out nine and walked one. 🔥: Though he's been relatively dreadful on the whole, Kyle Garlick continues to beat lefties up. He's got an OPS of 1.004 against southpaws this season and collected nine hits (including two doubles and two home runs) in his last two weeks. 🥶: Blayne Enlow had a rough start, allowing four earned runs in five innings. He struck out four. 🥶: Austin Martin has finally reached Triple-A and the results aren't great. In his last nine games, he's 5-for-36 with two doubles. He's struck out only seven times and has drawn four walks, but his OPS over the last two weeks is a team-low .438 (minimum 10 at-bats). What's Next: The Saints will head to Omaha for a road trip this week. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 35-48 Overview: It's been a rough two weeks for the Wind Surge. Sunday's fun win was the team's first in eight days (yeah, there was a four-day break in there), but Wichita is only 3-8 since July 2. 🔥: Brooks Lee heard the rumbles that fans thought the organization had a new #1 prospect and responded by posting a 1.263 OPS over the last eight games going 13-for-33 with four doubles, three home runs, ten RBIs and more walks (6) than strikeouts (5). 🔥: Marco Raya has made two starts for Wichita so far. He's thrown 5 2/3 innings and has struck out seven. He has only allowed two hits. He'll need to reduced his walks as he's already issued five free passes. 🔥: Alex Scherff was excellent in his five relief outings. He struck out nine in 7 2/3 innings and only allowed one unearned run on three hits and four walks. 🤔: Pierson Ohl was impressive with 11 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings, and you can live with hit eights and three walks in those outings. But he allowed two home runs. 🥶: Will Holland got only five hits this week in 27 at-bats and struck out in 11 of those trips to the bat. He walked twice and did swipe three bags. 🥶: Aaron Rozek has done some good things this year. The last 15 days weren't good, however. In 8 2/3 innings, he allowed 16 hits and 12 earned runs. He walked five and only struck out three. What's Next: Wichita will be on the road facing Amarillo. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 11-7 in the second half. Overview: The Kernels continue to play good baseball. They took four of six from Quad Cities and two of three from Beloit. 🔥: Noah Cardenas and Ben Ross both had an OPS over 1.000 in somewhat limited at-bats (23 and 19, respectively). Cardenas had ten hits including three doubles and two home runs. Ross had seven hits including three doubles and a home run. 🔥: Multiple good performances from the pitchers in this edition: Jaylen Nowlin struck out ten in six innings. He allowed two runs on two hits and a walks. (Home runs will get you.) C.J. Culpepper struck out six in five three-hit shutout innings. Christian MacLeod gave up too many hits and walks, but carried a K/9 over nine. 🔥: Kala'i Rosario (13 hits), Tanner Schobel (11 hits, including six extra-base hits) and Jorel Ortega (11 hits, two home runs) all had over ten hits on the week. 🥶: Kyle Jones got roughed up over his two starts. In nine innings, he allowed 12 hits and two walks, which turn into nine runs (eight earned). He also gave up two home runs. 🥶: Alejandro Hidalgo allowed six runs (five earned) on four hits and four walks in just two innings. What's Next: The Kernels will play host to Peoria for six games as they look to climb up from one game behind the Chiefs. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 8-10 in the second half. Overview: Fort Myers went into and came out of the break with wins, but has only played .500 baseball since the last update. 🔥: Carson McCusker joined the Mighty Mussels at the end of the June and he's spent the month of July showing off his mighty muscles. With 18 hits in 42 at-bats, McCusker has a .429 batting average, but he's also belted five home runs in that time. McCusker joined the organization after playing in the Frontier League for three seasons. He's a big (6-8, 250) right-handed bat with high-level experience (Oklahoma State), so this might be a fun story to watch. 🔥: Andrew Morris is the highest of last year's draft picks who hasn't made it to Cedar Rapids yet, but he's making his case. In two starts (nine innings), Morris allowed only five hits and two walks and struck out nine with no earned runs allowed. 🔥: Not to be outdone by McCusker, Mikey Perez has four home runs (out of seven hits) in only 28 at-bats. He also stole three bases. 🥶: Rafael Cruz (4-24, two walks, eight strikeouts, .389 OPS) and Carlos Aguiar (2-21, two walks, eight strikeouts, .317 OPS) both had rough weeks. 🥶: Develson Aria had impressed earlier in the year, but had another rough week. He allowed five earned runs on six hits and six walks in only three innings. What's Next: A visit to Bradenton is on the agenda. Rookie: FCL Twins Overall: 13-15, 7.5 games behind the FCL Pirates in the FCL South. 🔥: Cleiber Maldonado (4 2/3 innings, eight strikeouts), Juan Mercedes (4 1/3 innings, six strikeouts) and Bianger Liendo (two innings, two strikeouts) all made the last two weeks without allowing an earned run. 🔥: Yasser Mercedes had two home runs (among seven hits). He also stole two bases. But struck out seven times with only one walk. 🔥: Jankel Ortiz had seven hits in 15 at-bats, including a triple and home run. He walked four times with three strikeouts. 🥶: Bryan Acuna went 3-for-22. So far, he's batting .198 in his stateside debut. But he is only 17, so there's plenty of time. 🥶: Cesar Lares and Jeferson Lopez both got roughed up for lots of runs (nine and 11, respectively), but Lares was able to strike out nine in 6 2/3 innings. Lopez only got six outs. Rookie: DSL Twins Overall: 7-21, 15 games back in the DSL South. 🔥: Dameury Pena collected 13 hits over the last eight games. The 17-year-old is batting .417/.467/.548 (1.045) . 🔥: Juan Cota struck out five batters in five innings. He struck out five. He did allow three runs, but only allowed two hits and two walks. His 0.80 WHIP and .118 batting average against were both team-bests. 🔥: Jesus Peraza (seven hits, three doubles, 1.286 OPS), Ewing Matos (seven hits, four doubles, one triple), Jayson Bass (eight hits, double) all had good offensive weeks. 🥶: Jeicol Surumay allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on eight hits and four walks. He pitched three innings. 🥶: Yilber Herrera (3-for-20) and Angel Trinidad (1-for-13) really struggled. 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 periodically 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. Fielding stats are since the last update three weeks ago. 20. Michael Helman, UTIL, St. Paul: On the 60-day Injured List with a dislocated shoulder. (.333/.434/.711. 1.145 OPS) 19. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 6-21, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 3 BB, 3 K, CS. (.275/.349/.514. .863 OPS). 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 4-19, 2B, HR, RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K. (.263/.336/.404. .740 OPS) 17. Blayne Enlow, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 7.20 ERA, 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 HRA, 1 HB, BB, 4 K. (AAA/AA combined 1.21 WHIP, .235 BAA) 16. Matt Canterino , RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 15. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 5 H, 8 K. (1.27 WHIP, .268 BAA). 14. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.60 WHIP, .261 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 13. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 9-35, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 8 R, 4 BB, 7 K, CS. (.214/.283/.303. .586 OPS), played shortstop in eight games (67 total) and committed no errors in 34 chances (six errors in 287 total chances); played two games (eight total) at second base and committed no errors in 11 chances (no errors in 27 total chances). 12. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 8-30, 2B, 3B, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB, 7 K, SB. (.181/.268/.265. .533 OPS), played two games at shortstop and committed one error in seven chances (13 total; four errors in 43 chances total), played one game (14 total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance (three errors in 32 total chances). He played five games (40 total) at second base with no errors in 16 chances (three errors in 161 total chances). 11. Austin Martin , SS, St. Paul: 5-36, 2 2B, RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, 7 K, 2 SB, CS. (.177/.282/.258. .540 OPS), 10. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: 7-25, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R, BB, 7 K, 2 SB. (.213/.269/.393. .662 OPS) 9. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: 5-31, 2B, 5 RBI, 6 R, 7 BB, 7 K. (.291/.403/.524. .927 OPS); Minnesota: (.368/.520/.579. 1.099 OPS) 8. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K. (1.39 WHIP, .256 BAA) 7. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 2-0, 1.80 ERA, 10 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), BB, 9 K (1.68 WHIP, .290 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 6. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 3.18 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 7 K. (AA/h-A combined 0.97 WHIP, .180 BAA) 5. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Announced recently that Prielipp will be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 4. Edouard Julien, 2B, Minnesota. St. Paul: (.293/.435/.496. .931 OPS), has played all 34 games at second base and has committed three errors in 158 chances; currently up with the Twins. 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 6-27, , 3B, 2 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 11 K, 2 SB. (.212/.374/.406. .780 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: Minnesota. Currently on the injured list and expected to miss another month. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 13-33, 4 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, 6 BB, 5 K. (.279/.358/.468. .826 OPS), played 8 games (71 total) at shortstop and committed one error in 26 chances (11 errors in 293 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK will return next week when we can vote on a day when there are no games. Ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects in the COMMENTS below.

The Minnesota Twins got tor runs off the batted of Here are the records of the six Twins affiliates through games on Friday. St. Paul Saints: 52-35 Wichita Wind Surge: 34-47 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 50-32 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 42-40 FCL Twins: 12-15 DSL Twins: 7-20 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Following the Twins win in Oakland, Dan Hayes tweeted that Jose Miranda will be going on the injured list. Matt Wallner will join the team in Oakland. Lefties Zach Neff and Josh Mitchell were deemed recovered from their Tommy John surgeries. They pitched in a couple of rehab games… and on Thursday, the Twins released them. Right-hander Juan Mercedes was promoted from the FCL Twins to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. John Klein was sent back to the FCL. RHP Eduardo Soriano was promoted from the DSL to the FCL Twins. In fun, former Twins prospect transactions, 2015 fourth-round pick Trey Cabbage was called up to the Angels and activated before Friday night’s game. In the game, he hit for second baseman Michael Stefanic SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Durham 8 Box Score The Saints open up their “second half” at CHS Field. They fell behind early but quickly caught up and went ahead only to give up five in the ninth to fall to the Bulls. Louie Varland made the start. He was charged with three unearned runs on eight hits over the first four innings. He struck out seven batters without issuing a walk. Josh Winder came on and struck out three batters over 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Michael Boyle had a walk and a strikeout and recorded three outs. Patrick Murphy got the final out of the eighth inning. Then he came out for the ninth and gave up five runs on four hits and a walk. Austin Brice came on with two runners on base and allowed both to score. Anthony Prato got St. Paul on the board in the second with a two-run homer, his fifth since joining the Saints. In the third frame, Andrew Stevenson’s 10th homer tied the game at 3-3. Stevenson gave the team the 4-3 season with a single that drove in Prato. Gilberto Celestino gave the Twins another run in the seventh inning with a ground out that scored Stevenson. Stevenson went 3-for-5 in the game from the leadoff spot. Jair Camargo had two hits. Prato his his ninth double and fifth homer during his five weeks with the Saints. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Springfield 4 Box Score Like the Saints, the Wind Surge got a lead going into the late innings. Unfortunately, a big-inning was enough to give the team a loss. The Wind Surge powered their way to an early lead. Patrick Winkel drilled his fourth homer of the season in the second inning. In the fifth frame, DaShawn Keirsey hit his 10th home run. Aaron Sabato made it a 3-0 lead with a single that scored Yunior Severino. Highly-regarded Marco Raya made his second Double-A start and it went quite well. In 3 2/3 innings, he gave up no runs. He gave up just one hit and one walk, and he struck out four batters. He was more efficient with his pitches and was able to almost get through the fourth inning. He threw 51 pitches in the game. Isaac Mattson came on and walked two batters but no runners crossed the plate before he got the final out. David Festa returned to the team after his scoreless inning in Saturday’s Futures Game in Seattle. He got back in the action with two perfect innings. Three of the six outs came on strikeouts. However, Regi Grace came in for the seventh inning. He’s been the best reliever in the organization all season and really had his first rough outing of the year. He gave up four runs on four hits and a walk and recorded just one out. Denny Bentley came on and allowed an inherited runner to score, but he was able to provide five outs without any additional runs scoring. Alex Scherff struck out two batters in a one-hit ninth. Keirsey and Winkel each went 2-for-4 in the game with the home run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 15, Beloit 2 Box Score The Kernels went to their old stomping grounds (well, the Twins old Midwest League affiliate grounds) and used a couple of big innings to record an easy win in the new stadium. Jorel Ortega put the Kernels on the scoreboard with a solo homer, his second since joining the team. He also kicked off a big, eight-run fourth inning when he singled with the bases loaded to score Kala’i Rosario. Misael Urbina walked to score Noah Cardenas. Jose Salas drove in Noah Miller on a fielder’s choice. Willie Joe Garry’s single then drove in Ortega to make it 5-0. Leadoff man Tanner Schobel kept things going with a two-run double to give the Kernels a 7-0 lead. Emmanuel Rodriguez followed with a triple and then scored on a Rosario sacrifice fly that made it 9-0 after four innings. Beloit hit a couple of solo homers in the bottom of the fifth frame, so that Kernels wanted to get that back… and more. In the top of the sixth, Rosario singled in Rodriguez with the 10th run. Then Noah Miller drove in Rosario with a single. Jorel Ortega’s second homer of the night (and third in his short time with the Kernels). The three-run shot made it 14-2. The Kernels added one more in the seventh inning as well. Zebby Matthews was one out from qualifying for the Win. He gave up two solo homers in the fifth inning, the only runs he gave up in 4 2/3 innings. (56 of his 80 pitches (70%) were strikes.) He struck out five and didn’t issue a walk. Malik Barrington “vultured” the Win to improve to 4-0. That said, he struck out three batters over 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up two hits and walked one batter. Finally, John Wilson struck out two batters over two scoreless innings to close the door. The Kernels got contributions from everyone. Misael Urbina was the only player without a hit, but he had a bases-loaded walk. Noah Miller was the lone player with just one hit. Seven hitters had at least two hits Jorel Ortega, the team’s sixth-round pick a year ago, finished the game going 4-for-5 with the two home runs. He scored three runs and drove in five runs. Emmanuel Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with a walk and his third triple. He also stole his 11th base. Rosario went 2-for-4 with a walk. Noah Cardenas went 2-for-5 with a walk and his 14th double. Jose Salas was also 2-for-5. Willie Joe Garry was 2-for-4 with a walk. Tanner Schobel went 2-for-6 with his ninth double. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Clearwater 2 Box Score Ft. Myers took the early lead and then had a big-inning late and held on for the win. Right-hander Ben Ethridge, the Twins 15th-round pick in 2022 from Southern Miss, finally earned his first Win of the season and as a professional. Coming into the night, he was 0-4 despite an ERA of just 2.49 and a WHIP at 1.06. After beginning the season in the bullpen, this was his sixth consecutive appearance as a start. I could argue that his Friday night start was his best yet, but he’s had a few good starts. In this game, he tossed five shutout innings. He gave up just two hits, walked one and struck out two batters. He dropped his season ERA to 2.23. Wilker Reyes struck out four batters over the next two innings. He gave up no hits and no runs and walked two batters. Ricardo Velez pitched a scoreless eighth inning but gave up a two-run homer in the ninth. The Twins signed Carson McCusker recently after spending three seasons with Tri-City in the Frontier League. That was after four seasons at Oklahoma State. In the first inning, he gave the Mussels a 2-0 lead with his fifth home run in his 10th game. He went 3-for-4 and is now hitting .439 with a 1.270 OPS. The Mussels grabbed some insurance runs in the eighth inning, turning a 2-0 lead to a 6-0 lead. Rubel Cespedes hit his 19th double which scored two runs. Rafael Cruz drove Cespedes in with a single. Ricardo Olivar concluded the scoring by knocking in Cruz with the fourth run of the inning. Danny De Andrade went 2-for-5 with his 11th and 12th doubles. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from FLORIDA FCL Twins 9 FCL Red Sox 8 Box Score In a day filled with big innings, it was very true in the FCL game on Friday. The Twins had a four-run second inning and kept piling on runs including two runs in the top of the ninth. That gave them a 9-2 lead, but the Red Sox countered with six runs in the bottom of the ninth. Thankfully the Twins stopped the bleeding just in time. In this game, it was all about the offense. Yasser Mercedes is a top ten Twins prospects according to Twins Daily and other places. But he got off to a very slow start in his Stateside debut. Coming into Friday’s game, Mercedes was hitting just .157/.228/.255 (.483) with two doubles and a homer. He had played in just 13 games. In this game, we were reminded of the talent that he has. He went 4-for-5 with his second and third home runs. He stole his fourth base. He scored three runs and drive in four runs. After this game, he is still hitting just .214 with a .685 OPS. Not great, but adding .200 points of OPS in one day is a good start. Keoni Cavaco was sent back to the FCL Twins after hitting below .200 with the Kernels in the first half. It appears to be an opportunity for a restart for Cavaco, a chance to play against a lower level of competition, hopefully experience some success, gain some confidence, work on some things, and then see where it goes. In his second FCL game, he had a single, double and triple over five at-bats. He scored two runs and drove in three runs. Harold Grant went 2-for-5 and his two-run homer in the ninth inning proved to be more important than originally thought. It was his second homer. Brayan Medina made the start. In 4 2/3 innings, he gave up two runs on three hits. He walked four batters and struck out three batters. Cleiber Maldonado then struck out five batters over 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Lopez came on and worked a scoreless eighth inning. However, in the ninth frame, he gave up six runs on five hits and two walks. Yon Landaeta came on with two runners on base and both scored. However, he struck out two batters and was able to get the third out before the Red Sox were able to tie it up. The Twins scored runs in four of the first five innings. Normally that, and the nine runs that came with it, would be considered good. And it is. However, when the pitchers give up runs in each of the five innings, and 17 runs in those innings, it isn’t great. Jeicol Surumay started. In 1 2/3 innings, he gave up four runs (3 earned) on three hits and three walks. Cristian Hernandez came on and was charged with eight runs (5 earned) on eight hits and three walks over 2 1/3 innings. Eider Machuca came on and gave up five runs (4 earned) on three hits and a walk and recorded just one out (despite two strikeouts!). Jose Ojo came and allowed one inherited runner to score. But he got five outs without any more runs crossing the plate. The best news to come out of this game was the return of Hendry Chivilli. He hadn’t played since opening day, June 5. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. Dameury Pena went 2-for-2 Ariel Castro went 2-for-4. Yilber Herrera was 1-for-3 with a walk. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitters of the Day – Jorel Ortega (Cedar Rapids) - 4-for-5, 2 HR(3), 3 R, 5 RBI. Yasser Mercedes (FCL Twins) - 4-for-5, 2 HR(3), 3 R, 4 RBI, SB(4). Pitcher of the Day – Ben Ethridge (Fort Myers) - 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 2 K. 77 pitches, 46 strikes (59.7%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. (Note - our next prospect rankings update will come after the draft.) #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-for-4 #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-5, 3B(3), 2 R, RBI, BB, 2 K, SB(11). #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 2-for-3, 2B(11), RBI, K. #6 - Marco Raya (Wichita) - 3 2/3 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 4 K, 51 pitches, 34 strikes (66.7%). #8 - David Festa (Wichita) - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 25 pitches, 16 strikes (64.0%). #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, BB,K. E(5). #10 - Yasser Mercedes (FCL Twins) - 4-for-5, 2 HR(3), 3 R, 4 RBI, SB(4). #11 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, BB, K, SB(1) (2B, batted second) #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-5, R, RBI, K. #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, BB, 2 R, RBI, BB, 3 K. #14 - Jordan Balazovic (Minnesota) - 1 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. 17 pitches, 11 strikes (64.7%) #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 1-for-5, K. #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-for-4, 2B(12), R, 2 K.. SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Durham @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick (3-1, 4.05 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Pierson Ohl (1-2, 4.73 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Kyle Jones (4-4, 4.53 ERA) Fort Myers @ Jupiter (5:30 PM CST) - LHP Jarrett Whorff (2-0, 1.71 ERA) FCL Red Sox @ FCL Twins (9:00 AM CST) - TBD DSL Guardians Red @ DSL Twins (10:00 AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics!

The Twins drafted Marco Raya in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of high school in Texas. It was a strange draft year with limited rounds and no ability to scout players in the weeks leading into the draft. A player like Raya might have gained more steam with a strong spring season, but the Twins were happy to have him still available with the club’s penultimate pick. Drafting and developing high school pitchers can take patience, but the Twins might have a potential top-of-the-rotation pitcher in Raya. Minnesota pushed back Raya’s professional debut until the 2022 season because of a shoulder strain. Minnesota was still aggressive with him by sending him to Low-A, where he was three years younger than the average age of the competition in the FSL. It was also important to limit his innings because of the previous year’s shoulder issues, but he showed plenty of upside in his 65 innings. In 19 appearances (17 starts), he posted a 3.05 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP and a 76-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He faced older batters in 82.5% of his plate appearances and solidified himself as one of the team’s top starting pitching prospects. Following the season, Raya’s prospect stock was rising. Baseball Prospectus was the only national outlet to rank Raya among baseball’s Top 100 prospects, ranking him 53rd overall. At Twins Daily, he ranked as the fourth-best Twins prospect, ranking higher than any other pitcher. It was a meteoric rise for a player with fewer than 70 innings pitched in his professional career, but there were reasons to be excited about Raya entering the 2023 campaign. There were a few hiccups in Raya’s first two starts of the season. He allowed five earned runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings, with opponents posting a .939 OPS against him. Raya ran off seven straight starts from there, allowing one earned run or less. In 22 innings, he posted a 1.23 ERA with a 27-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Twins continue to limit his innings as he has yet to pitch more than four innings or throw more than 54 pitches. Raya continues to improve his whiff rate and strikeout percentage. Raya’s elite-level spin rates on his two best pitches have helped him miss a lot of bats to this point in his career. His fastball can reach the upper-90s, and the high spin rate makes it a tough pitch for batters to make consistent contact. His slider sits in the low-80s and is his best secondary pitch. He typically features a four-pitch mix, but he continues to develop his curveball and changeup. Raya can throw all four pitches for strikes and is at his best when he pounds the strike zone and avoids walks. Marco Raya is an undersized player who MiLB.com lists at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds. There is also some concern because the Twins have limited his workload because of his early career injury concerns. Minnesota has seen success from undersized pitchers, including Jose Berrios pitching at an All-Star level for multiple seasons. Raya’s future as a starting pitcher is tied to his ability to improve secondary pitches and increase his workload. He doesn’t turn 21 until August, so he has plenty of time to continue developing in the Twins system. According to MLB.com, the front office has “fielded plenty of calls from other teams asking about Raya.” That might be one of the team’s best signs to keep him long-term. How do you view Raya’s start to the season? What is his ceiling? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

TRANSACTIONS RHP Josh Winder transferred to the Minnesota Twins with Caleb Thielbar going back on the Injured List. Joey Gallo was sent to the St. Paul Saints on Major League rehab. The Wind Surge add catcher Kyle Schmidt from Fort Myers, OF Gregory Duran and catcher Alex Rodriguez were promoted to the Mighty Mussels from the FCL Twins. LHP Connor Prielipp and RHP Alex Phillips began rehab assignments with the FCL Twins. RHP Owen Griffith made a second rehab appearance in the FCL. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Iowa 7 Box Score Brent Headrick started on the mound in game five of seven against the Iowa Cubs on Friday in St. Paul. The southpaw worked the first seven innings and gave up just two runs on four hits (2 homers). He walked one and struck out four batters. The Saints jumped out to an early lead. Rehabbing Joey Gallo drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Mark Contreras hit his sixth homer of the season in the second frame, a solo blast to make it 2-1 Saints. Fast-forward to the bottom of the sixth frame and Andrew Bechtold hit a big, three-run homer to make the score 5-1. It was his first homer of the season. Headrick gave up a solo homer in the first inning, and then one more in the seventh inning before his night was complete. Kody Funderburk came in and tossed a scoreless eighth inning. With a 5-2 lead going to the ninth, Funderburk got a fly out and then issued a walk. He then recorded a strikeout for the second out. Then Funderburk walked a second batter to put runners on first and second. Austin Brice came into the game. He gave up a run-scoring double, a walk, a two-run double, and a two-run single before getting the final out. Now down 7-5, the Saints got two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth, but they were unable to get that one more big hit they needed. Jose Miranda went 3-for-4 in the game to raise his average to .262 on the season. He has been quite good lately. Matt Wallner went 2-for-4 with his 15th double. Mark Contreras was 2-for-4. Joey Gallo went 0-for-2 with the first-inning sacrifice fly. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 4, San Antonio 5 Box Score Pierson Ohl made his Wichita debut Friday night and after a nerve-driven first inning giving up one run, he calmed down and threw three scoreless innings, giving the Surge’s offense an opportunity to give their new pitcher some support. The Surge responded with an exciting second inning and then some. With two outs on the inning, Alex Isola got his ninth double of the season to get himself in position to score a run. Followed on base was Jake Rucker who was hit by a pitch to get two in scoring position. Seth Gray stepped up to the plate and hit a three-run home run deep into right field that gave the Surge a lead of 3-1. Ohl’s night started to unravel in the fifth inning with a start off single from Cole Cummings. He advanced to second base. on a wild pitch Ray Patrick-Didder ripped a ground ball to left field. Ripken Reyes first got a single to score Seagle to tie the game 3-3 and then stole second base. The next few batters just started stringing together single after single, driving up the score one hitter at a time until the Missions led 5-1. Ohl was relieved by Hunter McMahon to stop the bleeding. The next two batters got out on a pop-fly and strike out to end the inning. The seventh inning, the Surge looked like they were threatening to get back in front, but were stopped at every opportunity by the Missions defense. Severino brought some hope to the game with a solo home run in the eighth inning, but it just wasn’t enough. The Surge now trail 3-1 in the series. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Dayton 1 Box Score There was another pitching duel in Dayton tonight. After both pitchers shook out the icks from the first inning, and a few runs allowed, the remainder of the game became a game of creating opportunities and the Kernels created just enough to be the winner. The Kernels got to work right away in the first inning, working Dayton pitcher Julian Aguiar. Aguiar started out by walking Tanner Schobel, followed by a pair of singles to Emmanuel Rodriguez and Ben Ross. Shoebel scored on a force out from Noah Cardenas to get the Kernels on the board first at the top of the first. Another single from Noah Miller, scores Rodriguez, giving the Kernels a 2-0 lead to start the game. Raya, still working through stretching out his arm, continues to excel in every game and was the best game he’s had thus far this season. After giving up one run in the first inning, Raya shut down Dayton throughout the remainder of his appearance. Ross gave the Kernels some insurance in the third inning. With Rodriguez on first base from a walk, Ross drove a line drive deep into right field for a double, sending Rodriguez home to get the Kernels a two run lead. Rodriguez got his seventh home run of the season in the fifth inning giving the Kernels another run on the night for a 4-1 lead. Raya threw four successful innings (the most he has thrown this season) before the Kernels brought in Christian MacLeod in the fifth inning. MacLeod was immediately locked in and had one of the best relief games he has had all season. There were no other relievers for the remainder of the game. The Kernels used only two pitchers for nine innings to hold Dayton to two runs. The last inning of the game, Dayton did threaten to come back stringing together a couple of hits, and getting one run, but ultimately were unable to work around MacLeod. He ended the night pitching the most innings of the season, getting a career high nine strikeouts and his first win of the season. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Clearwater 1 Box Score The Mussels pitching staff stifled the Threshers offense tonight in Fort Myers, which was a win for Fort Myers in more ways than one. Tonight the Mussels broke their three game losing streak, and managed to get back in front of the Threshers. The game remained scoreless for both teams, but in the bottom of the third inning, Luis Baez and Dylan Neuse got a pair of singles to set up an opportunity to get on the board. Jorel Ortega was just the man to help with that opportunity as he sent a fly ball to deep right center scoring Baez to strike first blood. During the same play, Neuse was also coming home and got out at the plate, but it wasn’t over for the Mussels. With two outs looming and Ortega waiting patiently on third, Danny De Andrade ripped a single to center to score Ortega and give Fort Myers a 2-0 lead. Starting Pitcher Andrew Morris had a very clean first three innings, but in the top of the fourth inning, appeared to unravel slightly. He was able to get out without any damage, but in the fifth inning that all changed. The fifth inning looked a little shaky as Ricardo Rosario got a triple to right field. Emaarion Boyd got out on a fielder's choice to third baseman Rafael Cruz, who made an errant throw, allowing Rosario to score. Cruz made an errant throw to home that allowed the run to score, getting Clearwater on the board. Morris's night was done as Brian Meyer brought in Develson Aria to finish the inning and control the damage. The fifth inning for the Mussels looked very similar to the third inning with Baez (single) and Neuse (double) creating more opportunities by putting runners at second and third with no outs. After an Ortega ground out, Baez scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 3-1. De Andrade followed with a bloop single to right that scored Neuse to give Fort Myers a three-run lead. In the bottom of the sixth, The Mussels got in Clearwater pitcher Seth Nightingales head. The Mussels loaded the bases after Nightingale, hit Dillon Tatum, Maddux Houghton singled and then hit Luiz Baez. Neuse stepped up to the plate and Nightingale threw a wild pitch, scoring Tatum to increase the lead to 5-1. The Mussels A.J. Labas and Johnathan Lavallee came in to finish out the game and provide support, allowing the Mussels to get one more run to extend the score 6-1 and not allow any further damage from Clearwater. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from FLORIDA FCL Twins 9, FCL Red Sox 11 (10 innings) Box Score Connor Prielipp got the start on the bump in his rehab assignment with FCL. Prielipp has been dealing with inflammation and right forearm soreness off and on since the beginning of April. The fact that he’s throwing live again is a good sign. In 2 2/3 innings, Prielipp struck out his first batter, Nataneal Yuten, and closed out the first inning without the Red Sox sniffing a run. His second inning looked a little different, a walk by Kevin Diaz and Albertson Asigen came back to haunt Prielipp. Prielipp closed out the inning and came back to start the third before being relieved by Owen Griffith. The good news for this team? They are full of offensive weapons and guys who love to create problems for the opposing team's pitching staff. Andres Centeno started the retaliation against Boston with his first home run this season and the first run on the board in the bottom of the second. Centeno ended the day going 3-for-5 and accounted for two of the nine RBI. Third baseman Harold Grant spent his day creating opportunities for the rest of his teammates going 4-for-5, and getting two RBI, kept Boston’s defense on their toes. Grant, just a homer short of a cycle, led that Twins with seven total bases in Friday’s game. Endy Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a team-high four RBI.. In the seventh inning, Grant hit a triple which scored Isaac Pena home to even up the score 7-7 for the next two innings. Alex Phillips made his first rehab appearance and threw an absolute gem of an inning. He only threw five pitches, three were strikes. Julio Bonilla replaced Phillips and struggled in his first outing, giving up four runs in the sixth. A lot of back-and-forth, bats on fire and ten stolen bases between the two teams pushed the game into extra innings. Boston completely obliterated Ricardo Velez in the top of the tenth inning, scoring another four runs to pull ahead 11-7. The FCL Twins did their best to answer in the bottom of the 10th, but could only manufacture two more runs. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from the DOMINICAN DSL Twins 6, DSL Mets Blue 10 Box Score The DSL Twins team has yet to get a win in their short season. There were not as many runs as there were against the Angels on Thursday night, but they did get six runs in to stay competitive, but the Met’s pitching was on point during their Friday game. The Twins lineup had 13 strikeouts against the Mets, and a lot of offensive substitutions. The Mets got on the board first, but the Twins offense answered in the bottom of the second with a double from Javier Roman (2-for-3). Dameury Pena (2-for-4) hit a routine single to shortstop Branny De Oleo, but after Oleo fielded the ball, he had an errant throw and Roman scored to bring the score 2-1. Pena immediately stole a base, but was unable to capitalize on it. Moises Lopez hit his first double of the season. A set of doubles and a single from Carlos Silva (1-for-3), Moises Lopez (1-for-4) and Ariel Castro (1-for-3) put the Twins in a better position to close the gap, but the pitching staff was overrun by the Mets offense. Miguel Cordero made his first start of the season and his career on Friday. He pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up three earned runs, one walk and struck out five. He got the loss on the night, but his strike record looked good. Oscar Paredes relieved Cordero, going 2 1/3 innings and giving up three earned runs, one walk and two strikeouts. The final pitcher was 18-year-old Joel Garcia who also had his debut on Friday. Pitching two innings, the rookie gave up one hit but three earned runs. His biggest downfall was his control as evidenced by his five walks and no strikeouts. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Christian MacLeod (Kernels) - 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 9 K. Hitter of the Day – Harold Grant (FCL) - 4-for-5, 2B(1), 3B(1), 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects. These are the prospects that played tonight and how they did! #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB, 2 K #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 4-for-4, R #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, BB,, HR(7), 3 R, RBI #4 - Edouard Julien (Saint Paul) - Did Not Play (assume he’s heading to Toronto) #5 - Connor Prielipp (FCL Rehab) - 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #6 - Marco Raya (Cedar Rapids) - 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, HBP, 3 K. (51 pitches, 35 strikes) #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, 2B(15), R #10 - Yasser Mercedes (FCL) - 1-for-6, K, SB(1) #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, SB(10) #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, RBI, K #15 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K (90 pitches, 54 strikes) #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL) - 2-for-6, R #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-for-4, HR(13), R, RBI, FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Kenta Maeda (3rd rehab start, 0-0 3.60 ERA) Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05 PM CST) - RHP David Festa (2-2, 5.06 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Zebby Matthews (3-1, 2.42 ERA) Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Jose Olivares (2-2, 6.225 ERA) FCL Red Sox @ FCL Twins (11:00AM CST) - TBD DSL Mets Blue @ DSL Twins (10:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games!

Major League Baseball's 2023 Draft is scheduled to start on July 9, 2023. Each team prepares for the draft with a specific plan, and sometimes those plans play out better than others. To prepare fans for the upcoming draft, this series will examine recent Twins drafts and how those players have performed so far in their professional careers. First Round: Aaron Sabato The Twins were drafting at the end of the first round (27th overall) after a strong 2019 season. The pandemic wiped out nearly the entire college and high school season leading into the draft, making evaluating talent even more challenging. Only five first-round picks from 2020 have provided positive WAR so far in their big-league careers. Sabato was an interesting pick by the Twins because he was a slugging college bat with little defensive value. Players must provide exceptional offensive value with this specific skill set during their minor league career. Last season, Sabato showed flashes of his potential by posting a .799 OPS with 30 extra-base hits in 80 High-A games. His OPS dropped over 100 points after being promoted to Double-A, but he was over a year younger than the average age of the competition at that level. His 2023 season started late due to injury, so the sample size needs to be more significant to make substantial evaluations. Second Round: Alerick Soularie Soularie spent parts of two college seasons at the University of Tennessee and posted a 1.034 OPS in 76 games. At the time of the draft, evaluators viewed him as a toolsy college outfielder with the potential to improve on both sides of the ball. His college power numbers have yet to follow him to his professional career. In 2021, he posted a .668 OPS at Low-A and improved by 48 points during last season at High-A. Soularie has played the 2023 campaign at Double-A, where he is over a year and a half younger than the average age of the competition at his level. He has hit .220/.365/.300 (.665) with two extra-base hits in 19 games. Last year, he split time between second base and the outfield, but he has only played corner outfield in 2023. The Twins surrendered their third-round pick after signing Josh Donaldson leading into the 2020 season. Atlanta gave him the qualifying offer, but he declined it to test free agent waters. At the time, teams that received revenue-sharing money, like the Twins, lost their third-highest unprotected selection in the next draft for signing a free agent that rejected a qualifying offer. In a draft with limited picks, there could have been value in still having a third-round selection. Fourth Round: Marco Raya Raya is the Twins' highest-ranked prospect from the 2020 MLB Draft, and he looks like a steal in the fourth round. His small stature likely caused him to drop on some team's draft boards, but he has been fantastic during his professional career. In 2022, he posted a 3.05 ERA with a 1.077 WHIP and a 76-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio at Low-A. The 19-year-old was three years younger than the average age of the competition and faced older batters in over 82% of his plate appearances. Baseball Prospectus ranked him the 53rd-best prospect in the pre-2023 top-100 rankings. Minnesota pushed Raya to Cedar Rapids this season, and he has built off his strong 2022 season. In his first seven starts (20 2/3 innings), he allowed six earned runs on ten hits with 24 strikeouts and five walks. It will be interesting to see if he starts getting more national attention as he continues to produce in the lower minors. Fifth Round: Kala'i Rosario The Twins selected Rosario as an outfielder out of high school in Hawaii. He made his professional debut in the 2021 season for the FCL Twins, where he hit .277/.341/.452 (.793) with ten doubles, four triples, and five home runs. Last season, he played over 100 games for Fort Myers with a .727 OPS while setting career highs in home runs (12) and doubles (21). He's off to a tremendous start at High-A during the 2022 season. In 46 games, he has hit .292/.398/.526 (.924) with 12 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, and 27 walks. He's faced older batters in all but four plate appearances, so that makes his performance even more impressive. OTHER POSTS IN THE SERIES -2019 Draft Retrospective -2018 Draft Retrospective -2017 Draft Retrospective -2016 Draft Retrospective What are your impressions of the 2020 draft class? Who will have the most significant impact at the big-league level? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

TRANSACTIONS Infielder Elliot Soto activated from the 7-day IL Infielder Hernan Perez placed on the 7-day IL with right knee sprain Right Handed Pitcher Gianluca Dalatri has been placed on the 7-day IL with a right forearm strain Right Handed Pitcher Niklas Rimmel has been activated off the Development List and is available immediately Saints Sentinel St. Paul 1, Buffalo 4 Box Score The Saints offense came out strong right away in the first inning, loading the bases with no outs. Buffalo pitcher Zach Thompson started out the inning with a single from Jose Miranda and then a hit batter and a walk to load the bases. As promising as the inning looked, Thompson settled in and provided three quick outs to end the inning and keep the Saints from scoring. Randy Dobnak was on the bump for the Saints in game four of six against Buffalo in hopes of another win. In another Dobnak "bumpdate", he announced via Instagram that he and his wife are expecting a baby in December 2023. Congrats to Randy and Aerial! Dobnak struggled to get out of the first inning giving the Bisons a chance to work up his pitch count. The right-hander saw six batters in the first inning, giving up two hits and walking one. After the bases were loaded, he got out of the inning with a strikeout. The Bisons got on the board first with a solo home run from Tanner Morris in the third inning while the Saints continued to battle for a place on the board. Thompson kept the offense from making any progress toward closing the gap until the sixth inning when Kyle Garlick hit a homer to put the Saints on the board and within a run. The bullpen for the Saints was unsuccessful at keeping the Bisons at two runs. Austin Schulfer gave up a double to the Blue Jays 39th prospect, Cam Eden, and a ground rule double to Rafael Lantigua, that scored Eden to pull ahead again of the Saints. Despite their best efforts, the Saints were able to get on base, but were unable to overcome the Bisons defense, stranding six players on base. Jose Miranda went 2-for-4. In his first rehab game, Trevor Larnach went 0-for-2 with a walk and two strikeouts. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 1, Tulsa 9 Box Score The Wind Surge were in a rain delay as quickly as it started. Prior to the rain delay, Tulsa got on the board with two runs off of Travis Adams in the top of the first inning. Three batters into the bottom of the first inning, mother nature opened up the skies and rain delayed the game. The rain made way for the game to start again, and the Surge replaced their starting pitcher, Travis Adams with Hunter McMahon at the top of the second inning coming back from the delay. Tulsa scored one in the second inning and then scored three innings in the fifth and in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach. Four relievers worked a combined seven innings out of the bullpen. The in the top of the ninth, outfielder Will Holland came on and got three ground ball outs quickly. McMahon, Denny Bentley, Francis Peguero, and Michael Boyle. Boyle worked two scoreless innings. The offense did very little. Yoyner Fajardo had two-hits in the game including a ninth-inning,, two-out, RBI singled to score Alerick Soularie, Fajardo also stole his 16th and 17th bases. DaShawn Keirsey walked twice. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 2, Lansing 3 Box Score The Kernels started out game four against Lansing striking blood first. Kala’i Rosario hit a two-run home run to set the tone early in the game. After scoring 24 runs on Thursday night, the Kernels were hoping for a repeat performance to run up the score on Lansing. Starting pitcher Marco Raya pitched another three inning game. Raya’s outing was a good one, striking out four and only giving up a run after not giving up any during the month of May. Unfortunately, the one hit was a solo home run by Euribiel Angeles. Raya has been consistent in his appearances, continuing to improve after being on the IL early in the season with shoulder tightness. The tone of the game quickly went deaf when the Lugnuts went ahead in the third and fourth innings and stayed there through the end of the game. Alejandro Hidalgo replaced pitcher Marco Raya in the fourth inning. Brian Dinkelman also replaced Jose Salas, who left with an injury after his plate appearance, with Ernie Yake. Hidalgo came to the Twins as part of the Gio Urshela trade with the Angels. He has appeared in eight games for the Kernels, and Friday night marked his second loss. The 20-year-old prospect has only given up seven earned runs in his 27 1/3 innings this season. In this game, Hidalgo gave up one hit, but two earned runs with a two-run home run from Daniel Susac that scored Max Muncy, and gave the Lugnuts a one-run lead. Jordan Carr finished out the game, not allowing any more runs, but the damage was already done. The Kernels offense struggled to manufacture any runs after the first inning and fell to the Lugnuts 3-2. Kala'i Rosario had two of the team's four hits. Mussels Matters Fort Myers 0, St. Lucie 1 Game 1 A classic pitchers duel took place in the day's first game in St. Lucie. It certainly was not for lack of trying. Power hitter Jorel Ortega had one of two hits against St. Lucie on Friday night with his 16th double of the season. Luis Baez hit a line drive to left-field in the third inning and a stolen base gave hope to the Mussels, but that hope was quickly dashed with a pop-up to center field to end the inning. St. Lucie's Karell Paz put a ton of pressure on Mussels starter Andrew Morris, stealing two bases in a row and scored on a throwing error. Paz scored the lone run of the game. Morris had a good outing. He pitched five innings and only allowed the one run. He struck out four batters. Lefty Gabriel Yanez came in to relieve Morris and kept the game at 1-0. The Mussels had just two hits in the game. They weren't able to walk and struck out 12 times. Fort Myers 4, St. Lucie 9 Game 2 (Make up from 5/31) Cory Lewis started game two. Lewis struggled right away, walking three, giving up a run and only striking out one. Lewis was replaced with two outs and the bases loaded in the first inning by Danny Moreno who came in and managed more potential damage so early in the game. Lewis faced just six batters and needed 37 pitches. St. Lucie gave the Mussels a rough time in the third inning, running up the score with five runs to open up the score to 6-0. The Mussels were finally able to string together a few hits to at least get on the board to bring the game within a grand slam (6-2). With plenty of game left, it was on the pitching staff to control the remainder of the innings and give the offense a chance to generate more runs. Rubel Cespedes had a good game, knocking a two-run homer in the fifth inning. It brought the Mussels to within two, but the Mets immediately answered at the top of the next inning with three runs to drive the run differential to 9-4. The Mets worked their way through the Mussels bullpen exhausting six pitchers. The Mussels stranded 12 hitters on base. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Will Holland (Wichita Wind Surge) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB Hitter of the Day – Rubel Cespedes (Fort Myers Mighty Mussels) - 1-for-2, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K PROSPECT SUMMARY The Twins Prospect Tracker is the best way to see how each of the Twin's 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) - 0-for-5 #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 0-for-4 #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-2, 2 BB, R, K #4 - Edouard Julien (Saint Paul) - 0-for-2, 2 BB, K #6 - Marco Raya (Cedar Rapids) - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-for-3, 1 K #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-2, K (left game with injury) #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB SATURDAY SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Buffalo (5:05 PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (0-5, 7.79 ERA) Drillers @ Wichita (6:35 PM CST): RHP Christian MacLeod (0-0, 27.00 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Christian MacLeod (0-0, 27.00 ERA) Fort Myers @ St. Lucie (5:00 PM CST) - TBD (as of 10:00pm 6/2) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday's games!

Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. TRANSACTIONS None as of publishing. RESULTS Tuesday (5/23): Carlos Aguiar Flexes His Mussels Wednesday (5/24): A Walkoff, a Blowout Win, a Loss, and a Rainout Thursday (5/25): Sanchez Slings for Saints Friday (5/26): Pitching Continues To Be Solid, Even in Losses Saturday (5/27): The Dog Days Are Over; a Near Clean Sweep for Minnesota's Affiliates Sunday (5/28): Royce Lewis Catches a Flight MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Carlos Aguiar Slugging His Way Into the Top Prospect Conversation Playing at 120 Percent, Royce Lewis is Ready for his Return to the Big Leagues These 3 Minnesota Twins Prospects Are Off to Disappointing Starts in 2023 Blayne Enlow is Out to Prove He Belongs Is Royce Lewis Going to be Here to Stay? TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - TBD Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) -RHP Blayne Enlow (2-1, 3.02 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (5:00PM CST) - RHP Jaylin Nowlin (2-3, 3.75 ERA) St. Lucie @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 4-2) Overall: 27-22, 2.5 games back in the International League West. Overview: A good week with four wins over Omaha only kept pace with the Iowa Cubs. 🔥: It hasn’t been a good year for Aaron Sanchez , but he had a very good start last week pitching six shutout innings. 🔥: Hernan Perez and Andrew Stevenson both had huge weeks at the plate. Perez totaled 17 total bases on 10 hits in 20 at-bats with 10 RBI and Stevenson had 18 total bases on the nine hits and scored nine runs. 🥶: Simeon Woods Richardson threw 8 1/3 innings over two starts and allowed 11 earned runs on 16 hits and five walks. He only struck out four. A hard reset may be in order. 🥶: Jose Miranda is floundering. Four singles in 24 at-bats. Six strikeouts. One walk. Two runs batted in and one run scored. What's Next: A trip to Buffalo (24-27) for six games. Both teams are 5-5 in their last ten. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 2-4) Overall: 20-24, 9.5 games back in the Texas League North. Overview: A poor week against Springfield dropped the Wind Surge even further behind Tulsa. 🔥: DaShawn Keirsey led the offense with nine hits (and three doubles). Brooks Lee had eight hits and hit his fourth home run of the season. 🔥: Aaron Rozek pitched seven one-run innings and struck out five while only walking one and allowing just three hits. 🥶: Will Holland was 3-for-16, but his three hits were two doubles and a triple. He struck out five times. 🥶: Andrew Cabezas struggled in his lone appearance of the week. He allowed four runs on four hits and three walks while only retiring three batters. What's Next: Wichita will host first-place Tulsa (30-15), who is on a six-game winning streak. Though dominant at home, the Drillers are only 8-10 on the road. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 3-3) Overall: 25-20, 1.0 game up in the Midwest League West. Overview: A 3-3 week was enough to propel the Kernels past a struggling South Bend team (losers of five straight). But Quad Cities has gone from 12-21 to 24-21 and are now just a game behind Cedar Rapids. 🔥: Marco Raya was perfect in his three innings, striking out five. 🔥: Jordan Carr pitched six innings and earned a win. He allowed only an unearned run on four hits and two walks. He struck out six. 🔥: Kala’i Rosario and Noah Miller led the offense. Rosario had two home runs among his six hits. Miller had seven hits including three extra-base hits. 🤩: Andrew Cossetti gets a write-up almost every week, so we should mention his promotion. He got three hits in 13 at-bats including two doubles. 🥶: Pierson Ohl had an interesting start. He was one out short of pitching six innings. He struck out seven… but he allowed nine hits and two walks which turned into seven runs (six earned). 🥶: Jose Salas . Man, it’s been a rough start for Salas. Nine strikeouts in a 2-for-20 week. What's Next: A road trip to Lansing (21-24). The Kernels have a better road record so far this year, so hopefully they can keep the lead in the West Division. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 3-3) Overall: 25-20, 6.5 games behind Clearwater in the Florida State League West. Overview: Fort Myers split with a decent Dunedin team and made up a half-game in the standings. 🔥: Ricardo Olivar’s nine hits were tied for an organizational high this past week. But his solid performance may have been overshadowed by Carlos Aguiar’s three-home run game and Jorel Ortega continuing to impress with his bat (two home runs) and legs (three stolen bases). 🔥: Zebby Matthews earned a promotion with six strikeouts in five shutout innings. He allowed two hits. 🥶: Maddux Houghton struck out six times in 10 hitless at-bats. 🥶: Jose Olivares is the youngest pitcher on the staff, but allowing seven runs on six hits (three home runs) isn’t great. What's Next: It should be a big week for the Mighty Mussels. St. Lucie (13-31) is the worst team in the entire league… but they are coming in with a three-game winning streak. 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, videos, and more. (Season-long stats will be in parenthesis.) 20. Michael Helman, UTIL, St. Paul: On the Injured List with a dislocated shoulder. (.333/.434/.711. 1.145 OPS) 19. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 7-24, 3 R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 9 K. (.279/.355/.526. .881 OPS), played his first game at second base this past week after playing exclusively at third base all season. 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Extended Spring Training 17. Blayne Enlow, RHP, Wichita: 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 6 H, ER, 1 K. (1.13 WHIP, .237 BAA) 16. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 15. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 ER), HRA, 2 BB, 3 K. (1.41 WHIP, .292 BAA) 14. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 7.36 ERA, 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. (1.37 WHIP, .227 BAA) 13. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 7-21, 2 2B, 3B, 5 RBI, R, 4 K, SB. (.216/.293/.302. .595 OPS), played shortstop in four games (35 total) and committed no errors in 21 chances (four errors in 151 total chances); played no games (six total) at second base (no errors in 16 total chances). 12. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 2-17, 2B, RBI, R, 2 BB, 9 K. (.154/.231/.215. .446 OPS), didn’t play shortstop (three errors in 29 chances in nine games total), played one game (nine total) at third base with one error in five chances (three errors in 22 total chances). He played four games (18 total) at second base with no errors in 12 chances (one error in 72 total chances). 11. Austin Martin, SS: Martin is still recovering from an arm injury. 10. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Extended Spring Training 9. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: (.271/.392/.486. 878 OPS); Minnesota: 7-11, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, SB (.368/.520/.579. 1.099 OPS) 8. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 5 K. (1.49 WHIP, .260 BAA) 7. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 11.88 ERA, 8.1 IP (2 starts), 16 H, 11 ER, HRA, 5 BB, 4 K (1.88 WHIP, .329 BAA); Minnesota: (2.14 WHIP, .350 BAA) 6. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 5 K. (0.74 WHIP, .138 BAA) 5. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: On the injured list, but expected to resume throwing. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 4. Edouard Julien, 2B, St. Paul: (.287/.442/.481. .923 OPS), has played all 27 games at second base and has committed two errors in 119 chances; Minnesota: 4-17, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 8 K. (.224/.316/.510. .826 OPS) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 3-22, 2B, HR, 6 R, RBI, 5 BB, 7 K, SB. (.160/.316/.362. 678 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: St. Paul: 5-17, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 5 K, SB. (.333/.395/.692. 1.087 OPS), played one game (four total) at shortstop and committed no errors in four chances (no errors in 12 total chances). Lewis played one game (four total) at third base and committed one error in five chances (one error in eight total chances). 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 8-26, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 4 K, CS. (.261/.335/.418. .753 OPS), played five games (38 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 25 chances (three errors in 161 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (as voted on by fans on Twitter) PITCHER - Marco Raya, Cedar Rapids (Raya 42%, Matthews 35%, Rozek 15%, Sanchez 7%) HITTER - Hernan Perez, St. Paul (Perez 68%, Rosario 23%, Keirsey 5%, Olivar 3%) Who would have been your picks? Any early season surprises or disappointments? Ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects in the COMMENTS below.

TRANSACTIONS Wind Surge activate RHP Francis Peguero from 7-day injured list Mussels OF Luis Baez reinstated from the development list. Mussels INF Yohander Martinez (right groin strain) placed on the 7-day injured list. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 4, Omaha 6 Box Score Omaha worked quickly to get on the board in the first inning with two runs off starting pitcher (aka, The Opener) Connor Sadzeck. Sadzeck was replaced by Jordan Balazovic, who also gave up two runs in the second inning to give Omaha a 4-0 lead. Balazovic went 3 2/3 innings and gave up three runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out three batters. The Saints offense was smothered by Omaha's Drew Parrish and couldn’t come up for air. Parrish only struck out one batter in four innings, but he only allowed two hits and no runs.. The few times that the Saints were able to get on base, they were unable to manufacture any runs and left ducks on the pond. Omaha continued to control the game from the mound and in the batter's box. The Storm Chasers got another run in the fifth inning after another series of walks and singles to push Omaha ahead 5-0. Austin Schulfer provided 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. Kody Funderburk gave up one run on one hit and one walk over the final 2 2/3 innings. He also had two throwing errors. Tyler White hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning, and the Saints added single runs in the eighth and ninth innings but fell short in this game. White, Mark Contreras, and Hernan Perez each had two hits. The Saints had eight hits and seven walks, but they went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 0, Springfield 1 Box Score There was a pitching duel in Springfield on Friday night between Wind Surge starter Aaron Rozek and Springfield’s Wilfredo Pereira and went deep into the game. Only one run was given up during the battle. Unfortunately, it was allotted to Springfield after a walk and a few singles, but Rozek reclaimed control and made it through seven innings. Rozek struck out five hitters and only allowed three hits and the one earned run. The Wichita offense fell victim to Pereira’s accurate assault of the strike zone (10 strikeouts over five innings). They only recorded four hits and were shut out. It wasn’t for lack of trying. The offense was able to string together hits but were either groundouts, or flyouts. The few that got on base due to a walk or a single, were stranded on base. Shortstop Brooks Lee was stranded three times on base and left fielder Alerick Soularie stranded four times. It was an uphill battle all night for the offense, and one they couldn’t win. The Surge tried their best to bring in runs in the ninth inning. Yunior Severino reached on an error, and Will Holland pinch ran for him. After a strikeout, Aaron Sabato walked, and Anthony Prato ran for him. DaShawn Keirsey ripped a line drive to center, but Holland was thrown out at the plate. The next batter grounded out and the game was over. Sabato played in his first game since going on the IL after breaking a bone in his wrist on a hit-by-pitch on April 11th. He had a single and the walk. Severino knocked his first triple of the season earlier in the game but was unable to score. Keirsey had a single and a walk. The team had just five hits and three walks, but they also struck out 14 times in the game. Following Rozek’s strong seven-inning performance, Michael Boyle tossed a perfect eighth frame. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 1 Box Score The Kernels snapped their losing streak and got a win under their belt on Friday night. The Kernels offense started the night on a steady pace scoring three runs by the fourth inning to take a 3-0 lead over Wisconsin. Cameron Wagoner made the start for Wisconsin. The Kernels scored three runs (2 earned) on nine hits and a walk. In the fourth inning, there was an interesting plate appearance between Kernels infielder Ben Ross and Wagoner. They battled through a 16-pitch at-bat with Wagoner ultimately getting the “W” when Ross popped out. However, it forced the Rattlers to make a pitching change. Luis Amaya was brought in to close out the inning. Kernels starter Marco Raya had another wonderful outing. Since Raya’s start on April 21st this season, his ERA has continued to drop from 6.75 to 3.07, and he hasn’t given up an earned run during the entire month of May. Raya struck out five batters in three innings and only threw 40 pitches. The 20-year-old prospect gave up no runs, hits or walks in his appearance, giving the Kernels a comfortable start to the game. Raya was replaced by lefty Jordan Carr in the fourth inning and he worked six innings to finish the game. Carr kept the Rattlers from making any progress in his six innings pitched. Carr struck out six batters, and he gave up only an unearned run. Kyler Fedko led the offense. He went 2-for-4 and hit his second homer of the season in the sixth inning. Andrew Cossetti had two doubles in three at-bats. He was also hit by a pitch. Emmanuel Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with his second double. Mussels Matters GAME 1 - Fort Myers 8, Dunedin 4 Box Score The Mussels had a full day Friday against the Dunedin Blue Jays. They began by completing the game that started on Thursday night but was suspended due to weather. When there is a scheduled doubleheader, both are seven-inning games. However, when a game is suspended, that game is played first and played to nine innings. The regularly-scheduled game is then a seven-inning game. C.J. Culpepper gave up one run on one hit and one walk over the first two innings. Andrew Morris ‘started’ when the game resumed on Friday. He gave up two runs on three hits and two walks over four innings. He struck out three batters. Jarret Whorff recorded the save with three innings of one-run ball. He gave up two hits and three walks. The bats got hot early in the game and never slowed down in the first of two games on Friday. The Mussels came out strong in the third inning running. The inning started when Alec Sayre and Dillon Tatum were both hit by pitches. Proving that they were OK, they were successful on a double steal. So when Jorel Ortega grounded out, he got an RBI. Danny De Andrade came to bat next and singled to score their second run of the inning. (This is when the game ended on Thursday and where it began on Friday.) A new pitcher entered, but Ricardo Olivar and Dalton Shuffield added back-to-back singles to bring De Andrade home. Tatum doubled to score Sayre with the team’s fourth run in the fourth inning. Dunedin scored twice in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut the Mussels’ lead to 4-3. However, Rubel Cespedes’s second homer of the season gave Ft. Myers a 5-3 lead in the sixth inning. The Blue Jays got a run back in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Cespedes drove in a run in the eighth frame on a fielder’s choice. The Mussels added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning. Ortega singled in Sayre, and Olivar singled in Ortega. Sayre had two singles, and Tatum had two doubles. Ricardo Olivar led the offense. He went 4-for-5. He also stole his seventh base of the season. And just for fun, he threw out a runner at home from his position in left field. GAME 2 - Fort Myers 0, Dunedin 2 Box Score Fort Myers bats were cold throughout Game 2 of the double-header. Mussels starter Cory Lewis allowed a double and a home run in the first inning, which allowed Dunedin to go ahead 2-0, but unlike Game 1, the Mussels’ bats couldn’t get anything going. Third baseman Jorel Ortega provided most of the offense. In the first inning, he singled and stole second and later third base but was left stranded. He went 2-for-3 in the game to boost his batting average to .301. His second hit of the game was his 15th double of the season. The Mussels continued to threaten throughout the night, even stringing together hits (Dylan Neuse and Sayre hit back-to-back singles) in the second inning, but all the gas was out of the line-up and carried through on the mound from the Blue Jays whose pitching staff only allowed four hits total and struck out 12 batters. Lewis and the bullpen didn’t give up any further runs throughout the remainder of Game 2, but the damage was done. The right-hander gave up two runs on four hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out seven batters. Zach Veen gave up a hit and a walk in the sixth, but no runs. The bats were unable to create any runs to close the gap, and Lewis fell to 4-2 on the season. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Marco Raya (3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5K, 40 pitches, 26 strikes) Hitter of the Day – Ricardo Olivar (Fort Myers Mighty Mussels) - 4-for-5, R, RBI, K PROSPECT SUMMARY The Twins Prospect Tracker is the best way to see how each of the Twin's 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, K #2 - Royce Lewis (Rehab-St. Paul) - 1-for-4, BB, R, K. #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, 2B(2), R #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - #6 - Marco Raya (Cedar Rapids) - 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5K #9 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 3 K #14 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-for-4, 3B(1), K SATURDAY SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE STARTERS: Omaha @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (1-1, 5.45 ERA) Surge @ Springfield (6:35 PM CST): RHP Travis Adams (1-4, 7.01 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Alejandro Hidalgo (0-1, 2.33 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:00 PM CST) - Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday's games!

TRANSACTIONS Shortstop Royce Lewis continues to rehab in St. Paul Outfielder Kyle Garlick, recalled by the Twins RHP Andrew Morris is reinstated from the 7-day IL after a bicep strain Infielder Keoni Cavaco has been activated from the 7-day IL Ernie Yake has been placed on the Development List Saints Sentinel St. Paul 8, Columbus 1 Box Score The Saints struck first blood tonight in Columbus with a solo home run from Chris Williams to go up 1-0 on the Clippers. The Clippers answered in like, but the Saint offense continued to give Clippers starting pitcher Zach Plesac a difficult time with another solo home run from Royce Lewis, who has been rehabbing with the Saints the past week. The Saints continued to take advantage of Plesac's pitching, scoring 4-1 by the fourth. Lewis continues to not only improve after missing time for an ACL injury, but his bat has been a considerable contributor to the Saint's run count since coming up. Lewis has less than 20 days left on his rehab assignment, and Twins fans are clamoring for the shortstop to make his appearance at the club level with all the injuries mounting in Minneapolis. Lewis has a .400 BA and is responsible for five RBI in four games. Saints starting pitcher Aaron Sanchez struggled early on, allowing three walks and loading the bases but got himself out of a jam, only allowing one of those to turn into a run. He settled down after a rough inning and stayed in the game for five innings, keeping tight control of the strike zone and the Clipper's runs. Sanchez and the bullpen didn't allow any more runs throughout the game, giving the offense free reign to create more chaos, and what do you know? Lewis took advantage of that, getting his second home run of the night and his third since returning to St. Paul, extending the lead to 5-1. The Saints got three more insurance runs (two at the top of the ninth) before the game ended to gave Sanchez his second win. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 10, Arkansas 14 Box Score Wichita and Arkansas battled a long game throughout the late evening on Friday. Going pitch-for-pitch and hit-for-hit, the two teams stayed in sync for the first three innings with a score of 0-0, 2-2, and 4-4. Wichita starting pitcher David Festa had a rough night on the mound. Only staying in for 2.1 IP, Festa gave up five runs, only walked one, and had one strikeout. Right-hander Seth Nordin came in to clean up the inning and minimize the damage but walked three and allowed one run. Festa and Nordin gave up six earned runs together and only had one strike, giving the Travelers every opportunity to run up the score. The Surge was not alone, though, in their pitching woes. The offense got the same opportunity due to Arkansas' starting pitcher Emerson Hancock, who, like Festas, rarely struggles on the mound. Hancock could not strike out any of the Surge line-ups, walking five and giving up six runs to the Surge. Two of those runs from Alex Isola, who has reached base now in 16 consecutive games and has a seven-game hit streak. One of Isola's runs came in the fourth inning to break the tie-game giving the Surge a one-run lead. The Surge and Travelers game did not move swiftly. Each team had a considerable amount of hits, but as many hits as they had, both teams also left 32 players on base between the two of them. The pitch clock was not able to save this game’s time. The Travelers 11 hits and left 20 on base by the top of the seventh inning, but somehow managed a three run lead (11-8) over the Surge. The Surge bullpen simply couldn’t hold it together. The Travelers dug deep into the Surge bullpen and just exploited them at every opportunity, running up the score with the Surge unable to catch up. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 8, Peoria 4 Box Score The Cedar Rapids Kernels are stacked with talent. Seven of the twenty Twins Daily prospects are in Cedar Rapids, which shows. The starting pitcher, Twins Daily #4 prospect Marcus Raya put on another clinic tonight in Peoria with three clean innings, not allowing any runs and striking out two. Raya only threw 61 pitches before being replaced by RHP Kyle Jones in the fourth. Jones allowed one earned run in the fifth, a run from a series of unfortunate events on a fielding error by Kernel's third baseman, Ben Ross, allowing him to make it to first and secure second. However, Jones controlled the damage with routine outs to end the inning. The Kernels took advantage of the opportunity to get on the board in the fourth inning, earning four runs and forcing Peoria to pull their starting pitcher. Four of the Twins Daily top 20 prospects, Tanner Schobel, Misuel Urbina, Noah Miller, and Jose Salas, took turns securing runs for the Kernels, generating five of the seven RBI throughout Friday's game. The Kernels went up on the Chiefs, scoring four earned runs in the second and the fourth innings. The Chiefs weren't willing to go down without a fight and came out swinging in the eighth inning with a pair of singles and then took Jones for three runs on a wild pitch closing the gap 4-8. Right fielder Kal'ai Rosario has been a huge part of the offensive results for the Kernels throughout May. Rosario ended April with over 20 strikeouts, straddling the Mendoza line with a .215 BA and .311 OBS. Fast forward to the later part of May, as of Friday night's game, the Hawaii native still has a high strikeout ratio, but his batting average has increased to .393 BA and his OBS to .507. In Friday night's game against the Chiefs, Rosario earned two runs and drove in two RBI to help secure the win for the Kernels. Mussels Matters Fort Myers 6, Lakeland 7 Box Score The Mussel's pitching struggled tonight after a solid win in Lakeland on Thursday night. By the third inning, the Mussels starting pitcher Andrew Morris allowed three earned runs in one shot on a three-run home run from Lakeland's Peyton Graham, pulling ahead of the Mussels 3-2. A.J. Labas came in for Morris in the bottom of the third to minimize the damage but had his struggles coming into the fourth inning, allowing three earned runs himself. Two stolen bases from Peyton Graham and Luke Gold were compounded by fielding errors that allowed Lakeland to run the score up to 6-3. The two pitchers combined gave up six runs in the third and fourth inning, nullifying Mussel's three earned runs over the last three innings. The Mussels offense couldn't generate runs and was stifled throughout the six innings, only getting four hits total, leaving 14 on base. In the act of mercy, mother nature intervened to help the Mussels out with a temporary rain delay to gather themselves. Returning from the rain delay, the Mussels' Carlos Aguiar cleared the bases with a sharp line drive to right field, tying up the score to level the playing field. The Mussels fought back hard, and it looked like the game may have gone into extra innings, but Lakeland had just enough left in them to generate one more run to pull ahead and stay there to beat the Mussels 7-6. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Sanchez (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Day – Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 3-for-4, 2 R (both home runs), 1K, 2 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY The Twins Prospect Tracker is the best way to see how each of the Twin's 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) - Did Not Play #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 3-for-4, 2 RBI #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, 1 RBI,1 BB,1 K #4 - Marco Raya (Cedar Rapids) - 3.0 IP, 2K #5 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 1-for-1, RBI, 1 BB, K #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #7 - Connor Prielipp (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, 1 RBI, BB, 1 K #9 - Louie Varland (Minnesota) - SP 4/22/23 #10 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - Injured List #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, RBI, BB, 1K #12 - Yasser Mercedes (Extended Spring Training) #13 - David Festa (Wichita) - 2.1 IP, 5H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, 1 RBI,1 BB, K #15 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - Injured List #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - SP 5/20/23 #17 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul ) - Did Not Pitch #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-5, RBI, BB, 2 K #19 - Jose Rodriguez (Extended Spring Training) - #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, 1 RBI, BB, 1K SATURDAY SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE STARTERS: St. Paul @ Columbus (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-1, 2.89ERA) Arkansas @ Wichita (6:05 PM CST): RH Aaron Rozek (0-1, 8.10ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (7:35 PM CST) - Jordan Carr (1-1, 2.25ERA) Fort Myers @ Lakeland (5:00 PM CST) - Cory Lewis (4-1, 2.43ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss today's game!

TRANSACTIONS Infielder Michael Helman placed on the 7-day IL with left shoulder dislocation Infielder Hernán Pérez moved to the active roster from the developmental list Pitcher Ronny Henriquez was activated by the Twins and optioned to St. Paul Outfielder Ryan LaMarre has been placed on the Saints development list Infielder Keoni Cavaco has been placed on the 7-day IL with a concussion. Outfielder Kyler Fedko has been activated off the Development List for Cedar Rapids Saints Sentinel Box Score St. Paul 2, Indianapolis 1 The Friday night lineup for the Saints was power packed. Trevor Larnach and Jose Miranda, along with Matt Wallner, put the pressure on Indianapolis, scoring two runs right away in the top of the first. Wallner continues to be a force of nature for the Saints. In Friday night's game against Indianapolis, Wallner knocked in his 13th run. The Saints only had eight hits and two runs, but it was enough to carry a lead throughout the game. Saint starting pitcher Brent Headrick began this appearance with a 1-2-3 first inning, striking out the first batter, Nick Gonzales, to set the tone. The lefty only allowed one earned run - on a solo homer by Malcolm Nunez - and that was the only run that Indianapolis scored. Headrick struck out six batters. Austin Schulfer tossed a scoreless sixth inning, and Randy Dobnak recorded a three-inning save to close it out. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 13, Frisco 5 Box Score Blayne Enlow made his sixth start of the season on Friday night in Frisco. He ran a smooth first three innings, striking out four batters and keeping the RoughRiders scoreless. Then came the fourth inning. Frisco was able to capitalize on a couple of singles and a walk that loaded up the bases. Unfortunately, Enlow gave up a grand slam to tie the game. But there would be just one more run for Frisco. Surge reliever Hunter McMahon came in out of the bullpen to keep the RoughRiders at bay, holding them to one run in his four innings pitched. The Surge continued their thrashing In the sixth inning with a pair of doubles from Armani Smith and David Banuelos, and Jake Rucker pushed the Surge lead to 9-4 with a three-run home run. Yunior Severino also loaded up the scoreboard. Severino added to his 8th and 9th home runs of the season. He hit a two-run home run early in the game and a solo home run in the seventh that helped widen the lead to 11-4. The Surge got two more runs in for good measure ending the night at 13-5 and winning their fourth game in a row. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 1, Quad Cities 0 Box Score There was a pitcher’s duel in Davenport on Friday night. Fortunately, the Kernels came out on the ‘right’ side of a 1-0 ballgame. Twins Daily’s #4 prospect, Marco Raya, made the start for Cedar Rapids and tossed three scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit and struck out four batters. Lefty Jaylen Nowlin came on and worked the next five innings, holding the shutout with seven strikeouts. Right-hander John Stankiewicz made things interesting in the ninth inning, allowing the bases to be loaded on a hit and two walks, but he closed the door to record his first save of the season. The Kernels offense was pretty quiet throughout the night as well. In fact, the lone run of the game came on Gonzaga alum Ernie Yake who hit his first homer of the season. Cedar Rapids had only five other hits, and two walks, in the game. Noah Cardenas had two hits. Tanner Schobel had a single and a walk. Kala’i Rosario had the only other extra-base hit, a triple. Mussels Matters Fort Myers 12, Tampa 1 Box Score Mussels starter C.J. Culpepper pitched very well and was the beneficiary of a huge night from the offense. The 2022 draft pick gave up just one run on four hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. Jarret Whorff was added to the Mussels roster on Tuesday after signing with the Twins out of an independent league on Monday. The lefty recorded five outs without allowing a run or a hit. Juan Mendez struck out three batters over two scoreless, hitless innings. The Mussels fell behind 1-0 after a half-inning but responded immediately thanks to a string of hits from Jorel Ortega, Danny De Andrade, and Ricardo Olivar who all scored when Rafael Cruz hit a double on a sharp line drive to left. The party continued as Dalton Shuffield singled to right field to score Cruz. He advanced to second on an error. In scoring position, he scored on a wild pitch to give the Mussels a 5-1 lead through just one inning. Rafael Cruz, the younger brother of Pirates shortstop O’Neil Cruz, was promoted from Extended Spring earlier this week. The 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic had a fantastic night. He drove in five runs. He got things going early with a bases-clearing double. Then he had an RBI double. Finally, he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for a likely-more-painful RBI. The Mussels broke the game wide open in the sixth inning when they had their second five-run inning. The Mussels scored after two hit batters and a wild pitch giving the Mussels another five runs and the score 12-1. Culpepper gets his first win of the season and the Mussels continue their wins extending it to four after Friday night's game. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Rafael Cruz (Fort Myers) - 2-for-5, 2-2B, 2 R, 2K, 5 RBI. 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: #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - *expected to play Saturday (SS, 7 innings) and Sunday (3B, 5 innings) #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) -1-4, 3K #4 - Marco Raya (Cedar Rapids) - 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. 38 pitches, 24 strikes. #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 2-3, HBP #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2K #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-4, RBI, K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 3 K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, RBI, BB #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, BB, K SATURDAY SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE STARTERS: Indianapolis @ St. Paul (2:07 PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (1-3, 5.61 ERA) Surge @ Frisco (7:05 PM CST): RH David Festa (1-2, 5.40 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:30 PM CST) - RHP Kyle Jones (1-2, 3.70 ERA) Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:30 PM CST) - LHP Wilker Reyes (1-0, 6.55 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss today’s game! Did you watch any of them?

TRANSACTIONS RHP Dereck Rodriguez contract purchases by Minnesota from St. Paul OF/1B Alex Kirilloff recalled by Minnesota OF Trevor Larnach optioned to St. Paul RHP Jose Bravo transferred to St. Paul from Wichita SAINTS SENTINEL Nashville 3, St. Paul 2 Box Score After a multitude of roster moves, and rain that delayed the start, St. Paul finally sent Simeon Woods Richardson to the mound. He touched 94 mph in the first inning, and this game was something of historic importance as it represented the first time the challenge system has been used at CHS Field. On Friday through Sunday games at Triple-A umpires will have more control. While the ABS system is being used on Tuesday through Thursday, the home plate umpire will again call the games during the final three days. Each team gets three challenges (but successful challenges don’t take away from the total), and when one is initiated, the pitch is immediately relayed to the umpire and then put on the videoboard. The first challenge of the night came when Nashville’s Andruw Monasterio didn’t like a low strike call. He was incorrect, but got revenge on the very next pitch as he blasted a three run homer. Woods Richardson then used St. Paul’s first challenge on a called ball four. He was incorrect and the umpire found himself two for two. Answering in the bottom half of the second inning, Chris Williams and Andrew Bechtold went back-to-back on a pair of long blasts. Bechtold knew he got all of it, and a fan attempted to grab the dinger in a beer. As the 3rd inning looked to get underway, the rain came back and the tarp was on. With rain steadily falling and the forecast not looking great for the remainder of the evening, the Saints decided to bang this one on Cinco De Mayo. It will be resumed tomorrow afternoon with a seven inning game to follow. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 5, Wichita 1 (Game 1) Box Score Playing a twin bill tonight after a rainout yesterday, the Wind Surge kicked off game one with Chad Donato on the mound. He went 3 1/3 innings while allowing five runs on eight hits. Donato did strike out three while not allowing any walks. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. started things well for the Wind Surge when he drove Yoyner Fajardo in on a 1st inning groundout. That was Wichita’s only lead of the contest though as Northwest Arkansas immediately answered with two runs in the bottom half. Donato was touched up for a two-run homer in the 4th inning that made it 4-1, and a run-scoring triple chased him from the game. Managing just four hits for the game, Alex Isola was the only Wichita player to record a pair of knocks. They would look to forget this one and bounce back in the second game. NW Arkansas 4, Wichita 3 (Game 2) Box Score Carlos Luna was the starter for game two this evening, and the Travelers once again jumped out to a lead. Allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits in the 1st inning wasn’t how he wanted things to go. Similarly to game one, Keirsey Jr. again drove in a run on a groundout. Fajardo scored and put the Wind Surge ahead. A single and a homer were recorded for Northwest Arkansas in their half of the frame and they had their second 4-1 lead of the day. Wichita did get one back in the 2nd inning, but still trailed by two through four innings of play. Seth Gray did make things interesting with a solo homer in the 6th inning, but Wichita couldn't even it up and they fell twice on the day. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, South Bend 0 Box Score Marco Raya was on the bump tonight for the Kernels, and he looked strong in a short outing as he continues to build up. Working three innings, Raya allowed just two hits while striking out three and walking only one. Pierson Ohl then came on as a piggyback starter and continued his strong start to the year. It was a scoreless game through the first couple of innings until Tanner Schobel came up in the 3rd inning. With the bases loaded, Schobel worked a walk and drew an RBI as Kyle Fedko waltzed across the plate. Though they couldn’t push any more across in the 3rd, Schobel picked up another RBI when he lifted a sacrifice fly in the 5th inning. Ernie Yake scampered home and the Kernels doubled up their lead. Adding again in the 6th inning, Ben Ross singled to right field and Willie Joe Garry Jr. raced home. The story of this game was certainly how dominant Ohl performed in relief. Working the final six innings, Cedar Rapids saw the righty allow only three hits while punching out nine. Keeping South Bend at bay, he lowered his season ERA to 2.25 and struck out the side to end it in the 9th inning. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 7, Fort Myers 6 (F/11) Box Score Tonight it was Develson Aria starting for the Mighty Mussels. He went 4 2/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and a pair of walks. Aria did strike out five on the evening. Florida State League reigning player of the month, Andrew Cossetti, singled in the 1st inning to drive in Jorel Ortega. A wild pitch then allowed Dalton Shuffield to score and make it a 2-0 game before the inning ended. By the end of the 4th inning, Dunedin had taken the lead 3-2. In the bottom of the 5th inning though, Maddux Houghton answered with a two-run blast that scored Alec Sayre and helped Fort Myers to regain the lead. As the game entered the final innings, it was Dunedin again regaining the lead. A two-run double put them back up by a score of 5-4. Fort Myers had just four hits on the night thus far, and they'd need to find a way to battle back. After a Mike Perez pop out Sayre took a walk to put the tying run on base. Houghton struck out and it was up to Ortega as the last hope. He answered the call and roped his first triple of the season to tie the game and represent the winning run just 90 feet away. Shuffield couldn't bring him home though, and the sides were headed to extras. Neither team could get anything going in the 10th inning, but Dunedin put the pressure on with a two-run blast in the top of the 11th inning. Houghton didn't have another homer in him but his single scored Rubel Cespedes to bring Fort Myers back within one. Ortega couldn't recapture the magic again, and they Mighty Mussels came up just short. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl (Cedar Rapids) - 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K Hitter of the Day – Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 3-6, 2 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) - 3-5, 2 2B, K #4 - Marco Raya (Cedar Rapids) - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 0-1, K #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 3.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-5, 3 K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, 2 RBI, BB, K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Nashville @ St. Paul (2:07PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak Wichita @ NW Arkansas (6:35PM CST) - LHP Blayne Enlow Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (3:05PM CST) - RHP Jaylen Nowlin Dunedin @ Fort Myers (5:00PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games!

In an ideal world, every top Twins prospect would reach their full potential and become a star. That obviously doesn't happen, but fans can still look to the minors for hope for the future. Twins Daily's top five prospects face an important development season in 2023 with questions surrounding their future. Brooks Lee: Will he make his big-league debut? TD Prospect Ranking: 1 Lee has been the talk of spring training, with players like Carlos Correa gushing over his performance. Many outlets, including Twins Daily, rank him as the organization's top prospect, and he's barely played 30 games in his professional career. He shot through three different levels during his pro debut and finished the year impacting the Double-A line-up in the playoffs. He's likely heading back to Wichita to start the season, and prospects of his caliber don't necessarily need time at Triple-A. The Twins don't need to rush him to the big leagues, but his performance might dictate a call-up at some point during the 2023 season. Royce Lewis: How will the team handle him when he is healthy? TD Prospect Ranking: 2 Lewis showed flashes of his five-tool talent during his big-league debut, but it was a small sample size before he injured his ACL for the second consecutive season. He should be back by the middle of the 2023 season, and it will be interesting to see how the club treats him when he is fully healthy. Will they treat him like a minor leaguer and make him prove his bat is ready with an extended stay at Triple-A? Or will they immediately add him to the big-league roster when he completes his rehab assignment? Regardless of the team's path, Lewis can boost the line-up in the second half. Emmanuel Rodriguez: Does he have the highest ceiling of any Twins prospect? TD Prospect Ranking: 3 There is plenty of hype surrounding Rodriguez and his breakout performance at Low-A in 2023. As a 19-year-old, he hit .272/.493/.552 (1.044) with five doubles, three triples, and nine home runs. He drew more walks (57 BB) than strikeouts (52 K) in 199 plate appearances. His season was cut short by a knee meniscus injury that required surgery in June. Rodriguez is a long way from Target Field, and he has plenty of development left to make in the years ahead. However, it's hard not to get excited about a prospect of his caliber. If he continues progressing, he can be a top-15 global prospect entering the 2024 season. Marco Raya: Can his body type hold up with more innings? TD Prospect Ranking: 4 Raya is similar in size to former Twins pitcher Jose Berrios, so evaluators tend to question whether pitchers of his body type can hold up to the rigors of more professional innings. Minnesota drafted him in 2020, but he missed the 2021 season with shoulder soreness. He has been limited to 65 innings in his professional career but had a 3.05 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP and 10.5 K/9. Baseball America ranked Raya as baseball's 53rd-best prospect entering the season, which was his lone top-100 appearance. A good goal for this season would be to crack the 100-inning mark, but the Twins will continue to monitor his usage as he gets closer to Target Field. Edouard Julien: How quickly can he impact the big-league roster? TD Prospect Ranking: 5 Twins fans have seen what kind of impact Julien can have on games earlier during spring training. During the WBC, he will be on Canada's roster with a chance to put his name on the international map. He spent all of 2022 at Double-A, hitting .300/.441/.490 (.931) with 19 doubles, three triples, and 17 home runs. He transitioned that success to the AFL, where he posted a 1.248 OPS in 21 games. The Twins will likely send him to St. Paul, where he will wait for his call-up when an injury occurs in the infield, which should happen before May. What questions do you have about these prospects? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

Minnesota's farm system has some strong players at the top, but not all of them will still qualify as prospects over the next two years. Last year at this time, I projected the team's top-5 prospects entering the 2024 season, and so far, those rankings are doing reasonably well. A lot can happen in one year for a team's farm system, so who will be the Twins' top prospect in 2025? 1. Emmanuel Rodriguez- OF Current TD Ranking: 3 ETA: 2025 Rodriguez topped this list at the same point last season, and he's only solidified his prospect status over the last year. He's a Top-100 global prospect, and there was a good chance he would have moved higher on the list if he hadn't been injured last season. He has one of the best power bats in the Twins system, and there is a chance he will move into the top 10 on national prospect lists with another strong year. During the 2023 season, Rodriguez should spend most of the year at High-A, where he will be younger than the average age of the competition. He should be on track to debut in 2025 if he continues on his current development path. 2. Marco Raya- SP Current TD Ranking: 4 ETA: 2025 Raya has pitched 65 innings in his professional career, but Baseball Prospectus has him ranked as baseball's 53rd overall prospect. He was three years younger than the average age of the competition at Low-A last season while posting a 3.05 ERA and a 73-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has one of the highest ceilings of any pitching prospect to come through the Twins system in quite some time. However, he is a long way from Target Field, and a lot can go wrong with a pitching prospect on their way to the big leagues. Raya can be the team's top prospect entering next season if he puts together even better numbers at High-A. 3. Connor Prielipp- SP Current TD Ranking: 7 ETA: 2024 Prielipp is one of the most intriguing pitching prospects in the Twins system, even though he has yet to make his professional debut. He was in the conversation for being selected near the top of the 2022 MLB Draft, but he fell to the second round after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He pitched in pre-draft workouts leading into the draft so teams could see how his rehab was progressing. MLB.com already has Prielipp ranked as the team's top pitching prospect. There is no reason to rush him next season, but there is a chance he will pass Raya over the next two years. 4. Jose Salas- INF Current TD Ranking: 8 ETA: 2025 Salas was one of two prospects in the Pablo Lopez and Luis Arraez trade earlier this winter. He was considered one of the Marlins' top prospects at the time of the trade. Last season, he hit .250/.339/.384 (.723) with 20 doubles, four triples, and nine home runs in 109 games. He only had one at-bat versus a younger pitcher last season, and Miami sent him to the Arizona Fall League as a 19-year-old. He likely spends most of the year in Cedar Rapids with a chance to reach Double-A by the season's end. 5. Yasser Mercedes- OF Current TD Ranking: 12 ETA: 2026 Mercedes was one of the top international prospects available during the 2022 signing period, and he showcased his skills during his professional debut. Minnesota sent him to the Dominican Summer League, and he hit .355/.421/.555 (.975) with 13 doubles, three triples, and four home runs in 41 games. He was also a threat on the bases by going 30-for-35 in stolen base attempts. It seems likely for him to make his stateside debut in 2023, and he could have an Emmanuel Rodriguez-style breakout if everything goes well. The Twins have a top-5 draft pick in 2023, so that player will also likely be in the mix to be at the top of this list. Who do you think will be the team's top prospect in 2025? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

The purpose of these rankings is to take stock of the Twins farm system leading up to the start of the season. This year we asked 10 different Twins Daily writers, all of whom follow the minors closely, to share their choices for the current top 30 Twins prospects. Then we aggregated them into the list that's been gradually rolled out here over the past few weeks. This is a snapshot in time. Prospect rankings are never static, and in order to better follow the movement that occurs over time, last year we launched the Twins Daily Prospect Tracker. It's updated monthly throughout the season with new stats, insights, and re-rankings. I recommend bookmarking that page and checking back often if you love to follow the next generation of Twins talent. For today, we're going to dive deep on that next generation and how it's shaping the future of the franchise. First, here's a rundown of this year's top 20 rankings – you can click on each player's name to find a profile on him from one of our writers. Minnesota Twins 2023 Top 20 Prospects 20. Misael Urbina, OF: Has come along slowly since signing as a top int'l talent out of DR in 2018, but still 20 with big tools. 19. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Opened eyes with a spectacular and rare power display in the Dominican Summer League. 18. Tanner Schobel, 2B: 2022 second-round pick saw his college power spike evaporate in pro debut, fading his hype. 17. Ronny Henriquez, RHP: Slider-slinging 22-year-old seems destined to break through in full-time relief role. 16. Jordan Balazovic, RHP: Stellar track record keeps him on the radar following a disastrous year at Triple-A. 15. Matt Canterino, RHP: Maybe the best raw stuff in the organization, but TJ surgery will sideline him again this year. 14. Noah Miller, SS: Outstanding fielder needs to find some semblance of offensive game other than drawing walks. 13. David Festa, RHP: Former 13th-rounder's domination of Single-A sparks hope for another deep-draft pitching find. 12. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Club's biggest int'l signing last summer flashed all five tools in highly impressive rookie-ball debut. 11. Matt Wallner, OF: His off-the-charts raw power will play in the bigs if he can stay relatively disciplined at plate. 10. Austin Martin, SS: Huge dropoff after topping this list a year ago, but the speedy OBP specialist can rebound. 9. Louie Varland, RHP: Continues to outperform his stuff, but also, the stuff continues to get better for hard-working SP. 8. Jose Salas, INF: Twins picked up a dynamic young athlete via Arraez trade in this versatile switch-hitting infielder. 7. Connor Prielipp, LHP: Slid to Twins in second round of latest draft coming off elbow surgery, but has frontline SP traits. 6. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP: Reached majors at age 22 following lights-out campaign between AA/AAA. 5. Edouard Julien, 2B: He has raked in the minors with an ultra-patient approach, and is knocking on MLB door. 4. Marco Raya, RHP: Word is out on the best-kept secret in Twins system, who dazzled in pro debut at Fort Myers. 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF: Flashed superstar talent and production during full-season debut cut short by knee injury. 2. Royce Lewis, SS: Cemented legitimacy during a convincing return to action before being struck by another torn ACL. 1. Brooks Lee, SS: Drafted eighth overall with a bat that pretty much looked MLB-ready as soon as he reached the pro field. A True Deadlock at the Top The most fascinating dynamic of this year's rankings was the choice between Lee and Lewis for number one. I cannot possibly overstate how accurate the word "deadlock" is in describing the lack of separation between these high-end talents in our ranking process. The results from tabulating our panel of 10 voters placed the two in an exact tie: five voters picked Lewis, five picked Lee. In order to try and swing things one way or the other, we reached out for off-the-record opinions on the matter from a variety of trusted sources: scouting contacts, prospect analysts, baseball people inside the Twins organization and out. You know what came back? Pretty much a 50/50 split exactly. Almost everyone expressed a variation of the same sentiment: It's really hard to compare the two directly, because it all comes down to the upside & risk versus safety & floor equation. "If I had to choose, I guess I'd go with X." We all want to dream on the lofty upside Lewis still possesses: the potential for an electric power/speed combo from shortstop or center field, combined with character and charisma on the Jeter Scale. But no one can ignore the realities of a career that's been sabotaged by injuries, the latest of which undeniably clouds his future outlook. How do you properly account for this in projecting him as a major-league player? And how do you compare him to someone like Lee, who probably has a lower overall ceiling but also has one of the highest floors you could ask for in a prospect? Lee looked so polished and adept during his pro debut after signing last year that he found his way to Wichita for the Double-A playoffs and was up to the task. Lee makes it look really easy, and that's the highest compliment you can pay a 21-year-old barely out of college and facing experienced pro competition. Ultimately, we went with Lee as our choice for as the top Twins prospect of 2023, because the feedback we received seemed to tilt ever-so-slightly in that direction and because the majority of publications we chart our rankings against – MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus, The Athletic (both Keith Law and Aaron Gleeman) – have Lee in front of Lewis. But if there's a strong consensus to be found around these two it's this: the Twins are very lucky to have them both. Restocking the Low Minors with Upside Lee and Lewis both contribute to a robust top end of the pipeline, joining the likes of Julien, Woods Richardson, Varland, Martin, and Wallner as quality prospects who could essentially be ready to make an MLB impact at any time. But a number of breakthroughs from recent draft classes and recent high-profile international signings have populated the lower levels with promising young talent. This was missing last year, when essentially all 10 of our top prospects were in the high minors and approaching MLB-readiness, save for Chase Petty who got traded shortly after we published. The emergences of teenaged players like Emmanuel Rodriguez, Raya, and Mercedes – bolstered by the acquisition of Salas in the Luis Arraez trade – have done wonders for the lower levels of this system, and the franchise's long-term talent landscape. Still Lacking Catcher Talent The lack of standout catching prospects in Minnesota's system is something I noted last year, even before Mitch Garver and Ben Rortvedt were traded away. It's now even more conspicuous. The Twins have sought to backfill at the MLB level with veterans like Gary Sánchez and now Christian Vázquez, but the future of this position continues to hinge on Ryan Jeffers, who has proven little at age 25. Not only were there zero catching prospects in our top 20, but if you zoom out to the top 30, none are found in the 21-through-30 range either. The highest I've seen a catcher ranked by anyone is Noah Cardenas, who was 25th on Gleeman's top 40 list, but Cardenas was profiled there as a "future backup with some starter upside." Another tough year for Jeffers, with Vázquez under control through 2025 but turning 33 in August, would leave the organization's outlook pretty flimsy behind the plate unless new names emerge. Rebound Scenarios Present X-factors Aside from some of the big risers, the most stark movements from last year's rankings were the dramatic downfalls of Martin (#1 last year, #10 this year) and Balazovic (#4 last year, #16 this year). Those are tough blows for the system and help explain why it's generally viewed as middling compared to the league. (Law ranked them 19th out of 30 organizations at The Athletic earlier this month.) The flip side is this: it's only one season, and these players are not far removed from being viewed as viable (and imminent) difference-makers with convincing track records. Martin and Balazovic are legit talents, and both will be 24 this year with ample experience in the high minors. A turnaround for either could quickly thrust them into the big-league picture. Who's Your Pick to Click in 2023? I asked this at the conclusion of last year's recap article, so I'll send it your way again. Who is your pick to click and make a huge jump in the rankings in 2023? Last year I the name I submitted was Marco Raya, and he went from Honorable Mentions to #4 on our list, so that went well. This year I will go with Keoni Cavaco, who was merely an Honorable Mention this year having fallen off the radar in three unproductive seasons since being drafted 13th overall in 2019. Cavaco wasn't good last year, but he did seem to take a step forward and he remains an athletic and toolsy infielder. I like him to escape the pitcher-friendly Florida State League and put together a strong age-21 season that vaults him back into the top 20. How about you? Past Rankings Twins Daily 2022 Top Prospects Twins Daily 2021 Top Prospects Twins Daily 2020 Top Prospects Twins Daily 2019 Top Prospects Twins Daily 2018 Top Prospects Twins Daily 2017 Top Prospects Twins Daily 2016 Top Prospects Twins Daily 2015 Top Prospects Twins Daily Links: Misael Urbina, OF, Jose Rodriguez, OF, Tanner Schobel, 2B, Ronny Henriquez, RHP, Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Matt Canterino, RHP, Noah Miller, SS, David Festa, RHP, Yasser Mercedes, OF, Matt Wallner, OF, Austin Martin, SS, Louie Varland, RHP. Jose Salas, INF, Connor Prielipp, LHP, Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, Edouard Julien, 2B, Marco Raya, RHP, Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Royce Lewis, SS, Brooks Lee, SS. Baseball-Reference Links: Misael Urbina, OF, Jose Rodriguez, OF, Tanner Schobel, 2B, Ronny Henriquez, RHP, Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Matt Canterino, RHP, Noah Miller, SS, David Festa, RHP, Yasser Mercedes, OF, Matt Wallner, OF, Austin Martin, SS, Louie Varland, RHP. Jose Salas, INF, Connor Prielipp, LHP, Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, Edouard Julien, 2B, Marco Raya, RHP, Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Royce Lewis, SS, Brooks Lee, SS.