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In this episode, Jeremy, JD and Theo discuss whether the Twins last World Series was in 1987 or 1991, whether the team is fraudulent, and show some love for an amazing Twins themed YouTube passion project. The fellas walk through the prospects the Twins, Cubs and Brewers sent to the Arizona Fall League, before finishing with listener questions. You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at I-Tunes 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. 0:00 Intro 1:40 Playoff Baseball 6:52 And That's Baseball Video 11:00 Minnesota Twins and the Cruelest Streak in Sports 13:12 Arizona Fall League 15:57 Glendale Desert Dogs (Twins) in the AFL 18:50 Twins Prospects to Watch 23:58 Mesa Solar Sox (Cubs) in the AFL 25:02 Cubs Prospects to Watch 28:52 Surprise Saguaros (Brewers) in the AFL 31:45 Brewers Prospects to Watch 38:20 Listener Questions 48:57 Closing Time

We have been handing out proverbial hardware this week at Twins Daily. Dameury Pena is our Short-Season Hitter of the Year. Juan Cota is our Short-Season Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Kody Funderburk was named the Minor League Reliever of the Year. Cory Lewis is the choice for Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. Today, we announce our Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year. You might agree with our choice when you're done reading this article, but hopefully, you will see many excellent options. There were several solid offensive performances this season by players up and down the organizational ladder. Does this year's winner fit well into our list of previous winners? Certainly. PREVIOUS WINNERS 2012 - Oswaldo Arcia 2013 - Miguel Sano 2014 - Mitch Garver 2015 - Max Kepler 2016 - Daniel Palka 2017 - Mitch Garver 2018 - Alex Kirilloff 2019 - Trevor Larnach 2021 - Jose Miranda 2022 - Matt Wallner Here are the guys that rounded out the Hitter of the Year ballots: Honorable Mentions 2B/OF Austin Martin, 24, St. Paul - 59 G, 54-205, .263/.387/.405 (.791), 11-2B, 6-HR, 28 RBI, 36 BB, 43 K. C/OF Ricardo Olivar, 22, Fort Myers - 100 G, 106-372, .285/.403/.452 (.855), 28-2B, 2-3B, 10-HR, 58 RBI, 59 BB, 93 K. IF Jorel Ortega, 22, Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids - 120 G, 117-456, .257/.361/.445 (.807), 34-2B, 5-3B, 14-HR, 75 RBI, 69 BB, 133 K. IF/OF Anthony Prato, 25, Wichita/St. Paul - 115 G, 92-361, .255/.402/.435 (.847), 25-2B, 2-3B, 12-HR, 60 RBI, 79 BB, 104 K. C/1B Chris Williams, 26, St. Paul - 95 G, 73-309, .236/.352/.495 (.846), 13-2B, 2-3B, 21-HR, 75 RBI, 51 BB, 122 K. Others Receiving Votes Kyle Garlick, Trevor Larnach, Alex Isola, Noah Cardenas, Yoyner Fajardo, Rubel Cespedes. Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year Here are the top seven players for the Twins Daily Hitter of the Year, leading up to the choice for Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year. 7. OF DaShawn Keirsey, Jr., 26, Wichita / St. Paul 130 G, 144-490, .294/.366/.455 (.821), 18-2B, 8-3B, 15-HR, 61 RBI, 50 BB, 124 K. Keirsey was the Twins fourth-round pick in 2018 out of the University of Utah. After he missed time with injuries in 2019 and 2021, he has been one of the organization's more exciting and underrated prospects. His combination of speed with some power is very intriguing. He can be a top-of-the-order type of Hitter or hit anywhere in the lineup. He takes pitches, knows the strike zone, gets on base, and once there, he can steal bases. After stealing 42 bases in 2022, he stole 39 bags in 2023. Defensively, he has excellent speed and range and can play all three outfield positions. 6. SS Brooks Lee, 22, Wichita / St. Paul 125 G, 138-501, .275/.347/.461 (.808), 39-2B, 3-3B, 16-HR, 84 RBI, 56 BB, 91 K For many, Brooks Lee was the best pure hitter in the 2022 draft, and somehow, he was available for the Twins with the eighth overall pick. He signed fairly quickly, and after four games in the FCL games, he played in 25 games for Cedar Rapids and the final two games in Wichita, where he was also on the Wind Surge playoff roster. He spent most of 2023 with the Surge and played well. In 87 games, he hit .292/.365/.476 (.841). He hit 11 homers, and his 31 doubles led the league at the time of his promotion. He ended the season with 38 games in St. Paul. He hit just .237/.304/.428 (.731), but he added eight doubles, three triples, and five home runs. Lee strikes me as someone whose tools and athleticism won't jump off the charts. He may not stand out if you were to watch one game. But his at-bats will be good, and he will make all of the plays at shortstop. And at the end of the year, he will be hitting .280ish, get on base about 35% of the time, hit a ton of doubles and up to 20 homers, and have a high fielding percentage. When drafted, we knew his floor was high. Then he put up these solid numbers as a 22-year-old in his first full professional season, and it's fair to say that his ceiling also continues to move up. 5. OF Emmanuel Rodriguez, 20, Cedar Rapids 99 G, 85-455, .240/.400/.463 (.863), 13-2B, 9-3B, 16-HR, 55 RBI, 92 BB, 134 K Like Lee, Rodriguez is a consensus top-50 prospect in baseball, and for a good reason. He originally signed as a top international free agent in 2019. Unfortunately, he was unable to make his pro debut until 2021. In the GCL, he began to show his immense power potential with 10 home runs in 37 games. He spent the 2022 season in Fort Myers, where he hit nine home runs in just 47 games before a season-ending knee injury. There were some question marks coming into this season, but E-Rod was pushed to Cedar Rapids and continued his rise. He missed some time early in the season with an injury, and he wasn't consistent throughout the year, but the power was there. And considerable speed continued to be a big part of his game. Along with his 38 extra base hits, he had 20 stolen bases in 25 attempts. Defensively, he does a nice job in center field and has good range. Rodriguez certainly profiles as a modern player. He is unlikely to hit for a very high average. However, he will take a ton of walks and hit for plenty of power. The key will be to keep his strikeout rate as low as possible because good things happen when he puts the ball in play. He has a flair for the dramatic. In the Midwest League championship series, he hit two home runs in Game 1 to help the Kernels to a comeback win. Then, in the decisive Game 3, hit a big grand slam to put the Kernels ahead early and held on to win the league's championship. 4. OF Kala'i Rosario, 21, Cedar Rapids 118 G, 112-445, .252/.364/.467 (.832), 27-2B, 3-3B, 21-RBI, 94 RBI, 75 BB, 157 K Rosario was the Twins fifth-round pick in 2020 out of high school in Hawaii. The previous summer, he and Red Sox prospect Blaze Jordan put on shows in home run contests nationwide. Of course, Rosario's pro debut didn't start until 2021. In the GCL that year, he hit .277 with 10 doubles, four triples, and five homers on his way to the Twins Daily Short-Season Minor League Hitter of the Year. In 2022, he moved up to the Mighty Mussels. In 109 games, he hit .239/.320/.408 (.727) with 21 doubles, three triples, and 12 home runs. Not huge numbers, but he held his own for a 19-year-old in the pitcher-friendly atmosphere. The Twins were aggressive with him in 2023, and he proved them right. In 118 games in Cedar Rapids, he hit .252/.364/.467 (.832) with 27 doubles and three triples. His 21 homers and 94 RBI led the Midwest League and earned him the league's MVP award. No surprise Rosario will have to work hard to cut down the strikeouts as he continues to grow and develop. He will get some extra opportunities in the Arizona Fall League over the next six weeks. Will the Twins add him to their 40-man roster in November? That will be an interesting decision. 3. OF Andrew Stevenson, 29, St. Paul 106 G, 132-416, .317/.395/.522 (.916), 23-2B, 7-3B, 16-HR, 57 RBI, 42 BB, 97 K Stevenson was the second-round pick of the Nationals in 2015 out of LSU. Just over two years later, he made his big-league debut. Between 2017 and 2020, he played in 139 games for the Nationals. Then, in 2021, he played in 109 games for the Nationals. He spent the full 2022 season with Matthew Lecroy at the Rochester Red Wings. The Twins signed him on a minor-league deal in early March and sent him to the Saints. While he provided a potentially young team with a veteran presence and some depth, I can't imagine they believed he would put up the tremendous numbers he did. He hit for average. He has on-base, leadoff batter skills. He has some extra base hit power with his 23 doubles, seven triples, and 16 home runs. He had 44 steals in 49 chances. What a great season, he 100% earned and deserved his call to the Twins in late August. He can be a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive replacement in the big leagues. He also takes the kind of plate appearances that he can be a fourth or fifth outfielder. 2. C/1B Andrew Cossetti, 23, Fort Myers / Cedar Rapids 95 G, .287/.426/.534 (.960), 23-2B, 4-3B, 15-HR, 63 RBI, 64 BB, 79 K Cossetti grew up in the northwest suburbs of Philadelphia and stayed home for college by attending St. Joseph's University. He spent four seasons playing in the A10. He played 47 games as a freshman and 10 games before the Covid shutdown of the 2020 season. In 2021, he hit .318 (1.170) with 16 homers. Then in 2022, he hit .327 (1.167) with 19 home runs in 54 games. After that season, he played 28 games in the MLB Draft League and hit .410 (1.112) with 13 extra base hits. The Twins used their first pick on Day 3 of the 2022 draft. He played in just one FCL Twins game after signing. He began the 2023 season in Ft. Myers and started fast. In 35 games, he hit .330/.462/.607 (1.069) with 11 doubles and six home runs. He was promoted to Cedar Rapids, and after a slow start, he hit .262/.406/.492 (.898) with 12 doubles, three triples, and nine home runs over 60 games. Considering the power potential Cossetti has shown, his 79 strikeouts in 392 plate appearances (20.2%) is very solid. Defensively, he is a work in progress behind the plate, but he knows what he needs to work on and will do so in the Arizona Fall League. He made 44 starts this season as a catcher and 20 at first base. 1. IF Yunior Severino, 23, Wichita / St. Paul 120 G, 127-467, .272/.352/.546 (.898), 17-2B, 3-3B, 35-HR, 84 RBI, 51 BB, 173 K Severino was a high-profile international signing by the Atlanta Braves in 2016. When the Braves were found to have violated rules, Severino and others were deemed free agents. The Twins swooped in and signed him to a second seven-digit signing bonus. He has been moved up consistently by the Twins since the lost 2020 season. It has been a consistent improvement from year to year. In 2021, he hit eight homers. He hit 19 homers in 2022 between High-A and Double-A. This year, he tied for the minor-league lead with 35 home runs. "Anytime you tie for first in the minor leagues in home runs, you're deserving of Minor League Hitter of the Year consideration," said Twins Director of Player Development Drew MacPhail. He continued, "Yunior's calling card is his massive raw power and ability to hit the ball hard - which he did an awesome job of translating into games this year." It is hard to believe that it has been over seven years since Severino signed, yet he is still just 23. He is still growing physically and in his knowledge of the game. A big part of his power development may sound simple, but it's huge. He kept the ball off the ground. He hit many more line drives, and 35 fly balls became home runs. MacPhail said, "(That was) an issue he's worked hard at over the course of his career." For the Twins player development team, from the front office to the coaches and coordinators, it has to be a lot of fun and a source of pride to work with a kid over the years and see the work rewarded. Now the question becomes, will he be added to the team's 40-man roster this fall? He'd be a quick addition as soon as the Twins playoff run ends, hopefully after a third World Series title. The next question is a lot more complicated. Where will he play? MacPhail noted, "What won't go mentioned, but equally impressive, is the work and dedication Yunior put into his defense this year." So, we are going to mention it here. In 2023, he made 64 starts at third base and 21 at second base. He also made 14 starts at first base after joining the Saints. The infield has plenty of options on a potential Twins' 2024 roster that already includes Alex Kirilloff, Edouard Julien, Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Jose Miranda, and Jorge Polanco (who has two options remaining). Add in Severino, Brooks Lee, and Austin Martin; it is a good "problem." Congratulations to Yunior Severino on his fantastic 2023 season. He earned himself the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year award. In addition, join us in congratulating the others written about today. Also, with our Top 7, the Honorable Mentions and the others that received votes deserved recognition. To read much more Twins Daily content on each of these players, click on their names below. Yunior Severino, Andrew Cossetti, Andrew Stevenson, Kala’i Rosario, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Brooks Lee, DaShawn Keirsey, Austin Martin, Ricardo Olivar, Jorel Ortega, Anthony Prato, Chris Williams, Kyle Garlick, Trevor Larnach, Alex Isola, Noah Cardenas, Yoyner Fajardo, Rubel Cespedes.

On Friday morning, the Arizona Fall League announced their rosters. The Twins prospects will be playing for the Glendale Desert Dogs this season. Eight Twins players will team with minor leaguers from the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox. The league will begin play on October 2nd and continue until the league’s championship game on November 11th. While the Arizona Fall League is often touted as a high-level of competition, teams don’t always send their top prospects. In fact, this year, just 10 players on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospect rankings will participate. Of the eight players that the Twins are sending, only Kala’i Rosario ranks in their Top 20 Twins prospects (#19). Often, the players who participate in the Fall League are players who missed time during the regular season due to injury. Teams don’t often want to send their starting pitchers because they have already thrown a lot of innings. So you’ll see relievers sent. Those players typically don’t rank high on prospect lists, but several of them will make it to the big leagues. Let’s take a look at the eight players that the Twins are sending to Arizona next week. In addition to discussing the player’s background, I had the opportunity to chat with several of the players on what they are looking forward to during their time in Arizona and what they hope to work on and improve while they are there. Outfielder Kala’i Rosario was the Twins fifth and final draft pick in 2020. The Hawaii native made a name for himself on the national circuit as one of the most powerful bats in that high school class. He has had some ups and downs throughout his minor-league career, but generally, 2023 was a fantastic season for him. Rosario was recently named the MVP of the Midwest League. He led the league with 21 home runs and 94 RBI. He had 27 doubles and three triples. Twins Daily ranks Rosario as the Twins #13 prospect. First baseman Aaron Sabato is also heading to the Fall League. The Twins top pick in 2020 out of North Carolina has had several roadblocks since signing. Obviously that starts with the lost 2020 season. Early in his career, he struggled to make contact. His 2022 season ended early with a broken wrist. Early in the 2023 season, he missed significant time after being hit by a pitch and breaking his wrist again. In 77 games with the Wichita Wind Surge this year, he hit .221/.329/.439 (.768) with 19 doubles and 12 home runs. Catcher Andrew Cossetti will continue his season in Arizona. The Twins drafted the slugger in the 12th round in 2022 out of St. Joseph's University. He played in one game in the FCL in 2022. He began the 2023 season with 35 games in Fort Myers where he destroyed pitching to the tune of .330/.462/.607 (1.069) with 11 doubles and six home runs. He moved up to Cedar Rapids, and in 65 games, he hit .262/.406/.492 (.898) with 12 doubles and nine homers. Cossetti is looking forward to playing in the Fall League for arguably the best reasons. “I’m looking forward to working with a wide range of coaches and players. Baseball is unique in that everyone does something a little differently and I think learning how other players and coaches work is one of the best ways to improve yourself.” Of the 95 total games he played in 2023, he was behind the plate in just 47 of them. He is an offensive juggernaut, but admits to needing to keep working to improve his defense. “The biggest thing I want to improve on is my catching skills. Becoming a more well-rounded and consistent catcher is the next big step I need to take as a player. More ABs always helps too, and I believe in my ability to hit so in that aspect it’s just about getting more reps and gaining knowledge that way. Overall, I’m excited and thankful for the opportunity and my goal is to leave in November a better catcher than I am now.” In addition to the three hitters, the Twins are sending five pitchers to Glendale. Three of them have been full-time relievers, and two of them have been swingmen, making some starts and working often in long relief. Right-hander Ben Ethridge was the Twins 15th round pick in 2022 out of Southern Mississippi. He didn’t pitch in a professional game after the draft and pitched well in Fort Myers in his debut season, posting a 2.99 ERA. He made 13 starts and came out of the bullpen 12 times. But there certainly are things to work on. In 78 1/3 innings, he walked 36 (4.1 BB/9) and struck out just 63 batters (7.2 K/9). Ethridge told Twins Daily recently, “One of my big focuses is to develop and learn from some of the more experienced players and coaches. Trying to work on fine tuning pitches and figuring out when is the best time to use them. After my first full season, I started to figure out what pitches work when, but I really want to work with it more and get more comfortable with it.” He added, “I am excited about getting the opportunity to go out there and compete with and against some of the best. I have heard nothing but good things from people that have played there and I’m looking forward to getting to experience it!” Left-hander Zach Veen was the Twins 18th round pick in 2022 out of Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. He spent the 2023 season and went 5-4 in 41 bullpen appearances. He also had five saves. In 58 1/3 innings, he walked 26 and struck out 48 batters. The control was an issue which is likely surprising because in his 2022 college season, he struck out 59 batters and walked just three over 49 innings. That said, he went 4-0 with six saves, a 1.29 ERA, and a 0.51 WHIP. So, that is the potential and the hope is that spending some time in the Fall League will help him reach it. Veen told Twins Daily, “I’m looking forward to facing some really good competition out in Arizona. There are some really good guys out there, and to compete on the same level is extremely cool.” He continued, “(I’m) also looking forward to meeting some new people and seeing what makes the good and being able to talk to them and learn some new things” It will be a good learning experience for Veen and the other minor leagues. Veen want to “expand what I learned throughout the year at Ft. Myers. That includes using the new pitches I learned and executing pitches, locating where I want them.” Lefty Jordan Carr pitched in 22 games in 2023, 18 in Cedar Rapids before ending the season at Double-A Wichita. In his 60 2/3 Kernels innings, he posted a 1.48 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP. He has had a long and winding road to the Fall League. He was born in Baltimore and began his college career in 2016 at UNC Asheville. He was redshirted in 2017 and then pitched a lot in 2018 and 2019. He transferred to the College of Charleston for the 2020 season and made four starts but thanks to Covid, he took advantage of an extra year of eligibility and pitched again in 2021. He went undrafted and went to the USPBL and pitched in seven games for Utica before the Twins signed him and sent him to Fort Myers. The 26-year-old is excited for this opportunity and certainly not taking it for granted. He said, “I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’ll be a great opportunity for me to continue the success I’ve had this season and grow as a player. I know there will be a few familiar faces I’ll be competing against and with. I’ll have the opportunity to learn from a whole new set of guys and compete against some of the best players in baseball. It’s an honor to be considered and I’m looking forward to competing with and against some of the best.” As for what Carr is hoping to work on in the AFL is what might be called an Advanced Pitching course. “I just need the experience of taking my game and what I’m good at to the next level and knowing who I am as a pitcher against really good hitters. And that’s one of those things you don’t learn till you go through it. Learning how to miss bats and get weak contact at this level, working my pitches off of each other/tunneling and sequencing, reading hitters and adapting the at bat with my strengths.” The Twins have been active in signing guys out of the USPBL. Another pitcher heading to the Fall League signed with the Twins out of the USPBL on the same day as Carr. Malik Barrington played his college baseball at Albany State in Georgia, just a three-hour drive from his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. After his final college season of 2021, he pitched in eight games for Birmingham-Bloomfield before the Twins signed him. Barrington spent the entire 2023 season with the Midwest League champions in Cedar Rapids. He went 6-2 with a 4.29 ERA over 39 games and 65 innings. He walked too many (40), but he also had 80 strikeouts. The right-hander said he’s looking forward “to seeing the plethora of high level talent and being able to talk to and Learn from those guys everyday. You’d be shocked how much you can learn about pitching and the game of baseball by just talking to guys.” No surprise what he’s hoping to work on over the next six weeks. “While I’m there I would like to work on cleaning up my mechanics a bit and hopefully getting more consistency in the strike zone.” And by being in the Fall League, he’ll work with new people, new voices. He’ll be able to watch others in their bullpen sessions and ask questions about pitch grips or mechanical things. AJ Labas was the Mets 17th round pick in 2017 out of Trinity Christian Academy where he was in the same graduating class as 2022 AFL standout Austin Martin. Instead of signing, Labas went to Louisiana State where he made 29 starts over three seasons. In 2018, he was a freshman All-American, but he missed the 2019 season with He came back as a weekend starter in the Covid-shortened 2020 season and then made 15 starts in 2021. However, he went undrafted and signed with the Twins later that summer. He began the 2023 season with the Mussels and worked in 20 games. He moved up to the Kernels where he worked in 18 more games. He had seven saves overall. About his AFL opportunity, Labas said, “I'm looking forward to facing the competition that’s going to be out there and seeing friends and former teammates from high school and college and catching up with them. Also learning from the different coaches and working with the coaching staff.” In addition to Austin Martin, Pirates pitching prospect J.C. Flowers was on their same Trinity Christian Academy teams. They won a lot of games. So there you have it. The Twins will send eight players to Arizona later this week for the Fall League. Remember that we will have weekly updates on how the Twins prospects are performing, so be sure to check back for that. For more information on these eight Twins minor leaguers, click on the links below for Twins Daily articles in which they were tagged. Andrew Cossetti, Aaron Sabato, Kala’i Rosario, AJ Labas, Zach Veen, Malik Barrington, Jordan Carr, Ben Ethridge.

TRANSACTIONS RHP Jordan Balazovic optioned to AAA St. Paul Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Omaha 7 Box Score Randy Dobnak: 6 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: Hernán Pérez (8) Multi-hit games: Andrew Stevenson (2-for-4, R, BB), Austin Martin (2-for-4, R), Brooks Lee (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB) The Saints dug themselves into an early hole and never recovered. Fortune can change quickly. St. Paul whiffed on scoring with the bases loaded in the first, after excellent patience placed runners on every base—and their missed opportunity immediately bit them, as Randy Dobnak coughed up three runs. They did finally strike, though, when Brooks Lee cleared two runners off the bases with a double in the 5th. The 22-year-old has struggled since earning a promotion, but Saturday may have been his finest day since joining the Saints; he reached base four times. That was about the height of the game. Dobnak surrendered more runs in the 6th, and the two relievers following him—Alex Scherff and Jordan Balazovic—allowed a run each to put the game too far out of reach. St. Paul made full usage of the bases on Saturday, swiping four bases against the Storm Chasers; Austin Martin stole a pair, with DaShawn Kiersey Jr. and Andrew Stevenson adding steals of their own to the total. Technically old friend Evan Sisk allowed a run over two innings of relief. 2nd baseman Nick Loftin is Kansas City’s 5th-best prospect; he homered and collected three RBIs on Saturday. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 2, Arkansas 0 Box Score Pierson Ohl: 5 ⅔ IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K HR: Willie Joe Garry Jr. (2) Multi-hit games: None The Wind Surge won a pitching battle on Saturday. It may have been Pierson Ohl's best start of his professional career; the righty whiffed eight batters, allowing no runs as he came just one out away from earning the elusive quality start. He'll settle for a win. Ohl's AA ERA is now down to 3.06, as—following some early bruises after his promotion—Ohl owns a 1.99 ERA since June 29th. Wichita did just enough to support his effort offensively. Their bats were about as deadened as Arkansas, leading to four hits, two of them for extra bases. Fortunately, one of those hits was this massive tater crushed by Willie Joe Garry Jr. That's certainly not the swing of a batter looking to get cheated! Seth Gray owned the other extra base hit—a 9th inning double. Aaron Rozek and Miguel Rodriguez delivered the game to its end with masterful relief pitching. Rozek obliterated the Travelers with five punchouts, while Rodriguez closed the door with a scoreless 9th. Seattle's typically strong farm system is especially young these days, leaving Jonatan Clase, their 8th-ranked prospect, as the Travelers premier player. He went hitless. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 14, South Bend 5 Box Score Zebby Matthews: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K HR: Andrew Cossetti (8), Ben Ross (18) Multi-hit games: Kala’i Rosario (3-for-6, 3 R, 3 RBI), Ben Ross (3-for-5, HR, 2B, 4 R, 3 RBI, BB), Misael Urbina (2-for-5, RBI, BB), Jeferson Morales (3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, BB) The Kernels blasted their opponents on Sunday. The bloodbath started early. Cedar Rapids had 12 runs after just three innings. They had 11 hits, too. Singles, walks, homers, the team had it all—Noah Miller had hit for the third time before the 2nd ended, and he nearly hit for the fourth time in the 3rd. Andrew Cossetti had the big smash, with a three-run homer that gave him eight on the year with the Kernels, but, really, it was a group effort to put so many runs up as quickly as they did. The team took 24 at-bats with runners in scoring position. Zebby Matthews was acceptable. The righty handed a trio of runs back in a disastrous first inning, but he recovered quickly, allowing a smattering of baserunners, but no further damage. John Stankiewicz followed him with a pair of scoreless frames. Gabriel Yanez oversaw a few unaffecting runs before ending the game. Cossetti is slashing .296/.435/.552 in 2023. MLB’s 76th overall prospect, Kevin Alcantara, singled and struck out in five at-bats. Mussel Matters Ft. Myers 9, Daytona 4 Box Score Jose Olivares: 5 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Luke Keaschall (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB) The Mighty Mussels exploded late, erasing a 3-0 deficit to handily win Saturday’s game. You aren’t going to see nine runs score on only four hits too often. Fort Myers could find no BABIP fortune—the baseball gods saw to that—but they could walk, and they did so often on Saturday, taking a free base 11 times. Every batter in the lineup walked at least once. Ricardo Olivar was also hit twice. But you still need someone to knock in those runs, though, and Luke Keaschall and Danny De Andrade were the ones who met the challenge. Their doubles, plus a single from Maddux Houghton, proved to be the only run-scoring knocks the team could find; every other run scored on a groundout, a sacrifice fly, or an error. The sudden offensive explosion was a relief, as the pitchers, while not poor, did not dominate the game. Starter Jose Olivares struggled with command. So did 2023 draftee Ty Langenberg. But Matt Gabbert and Samuel Perez had their stuff, steadying the staff while leading the team to a victory with critical scoreless frames. Keaschall is slashing .294/.427/.485 in 19 games with the Mighty Mussels. He already has eight doubles. Cincinnati’s 19th ranked prospect—Victor Acosta—doubled and walked while hitting out of the leadoff spot. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Ben Ross PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-6, R, BB, 4 K #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-3, 2 K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 2-4, R, K, 2 SB #12 - Luke Keaschall (Ft. Myers) - 2-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, K #15 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 3-6, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 K #17 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 0-5, 2 K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (2:05 PM) - LHP Michael Boyle Wichita @ Arkansas (1:35 PM) - RHP Travis Adams Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (1:05 PM) - RHP Kyle Jones Daytona @ Fort Myers (11:00 AM) - RHP Juan Mercedes

Before we get to the Wednesday game recaps, you may have noticed on Tuesday that the Twins Daily Prospect Rankings have been updated. A few quick notes on the updated rankings: Matt Wallner has graduated from 'prospect' status as he surpassed the 130 at-bat threshold this week. No change at the top. Brooks Lee moved up to St. Paul and has remained atop our rankings. Walker Jenkins stayed at #2, and Emmanuel Rodriguez stayed at #3. Several players moved up a rung or so due to Wallner's graduation. Brandon Winokur and Luke Keaschall have made strong first impressions and are now in the organization's top ten prospects. Fort Myers shortstop Danny De Andrade jumps into the Top 20 at #17. He is one of the youngest players in the Florida State League and has more than held his own. The other next player in the Top 20 is 2022 draft pick and Kernels starting pitcher Cory Lewis. The pitcher with the knuckleball is much more than that one pitch, and he has found success in his promotion to the Kernels. The biggest drop in the rankings is Simeon Woods Richardson. He has had a tough 2023 season with the Saints, but he has actually been pretty solid in the past month. Here are the records of the Twins and their six affiliates through games played on Wednesday. Minnesota Twins: 63-59 St. Paul Saints: 66-49 Wichita Wind Surge: 49-60 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 67-43 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 53-56 FCL Twins: 21-27 DSL Twins: 14-33 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS There were no transactions in the Twins organization on Wednesday. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 3, Indianapolis 4 Box Score In his previous start, Louie Varland had his best start of the season. He wasn’t quite to that level in this game, but he posted another Quality Start. In 6 2/3 innings, he gave up three runs (just one earned) on six hits. He walked three and struck out five batters. Jovani Moran got the final out of the seventh inning and worked a scoreless eighth frame. He gave up one hit and walked two batters. Of course, that lack of command is why he was returned to St. Paul recently and what has kept him from becoming a consistently-dominant reliever. He needed 35 pitches to get four outs, and just 19 were strikes. Oliver Ortega came on for the ninth inning of a 3-3 game. He gave up an unearned run on two hits and an intentional walk. The Saints got on the scoreboard in the third inning. DaShawn Keirsey led off the inning with a single and went to third base on a double off the bat of Hernan Perez. Keirsey scored on an Andrew Stevenson single. Perez scored on a Brooks Lee double play. Then down a run in the sixth inning, Gilberto Celestino hit a one-out double. Walks by Yunior Severino and Austin Martin loaded the bases for Chris Williams. Williams hit a sacrifice fly to score Celestino and tie the game. Andrew Stevenson again led the Saints offense. The leadoff man went 3-for-4 with his 20th and 21st doubles and an RBI. The big difference in this game was the four errors committed by the Saints, three by better-than-average outfielders. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 5, Springfield 1 Box Score Let’s jump straight to the big story of the day. Travis Adams came into the game with a 2-8 record and an ERA of 6.24. Selected as a starting pitcher with incredible control, Adams worked hard and in 2022 was touching 97 mph. He gave up four or more runs in five of his 20 starts coming into the night, but he didn’t complete the fifth inning very often (seven times). He had one game in which he went six innings and gave up just one run. On this night, Adams was absolutely on his game. In fact, Adams had a no-hitter through six innings in this game. He only had two strikeouts, but he got nine ground outs and four pop outs to infielders. He had three walks and two strikeouts. Of his outing, Adams said, "I just continued to get weak contact like I have been really all season. Struggled getting first-pitch strikes throughout the game, so just kind of battled and executed some good pitches to get that weak contact." He's been putting in a lot of work over the past months. "The splitter has been a pitch I've worked on for the last couple of months, and it worked good for most of the game... until the home run." Adams said with a chuckle. He continued, "The curveball was effective, as well, throwing it hard tonight. Fastball later in the count helped me a lot tonight to get swing and misses and soft contact jamming guys." Thomas Saggese led off the top of the seventh inning by knocking his 20th homer of the season on an 0-2 pitch. Adams responded by getting the next two batters out. After a two-out single, Taylor Floyd came in and gave up a single, but he got the third out before another run scored. Hunter McMahon and Francis Peguero each pitched a scoreless inning to close out a 5-1 win. Adams was given some early run support as well. Yoyner Fajardo tripled to start the bottom of the first. Tanner Schobel knocked him in with a sacrifice fly. In the second inning, Willie Joe Garry’s first Wind Surge double drove in Jake Rucker and Alerick Soularie. In the third inning, Alex Isola hit his 16th homer of the season (and fourth in his past three games). Isola led the way with a 3-for-4 day. He now has a five-game hitting streak. He is now 10-for-17 with a double and four home runs. He also has five walks with just two strikeouts. Yoyner Fajardo went 2-for-4 with his fifth triple. Alerick Soularie added his third double. Brooks Lee was a doubles machine in Wichita and added his first Triple-A double in the ninth inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Wisconsin 9 Box Score Christian MacLeod made the start for the Kernels. He gave up two runs through the first four innings. He left the game down 3-0 in the fifth inning with two runners on base. Niklas Rimmel came in and walked three batters which allowed both of MacLeod’s runners to score. So MacLeod was ultimately charged with five runs on six hits and two walks in four innings. He struck out four. Rimmel didn’t give up any runs of his own and recorded the three outs. Michael Paredes came on to start the sixth inning. He gave up four runs (3 earned) on five hits and got just two outs. Matthew Swain came on with two runners on and stranded them. He went 1 2/3 innings and gave up no runs on one hit. He walked three and struck out two batters. John Wilson gave up a hit and walked two over 1 2/3 scoreless innings. The Kernels offense was pretty well silenced by the Timber Rattlers Cameron Wagoner and Stiven Cruz. Wagoner gave up one run over the first five innings. Andrew Cossetti hit a solo homer in the fourth inning. It was his sixth homer since joining the Kernels. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Jefferson Morales hit his fifth homer of the season. Andrew Cossetti finished 1-for-2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch to go with the homer. Keoni Cavaco went 2-for-4, the only Kernels batter with more than one hit. If you’re in Cedar Rapids, this would be a fun series to watch. The Brewers affiliate just promoted 18-year-old Luis Lara to Wisconsin. Their 2023 first and third round picks, Brock Wilken and Mike Boeve, were recently promoted to the Rattlers. Robert Moore and Ben Metzinger both went 2-for-2 with three walks in this game. Moore is a Top 20 prospect. In addition, a rehabbing Jesse Winker made the trip to Iowa. And if anyone is able to take photos of Kernels or Timber Rattler players, please send me a message. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Palm Beach 5 (game suspended Top 5) Box Score With two outs in the top of the fifth inning and Maddux Houghton at the plate, the rain came. There was a delay before the game was suspended. It will be completed before the regularly-scheduled game on Thursday. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from FLORIDA No Game Scheduled. The regular season for the Florida Complex League concludes in a week. It will be interesting to see how many players are pushed up to Ft. Myers, or maybe even Cedar Rapids, to keep their seasons going. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from BOCA CHICA The Twins and Nationals were supposed to make up a game from July 4th, but it was instead canceled. Time is running out on the schedule. The season ends in a week. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day – Alex Isola (Wichita) - 3-for-4, HR(16), R, RBI Pitcher of the Day – Travis Adams (Wichita) - 6.2 IP, 2 H, R, 3 BB, 2 K. 89 pitches, 51 strikes (57.3%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. The rankings were just updated on Tuesday. #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, 2B(1), K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 2K #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, BB, K, #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 0-for-3, SF, RBI, K #10 - Luke Keaschall (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-2, BB, 2B(4), 2 R, SF, RBI, #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 3 K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, BB, 2 K #17 - Danny De Andrade (Fort Myers) - 0-for-2, RBI THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Indianapolis @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (2-5, 9.85 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - LHP Aaron Rozek (2-3, 6.11 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Andrew Morris (2-1, 2.81 ERA) Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (2:45 PM CST) - RHP Jack Noble (0-2, 3.26 ERA) FCL Orioles @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM CST) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Phillies White (9:00 AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics!

As was the case last month for the Minnesota Twins, their offensive output was not ideal. There’s not much expectation these prospects could replicate this level of production at the highest level immediately, but there were a few slash lines that the Twins wish they were seeing in Rocco Baldelli’s lineup. Before getting into the top five, here are a few honorable mentions. HONORABLE MENTIONS Kyle Garlick - St. Paul Saints - 22-57, .386/.487/.719(1.206), 7 2B, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 12 BB, 24 K Andrew Stevenson - St. Paul Saints - 28-83, .337/.409/.578(.987), 5 2B, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 7 BB, 24 K Noah Cardenas - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 23-60, .383/.441/.567(1.008), 5 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 7 BB, 17 K Ben Ross - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 17-63, .270/.343/.524(.867), 7 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 4 BB, 19 K Carson McCusker - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels - 28-95, .295/.350/.537(.886), 2 2B, 7 HR, 8 BB, 35 K Ricardo Olivar - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels - 21-80, .263/.422/.488(.909), 10 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 16 BB, 12 K Jankel Ortiz - FCL Twins - 7-28, .250/.405/.429(.834), 3B, HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 9 K Isaac Pena - FCL Twins - 12-37, .324/.405/.405(.810), 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 5 BB, 9 K Dameury Pena - DSL Twins - 20-43, .465/.511/.651(1.162), 4 2B, 2 3B, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 2 K THE TOP FIVE HITTERS Number 5 - Wichita Wind Surge - OF DaShawn Keirsey Jr. - 25-95, .263/.340/.463(.803), 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 11 BB, 36 K The Twins selected Keirsey Jr. as a fourth-round pick back during the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. He has been somewhat of a slow-burn type of prospect, and repeating Double-A Wichita for the second straight season, he has put things together in a big way. July was a great month for the outfielder, and he’d probably already be in St. Paul if the top of the Twins system wasn’t so outfield heavy. The power has come on in a big way this year, and 13 homers on the season is one shy of doubling his output last season. Keirsey Jr. should soon get a chance to prove it at the highest level of the farm system, and he’ll have the opportunity to factor in as a fourth outfielder type. Number 4 - Cedar Rapids Kernels - C/1B Andrew Cossetti - 19-52, .365/.485/.615(1.100), 5 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 11 BB, 10 K Playing in his first professional season after being selected in the 11th round of the draft last year, Cossetti has shown extremely well in two spots. He earned an early-season promotion from Fort Myers, and has continued to hit for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He now owns a .923 OPS at High-A, and that’s while coming out of the gates a bit slow. At 23 years old, he is a bit senior for the level, but he’s been exceptional at the plate hitting for power while showing a high level of discipline. Minnesota’s system is not currently ripe with catching talent, so Cossetti should continue to force his own opportunities with this level of play. Number 3 - St. Paul Saints - IF Anthony Prato - 21-61, .344/.494/.738(1.232), 9 2B, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 16 BB, 17 K The Saints needed an infielder when Prato was promoted earlier this season, and he may have been bored doing Double-A for a second straight season. With just a .553 OPS through 43 games for Wichita, it’s hard to suggest he earned the move up. In reaching St. Paul though, he’s validated the move and has a whopping 1.151 OPS through 37 games. Prato has looked the part of a very strong defensive third baseman, and he’s hitting the cover off the baseball. While he isn’t on the Twins 40-man roster at this point, it’s worth wondering if he’s starting to creep in on the opportunities that would have been ticketed for Jose Miranda. Number 2 - Wichita Wind Surge - SS Brooks Lee - 31-85, .365/.433/.600(1.033), 5 2B, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 10 BB, 10 K Since the Twins selected Lee last year with the eighth overall pick all he has done is hit. His .846 OPS at Double-A Wichita this season has been impressive, and he’s tapped into some nice power having launched 11 longballs this season. July was a great month for the top prospect, and he’s all but certain to reach Triple-A in August. Brooks Lee will have an outside chance to make the Opening Day roster for the Twins next spring, but a better bet is that he factors in at second or third base sometime next summer. Minnesota will continue to hope for this sustained level of production, and nothing we’ve seen from him yet has suggested it will slow. And the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is: Wichita Wind Surge - IF Yunior Severino - 26-76, .342/.432/.750(1.182), 4 2B, 9 HR, 19 RBI, 10 BB, 21 K The former Atlanta Braves prospect has broken out in a way national outlets always hoped he would. Tied to Kevin Maitan as the cream of that international crop, Severino is launching baseballs for the Wind Surge. This month he had hits in 17 of 20 games played, and he homered in five straight contests. After hitting 19 round-trippers last season, he has already surpassed that number in fewer games during 2023. The bugaboo to Severino’s game is his swing-and-miss tendencies. Racking up a 91/39 K/BB last year, focusing on controlling the zone a bit more was a must in 2023. This season he has a 114/34 K/BB, and having already seen the pitching at Double-A, a better adjustment would have been nice. He’ll still probably see a late season promotion to Triple-A, but the strikeout numbers have to get in check. Minnesota would love to have another option for a power bat at the corner infield spots, and Severino has played plenty of third base. Wichita has used him at second base sporadically this season as well, but opportunity on the big league roster could come elsewhere. We want to congratulate Wind Surge infielder Yunior Severino, Twins Daily’s choice for Minor League Hitter of the Month for July 2023. Feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions.

You may notice a theme throughout the Twins organization. First, they all played Wednesday afternoon games which is unusual. But more so, I’m referring to the fact that pitching was not a strength for Twins pitchers on Wednesday. The Twins gave up a ton of runs. And the affiliates gave up a bunch of runs too. Here are the records of the Twins and their six affiliates through games on Wednesday. Minnesota Twins: 54-50 St. Paul Saints: 57-40 Wichita Wind Surge: 37-54 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 57-35 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 45-47 FCL Twins: 16-19 DSL Twins: 8-26 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS The Twins optioned RHP Oliver Ortega and recalled Josh Winder. The Saints activated catcher Mark Kolozsvary from the Developmental List. Infielder Dalton Shuffield was activated from the Fort Myers Injured List and assigned to Cedar Rapids. Following their Wednesday afternoon game, the Twins made a trade. They sent RHP Jorge Lopez to the Miami Marlins in exchange for RH RP Dylan Floro . SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 9, Toledo 7 Box Score Brent Headrick made the start in this game. He gave up three runs in the top of the first inning and another in the third. In total, he gave up four runs on three hits. All three hits were home runs. He also walked four batters and struck out two. Patrick Murphy came on and gave up one run on five hits and a walk over 2 1/3 innings. He struck out two batters. Austin Brice got four outs, all on strikeouts. Ronny Henriquez got four outs, but he gave up two runs on two hits and a walk. The Saints found themselves down 4-1 heading to the bottom of the sixth inning. In that inning, Andrew Stevenson, Jorge Polanco, and Kyle Garlick singled, the third driving in the inning’s first run. Next, Chris Williams doubled to score two more runs. After two outs, Williams scored on an Anthony Prato single to give the Saints a 5-4 lead. However, the Mudhens tied it in the top of the seventh inning. The bottom of the seventh inning started with walks to Alex De Goti and Andrew Stevenson. Jorge Polanco singled to load the bases. Kyle Garlick followed with a grand slam to give the Saints a 9-5 lead. Tyler Nevin hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth. Henriquez then hit a batter and gave up a double to put runners on second and third base. However, a hard-hit line drive was caught in center field by Mark Contreras to end the game. Garlick went 3-for-4 with five RBI. He hit his 11th double and 10th home run. Stevenson went 3-for-4 with a walk and his 17th double. Polanco has two hits in five at-bats. Anthony Prato was 2-for-4. He also stole his eighth base. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 10, Frisco 19 Box Score With winds blowing out early in the game, runs piled up quickly. And they just kept piling up, higher, and higher, and high… you get the picture. In the top of the first inning, David Festa gave up a two-run homer to Thomas Saggese. The bottom of the first started with singles from Brooks Lee and DaShawn Keirsey, the latter driving in the former to put the Wind Surge on the scoreboard. Two batters later, the second run scored on a Patrick Winkel sacrifice fly. Then Jake Rucker connected for his seventh homer of the season to give the Surge a 3-2 lead after one frame. Unfortunately, the second inning didn’t go well for Festa at all. He gave up a grand slam to Evan Carter. Wind may have been a factor, but two walks before it didn’t help either. Things went quiet in the bottom of the second and the top of the third. But in the bottom of the third, Keirsey hit his 13th homer of the year and cut the deficit to 6-4. Festa went just 2 2/3 innings and was charged with six runs on seven hits and two walks. He had four strikeouts and all six runs came on the two homers he allowed. Hunter McMahon was next up for the Wind Surge. He was charged with five runs (4 earned) on four hits and a walk. Isaac Mattson gave up an unearned run over 1 1/3 innings. Taylor Floyd tossed three scoreless innings. Things had kind of settled down. In the ninth, catcher David Banuelos came on to pitch. It didn’t go well. He gave up seven runs on six hits and a walk. Four of the hits were home runs. He got just two outs. Will Holland got the third out. The top two batters in the Wind Surge lineup provided most of the offense. Brooks Lee went 4-for-6 with three runs scored. He hit his 11th home run of the season, a two-run blast, in the ninth inning. DaShawn Keirsey went 5-for-6 with three runs scored. He hit his fifth triple and the 13th home run of his season in the game. Third-place hitter, Yunior Severino, became the first player in the Twins organization to his 20 home runs this season. Holland went 2-for-4 with a walk and his ninth double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Wisconsin 8 Box Score Speaking of strong first innings, the Kernels jumped on the Timber Rattlers with a six-run top of the first inning. With one out, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Kala’i Rosario walked before Jorel Ortega hit an infield single to load the bases. Misael Urbina walked in a run. Next, Andrew Cossetti cleared the bases with his 10th double since joining the Kernels. Following a strikeout, there was a pitching change. Jeferson Morales welcomed Miguel Guerrero with a two-run homer to make it 6-0. In the top of the second, Emmanuel Rodriguez lined to right field, but an error allowed him to reach third base. Kala’i Rosario drove him in with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-0. With C.J. Culpepper on the mound, one could think that would be enough run support. However, with some really rough defense in the bottom of the second inning, Wisconsin scored five runs, and just one of them was earned. There were two Catcher’s Interference calls, and one what could have been a double play, a throwing error meant three additional runs scored. CJ Culpepper’s day ended after just 1 1/3 innings. He gave up five runs (1 earned) on four hits and two walks. Matthew Swain came in and gave up a run on two hits over 1 2/3 innings. Alejandro Hidalgo came in to start the fourth inning. He gave up one run on two hits over 2 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out four batters. Niklas Rimmel walked three batters but gave up no runs on no hits over the next 1 2/3 innings. John Wilson gave up one run on one hit, one walk and one hit batter in the eighth inning to take the loss. Andrew Cossetti led the offense. He went 2-for-4 with his 10th double and three RBI. Jorel Ortega went 2-for-4 and was hit by a pitch. Kala’i Rosario and Emmanuel Rodriguez each walked twice. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Palm Beach 5 (10 innings) Box Score Through four innings in this game, the score was just 1-1. However, in the top of the fifth frame, Palm Beach scored three runs. Things stayed quiet until the bottom of the ninth. Down 4-1, Kyle Schmidt was hit by a pitch to lead off the ninth. Yohander Martinez ran for him. With one out, Alec Sayre reached on an error. Then Gregory Duran ripped a double down the right field line to score two runs. He went to third on a throwing error. Maddux Houston lifted a ball to center field, deep enough to drive in Duran and tie the game. Unfortunately, Palm Beach scored three runs in the top of the 10th inning. Jose Olivares started for the Mussels. In 4 2/3 innings, he gave up four runs on six hits and a walk. He had five strikeouts. Ricardo Velez came on and gave up just one hit over 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Wilker Reyes came in and put zeros on the board in the eighth and ninth. He started the 10th inning but gave up two runs (1 earned, the other the Manfred Man) on two hits and a walk. Gabriel Yanez came on and allowed an inherited runner to score and one more run on three hits before getting the three outs in the 10th inning. The Mussels scored one run on a passed ball in the bottom of the 10th, but that was it as they fell 7-5 in this game. Gregory Duran went 2-for-4 with his ninth double and three RBI. Kyle Schmidt went 2-for-3 with his fourth double and was hit by a pitch. Ricardo Olivar added his 18th double. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from BOCA CHICA DSL Twins, DSL Reds The DSL Twins were supposed to be making up a game that was supposed to be played two weeks ago. It was again postponed due to weather. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Co-Hitter of the Day – DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. (Wichita) - 5-for-6, 3B(5), HR(13) 3 R, 2 RBI, K. Pitcher of the Day – Taylor Floyd (Wichita) - 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 4-for-6, HR(11), 3 R, 2 RBI #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R, RBI, K. #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 2-for-4, 2-HR(4), 2 RBI, K #7 - David Festa (Wichita) - 2 2/3 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 64 pitches, 37 strikes (57.8%) #15 - Jordan Balazovic (Minnesota) - 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K, 32 pitches, 19 strikes (59.4%) #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-2, 2 BB, R, RBI, SF, K #17 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-for-5, BB, HR(20), R, 2 RBI, K, CS(4) #19 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 4 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (3 HR), 72 pitches, 43 strikes (59.7%) THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (3-5, 6.18 ERA) Frisco @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Pierson Ohl (1-3, 4.89 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:40 PM CST) - RHP Zebby Matthews (3-1,5.02 ERA) vs rehabbing Brandon Woodruff Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - LHP Jarret Whorff (2-1, 2.54 ERA) FCL Twins @ FCL Braves (11:00 AM CST) - TBD DSL Dodgers @ DSL Twins(10:00 AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics!

Earlier in the week, we announced the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher and Relief Pitcher for the month of May. Today, we conclude the series by posting our minor league hitter of the month. There were several good choices, and several St. Paul Saints showed up on the honorable mention list. They would likely be higher in the rankings if not for big-league promotions during the month which meant less minor-league opportunities. I do factor games played when I rank these players, but I always like to promote the honorable mention guys. You will notice that a couple of catchers are mentioned. They play just every other game, and in some cases, every third game. They can only perform when they are placed in the lineup, and a couple backstops played really well in May. Honorable Mention Edouard Julien (St. Paul): 16 G, 18-54, .333/.471/.537 (1.008), 5-2B, 2-HR, 12 R, 6 RBI, 12 BB, 13 K David Banuelos (Wichita): 11 G, 9-35, .257/.381/.600 (.981), 1-2B, 1-3B, 3-HR, 7 R, 11 RBI, 6 BB, 11 K. Hernan Perez (St. Paul): 15 G, 18-51, .353/.414/.549 (.963), 3-2B, 2-3B, 1-HR, 8 R, 13 RBI, 6 BB, 12 K, 4-SB Matt Wallner (St. Paul): 16 G, 21-65, .323/.348/.615 (.963), 5-2B, 1-3B, 4-HR, 10 R, 11 RBI, 3 BB, 28 K. Jair Camargo (St. Paul): 11 G, 15-49, .306/.343/.592 (.925), 2-2B, 4-HR, 10 R, 10 RBI, 1 BB, 22 K. Hitter of the Month Number 4: Andrew Cossetti (Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids) 20 G, 20-68, .294/.437/.485 (.922), 5-2B, 1-3B, 2-HR, 9 R, 13 RBI, 13 BB, 17 K. Cossetti was the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Month in April when he hit .327 with a 1.124 OPS, five doubles and four home runs for the month. He walked as much as he struck out. He spent the first two-third of May with the Mighty Mussels before ending the month with a handful of games in Cedar Rapids. The 2022 11th round pick from St. Joseph’s has made a strong first impression in the organization. The promotion to High-A has been challenging early in his time there. However, with Cossetti and Noah Cardenas (2022 TD Minor League All Star) team to form a pretty strong 1-2 punch for Brian Dinkelman to get good production regardless of which one is playing. Hitter of the Month Number 3: Jorel Ortega (Fort Myers) 24 G, 28-95, .295/.374/.537 (.915), 8-2B, 3-3B, 3-HR, 23 R, 17 RBI, 11 BB, 29 K. Ortega is certainly an intriguing prospect. The Puerto Rico native was the Twins sixth-round draft pick in 2022 out of the University of Tennessee. He played in one game for the Mussels last season but after an RBI single in his first at-bat, he broke his wrist and his season was over. He was an Honorable Mention choice in April when he hit .265 with an .837 OPS. In April, he walked 18 times and struck out 16 times. In May, he appears to have made an adjustment, more willing to be more aggressive and strike out more in an attempt to add power. And for the month, that was successful. He led the organization with 14 extra base hits in the month. Hitter of the Month Number 2: Yunior Severino (Wichita) 21 G, 29-97, .299/.358/.557 (.915), 5-2B, 1-3B, 6-HR, 16 R, 17 RBI, 9 BB, 34 K For the second straight month, Severino comes in second in our hitter rankings. He has generally been pretty consistent all season. He hit six home runs in both months. However, he added more doubles and a triple in May. As you can see, he will certainly strike out quite a bit, but his prospect status should be rising. A promotion to Triple-A could be in his future, although he’s at a point now where he simply needs to be in the lineup most every day. Hitter Number 1: Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) 24 G, 31-93, .333/.441/.591 (1.032), 7-2B, 1-3B, 5-HR, 14 R, 16 RBI, 15 BB, 29 K. Rosario was the Twins fifth-round pick in the five-round 202 MLB Draft. He had made a name for himself as one of the most powerful high school hitters in his draft class. His career began in 2021 with the GCL Twins, and he spent 2022 with the Mighty Mussels. Like several of the young prospects who made the jump to High-A Cedar Rapids this season, it was not an easy decision. It wasn’t an obvious choice. However, Rosario has been terrific throughout most of the season’s first two months, and it all came together in May when he hit for average, was willing to take walks and showed terrific doubles and home run power. Yes, there are still strikeouts and that’s something he will need to continue working on, but it’s been a very nice showing for Rosario this season, and his prospect status should be on the rise. What do you think of the choices made for the top four Twins minor-league hitters? Discuss these prospects and their potential impacts.

This originally began as a look at a few prospects having great seasons, something of an off-setting on Matthew Taylor’s piece from the other day. I already knew of some of the names I could target, but a search revealed a fascinating pattern: nearly all the minor leaguers crushing the season are not well-regarded. That isn’t an insult to these young men—prospect evaluation is far from a perfect science, and internal synopses likely vary greatly from the public lists—but I found it worthy of mentioning that the “non-prospects” have been the ones performing the best in 2023. Let’s look at the names, speed-date style: RHP Zebby Matthews Freshly promoted to Cedar Rapids, Matthews crushed his time with Fort Myers, striking out 35.3% of the batters he faced while walking 3.3% (!!) of them over 38 2/3 frames. Of 448 pitchers in the minors with at least 30 innings, that’s good for the eighth-lowest walk rate (but not even the best in the system! More on that soon). An 8th-round selection out of Western Carolina University in 2023, Matthews may soon move up prospect lists, but he is still something of an unknown. RHP Cory Lewis Lewis is the only player in this article currently on MLB.com’s top-30 list for the Twins; he takes the very last spot. Owning a spinny fastball, downer curve, and a knuckleball—yes, a knuckleball—Lewis has been nearly as good as Matthews in Fort Myers’ rotation, punching out 34.4% of hitters while walking them 7.6% of the time, still elite peripherals for nearly any pitcher. You may remember Lewis after he helped toss a combined no-hitter for Fort Myers a few days ago. INF Jorel Ortega This could have just been a “the Mighty Mussels are better than we probably gave them credit for” piece. Yet another 2022 draft pick, this one a 6th-rounder out of Tennessee, Ortega has struck the ball impressively at a pitching-dominated level, putting up a 152 wRC+ off a .295/.409/.487 slash line—mere points away from the classic .300/.400/.500 line reserved for the truly special hitters. C Andrew Cossetti .330/.462/.607 served as Cossetti’s Fort Myers slash line before Minnesota decided to stop terrorizing Florida State League pitchers with such offensive domination. A product of St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia (the same college as Jamie Moyer; what a pull), Cossetti quickly earned a promotion to Cedar Rapids, where he will help stimulate a Kernels team looking for some extra thump. Cossetti was yet another 2022 draft selection. OF Kala’i Rosario After a mediocre season with Fort Myers in 2022, Rosario's prospect status atrophied as the former 2020 draft selection had yet to have an overwhelmingly impressive season in the minors. Things have turned around so far in 2023. Rosario shaved a few points off his strikeout rate, replaced them with walks, and improved his isolated power to above the major-league average (.191). He’s currently holding a 153 wRC+; he may inch back onto top prospect lists soon. C Noah Cardenas Few people have more of an interest in Cardenas than I do. Catchers who can hit are rare; catchers who walk more than they strike out are unicorns. Cardenas may not spout a horn on his head, but his 2023 play looks an awful lot like his 2022 line: an elite walk rate buoying competent average and power capabilities. His isolated power is down a little (.119 from .152), but the hitting package still looks excellent. RHP Pierson Ohl Remember the comment about Matthews’ walk rate? Here’s the guy who has him beaten. Ohl has walked four batters over 35 2/3 innings, good for a rate of 2.6%. That’s unheard of. He may actually throw too many strikes for his own good—as evident by his ERA far elevated above his peripherals—but the Twins have shown a consistent ability to coax effectiveness from command-first repertoires like Ohl. Check almost any major stat, and you'll find similar results; the Twins' minor league system is succeeding off the backs of "lesser" prospects, not the players you would most expect to lead the pack. What do we make of this? It can be difficult to rank freshly drafted players, especially those taken lower in the draft, so the lack of prospect respect for these players is unsurprising. They just need time. For the others? Either they never commanded attention in the first place, or the industry opinion altered and never recovered. No matter—these players and their performances should be appreciated, and hopefully, they can keep it up as the season marches on.

TRANSACTIONS RHP Austin Brice signed to a Minor League contract and assigned to St. Paul INF Edouard Julien recalled by Twins Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Columbus 5 Box Score Connor Sadzeck: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Andrew Stevenson (2-for-5, 2B), Mark Contreras (2-for-5, R) The Saints suffered a close loss on Saturday. Used intermittently since the 2018 season, the Twins brought back the opener, just for one day, sending reliever Connor Sedzeck out first ahead of Jordan Balazovic. Sadzeck was perfect, striking out the side in order, but Balazovic wasn’t as decisive, allowing a duo of runs to score over four frames of work. Still, his command—typically unavailable or as missing as the Vikings’ Ed Thorp trophy—was solid; he didn’t allow a walk for the first time since April 25th. St. Paul’s bats couldn’t find similar fortune, though. Facing rehabbing big leaguer Triston McKenzie, the Saints spun themselves into knots, never cracking his code for the three innings he was on the mound. But there were 18 more outs to avoid once he left. Could they attack the Clippers’ bullpen with enough ferocity to win? No, but they did try. The effort reached its apex in the 6th when a sudden attack plated a trio of runs, leading to a one-run lead with three frames remaining. It appeared that favor had moved to their advantage. And yet it disappeared just as quickly. Josh Winder’s opening four-pitch walk prophesied the rest of the inning—a grueling, tragic showing emblematic of the fleeting nature of luck in baseball. Or, in less flowery language, the Clippers scored twice. That sealed the match. Columbus scored a final unnecessary run as the Saints attempted to claw their way from the depths without success. Jose Miranda walked three times on Saturday; he has never walked more than twice in a game in his professional career. Brayan Rocchio was the Clippers’ best prospect on Saturday, and he singled and walked in four plate appearances. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 2, Arkansas 8 Box Score Aaron Rozek: 5 ⅔ IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Yoyner Fajardo (4-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R), Jake Rucker (2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB), Alex Isola (2-for-4) An explosive 10th inning sank Wichita’s chances of winning on Saturday. Once a pitcher’s duel, eventually a blowout, the Wind Surge started with almost six brilliant innings of pitching from Aaron Rozek before a deeply unusual 10th inning ended any potential they had to escape with a victory. But first, the great success: Rozek. The 27-year-old Burnsville native entered the game with ghastly numbers—truly scary amounts of earned runs—but shook off any pressure one could feel from such negativity. He was brilliant. His eight strikeouts were the most he achieved in an outing since May 12th of last season. His two hits allowed were the lowest of all his starts in 2023. Arkansas brought pitching to the ballpark as well, though. An early Wichita run did not phase the Travelers, and the following innings of ball slowly melted the game to an equilibrium stalemate. It all fell apart in the 10th. Reliever Curtis Taylor hit two, walked another, allowed a batter to reach on a fielder’s choice, struck out a batter, and waved goodbye to the match with unusual flair: Denny Bentley then allowed four runs to score, giving Taylor the rare zero hits/four earned runs stat line. The top of the Wind Surge lineup did their job marvelously, earning eight of Wichita’s 10 hits; Yoyner Fajardo alone collected four. The issue: no one south of Anthony Prato could earn a knock, forcing the Wind Surge to end rallies before they could become runs. The Travelers’ best prospect in the game was outfielder Jonatan Clase, who tripled in five plate appearances. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 1, Peoria 5 Box Score Jordan Carr: 4 ⅓ IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Jefferson Morales (2-for-3, R) Ineffective bats burned the Kernels on Saturday. Three hits were all Cedar Rapids could offer to support their pitching staff. Two came from Jeferson Morales. They did add three walks—silver linings especially dull—but this was a shockingly weak effort from a team with the third-worst OPS in the Midwest League. It didn’t matter too much: the Chiefs blitzed starter Jordan Carr for one run in the second and two in the third to hand their pitchers a lead that remained well-sealed and protected. The closest the Kernels got to affecting the lock was in the sixth, following a run-scoring fielder’s choice that placed two on with one out. Tanner Schobel then flew out, Kala’i Rosario struck out, and the rally vanquished into nothingness. Victor Scott II of Peoria stole his 30th ****ing base of the season (I know I can’t say that, but good lord, that’s insane). Catcher and definitely-not-a-thief, Jimmy Crooks, was the best prospect playing for the Chiefs on Saturday; he singled and walked in five trips to the plate. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 4, Lakeland 3 (7 Innings) Box Score Cory Lewis: 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Andrew Cossetti (3-for-4, 2B, RBI) The Mighty Mussels exited victorious on Saturday in a weather-shortened match. Cory Lewis was tremendous again, effectively dicing through Lakeland’s offense with the precision of a hurler well-seasoned and wise. His fastball/slider combo proved confounding, mysterious, leading to 22 total swinging strikes out of just 80 pitches—an absurd 28% swinging strike rate usually only reserved for the Josh Haders of the world. His only mistakes were the common errors of man: two runs scored via two separate throwing blunders from catcher Andrew Cossetti . Fortunately, Cossetti could translate his defensive miscues into an offensive force. The catcher continued his terror at the plate, knocking around three hits—one nearly 400-foot double—to push his season OPS to 1.036. The Florida State League is supposed to favor pitchers. It’s very likely that last month’s Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Month could repeat the honor. Unsavory weather paused the game following the top of the 7th, and the umps soon ended the night, handing the Mighty Mussels their 22nd win of the season. Lakeland is an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, and their best prospect—shortstop Peyton Graham—collected a pair of hits and scored a run. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Rozek Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Yoyner Fajardo PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 0-0, 2 BB #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-5, 3 K #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K #14 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-5 K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (12:05 PM) - RHP Randy Dobnak Arkansas @ Wichita (1:05 PM) - RHP Travis Adams Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 PM) - RHP Alejandro Hidalgo Fort Myers @ Lakeland (12:00 PM) - TBD\

Don't forget to check out Nick's Week in Review. TRANSACTIONS Dereck Rodriguez was claimed off waivers by the Braves. Rodriguez was optioned to St. Paul on Saturday and it appears the Twins tried to slide him through waivers. There is now an open spot on the 40-man roster. Royce Lewis had his rehab transferred to St. Paul. He'll need to be re-added to the 40-man before being activated. He cannot come off of the 60-Day IL until June 1st. RESULTS Tuesday (5/9): Helboy? No, He Is a Helman! Wednesday (5/10): Big Bats, Big Innings, and Big Returns Thursday (5/11): Royce Returns Friday (5/12): Power Hitting and Solid Pitching Leads to Affiliate Wins Saturday (5/13): Offense Continues to Surge for Wichita Sunday (5/14): No-No for the Moms! MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Minnesota Twins 2017 Draft Retrospective: Lewis Early, Ober Late Respect Michael Helman It's Louie's Time to Shine The Twins Shouldn't Ask Brooks Lee to Save the Team's Offense TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (6:05PM CST) - RHP Jose De Leon (0-2, 3.62 ERA) Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - TBD Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Lakeland (5:30PM CST) - TBD WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 3-3) Overall: 21-16, 2.0 games back in the International League West. Overview: The Saints split with Indianapolis, who is below .500 on the season but is one of the hottest teams in the International League as they game into the series on a five-game winning streak. 🔥: Trevor Larnach came back to St. Paul and had seven hits with four extra base hits (two doubles and two home runs) in four games and 14 at-bats before heading back to Minneapolis. 🔥: Michael Helman continued his hot stretch before going on the injured list with a shoulder injury. He collected six hits in 12 at-bats and had a double, triple and home run. He drove in eight runs over three games. 🥶: Neither Ronny Henriquez, Simeon Woods Richardson nor Josh Winder had memorable weeks. They combined to give up 18 runs on 22 hits in only 10 2/3 innings. Their combined seven walks matched their combined seven strikeouts. 🔥: …on the flip side of that, the bullpen (minus Henriquez, Winder and Connor Sadzeck) combined to throw 17 2/3 shutout innings. That’s quite impressive. 🥶: Jose Miranda played in only three games, but in his 12 at-bats only had two hits. He walked once and struck out twice. After appearing to be the third baseman of the future recently, there is plenty of competition for that title currently. What's Next: The Saints head to Columbus who, like Indianapolis, is 18-20. But their +41 run differential and 22-16 expected win-loss record suggests they’re a better team than their record shows. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 5-0) Overall: 15-17, 6.5 games back in the Texas League North. Overview: The only thing that could stop the Wind Surge from going 6-0 this week was the weather as Sunday’s game was rained out. So the team will have to settle for 5-0. 🔥: Yunior Severino deserves more than one fire emoji. He had 11 hits in 22 at-bats with a double and four home runs. He drove in eight and scored nine times. With all the attention on Brooks Lee and Royce Lewis, Severino has flown under the radar. He’s played mostly at third base but is also dabbling in left field now. He went hitless in 14 at-bats earlier this month but is now hitting .286/.375/.619 on the season. 🔥: David Festa allowed four hits and two walks in five innings. He took struck out four and the lone run scored was unearned. 😏: Royce Lewis. He’s back! 🥶: Brooks Lee went 1-for-18 this week. He’s going to get back to hitting soon, but a good sign that his team can win five games without getting much of any production from Lee. What's Next: At home against Arkansas (22-11) who is tied for first place. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 5-2) Overall: 18-15, 2.5 games back in the Midwest League West. Overview: The Kernels dropped two of their first three, but ended with a four-game winning streak. 🔥: Jordan Carr threw six shutout innings in his lone start, striking out six while allowing four hits and two walks. 🔥: Noah Cardenas was limited to only 15 at-bats, but tied for a team-high with six hits. 🔥: Marco Raya is still on a short leash, but he struck out four in three one-hit innings. 🥶: Noah Miller got only two hits in 25 at-bats. He also struck out seven times. 🥶: Emmanuel Rodriguez struck out 12 times and has now struck out 32 times in 55 at-bats. What's Next: A two-week homestand, which begins with Peoria (18-15). Cedar Rapids and Peoria are in a second-place tie behind Beloit. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 6-0) Overall: 19-14, 5.0 games behind Clearwater in the Florida State League West after making up three games in the standings. Overview: Fort Myers got the brooms out against Tampa and ended the series with an exclamation point when they no-hit the Tarpons on Sunday. 🔥: Cory Lewis faced 17 batters and retired every one of them, striking out seven (including four on his knuckleball). He was the first leg of a no-hitter. The bullpen didn’t give up a hit, but they blew the perfecto (on a strikeout/wild pitch). 🔥: After a week of being human, Andrew Cossetti got back to doing ridiculous things. In 14 at-bats, he got five hits (including a double and two home runs), plus he walked six times, drove in seven runs and stole a base. His OPS was 1.381. It’s time to promote him. 🔥: Speaking of promotions, Jorel Ortega was 9-23 with two doubles, a triple and a home run. He did strike out eight times, but drew two walks and also stole a base (in two tries). He should move up too. 🔥: Danny De Andrade shouldn’t move up because he’s so young, but a 7-for-19 week is what he needed. He doubled, homered, stole a base and struck out five times versus four walks. 🔥: C.J. Culpepper wasn’t perfect, but was really good. He struck out eight in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed a run on four hits and a walk. 🔥: Develson Aria bounced back after a poor showing. He struck out seven in five innings. He walked three and gave up two hits, but no runs. What's Next: The Mighty Mussels will hit the road for two weeks, beginning with a stop at Lakeland (13-20). 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 several times throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. (Season-long stats will be in parenthesis.) 20. Misael Urbina, OF, Cedar Rapids: 5-for-21, 2B, 3 RBI, R, 2 BB, 8 K. (.150/.239/.240. .479 OPS) 19. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Extended Spring Training 18. Tanner Schobel, 2B, Cedar Rapids: 6-for-23, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, 5 R, 5 BB, 5 K. (.239/.315/.389. .704 OPS), played one game at second base (12 total) and committed no errors in four chances (two in 50 chances total); played six games at third base and had one error in 10 chances (has committed one error in 32 total chances in 15 games). 17. Ronny Henriquez, RHP: St Paul: 0-0, 10.80 ERA, 3.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K. (3.30 WHIP, .533 BAA) 16. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 3.52 ERA, 7.2 IP (2 starts), 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 K. (1.29 WHIP, .200 BAA) 15. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 14. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 2-for-25, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 K, 3 SB. (.200/.287/.258. .545 OPS), played shortstop in six games (25 total) and committed one error in 29 chances (three errors in 103 total chances); played one game (five total) at second base and committed no errors in no chances (15 total). 13. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 47 K. (1.34 WHIP, .257 BAA) 12. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Extended Spring Training 11. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: 5-for-14, 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, BB, 4 K. (.280/.423/.537. 960 OPS); Minnesota: (.000/.273/.000. .273 OPS) 10. Austin Martin, SS: Martin is still recovering from an arm injury. 9. Louie Varland, RHP, St. Paul: 1-0, 1.69 ERA, 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 8 K. (1.27 WHIP, .263 BAA); Minnesota: 1-0, 4.30 ERA, 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 HRA, BB, 7 K. (1.23 WHIP, .247 BAA) 8. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 3-for-20, 2 2B, 3RBI, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 1 CS (.156/.250/.219. .469 OPS), played one at shortstop and had no chances (two errors in 26 chances in eight games total) and one game (seven total) at third base with an error in four chances (two errors in 16 total chances). He played four games (11 total) at second base with no errors in 18 chances (no errors in 41 total chances). 7. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: On the injured list, but expected to resume throwing. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 6. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 10.38 ERA, 4.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 HRA, 1 BB, 4 K (1.59 WHIP, .295 BAA); Minnesota: (2.14 WHIP, .350 BAA) 5. Edouard Julien, 2B, St. Paul: 6-for-28, 2B, 5 R, 5 BB, 6 K. (.276/.427/.480. .907 OPS), has played all 23 games at second base and has committed two errors in 106 chances; Minnesota: (.222/.276/.444. .720 OPS) 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, H, 4 K. (1.84 WHIP, .184 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 4-22, R, 3 BB, 12 K, 2 CS. (.164/.309/.382. 691 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: Wichita: 2-6, 2B, RBI, 3 R, BB, 3 K, 2 SB. (.333/.500/.500. 1.000 OPS), played one game (one total) at shortstop and committed no errors in four chances. Lewis played one game (one total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 7-for-22, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, 3 K. (.263/.323/.439. .762 OPS), played three games (27 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 12 chances (three errors in 112 total chances). Lee played one game (one total) at third base and committed one error in three chances. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (as voted on by fans on Twitter... except for this week, where 81% of voters agreed it was "obviously these two.") PITCHER - Cory Lewis, Fort Myers. The following tweet says it all. The Mighty Mussels combined for a no-hitter on Sunday, but when Lewis left the game he had retired all 17 batters he had faced. He had a perfect week... and it's hard to not be recognized for that. HITTER - Yunior Severino, Wichita. Severino wasn't perfect... but he was as close as a hitter is going to get in a week's worth of games. Who would have been your picks? Any early season surprises or disappointments? Ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects in the COMMENTS below.

The Twins got a fun extra-innings win against the Padres on Wednesday night. In the minor leagues, a lot of good things happened, especially with the hitters in Wichita and Fort Myers. TRANSACTIONS Infielder Kyle Farmer was activated from the Injured List after missing about a month after being hit in the face by a Lucas Giolito fastball. To make room for Farmer, Jose Miranda was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul. (Discussion here) LHP Christian MacLeod started a rehab assignment with the Mighty Mussels on Wednesday. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 2, Indianapolis 4 Box Score The Saints had seven hits and four walks, but managed just two runs and fell to Indianapolis. Jose De Leon started and gave up three runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out seven batters without issuing a walk. Kody Funderburk came on and recorded the final two outs of the sixth inning, stranding an inherited runner. Ronny Henriquez came on and worked two innings in his first rehab appearance with the Saints. He gave up one run on three hits and two walks over two innings. Cole Sands gave up two hits, but no runs, in the ninth. Trevor Larnach went 2-for-3 with a walk and a double, and is now 4-for-8 with four RBI in his two games. He also played a little defense! Andrew Stevenson went 2-for-4 with a double. He stole his 11th base of the season. Edouard Julien went 1-for-3 with a walk and his eighth double. Jair Camargo hit a solo homer in the fifth inning. He now has three on the season. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 16, Frisco 8 Box Score This was a game for the hitters. Big performances. Big innings. Eight out of nine Wind Surge hitters had at least one hit. Seven out of nine in the lineup had two or more hits. It might surprise you that leadoff man and top prospect Brooks Lee went 0-for-6. The Wind Surge scored four in the second inning, five in the third inning, and four runs in the sixth inning. Let’s just go through the lineup, starting with the second spot. DaShawn Keirsey went 3-for-5 with a walk and two doubles. Yunior Severino went 2-for-5 with a walk, his fifth double, and his seventh home run. Alex Isola went 2-for-4 with two walks and his third homer. Yoyner Fajardo’s hitting streak ended at 11 games on Tuesday night, so he started a new one. He went 3-for-5 with a walk and his fourth double. Jake Rucker went 1-for-4 with two walks. Will Holland went 2-for-2 with four walks. Armani Smith went 2-for-6. David Banuelos went 3-for-5 with his second homer and six RBI. Holland and Fajardo each had three RBI in the game. In addition, Fajardo stole his 11th and 12th bases while Holland stole his eighth and Smith stole his first. Chad Donato put together one of his better starts of the still-young season. He gave up two runs on six hits and four walks in four innings. Jose Bravo gave up three runs on three hits (2 homers) and a walk and only recorded one out. Osiris German went the next 2 1/3 innings and gave up three runs on six hits and a walk. Seth Nordlin got the final seven outs and gave up only one hit. Reminder: Royce Lewis is set to begin his 20 days of rehab with the Wind Surge. On Thursday in Frisco, he and the team will face Jack Leiter. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Quad Cities 12 Box Score The Kernels fell behind 3-0 after one, and a seven-run sixth inning put it well out of reach. Orlando Rodriguez started and gave up four runs (3 earned) on five hits and three walks over four innings. He had five strikeouts. Malik Barrington gave up four runs on two hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings. Matt Mullenbach then was charged with four runs on six hits and a walk in one inning. Charlie Neuweiler got the final four outs, two on strikeouts. The Kernels had just five hits in the game, although they actually had five walks as well. Willie Joe Garry led the way. He went 2-for-2 with a double and a triple. Ernie Yake and Kala’i Rosario each walked twice. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 8, Tampa 3 Box Score The Mighty Mussels put up a three-spot in the first inning, another in the fourth inning, and got some strong pitching along the way. However, the big news (from a big-picture perspective) was the return of lefty Christian MacLeod. The talented lefty, and son of former minor-league pitcher Kevin MacLeod, from Mississippi State was the Twins fifth-round pick in 2021. He had Tommy John surgery last March and has been working his way back since. He is on the Cedar Rapids roster, so technically this is a rehab start. Semantics. Certainly MacLeod wasn’t at his finest. He gave up one run on four walks over 1 1/3 innings. He struck out one batter. Just 19 of his 41 pitches were strikes, but none of that is as important as getting the first appearance out of the way and feeling healthy. His catcher, Andrew Cossetti, understood the struggles but was impressed with MacLeod. “I thought MacLeod battled today in his start. Anytime you’re making your first start in a while, it can be difficult to get in a rhythm, but he stayed strong in a tough situation and kept us in the game. I think that’s a tribute to his mentality as a competitor and a teammate.” Johnathan Lavallee went the next 2 2/3 innings. He gave up two runs on two hits> He struck out five batters. Then Zebby Matthews came out of the bullpen tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out four batters. Jackson Hicks came in and got the final out. Cossetti has worked with Matthews several times already this season. The Twins Daily Hitter of the Month of April said of the Twins Daily Starting Pitcher of the Month of April, “Matthews just continues to dominate. He’s fun to catch because he has confidence throwing any pitch in any count. He continues to upgrade his arsenal day in and day out. Anytime he’s on the mound you know you’re going to be in the game.” In addition to his work behind the plate, Cossetti continues his assault on pitchers in the Florida State League, the 2012 11th round pick from St. Joseph’s went 2-for-3 with a walk tonight. In the first inning, he hit a two-run homer, his fifth of the season. It was followed immediately by the fourth homer of the season for Carlos Aguiar. Then in the seventh inning, Cossetti hit his second home run of the game to give the Mussels some insurance. Finding success takes a lot of work. After the game, Cossetti told Twins Daily, “I’ve been working a lot with the hitting coaches to create a better and more efficient bat path, and focusing on that process has definitely been bringing me success. I’m just trying to use my opportunity with the Mussels to become a more complete hitter and allow me to have more success in the future.” He continued, “I would call myself a power hitter. I’ve always been able to hit the ball out of the yard, and my goal is to continue to tap into more power. ” In between the Cossetti home runs, Jorel Ortega - who had four hits on Tuesday - hit a three-run homer. Ortega is now hitting .308 with a .942 OPS on the season. Aguiar went 2-for-4. Dillon Tatum went 2-for-4. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Zebby Matthews (Fort Myers Mighty Mussels) - 4 2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K. 52 pitches, 34 strikes. Hitter of the Day – David Banuelos (Wichita Wind Surge) - 3-for-5, HR(3), R, 6 RBI. PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 0-for-6, K #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - IL (Rehab begins Thursday in Wichita) #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, K #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, BB, 2B(8), R #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB, R #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, 2 K. #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, K #17 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul-Rehab) - 2 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 29 pitches, 13 Strikes. #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, K. #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 2 K. THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Indianapolis @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (0-3, 6.35 ERA) Wichita @ Frisco (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Carlos Luna (0-1, 5.89 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (DH at 5:00 PM CST) - RHP Pierson Ohl (2-1, 2.25 ERA), RHP Mike Paredes (0-0, 2.00 ERA). Tampa @ Fort Myers (5:45 PM CST) - LHP Develson Aria (0-0, 4.41 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games!

If you missed it, read Nick's Twins Week in Review after you've read about the minor leagues. TRANSACTIONS Alex Kirilloff was activated from the Twins injured list and optioned to Triple-A. Trevor Megill was traded to the Brewers for a PTBN and cash considerations. RESULTS Tuesday (4/25): Blowouts and Bombs Wednesday (4/26): Not a Good Day in the Twins Organization Thursday (4/27): Saints March Home Early Friday (4/28): Woods Richardson Takes No-No to the 6th Inning Saturday (4/29): Wichita Offensive Explosion Highlights Disappointing Night in the Minors MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month - April 2023 Alex Kirilloff and Embracing the Unknown Edouard Julien’s Triple-A Improvement Checklist TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Nashville @ St. Paul (11:07 PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (1-1, 2.42 ERA) Wichita @ Northwest Arkansas (11:05 PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams (1-3, 7.71 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (5:05 PM CST) - LHP Jordan Carr (0-1, 3.38 ERA) Dunedin @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Cory Lewis (2-1, 3.32 ERA) WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 2-3) Overall: 15-10, 2.0 games back in the International League West. Overview: After a convincing series win against Rochester, the Saints lost three of their final four games before the finale was rained out on Sunday. 🔥: Michael Helman returned to the Saints and had two home runs (among four hits) and six runs batted in. 🔥: Mark Contreras was the only Saint who batted better than .300 (8-22, .421) and supplied a nice power supply with three doubles and a home run. 🔥: Louie Varland and Simeon Woods Richardson are both jockeying to join the Twins rotation and did well in their starts. (You can see entire stat lines for them in the Top 20 roundup below.) 🥶: Dereck Rodriguez allowed four runs on five hits in his lone inning of work. 🥶: Andrew Stevenson had been very good for the Saints, but was 3-15 this week with six strikeouts. What's Next: The Saints will host Nashville (14-12) in the front half of a two-week homestand. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 2-4) Overall: 9-12, 5.0 games back in the Texas League North and currently tied for last place. Overview: Lots of scoring for both Wichita and Springfield this past week (all games had 10 or more combined runs), but the Wind Surge had two games where they combined for one run. They also lost while scoring 10 and now have a three-game losing streak. 🔥: Yoyner Fajardo tied for the organizational lead with 9 hits on the week. He scored six runs, walked twice and stole a base. He only had one strikeout in 23 at-bats. 🔥: Yunior Severino has continued to provide power and a load of strikeouts for Wichita. Three more home runs this week, ten runs batted in and also ten strikeouts. You can take the swing-and-miss when you have a .373 OBP with a .958 OPS on the season. 🥶: The pitching staff, as a whole, struggled mightily. Five different pitchers who pitched three or more inning had ERAs of 12.00 or greater. All but two pitchers on the entire staff allowed two or more earned runs. Five pitchers issued three or more walks. What's Next: Wichita will look to get back on track as they travel to Northwest Arkansas (10-11). High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 3-3) Overall: 9-11, 5.0 games back and in last place in the Midwest League West. Overview: The Kernels took three of the first four in the series, but lost the final two games to settle for a split. 🔥: Ben Ross was the lone hitter with a batting average over .300 (6-19, .316). Ross had two doubles, two walks and stole a base. 🔥: Regi Grace pitched well at the back of the Kernels bullpen. He earned a win and picked up a save by pitching three near-perfect innings over two games. He struck out three in three innings and only allowed a walk. 🔥: Kyle Jones has been inconsistent through four starts, but when he’s good, he’s really good. In five shutout innings this week, he allowed three hits and a walk while striking out five. 🥶: Keoni Cavaco has had a bumpy go since being drafted. In four games this past week, he was hitless in 11 at-bats, striking out seven times. He did walk four times though, if you’re looking for a silver lining. What's Next: Cedar Rapids hits the road for a two-week road trip, starting in South Bend (13-8). Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 4-2) Overall: 12-9, 3.0 games behind Bradenton in the Florida State League West. Overview: Fort Myers took three of the first four before a Saturday rainout forced a Sunday double-header, which they split. 🔥: Carlos Aguiar had five extra base hits (two doubles, three triples) among his eight hits. He scored six runs and drove in four. He did strike out 10 times, though, in 26 plate appearances. 🔥: Andrew Cossetti keeps raking. He had six hits this week and five of them were doubles. 🔥: CJ Culpepper threw five shutout innings and struck out seven. He only allowed three hits. 🥶: Mikey Perez had 24 hits in 10 games after being drafted in 2021. He really struggled in 2022 and 2023 hasn’t been much better. A 2-16 week drops him to .118/.211/.206 on the season. 🥶: Develson Aria, who’s been highlighted before, struggle in his start this week, allowing five hits, three walks and four runs in the 3 ⅔ innings. He did strike out five. What's Next: Fort Myers will host Dunedin (10-11) this week and get to stay at home again the following week. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated on the first of each month throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. (Season-long stats will be in parenthesis.) 20. Misael Urbina, OF, Cedar Rapids: 4-21, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB, 11 K. (.138/.230/.246. .476 OPS) 19. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Extended Spring Training 18. Tanner Schobel, 2B, Cedar Rapids: 4-19, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K. (.203/.260/.348. .608 OPS), played two games at second base (ten total) and committed one error chances (two in 42 chances total); played two games at third base and was perfect in seven chances (has not committed any errors in 11 total chances in six games). 17. Ronny Henriquez, RHP: On Minnesota’s injured list with elbow inflammation. 16. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 2 IP, 2 H, ER, HRA, 4 K. (1.30 WHIP, .192 BAA) 15. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 14. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 3-24, 3 RBI, R, 2 BB, 5 K. (.247/.333/.315. .648 OPS), played shortstop in five games (15 total) and committed no errors in 20 chances (one error in 58 total chances); played one game (three total) at second base and committed no errors in six chances (15 total). 13. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 6.23 ERA, 4.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 HRA, 1 BB, 7 K. (1.11 WHIP, .229 BAA) 12. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Extended Spring Training 11. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: 2-12, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K. (.268/.453/.500. 953 OPS); Minnesota: (.000/.273/.000. .273 OPS) 10. Austin Martin, SS: Martin is still recovering from an arm injury. 9. Louie Varland, RHP, St. Paul: 1-0, 1.69 ERA, 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 8 K. (1.27 WHIP, .263 BAA); Minnesota: (1.17 WHIP, .250 BAA) 8. Jose Salas, INF: 3-15, 2B, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 SB (.143/.226/.161. .387 OPS), played one game at shortstop and had no errors in two chances (one error in 17 chances in five games total) and two games (six total) at third base with no errors (one total) in three chances (12 total). He played two games (five total) at second base with no errors in five chances (no errors in 14 total chances). 7. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Prielipp is expected to resume throwing this week, though it’s unclear when he will return to game action. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 6. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 2.57 ERA, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (1.57 WHIP, .298 BAA); Minnesota: (2.14 WHIP, .350 BAA) 5. Edouard Julien, 2B, St. Paul: 3-13, 2B, RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K, SB. (.241/.414/.426. .840 OPS); Minnesota: (.222/.276/.444. .720 OPS) 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 9.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, BB, 2 K. (1.41 WHIP, .211 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: Rodriguez is still recovering from an abdomen strain. 2. Royce Lewis, SS: Lewis is still recovering from his second ACL surgery, but is getting back into action in extended spring games. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 7-22, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, 3 K. (.263/.323/.439. .762 OPS), played all five games (19 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 20 chances (two errors in 84 total chances). PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (as voted on by fans on Twitter) PITCHER - Simeon Woods Richardson, St. Paul. (Woods Richardson 36%, Enlow 27%, Culpepper 25%, Grace 12%) HITTER - Mark Contreras, St. Paul. (Contreras 49%, Severino 40%, Aguiar 6%, Ross 5%) Who would have been your picks? Any early season surprises or disappointments? Ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects in the COMMENTS below.

Before jumping into the top five hitters of the month, here are some honorable mentions. HONORABLE MENTIONS 2B/3B Jorel Ortega - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - 18-for-68, .265/.425/.412 (.837), 7 doubles, 1 home run, 13 RBI, 12 runs, 4 SB, 18 BB, 16 K. C/1B Noah Cardenas - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 13-for-50, .260/.373/.420 (.793), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 home run, 5 RBI, 11 runs, 1 SB, 6 BB, 14 K. INF Ben Ross - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 17-for-60, .283/.318/.450 (.768), 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 7 RBI, 6 runs, 1 SB, 4 BB, 17 K. SS Brooks Lee - Wichita Wind Surge - 17-for-88, .279/.337/.443 (.780), 7 doubles, 2 home runs, 8 RBI, 17 runs, 1 SB, 6 BB, 17 K. OF DaShawn Keirsey - Wichita Wind Surge - 19-for-83, .250/.313/.421 (.734), 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 9 RBI, 12 runs, 8 SB, 5 BB, 18 K. 2B Edouard Julien - St. Paul Saints - 13-for-54, .241/.414/.426 (.840), 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 5 RBI, 14 runs, 2 SB, 15 BB, 21 K. THE TOP FIVE APRIL HITTERS Number 5- Fort Myers Mighty Mussels - UTL Dalton Shuffield - 12-for-39, .308/.378/.539 (.916), 1 double, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 10 RBI, 6 runs, 2 SB, 5 BB, 14 K. The Twins drafted Shuffield in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft and played him at three different levels during his professional debut. His first full season is off to a strong start while being used at multiple defensive positions. Shuffield has hits in all but three games this season, and he's reached base in 11 of his first 12 games. He is 2.8 years older than the average age of the competition in the Florida State League, which means he is facing younger pitchers in most of his plate appearances. In 31 at-bats, he has a 1.045 OPS against younger pitchers, including getting on base over 43% of the time. At Hammond Stadium, he has gone 9-for-21 with a 1.335 OPS, with all his extra-base hits coming in home games. Number 4 - Saint Paul Saints - OF Matt Wallner - 15-for-56, .268/.453/.500 (.953), 5 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 10 RBI, 11 runs, 16 BB, 23 K. Wallner's minor league time has been more limited than others on this list because the Twins needed him for a brief six-game stint at the big-league level. One year after being the organization's minor league player of the year, he continues to perform well at Triple-A. His performance against left-handed pitching has been a positive development so far this year for the lefty slugger. He has gone 5-for-17 (.294 BA) with three extra-base hits and an 8-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Overall, his walk rate has increased this year, which can make him an even more dangerous hitter at the big-league level. Over 70% of his plate appearances have come against older pitchers, so it's been good to see him continue to build off his breakout 2022 season. Number 3 - Saint Paul Saints - OF Mark Contreras - 26-for-84, .310/.408/.524 (.932), 6 doubles, 4 home runs, 22 RBI, 19 runs, 12 BB, 27 K. In January, the Twins put Contreras on waivers, but he went unclaimed and stayed in the organization. He made his big-league debut with the Twins last season and has helped add organizational depth in St. Paul. He is tied for the team lead in doubles and home runs on the Saints. He posted an 11-game hitting streak from April 2-April 18, where he went 16-for-42 (.381 BA) with two doubles and three home runs. As a left-handed hitter, he has destroyed righties this season with a 1.031 OPS in 73 plate appearances. Four of his ten extra-base hits have come with two outs and runners in scoring position, so he's come up with some critical hits for the Saints. The Twins have outfield depth, but Contreras might be needed at the big-league level again later this season. Number 2 - Wichita Wind Surge - 3B Yunior Severino - 17-for-61, .279/.371/.590 (.962), 1 double, 6 home runs, 13 RBI, 13 runs, 7 BB, 28 K. Severino was one of 13 prospects the Braves were forced to forfeit as part of penalties from MLB. Minnesota signed him for $2.5 million in 2017, and he has steadily moved through the Twins system. In 2022, he posted an OPS above .900 for the first time in his career while being younger than the average age of the competition at High- and Double-A. The switch-hitting infielder has seen most of his power from the left side this season (1.037 OPS), including all six home runs. Severino has struck out at a high rate this season, so seeing how he adjusts to tougher pitchers in the minor's upper levels will be interesting. And the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Month is: Fort Myers Mighty Mussels - C/1B Andrew Cossetti - 17-for-52, .327/.471/.654 (1.124), 5 doubles, 4 home runs, 17 RBI, 12 runs, 11 BB, 11 K. The Twins drafted Cossetti in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, PA. He's making his professional debut in 2023, and he's been one of the most consistent hitters at any level. In his first 17 games, he reached base multiple times in eight games. His signature game was a 2-for-4 night where he drove in seven runs with a double and a grand slam. Even though he is a righty, right-handed pitchers have struggled to retire him. He has gone 13-for-38 (.342 BA) with four doubles and four home runs for a 1.210 OPS. Cossetti is 1.8 years older than the average age of the competition in the FSL, but nearly 43% of his plate appearances have come against older pitchers. Two-thirds of his defensive innings have been at catcher, so he might be developing into one of the team's best catching prospects. Join us in congratulating Mighty Mussels catcher Andrew Cossetti, Twins Daily's choice for Minor League Hitter of the Month for April 2023. Feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions in the comments.

If you missed it, read Nick's Twins Week in Review after you've read about the minor leagues. TRANSACTIONS Michael Helman's rehab with Fort Myers is over and he'll be re-joining the Saints. RESULTS Tuesday (4/18): Ober Leads Shutout, Wind Surge Blasts Off Wednesday (4/19): Little Offense, but Aria and Cossetti Showed their Mussels Thursday (4/20): Cossetti Continues to Clobber Friday (4/21): Wallner, Garlick Power Extra-Inning Walkoff for Saints Saturday (4/22): Rucker and Shuffield Lead With Late-Inning Homers Sunday (4/23): Rehab Talents Providing Fireworks on the Farm MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Bailey Ober Inching Towards Twins TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Rochester (5:05PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (0-1, 3.12 ERA) Springfield @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP David Festa (1-1, 3.07 ERA) West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Kyle Jones (0-2, 5.65 ERA) Fort Myers @ Daytona (5:35PM CST) - LHP Develson Aria (0-0, 2.25 ERA) WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 5-1) Overall: 13-7, 1.5 games back in the International League West. Overview: The Saints had an excellent week, but didn't make up any ground on Memphis who lost yesterday to snap a 12-game winning streak. 🔥: Jordan Balazovic has been good in his short appearances so far this year. He allowed one hit and struck out three in two innings this week. Could he eventually represent himself as a bullpen option for the Twins? 🔥: It's going to be Alex Kirilloff time sooner or later. Kirilloff played in only four games, but had six hits including a double and two home runs. He drove in nine and also walked more times (3) than he struck out (2). Hard not to like a .462/.588/1.000 (1.588) slashline for the week. Kirilloff will begin the week with the Saints, but if he ends the week there remains to be seen. 🔥: It wasn't a great cameo for the Twins, but Matt Wallner is hitting (1.126 OPS for the week) for the Saints. He also took 9 walks compared to 5 strikeouts. 🥶: After a spot start with the Twins, Louie Varland was back with the Saints and struggled in his only start. He allowed five runs on seven hits and a walk. He did strike out eight over his 4 2/3 innings. 🥶: Trevor Megill was a nice contributor for the Twins down the stretch last year, but failed to make the team after a rough spring training. In two appearances this week, Megill allowed five runs on three hits, including two home runs, and walked three. What's Next: The Saints will head to Rochester to face the former Twins affiliate. The Red Wings (6-14) are currently in last place in the IL East and have the worst winning percentage in the whole league. It should be a good week for the Saints to continue to their hot play. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 2-4) Overall: 7-8, 3.0 games back in the Texas League North. Overview: Wichita's two wins ended two- three-game losing streaks. The bats just weren't up to the task getting shut out in consecutive games. But after allowing 27 runs in the last two games against NW Arkansas, the pitching staff performed better. 🔥: Blayne Enlow completed six innings in his start this week. He allowed two runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out five and held opponents to a .100 batting average. 🔥: Michael Boyle had a clunker last week, but put together two hitless outings this week. In three innings total, Boyle struck out four and only allowed one baserunner via walk. 🤔: Carlos Luna gets the same emoji for the second straight week. He doesn't put runners on base (0.64 WHIP)... but both hits he allowed were home runs. He remains a curious case. 🥶: Yunior Severino struggled to make contact this week, striking out a team-high (and tied for organizational-high) 10 times. What's Next: Wichita will be hosting last-place Springfield (5-10) as they look to make up ground on Arkansas and Tulsa. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 1-5) Overall: 6-8, 3.5 games back and in last place in the Midwest League West. Overview: Only able to avoid a sweep against Beloit by winning Sunday, the Kernels found themselves in an eight-game losing streak. Luckily, the bats finally came alive and produced 11 runs. 🥶: Most of the Kernels. Of the many names that could be listed, no lowlights will be highlighted... cause it's not pretty. 🔥: Aside from Pierson Ohl, the starting rotation really struggled. Ohl struck out five in five innings and allowed only one run on four hits. 🔥: Charlie Neuweiler was a starting pitcher in the Royals system for part of last season, but struggled in his brief glimpses out of the AA and AAA bullpen. It's possible he's found a home in the bullpen with the Twins organization. He got eight outs this week and all the other team had to show for it was a walk and three strikeouts. 🔥: Kala'i Rosario broke out of his cold streak by getting six hits in 19 at-bats. He had three doubles and a triple, drove in three runs and walked three times. 🔥: Noah Miller and Noah Cardenas also had six-hit weeks. What's Next: A home series against West Michigan (9-6) who sits in a half game out of first place in the East Division. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 3-3) Overall: 8-7, 2.0 games behind Bradenton in the Florida State League West. Overview: Lots of runs scored by both teams over the course of the last week, but a .500 week dropped the Mighty Mussels from a first-place tie into third place. 🔥: Cory Lewis is doing it. He's throwing the knuckleball (among his other pitches) and low-A hitters don't know what to do with it. He struck out six and walked two in five innings of one-hit, one-run (it was a home run) ball 🔥: Develson Aria is an intriguing left-hander who is getting results. The runner-up for pitcher of the week, Aria struck out four in five innings of near-perfect ball (he walked two). 🔥: Jose Olivares is the youngest pitcher on the roster and the 20-year-old is impressive. He threw 5 2/3 innings of one-run, one-walk, three-hit ball and struck out four. The strikeout numbers (7 in 10 2/3 innings) aren't overly impressive, but the lack of walks and hits (0.66 WHIP) are. 🔥: The trio of Michael Helman, Dalton Shuffield and Jorel Ortega was overshadowed by Andrew Cossetti, but they all had excellent weeks. Helmen (.421/.542/.684 (1.226 OPS)) is headed back to the Saints. Shuffield (.375/.412/.750 (1.162 OPS))) shouldn't be in Fort Myers to begin with. Ortega's pro debut was derailed by an injury but his 8:1 BB:K ratio was quite impressive. 🥶: Rubel Cespedes didn't offer much power, but batted nearly .290 in low-A in 2022. It hasn't been a great encore for the young infielder. This week, Cespedes went 2-18 with a double, two RBIs, a run, two walks and six strikeouts. His current .584 OPS is significantly lower than last year's .737. What's Next: Heading to Daytona (6-9) in hopes of making up some ground on Bradenton. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated on the first of each month throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. (Season-long stats will be in parenthesis.) 20. Misael Urbina, OF, Cedar Rapids: 1-17, 2B, 3 BB, 5 K, SB, CS. (.114/.235/.205. .440 OPS) 19. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Extended Spring Training 18. Tanner Schobel, 2B, Cedar Rapids: 2-20, 3 RBI, R, 2 BB, 10 K, SB. (.200/.245/.320. .565 OPS), played four games at second base (eight total) and committed no errors in 9 chances (one in 32 chances total); has not committed any errors (four chances) at third base this season (three games). 17. Ronny Henriquez, RHP: On Minnesota’s injured list with elbow inflammation. 16. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0 (0.00 ERA), 2 IP, H, 3 K. (1.41 WHIP, .167 BAA) 15. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 14. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 6-21, 4 RBI, 2B, HR, 6 R, 2 BB, 5 K, SB. (.306/.397/.408. .805 OPS), played shortstop in four games (ten total) and committed one error in 13 chances (one error in 38 total chances); played one game (two total) at second base and committed no errors in six chances (nine total). 13. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-1, 4.15 ERA, 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. (0.89 WHIP, .180 BAA) 12. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Extended Spring Training 11. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: 5-17, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 9 BB, 5 K, 5 R. (.295/.466/.591. 1.057 OPS); Minnesota: (.000/.273/.000. .273 OPS) 10. Austin Martin, SS: Martin is still recovering from an arm injury. 9. Louie Varland, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 9.64 ERA, 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, HR, BB, 8 K. (1.34 WHIP, .297 BAA); Minnesota: (1.17 WHIP, .250 BAA) 8. Jose Salas, INF: 2-17, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 SB, CS (.122/.200/.122. .322 OPS), played two games at shortstop and had one error in 11 chances (one error in 15 chances in four games total) and two games (four total) at third base with no errors (one total) in two chances (nine total). He played two games (three total) at second base with no errors in five chances (no errors in nine total chances). 7. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Prielipp was placed on the injured list last week. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 6. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: (2.43 WHIP, .412 BAA); Minnesota: 0-0, 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, HR, 3 BB. (2.14 WHIP, .350 BAA) 5. Edouard Julien, 2B, St. Paul: 1-10, 2B, 3 R, 5 BB 3 K, HBP. (.244/.426/.463. .889 OPS); Minnesota: 4-13, HR, 3 RBI, R, 6 K (.222/.276/.444. .720 OPS) 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 2.2 IP, H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. (1.50 WHIP, .125 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: Rodriguez was placed on the injured list with an abdomen strain. 2. Royce Lewis, SS: Lewis is still recovering from his second ACL surgery. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 5-26, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K, SB. (.263/.323/.439. .762 OPS), played all six games (14 total) at shortstop and committed two errors in 27 chances (64 total). PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (as voted on by fans on Twitter) PITCHER - Randy Dobnak, St. Paul. Dobnak gets a 4.99 out of 5 rating for his performance in St. Paul this week. In a six-inning start, Dobnak struck out four and allowed only one run on three hits and a walk. It's been a long and windy road for Dobnak since bursting onto the big-league scene in 2019, but hopefully the next twists and turns will lead back to Target Field. (Dobnak 56%, Aria 28%, Ohl 11%, Luna 5%) HITTER - Andrew Cossetti, Fort Myers. There wasn't a lot of competition for this award, but even if there was Cossetti would have won. Cossetti had organizational-highs in hits (10), total bases (21), home runs (3), average (.556), sluggling (1.167) and OPS (1.792) and tied in runs (7) and OBP (.625). Coming into this week, Cossetti was batting .200 with a .696 OPS but if he hits even half as well as he did this past week, the 11th round pick from last year can put himself on the prospect radar. (Cossetti 75%, Wallner 13%, Rosario 10%, Jake Rucker 2%) Who would have been your picks? Any early season surprises or disappointments? Ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects in the COMMENTS below.

TRANSACTIONS C Charles Mack activated from IL for Cedar Rapids C Wilfri Castro transferred to FCL SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Scranton/WB 3 Box Score Toby Gardenhire turned to Jose De Leon for the start tonight, and he was nothing short of spectacular. Working four scoreless innings, De Leon allowed just two hits and two walks while punching out five. He once was dangled as a trade chip for Brian Dozier, and is now pushing for a debut with the Twins. The scoring started and ended in the third inning for the Saints. Rehabbing Twins first baseman Alex Kirilloff doubled to score both Elliot Soto and Matt Wallner. It was Soto's double that set up the additional runs. Mark Contreras continued his hot hitting with a double of his own to plate Kirilloff and Kyle Garlick. St. Paul had put up a four spot in the third inning and jumped out ahead. Scranton clawed back with runs in the fifth inning, seventh inning, and eighth inning, but ultimately they fell just short. Hernan Perez clubbed his second hit of the night, a solo shot in the eighth inning, to give St. Paul a bit of breathing room. Kirilloff finished his night going 2-for-3 while also being hit by a pitch. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 3, Wichita 0 Box Score Making the start for Wichita was Travis Adams. He lasted four innings and allowed just a pair of runs on four hits. Adams walked a pair, but also struck out four batters. The pair of runs came on a solo homer and a wild pitch. Jonny DeLuca led off the game for the Drillers with a solo blast in the bottom of the first inning. Adams buckled down, and while he did allow Diego Cartaya to score on a second inning wild pitch, no other damage mounted. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. made an amazing catch in centerfield to rob additional runs, but that didn't spark a Wichita comeback. The Wind Surge tallied just three hits on the evening, and Brooks Lee finally went without a hit (ending his 10-game hitting streak), though he did reach on a walk. With the lineup stalling out, a comeback was never in the works. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 3, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score The Kernels turned to Jordan Carr for the start on Thursday, and he worked around six hits during his 4 1/3 innings of work. While two runs came across, only one was earned. Carr allowed a walk and struck out three. Cedar Rapids scored first when Kala’i Rosario tripled to drive in Noah Miller as the third batter of the game. It was the start of what would wind up being an impressive night for the outfielder. After giving the run back in the bottom of the second inning, and seeing another tacked on in the fifth inning, the sixth inning saw Cedar Rapids get even. Third baseman Ben Ross smacked his second home run of the season, and his blistering start to his 2023 season continued. Unfortunately, the Sky Carp’s Yiddi Cappe singled for the second time on the night in the seventh inning, and his RBI was the difference in this one. Adding a run, the Kernels never rallied and that hit was the difference. Rosario was the lone Kernels batter to post multiple hits, but he was a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and triple. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Jupiter 1 Box Score Cory Lewis was on the bump for Fort Myers on Thursday, and he continued to rack up strikeouts. Working five innings, he allowed just a single run on a solo shot. It was the only hit against him, and while he walked a pair, Lewis also racked up six strikeouts. Although Lewis kept Jupiter down in the game, he was also given immediate breathing room. Andrew Cossetti stepped in with Michael Helman, Jorel Ortega, and Ricardo Olivar all on base. He drilled his fourth homer of the year, a grand slam, and put the Mighty Mussels up early. It’s been an impressive week for the slugger. After the solo blast against Lewis, Fort Myers immediately answered. Cossetti came through again, this time with a bases-clearing double. Ortega, Danny De Andrade, and Olivar all came across the plate. Maddux Houghton followed up with a fielder’s choice to score Cossetti, and it was an 8-1 lead when the bottom of the fifth inning concluded. Looking for more insurance runs, Houghton hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning to bring Carlos Aguiar home. The Mighty Mussels plated nine runs on just six hits. Both Cossetti and De Andrade recorded a pair of hits on the evening. Helman played shortstop and led off as he is rehabbing before returning to St. Paul. He did draw a pair of walks. Capping off the scoring, Dalton Shuffield tripled in the eighth inning to score Mikey Perez and Dylan Neuse. A 10-run rule could have been enforced, but the ninth inning didn’t change the score either. Fort Myers did a great job continuing to add runs all night long. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cory Lewis (Fort Myers) - 5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Andrew Cossetti (Fort Myers) - 2-4, 2 R, 2B, HR(4), 7 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top 20 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) - 0-3, BB, K #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, K #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-2, R, 2 BB, K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, R, BB, K #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, BB, 2 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/WB @ St. Paul (6:37PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Wichita @ Tulsa (7:05PM CST) - LHP Aaron Rozek Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35PM CST) - RHP Alejandro Hidalgo Jupiter @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP Jose Olivares Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games!

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

As a backstop, Andrew Cossetti became a pillar of health in his final two collegiate years. He started 92 games and drew starts in 149 of the 150 he played in for St. Joseph’s. Last season Cossetti put up the best power production of his career with 19 bombs translating to a .714 slugging percentage. Not a traditional slugger, Cossetti also drew more walks than he tallied strikeouts. Minnesota needs an influx of catching talent in the system, and Cossetti is eyeing an opportunity to be among that. First I caught up with him for a few questions. Twins Daily: As a hitter, it seems like the power production really broke through for you the past two seasons. What led to that and what is your approach at the plate? Andrew Cossetti: I have always been a hitter with some power, but in the past two years, I really turned myself into a power hitter. It was the result of getting stronger in the weight room and refining my swing mechanics to make me a more consistent hitter and allow my newfound strength to carry the ball over the fence. A combination of this and growing maturity as a player in the game brought my abilities to new heights. As a hitter, my approach at the plate became more mature as well. I used to swing hard every pitch hoping for something to happen. I have since learned to trust my mechanics and my preparation so the only thing I'm focused on at the plate is seeing the ball and making solid contact. I have found the simpler you make your approach, the more you will trust your abilities and the more success you will find. Baseball can be a complicated game so when in doubt just simply everything. TD: Even while hitting for power, you're a big on-base hitter. How much does what you do behind the dish translate to how you attack a pitcher when up to bat? AC: The most important thing in baseball is runs because runs win games. As a hitter, I am not always going to be the one putting the ball over the fence to score the runs which is why it is just as important to get on base and allow the guys behind you in the lineup to hit you in. I definitely have an advantage as a catcher because my mind is constantly thinking about how to get hitters out. Seeing this from a pitch-calling standpoint and knowing what the umpire is calling balls and strikes allows me to understand how the opposing pitcher will try to get me out. TD: As a catcher, tell us about your style defensively? Are you an adept framer and solid receiver or is blocking something you see yourself better at? AC: As a catcher, I have recently adopted the knee-down approach the past two years, and it has transformed my game. The Twins have been advocates of this style and were one of the first teams to allow their catchers to do this consistently which excites me because I can see myself improving even more with the coaching of the organization. I first got put behind the plate because I had a good arm and I would say that continues to be my best trait as a catcher. TD: When transitioning to pro ball, what is the thing that you think can most be advanced about your game? AC: I think the biggest advancement I can make in my game is becoming an all-around great defensive catcher. I am confident that I can hit and hit for power but what I am most excited about is being part of an organization that does a phenomenal job at developing catchers. I think it is the perfect scenario for me and cannot wait to get started on this journey. TD: What do you know about the Minnesota Twins? Have you ever been to Target Field? AC: Being from the Philadelphia area, I cannot say that I've gotten to watch a lot of Twins baseball, but I know that it will not be easy to fill the shoes of Joe Mauer who is one of the greatest catchers of all time. He was one of my favorite catchers to watch growing up because he was so consistent with the bat and defensively, he did everything right and played the game the way it should be played. I have never been to Target Field, but I remember watching the Homerun Derby there in 2014 and thinking to myself that this would be a great place to hit bombs in. The Twins have a lineup with a lot of power now and they're only getting better. It'll be exciting to see what the organization has in store this season and in the coming years and I'm hoping I can be a part of their future success. TD: If there's something you want Twins Territory to know about you as a person or as a player, what is it? AC: I want Twins Territory to know that they're getting a player who will play every game like his hair is on fire and do whatever it takes to win a ballgame. My dad taught me to play baseball hard because you never know when your last time stepping on the field will be and when it is all said and done you want to be able to look back and know that you gave it everything you had. So that's what you'll get in me as a player and a person. Someone who gives it everything he has and just wants to win.