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The Twins must be creative this winter to fill some of the club’s different needs. Minnesota needs a playoff-caliber starter to replace Sonny Gray in the rotation and a replacement for Michael A. Taylor in center field. Adding a right-handed bench bat and upgrading the bullpen would be nice, but those may be luxuries the team can’t afford while cutting payroll. It’s a tough spot for the front office, but they have previously shown the ability to be creative. Many trade rumors this winter have swirled around the club, including shopping veteran players with higher contracts, like Kyle Farmer, Christian Vazquez, and Jorge Polanco. Unfortunately, trade value for those player types will bring back a minimal return. Instead, the front office can look to trade some of their young, established MLB players to capitalize on their value. It will likely take a combination of moves to free up payroll and add impact players at positions of need. Here is a look at three young players the Twins might consider including in trades this winter. Each player’s surplus trade value is from Baseball Trade Values. Edouard Julien, 2B Surplus Trade Value: $35.3 million Julien has been an intriguing prospect over the last two seasons, and fans saw the value he provides at the plate. In 109 games, he hit .263/.381/.459 (.839) with 16 doubles and 16 home runs. His defense made strides at second base, but he’s still considered a below-average defender. Minnesota traded Luis Arraez last winter, when it was clear the club wasn’t confident in his ability to play second base. Julien might be in a similar position, and he has more years of team control than Arraez did last winter. If Polanco was traded, the assumption was that Julien would take over the second base duties. If Julien was also dealt, the Twins have other young options who might be ready to step into the role, including Austin Martin and Brooks Lee. Matt Wallner, OF Surplus Trade Value: $23.3 million Like Julien, Wallner is supposed to be the heir apparent at a position occupied by a current veteran. If the Twins trade Kepler, Wallner can slide over to right field and be part of the team’s line-up for most of the next decade. In 2023, Wallner hit .249/.370/.507(.877) with 11 doubles and 14 home runs across 76 games. The Twins can also look to include Wallner in a trade because his value might never be higher. Wallner’s offensive profile will come with many strikeouts and inconsistent contact. Other corner outfield options include Trevor Larnach, Nick Gordon, and Austin Martin. Wallner has been a great story as a Minnesota native, but the timing might be suitable for the Twins to maximize his value on the trade market. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF Surplus Trade Value: $19.7 million The Twins might consider other top prospects untouchable, like Lee and Walker Jenkins. Rodriguez is the team’s other consensus top-100 prospect, which can make other teams value his potential upside. Rodriguez was added to the team’s 40-man roster this winter and is projected to spend next season at Double-A. It's interesting to consider that Baseball Trade Values believes Rodriguez has much lower value than the other more established players, but that might be reflection of his extreme high-risk/high-reward profile. There are no indications that the Twins want to part with Rodriguez, but the organization will likely need to trade multiple prospects to acquire a frontline starting pitcher. Minnesota’s winning window is open right now, which might force the front office to be aggressive. Minnesota obviously has other highly valued players at or close to the big league, but some of those options might be untouchable in the eyes of the Twins. Will the front office consider trading any of the players mentioned above? Do you agree with the trade values? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

The Twins have a real team here. However, they fell short against the Astros, outclassed in their ability to take a professional at-bat. In addition to replacing the likely departing Sonny Gray, the Twins will have to decide whether adding a middle-of-the-lineup bat is worth pursuing. They could, and perhaps should, decide to allow the needed offensive improvement to come from within. Brooks Lee and Austin Martin will hopefully steal at-bats away from whatever middling veterans the Twins sign/retain. They will get a full season from Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien and Matt Wallner. Byron Buxton might reemerge, and there isn’t much reason to doubt Carlos Correa’s track record. Maybe we’ll see more of catcher-OPS-leader Ryan Jeffers. Still, that doesn’t sound particularly imposing unless all of those players play to their 85th percentile or so of performance, while all staying healthy. So it might make sense to add an established, durable bat. The problem is, the Twins may not have any money to spend, given their uncertain TV-rights situation. So they would either need to drop significant salary by trading Max Kepler or Jorge Polanco, or acquire a cheaper player that may cost a ransom in prospect capital from their middling farm system. Or maybe there is another way. Steve Cohen is still owner of the Mets, and may have a solution to the Twins conundrum that comes cheap salary-wise, while not costing their entire collection of top 100 prospects. The established bat in question is first baseman Pete Alonso. All five of his seasons have resulted in an OPS+ over 120. His lowest number of games played is 152 (he played 57 in 2020). His career platoon splits are separated by one hundredth of a percent. He has averaged 45 home runs per 162 games for his career, and while that may lead you to believe he is strikeout prone, that isn’t entirely true. His career strikeout rate is below the league average at 22.3% (vs 22.9% for the league). He has had multiple seasons in which he struck out under 20% of the time, pretty impressive for someone with that kind of power. Alonso will be 29 next year, in his final arbitration season. MLB Trade Rumors projects him for a hefty 22M salary. How would the cash-strapped Twins absorb that kind of salary? By trading away a prospect that catches Cohen’s eye. You see, Cohen is obsessed with building up his farm system, and has shown he is okay with throwing tens of millions of dollars to expedite the process, focusing on quality over quantity. He paid the Rangers 64M to take on the last year and a half of Max Scherzer’s contract in exchange for top prospect Luisangel Acuna, and the Astros got another 64M in exchange for Justin Verlander and their best prospect, Drew Gilbert. According to MLB.com, Gilbert ranks as the 52nd best overall prospect, while Acuna ranks 38th. In between them at 48th sits Emmanuel Rodriguez, the Twins’ third best prospect. It would seem to me that Cohen and his new PBO David Stearns, would be interested in acquiring a potential superstar slugger in Rodriguez in exchange for a player they don’t appear to be building around on an expiring salary. Chipping in 15M to make it happen would be pretty on brand, as well. Publicly, the Mets have expressed a desire to keep Alonso, however they were very direct towards Scherzer and Verlander in saying that 2024 will constitute a "competitive rebuild", leading to both pitchers agreeing to a trade. With Alonso a free agent in a year, he should be available. Rodriguez for one year of Alonso is still pretty risky. It's possible the “Polar Bear” would love playing for the Twins and be open to an extension a la Paul Goldschmidt with the Cardinals. But the reality is that any Alonso acquisition would likely be a one year pit stop for the slugger, while Rodriguez could debut as soon as 2024. And Rodriguez may be underrated at 48th best. Other publications have him ranked closer to the top 25, with immense power potential and elite strike zone recognition. His defense probably won’t be a major strength, but he runs pretty well and hit a huge grand slam in Cedar Rapids’ championship-clinching win a month ago. He’s been described as having a Max Muncy-type offensive profile, which paired with any sort of serviceable outfield defense and speed would be hugely valuable. But it probably means a batting average in the .210s, and that’s if things break right. If Rodriguez doesn’t adjust to the league and can’t get to his power, he’ll join a long list of failed power prospects who dominated the minor leagues but just had too many holes in their swing to thrive at the major league level. Brooks Lee is pretty much assured of being at least as good as, say, Gordon Beckham (terrible outcome, but rosterable), while Walker Jenkins could be Bryce Harper for all we know. We know prospects like Rodriguez flame out a lot, regardless of how great the farm system is. Some of the Muncy types make too little contact to matter, like the most recent iterations of Miguel Sano and Joey Gallo. Some guys are too passive at the plate, like the Twins were worried about with Edouard Julien. We also know the Twins have a somewhat similar player to Rodriguez in Matt Wallner, who has shown he can make at least some adjustments in the majors. To be clear, players like Rodriguez should be close to untouchable, but given the Mets' focus on stocking their minor league system with talent quickly, it might make more sense in this moment then it ever has to dangle him for a hitter like Alonso. What do you think? Would you pull the trigger on a trade like this one?

The Twins could always draft or sign and then develop position players. Consider the names drafted and signed under the regimes of Mike Radcliff and Terry Ryan. It’s a Who’s Who of Twins hitters. Hunter. Mientkiewicz. Jones. Cuddyer. Morneau. Mauer. Kubel. Span. Buxton. Sano. Kepler. Polanco. And with many of the same people in the scouting department, we are again seeing emerging, talented position players. Many have debuted in recent years to varying success (and opportunity). Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, and Matt Wallner were keys to the Twins second-half success. Meanwhile, players like Ryan Jeffers, Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, Jose Miranda, and Nick Gordon have helped the Twins win over the past couple of seasons. While there are finally more pitchers in the Twins system to be excited about, there continue to be solid-hitting prospects around the diamond. Let’s take a look at some of the depth around the field that can be found in the Twins organization: Catchers The Twins have two catchers on the big-league roster, Ryan Jeffers and Christian Vazquez. Jeffers will not be eligible for free agency for three more years. Vazquez has two years remaining on his three-year deal. Jair Camargo was added to the Twins 40-man roster since the end of the World Series. The burly backstop showed his powerful arm and his power with the bat for the St. Paul Saints in 2023. He will likely return to the Saints to start the 2024 season and be the guy called up if there is a need. Chris Williams, who is not on the 40-man roster, has become one of Twins most prominent power prospects the past two years with the Saints. He can catch, but he’s got enough bat to be a DH or get time at first base if needed. Patrick Winkel was the primary catcher with the Double-A Wind Surge. He is arguably the best defensive backstop prospect, but he can also hit with extra-base power. Noah Cardenas spent the entire season at Cedar Rapids. He can hit and get on base at a strong clip while playing well behind the plate. Andrew Cossetti may have as much power potential and offensive prowess as any of these catching prospects. He split his first professional season between Ft. Myers and the High-A Kernels. He ended the season representing the Twins in the Arizona Fall League.

It's awards season for MLB. Jeremy and JD break down ROY awards in the AL and NL and talk through prospect promotion incentive draft picks, highlighting players from the Brewers, Cubs, and Twins most likely to earn their organization one in 2024. The guys dig into prospects added to 40 man rosters for each org to protect them from Rule 5 selection, in addition to highlighting a possible low cost pitching add for the Twins who was a 40-man roster casualty. 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 2:15 Sonny Gray Rejection 7:43 AL/NL Rookie of the Year 13:06 Prospect Promotion Incentive 25:35 Rule 5 Protection Day 30:09 Twins Additions 35:50 Brewers Additions 37:30 Cal Quantrill Pitch Usage 46:08 Cubs Additions 52:30 Questions

The Twins got a head start on their 40-man roster moves earlier this month by adding infielder Yunior Severino and catcher Jair Camargo, keeping them from free agency and protecting them from teams seeking to add talent in the Rule 5 draft. They saved the easiest decisions for last. Today, the club added outfielders Emmanuel Rodriguez and Austin Martin, pushing their 40-man roster to 38. There was no way either of these two would be left unprotected. Both are highly promising players – Rodriguez ranks third on our top prospects list, Martin seventh – and both would have certainly been selected if left available. (Possibly with the top two picks.) Both Rodriguez and Martin are interesting figures in the Twins' offseason planning, for different reasons. Rodriguez is one of the team's best trade chips to dangle in the hunt for frontline pitching, while Martin's presence as a future center field option will influence the front office's decision-making at that position. Ultimately, the Twins added four prospects to their 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 eligibility deadline: Severino, Camargo, Rodriguez and Martin. That means a number of other Twins minor-leaguers WILL be left exposed when the Rule 5 takes place on December 6th. As a reminder, the stipulation of adding a player through this process means that player must remain on the active MLB roster for the entire 2024 season, or be put through waivers and offered back to his original team. With this in mind, players who could potentially be selected by other teams include: DaShawn Keirsey, OF – 26-year-old can run and play center capably, posted productive numbers in the high minors. Could easily be viewed as a fourth outfielder candidate in the majors right now, with a bit of helium. Anthony Prato, IF/OF – Defensively versatile right-handed hitter with strong OBP skills. Posted a .990 OPS in the inflated Triple-A environment. But there are a lot of players coming off big seasons in that league. Not a prospect, per se, but a solid ballplayer. Michael Helman, IF/OF – Finds himself in a similar boat as Prato, but his relatively advanced age (27) might remove any perception of remaining upside. After a great 2022 in St. Paul, injuries derailed most of his 2023 season. Aaron Sabato, 1B – Former first-round pick has been a major disappointment, but his power and patience give him a semblance of offensive floor. A non-competing team could try running him out there at first to see what happens. Jose Salas, IF – He's 20 and coming off a horrible season at Single-A. It's clear Salas would be overmatched in the majors but given his ceiling, it's not unthinkable a team like Oakland or KC could try to stash him in a utility role for the summer to steal him away long-term. Ricardo Olivar, C/CF - Yes, catcher and center fielder. Olivar had a strong performance in Low-A Fort Myers and hit a lot of doubles. While his bat is certainly not ready for prime time, his intriguing defensive profile could make him appealing to some team. Stay tuned to Twins Daily for more updates on offseason developments and breaking news.

Here in the month of November, Twins Daily is providing offseason preview coverage with a phased thematic approach. Last week we took a deep dive on free agency possibilities; this week we're shining the spotlight inward with a focus on players currently in the Twins organization and how they might factor into the team's plans. Along with articles on the site that will explore this focus from every angle, we're also releasing a new section of the 2024 Offseason Handbook for TD Caretakers, which includes Seth's breakdown of organizational depth at every position, and a story from me ranking the 10 players in Twins organization who best blend tradeability with trade value. If you use the coupon code 2024HANDBOOK at checkout, all Caretaker packages are 25% off! You can read an excerpt from that story here, or become a Caretaker to access the whole thing! (If you are a Caretaker, you can scroll to the bottom of this page to download the full PDF for the chapter.) The Twins front office has not been shy about swinging big trades and giving up high-profile talent in the process. In the past we've seen them trade top pitching prospects Brusdar Graterol and Chase Petty to acquire frontline starters, and more recently, they gave up cherished team fixture Luis Arraez in the Pablo Lopez swap. These moves involved some painful losses, but they were also responsible for shaping the league-leading 2023 rotation. As the Twins endeavor to fill key gaps left in their starting pitching corps this offseason, history tells us there's a good chance they'll turn to the trade market. The other factor at play: Minnesota has a lot of players in the mix who look like plausible trade candidates. To their credit, the front office has built up some redundancies, or at least reasonable depth, to make certain quality players less essential to the future. The Twins have productive veterans they could be motivated to deal, as well as elite prospects they could use to aim exceptionally high in their hunt for controllable frontline pitching. Here's my take on 10 players who could realistically be traded this offseason, in order of how much value they might bring back by my estimation. I didn't include players who have no-trade clauses (Correa, Buxton) or players who I simply could not imagine being traded (Jeffers, MLB starting pitchers). I also didn't include players who are candidates to be traded, but have mostly neutral value because of their salaries (Farmer, Vazquez). 1. Brooks Lee, 3B Lee is not the Twins' top prospect, according to TD's rankings, but I do think he is their most valuable and viable trade chip. He's a truly elite prospect in the game – 18th overall in the season-ending MLB Pipeline rankings – and he is pretty clearly major-league ready or very close. Turning 23 next spring, Lee will be a cheap, controllable regular for years to come. He's established a solid floor while still offering an All-Star level ceiling. This blend of qualities makes him highly appealing to a wide range of rebuilding and contending teams. Placing Lee at the center of a trade package would put the Twins in the conversation for almost any hypothetical high-end pitcher on the market. And while losing him obviously would not be fun, we already find ourselves talking about how to make room for him in a crowded Twins infield next year. 2. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF Rodriguez is not quite the same caliber of prospect as Walker Jenkins (below), in absolute terms. However, I do think he has a special sort of intrigue that could make him alluring to front offices enamored by his rare skill set. To be clear, E-Rod's game is not without known flaws. He has a lot of swing-and-miss in his plate approach, with a 30% K-rate in three minor-league seasons helping contribute to a .242 batting average. He's also had some injury issues. But the corresponding strengths really jump out at you. He's a speedy, lefty-swinging center fielder whose power is uncommon and whose patience is almost unheard of. The 20-year-old has an absurd 21.3% career walk rate in the minors. While constantly facing more advanced competition, he has gotten on base more than 41% of the time. After leading the High-A Midwest League in OPS and finishing second in wOBA, Rodriguez is flying high, ready to tackle Double-A. His relative proximity to the majors adds to his value from a trade acquisition standpoint. 3. Walker Jenkins, OF If the Twins were to make their newly drafted top prospect available in trades, they could get a haul. And technically, that is an option on the table. An MLB rule change in 2015 made it so teams can trade draft picks in the same year they were selected, which was previously prohibited. Jenkins was a consensus top-five talent in a loaded draft, and followed up with an emphatic pro debut that puts him in the discussion as a top 10 global prospect. Still, it seems really unlikely the Twins would shop him already. And even if they did, any club drawn to his immense upside would also have to grapple with an added level of uncertainty compared to Lee and Rodriguez. Jenkins has played 26 total pro games and is likely multiple years away from the majors, even in a favorable scenario. Then again, when you're talking about the #16 prospect in baseball (per MLB Pipeline), you're talking about gargantuan trade capital.

We cover the Rule 5 draft and more in the twelfth episode of Destination: The Show. 0:00 Intro 4:00 Craig Counsell to the Cubs 10:14 Kala'i Rosario wins the AFL Home Run Derby 14:32 Rule 5 - what is it? 18:35 What happens when a player is drafted? 21:00 How common is it to find a great player? 25:50 What teams are looking for? 27:30 Brewers Overview - main options 33:15 Other possible Milwaukee adds 36:37 Cubs Overview 48:50 Twins Overview You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at iTunes or Spotify, retweeting show related content on Twitter, and subscribing to the Twins Daily YouTube page. You can follow us @DTS_POD1, @J_D_Cameron, @Jeremynygaard, and @TheodoreTollef1 on Twitter. Send us your prospect and draft related questions for our next episode. Find Destination: The Show on all major podcast platforms including Spotify, iTunes, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. The show is available on Libsyn, our podcasting platform, in addition to YouTube.

The World Series concluded while we were recording. What better time to reflect on each organizations top prospects? As we get ready to enter the offseason, JD and Jeremy break down the Just Baseball Top 100 Prospects list in depth, digging into 2023 numbers for Emmanuel Rodriguez, Brooks Lee, and Walker Jenkins . 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 - Halloween, Bremer, AFL 12:28 Top 100 Prospects 17:32 Tyler Black 25:19 Luis Lara 29:32 Matt Shaw 33:30 - Jacob Misiorowski 39:53 - Kevin Alcantara 44:00 - Emmanuel Rodriguez 50:12 - Owen Caissie 54:13 - Brooks Lee 1:00:00 - Jeferson Quero 1:02:58 - Cade Horton 1:07:35 - Pete Crow-Armstrong 1:09:32 - Walker Jenkins 1:13:00 - Jackson Chourio

The Twins signed Emmanuel Rodriguez to a $2.5 million bonus during the 2019 international signing period. At the time, MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 8 prospect in his signing class, but there is a long road to the big leagues for players signed as teenagers. Rodriguez wouldn’t make his professional debut until the 2021 season because of the pandemic. He showcased plenty of skills during his first season in the FCL, including hitting 10 home runs in 37 games. Minnesota moved him to full-season action for his age-19 campaign, and he combined for a 1.044 OPS in 47 games. Unfortunately, a torn meniscus ended his season, but he had already established himself as one of baseball’s best prospects. The 2023 season would be a memorable one for Rodriguez and the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Rodriguez was a fixture in the middle of the lineup while posting an .836 OPS in 105 games. There were some up-and-down moments in the season’s early months, but he turned it on for the team’s stretch run. In August and September, he posted a .959 OPS with 18 extra-base hits in 36 games. He also hit the go-ahead home run in the deciding game of the Midwest League Championship Series. Rodriguez will likely spend most of the 2024 season at Double-A when he will be 21. The Twins can face two different paths with Rodriguez this winter. Path 1: Trade Rodriguez for Frontline Starting Pitching The Twins’ current front office has shown a willingness to trade highly rated prospects for starting pitching. Some of these trades haven’t worked out in the team’s favor (see Tyler Mahle), but most of the team’s 2023 rotation was compiled by trade. The Twins are likely losing Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda to free agency, which puts the club in a position to need more rotational depth, especially playoff-caliber starters. The Twins have two prospects in their system that rank higher than Rodriguez, which could make him a more expendable option. Brooks Lee and Walker Jenkins are consensus top-20 prospects, and they would likely be untouchable in trade talks. Rodriguez has shown some flaws, including strikeouts and time missed due to injury, that might make the Twins willing to part ways with him if it brings back a pitcher that can help the team win in October. The Twins will attempt to add a starter this winter, and Rodriguez is the player I’d be trying to shop. Path 2: Continue to Develop Rodriguez The Twins aren’t going to give Rodriguez away in a trade, so the club might decide to keep him for the upcoming season. During the winter months, it can be challenging to convince teams to trade a top-tier starting pitcher because every team feels like they have a chance to compete next season. Both World Series teams lost over 100 games two seasons ago, so there is hope for any team to make a quick turnaround. The best time to trade Rodriguez might be next season’s trade deadline when there are clear buyers and sellers, but that also means he will need to play well to start 2024. Double-A can be challenging, especially for a player young for the level. Last season, Rodriguez was over two years younger than the average age of the competition at his level, and that age gap would likely increase next season. There were only two at-bats where he faced a pitcher younger than himself last season. That age gap can make it challenging for prospects to show their true talent level. His plate discipline is among the best in the Twins system, as he accumulated 92 walks in 99 games. However, his strikeout rate decreased (26.0%) after cutting back in this area during the 2022 season (38.2%). He also continues to play nearly all his defensive innings in center field. He may have to move to a corner spot as he continues to add muscle, so his current defensive position would add to his trade value. If he continues trending upward, he might join Lee and Jenkins near the top of baseball’s national prospect rankings. What path will the Twins follow with Rodriguez? Will he make his big-league debut in a Twins uniform? Leave a COMMENT and start the conversation.

Everything didn't go perfectly for the Twins during the 2023 season, but there were some positive signs by the season's end. The team's playoff losing streak is over, and the fanbase doesn't need to focus on losses that happened in the past. Instead, the team will turn its focus to 2024 and beyond. So, are the Twins any closer to winning a World Series title compared to one year ago? Rocco Baldelli was clear in his post-game comments that he believes the Twins are ready to take the next step. "The team is hungry in a way that I don't think we probably even were before. You get a taste of something like this, you show this to people, what this looks like and what it is. We're not that far from playing in the World Series." Rookie Trio One reason for optimism with the Twins is the young core of players that established themselves during their rookie season. Minnesota became the first club since 1930 to have three rookies with an .830 or better OPS. Royce Lewis showed why he was considered one of baseball's top prospects by hitting .309/.372/.548 (.921) with 15 home runs and seven doubles in 58 games. His offensive output continued into October, where he became the first Twins batter since Kirby Puckett to have four home runs in the same postseason. Lewis wasn't the only rookie to leave his mark on the Twins. Matt Wallner also showcased multiple strengths during the 2023 season after being named the team's Minor League Player of the Year in 2022. In 76 games, Wallner hit .249/.370/.507 (.877) with 11 doubles, one triple, and 14 home runs. He also demonstrated a tremendous outfield arm, which can limit runners advancing on the base paths. Edouard Julien completed the Twins rookie trio and hit .263/.381/.459 (.839) in 109 games. He combined for 16 doubles, one triple, and 16 home runs with a 130 OPS+. Julien's defense at second base has improved significantly during the season, improving his projected value for future years. While these players impacted the 2023 season, other prospects are even more highly touted than this trio. Prospects on the Way Brooks Lee was named the Twins' Minor League Player of the Year after reaching Triple-A in his first full professional season. He hit .275/.347/.461 (.808) with 39 doubles, three triples, and 16 home runs between Double- and Triple-A. His OPS dropped by over 100 points after his promotion, but he was over four years younger than the average age of the competition in the International League. He will be considered a top-25 global prospect entering next season. Lee isn't the only prospect to get excited about in the Twins' system. Emmanuel Rodriguez played the entire 2023 season at High-A, where he was over two years younger than the average age of the competition. He posted a .940 OPS or higher in four-of-six months during the season. His biggest moments came in the deciding game of the Midwest League Championship Series when he hit a grand slam that put the Kernels in front. He won't rank as highly as Lee on national lists, but he has one of the highest ceilings of any prospect. AL Central and Playoff Picture The AL Central also provides an opportunity for the Twins to make the playoffs regularly in the coming years. Both Chicago and Kansas City finished with over 100 losses, and neither has a clear winning window in the immediate future. Cleveland was the team the Twins competed with for most of the season, but they fell apart down the stretch and finished ten games below the .500 mark. Detroit showed some positive signs in the second half to finish at 78-84, including some young players moving in the right direction. However, the Twins should be the AL Central favorites entering next season. MLB's playoff structure allows for upsets, and the best regular-season teams can struggle in October. Minnesota finished with a worse record than Toronto, who plays in a tougher division, but the Twins managed to sweep the Blue Jays out of the playoffs. Arizona was the last team into the NL playoffs, and they have swept their way into the NLCS. Anything can happen in the postseason, so the Twins must put themselves in a position for the playoffs and hope they can find some magic. Baseball is a funny game that can be hard to predict. Baldelli is right to look at this club and believe in the future. A World Series run isn't out of the question, but many things need to go right for that to happen. Baseball is a funny game that can be hard to predict. Do you believe the Twins are closer to a World Series title? What must they add to the roster to make that dream a reality? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

The Atlanta Braves are the class of MLB right now, and the breathless admiration of them from those in the game and those who analyze will continue whether you like it or not. The Braves tied the 2019 Twins home run record of 307 and have steamrolled the competition, including a decisive sweep of the Twins in June. They possess the best record in baseball and have all the underlying numbers to back it up. Don’t misunderstand me; they are really good. But how did they build this? A key aspect of their success is their penchant for extending star core players early in their career to team-friendly extensions. Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, Matt Olson, Spencer Strider and Sean Murphy are all excellent players under the age of thirty and will be with the team through at least 2028. None of those contracts have turned into regrets, either (so far) like the contracts for Evan White, Jon Singleton, or even Randy Dobnak did. Max Fried and Strider lead the rotation, and are great development stories. Bryce Elder is too, but their strength isn’t pitching, and they don’t have much beyond those three and Morton. That isn’t the worst thing; two aces and two mid rotation guys will play fine in October, and their team ERA is still a respectable 14th in baseball. So what makes the Brave's core precarious, and why do the Twins have a chance to supplant them in as the next homegrown powerhouse? Depth The Braves are top-heavy in both the pitching and hitting departments. No one has noticed on the hitting side because none of their players are hurt. Almost ever. Carlos Correa leads the Twins with 135 games played, which is solid considering his foot issues. The next highest is Donovan Solano with 127. All eight of the Braves non-catchers have played 130 games or more. And all of them, plus their great catching core, are healthy and available for the playoffs. That’s absurd, bordering on the absurdity of the Cleveland Guardians and their nearly injury-free 2022 season. Should anyone get hurt, Nicky Lopez and Kevin Pillar are their only options. The Braves also have the 27th ranked farm system according to MLB Pipeline and they already have $174 million committed to next year’s payroll, not counting arbitration salaries (about $80 million more than the Twins). Their only top 100 prospect is pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver, who is 20 and made it to the majors this year. If he isn’t great right away, Max Fried heads to free agency after next year, leaving Strider and the unproven Elder. Maybe Kyle Wright can return to form (he will miss 2024 rehabbing an injury). And what should occur if somehow one of their hitters actually deals with a significant injury (or underperformance)? There is no “next man up” outside of Vaughn Grissom, who is a decent prospect but probably can’t handle shortstop, where they are already playing Orlando Arcia and his career .681 OPS. What they are now, is what they are. Grissom also represents the best trade piece the Braves could use to acquire frontline starting pitching, which they may need as soon as this offseason. If he goes, Nicky Lopez steps in. The Twins have a multitude of A and B level prospects they could flip for pitching if they really needed to. Comparing Cores More credit should go towards the Twins front office for building a core similar to the Braves, but for less money and hardly any fanfare. It should last through the Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton contracts since most of the Twins contributors are making the minimum MLB salary. And although those team-friendly extensions could save the Braves some money, none of those players have hit six years of service time yet. They would still be controllable through this year with only Olson and Albies set to hit free agency this offseason had the Braves gone year to year. Let's compare the infielders each team has assembled for the future. The Twins have Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, Edouard Julien, and Brooks Lee, with Austin Martin and Jose Miranda as high upside depth pieces. They also signed Carlos Correa. They’ve traded away homegrown talents Luis Arraez, Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, too. The Braves have Riley, Olson, Albies, Arcia and Grissom. I'm not saying the Twins can bang with that group as currently constructed, but they have a lot more options if things go wrong (they do). Are the Braves infielders durable and capable of producing great counting stats? Sure. But that has very little predictive value and those 155 game seasons add up quickly in terms of health and performance. In the outfield, the Twins have Matt Wallner, Lewis, Trevor Larnach, Kirilloff, Martin, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins (with Buxton once in a while), all system-developed. The Braves have two homegrown (and great) outfielders in Harris and Acuna Jr., but you have to scroll a bit on their prospect lists to even find another hitter, much less an outfielder. Nobody matches Acuna, but in Jenkins and Lewis the Twins at least have some hope to develop a generational superstar of their own. To Extend or not Extend The Twins have the opportunity to extend, Braves-style, some of those players, but as luck would have it, none of them are set to become free agents until after the 2027 season. They could lock up guys like Kirilloff, Ryan Jeffers, Julien and Lewis, but only Jeffers will even reach three years of service time when the season is over. They have some time to decide who to commit to long-term, and who, like the Braves with Dansby Swanson, they decide to just go year to year with. Right now, every extension the Braves have handed out has worked flawlessly. But as I mentioned earlier, none of those contracts has entered into the years of potential free agency yet. It is those "bonus" years that will prove the extensions either smart, or disastrous. Consider the Twins' extensions of Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco. Their respective performance and health have been up and down, but the contracts they signed only really kicked in this year. Had they been up for free agency last offseason, as they were on track for originally, would the Twins have even offered them a qualifying offer? Probably not, but these things are tricky; Polanco and Kepler have been integral parts of the Twins' second half surge this year. Contrast that to Riley's contract. He would have been team controlled for two more years after this one, but with his massive contract (ten years, 212M), they are now locked into the next nine years, whether he remains effective or not. The Twins haven't proven much of anything yet, but they have seven homegrown players who could start on any playoff team, Correa, star-caliber depth in the minor leagues, and some (though not a lot) payroll space to supplement. The Braves are still good, I promise that I believe that. They have the star power to go 11-0 this October and would wipe the floor with the Twins in a playoff matchup currently. The greater point, is that the Twins have really built something here. Some draft luck played a part, as talents like Lee and Jenkins should not have been available to a contending club. But here we are, with potential/actual star position players as far as the eye can see, and a decent rotation floor with Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober all team-controlled for at least the next four years. Not only that, but unlike the Braves lineup, there are backup plans if things go south. Correa may continue to have foot issues, some of the Twins prospects will flame out, and injuries will always be a factor, but you have to like the Twins chances to feel confident in an assortment of plan B's. The Braves have won six straight division titles; the Twins should be able to follow suit in the Central.

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.

Just four more games to go in the Twins minor league season. The Saints will play four more home games. The rest of the affiliates seasons are done. However, the Cedar Rapids Kernels season ended on Wednesday night in the best way a season can end... with a championship!! Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Before Wednesday’s morning game in Cincinnati, the Twins placed shortstop Carlos Correa on the Injured List. To take his spot on the Twins roster, the team called up outfielder Trevor Larnach. AWARDS Before they played their games on Wednesday, the Cedar Rapids Kernels learned that several of their players were recognized for their work in the Midwest League. Former Twins draft pick, prospect, infielder and outfielder Brian Dinkelman was named the league’s Manager of the Year. The Kernels had the best record in the league at 82-50. This is his fourth season as the Kernels’ manager after spending several seasons as the team’s hitting coach. Outfielder Kala’i Rosario led the Midwest League with 21 home runs and 94 RBI. He was named a league All-Star and the Midwest League’s MVP. His 94 RBI were 21 more than second on the list. He ranked among the Top 10 in the league in Slugging Percentage (.467), OPS (.831), Hits (112), Doubles (27), and Walks (75). In addition, he had 13 outfield assists from his right field position. This is the second straight year in which a member of the Kernels was named the league’s MVP. Last season, you may recall, Christian Encarnacion-Strand won the award. In addition to Rosario, the Kernels had three more players make the postseason All Star team. Outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez was named as the designated hitter. He hit .240/.400/.463 with 16 homers. He had 92 walks which was tied for best in the league. Infielder Tanner Schobel was named the All Star third baseman. He played 77 games for the Kernels before his promotion to Wichita. He was leading the league in home runs when he was promoted and still ranked in the top five in several other categories. Finally, Miguel Rodriguez was named the most dominant reliever. He also was promoted to Wichita but not until early August. He had a 2.85 ERA. He had 42 strikeouts and just 11 walks in 41 innings. He also had 14 Saves. On Tuesday, Fort Myers catcher/outfielder Ricardo Olivar was named to the Florida State League All Star team. In 100 games, the 22-year-old from Venezuela hit .285/.403/.452 (.855) with 28 doubles, 10 homers, 58 RBI and 59 walks. In nearly 650 innings split between catcher and the outfield, he had just four errors on the season. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 6, Toledo 3 Box Score Simeon Woods Richardson started on Wednesday night for the Saints against the Tigers top affiliate. He gave up a run in the top of the first and two in the third inning, but he kept battling and completed 5 2/3 innings. He gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out four batters. Austin Brice recorded four outs. He gave up two hits, but no runs. Finally Cole Sands worked two scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit and struck out two batters. The Saints tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning when Brooks Lee’s eighth Saints double scored Austin Martin, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Down 3-1, the Saints mounted a rally in the bottom of the fourth inning. The inning started with walks by Gilberto Celestino and Anthony Prato. That brought Chris Williams to the plate and along with giving the Saints a lead, he also made a little Saints history. His 21st home run of the year placed him ahead of Brent Rooker who had 20 homers for the Saints in 2021, their first year as a Twins affiliate. Two batters later, Brooks Lee launched his fifth home run since joining the Saints to give the team a 5-3 lead. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the team got a little insurance. Lee led off with a walk. Yunior Severino was then hit by a pitch. After a ground out advanced both runners, DaShawn Keirsey singled to drive in Lee with the team’s sixth run. The Saints have just four more games remaining, but for those of you near the Twin Cities, all four games are at CHS Field. Check out a game or four this weekend. Click here to order tickets. And… be sure to watch The Saint of Second Chances on Netflix. Great documentary on former Saints owner Mike Veeck, his family’s history in the game, and how the Saints opportunity may have been the best thing for him. KERNELS NUGGETS MWL Championship Game 2 Cedar Rapids 4, Great Lakes 2 Box Score The teams got through four-and-a-half innings on Tuesday night before the rains came and the game was suspended. Righty Andrew Morris started the game and gave up one run on three hits over five innings. He had seven strikeouts with no walks. On Wednesday, the game continued. The Kernels immediately tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when Carson McCusker singled in Luke Keaschall. In the top of the sixth, Mike Paredes came in and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in just a third of an inning. None of the singles were hit hard, but they were very well placed. John Klein came in for his first Kernels appearance in Cedar Rapids. He gave up one run on three hits over 2 2/3 innings. He had five strikeouts. AJ Labas worked a scoreless ninth inning. Down 4-1 going to the bottom of the ninth, the Kernels mounted an intriguing comeback. The inning started with back-to-back walks to Jose Salas and Carson McCusker. Noah Miller followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Loons manager, Daniel Nava, went to his closer, lefty Benony Robles. The southpaw got Emmanuel Rodriguez to strike out on three pitches. Kala’i Rosario came to the plate with chants of “MVP! MVP!” ringing through the stadium. He fell behind 1-2 but was able to work a walk to load the bases with one out. Unfortunately, an infield fly and a strikeout ended the game and sent this series to a winner-take-all Game 3. MWL Championship Series Game 3 Cedar Rapids 7, Great Lakes 6 Box Score Because of the suspended game, Game 3 was reduced to just a seven inning game. Despite jumping out to a big lead early, this game wasn’t decided until that 21st out landed in Emmanuel Rodriguez’s glove. The Kernels won their first Midwest League championship since 1994! In the bottom of the first inning, the Kernels got singles from Noah Miller and Kala’i Rosario. Miller scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Andrew Cossetti to give the team the 1-0 lead. Starting pitcher Cory Lewis had his second straight 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second, and the Kernels supported him in grand style in the bottom of the inning. Luke Keaschall and Noah Cardenas started the inning with walks. After a strikeout, Carson McCusker walked to load the bases. Following a pitching change, there was another strikeout. But Emmanuel Rodriguez came to the plate and launched his third home run of this three-game series, a grand slam to give the Kernels a 5-0 lead after two innings. Lewis gave up a leadoff single in the third inning, but the runner was quickly erased on a Miller-to-Keaschall-to-Ortega double play. So through three innings, Lewis faced nine batters. Lewis gave up a run in the fourth inning on a walk and later a single. However, the fifth inning did not go well for him. After a leadoff single, he got a fly out and a force out. Things were looking good. However, back-to-back singles gave the Loons a second run and ended Lewis’s game. Gabriel Yanez came with runners on the corners. Catcher Dalton Rushing, the top prospect in the Dodgers organization and a Top 50 prospect in the game, greeted him with a two-run double which cut the Kernels lead to 5-4. The Kernels responded well in the bottom of the fifth inning. Rodriguez led off with a walk, and Rosario followed with a single. A wild pitch advanced runners to second and third base. After one out, Jorel Ortega walked to load the bases. Luke Keaschall followed by working a walk that scored Rodriguez. Noah Cardenas then flew out to left field, deep enough to allow Rosario to score a second insurance run and make it 7-4 Kernels. Yanez remained in the game for the sixth inning. He got a groundout and a strikeout before giving up a double. Manager Brian Dinkelman went to his closer, John Stankiewicz, hoping for a four-out save. The right-hander recorded a strikeout to end the threat. The Kernels coaxed three more walks in the bottom of the sixth but were unable to add on. On to the top of the seventh inning, three outs from a championship… but it couldn’t just be easy, right? Stankiewicz started the inning with an infield pop out. However, the next batter was hit by a pitch. However, a ground ball to short meant a force out at second but no out at first base. That brought Rushing to the plate again. And, as you would expect, he launched a long home run to cut the Kernels lead to 7-6. Fortunately, after falling behind the next batter 2-0, Stankiewicz got a flyout to Emmanuel Rodriguez. He made the catch, and the celebration ensued! TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day – Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 2-for-3, 2B(8), HR(5), 2 R, 2 RBI, K Pitcher of the Day – John Klein (Cedar Rapids) - 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 45 pitches, 32 strikes (71.1%) 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 (St. Paul) - 2-for-3, BB, 2B(8), HR(5), 2 R, 2 RBI, K. #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - Game 2 (1-for-4, BB, 3 K), Game 3 (1-for-2, 2 BB, HR(3), 2 R, 4 RBI) #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, BB, 2B(11), R, 2 K #10 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - Game 2 (2-for-4, R, K), Game 3 (0-for-1, 2 BB, R, RBI) #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - Game 2 (0-for-4, BB, K), Game 3 (2-for-3, BB, R, SB, K). #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-for-2, BB, 2B(2), HBP #15 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 95 pitches, 61 strikes (64.2%) #19 - Cory Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - Game 3 (4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 69 pitches, 45 strikes (65.2%)) THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Toledo @ St. Paul (6:37 PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (5-9, 5.31 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics!

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

SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 1, St. Paul 0 Box Score Having been eliminated from postseason contention on Saturday night, the Saints took the field for their final road game on Sunday. David Festa was on the mound, and rehabbing Twins utility man Nick Gordon was in left field. A shorter outing, Festa went 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits and a pair of walks. He struck out two. Iowa scored the game's first run in the second inning, but Festa escaped with the bases loaded before letting the inning become problematic. Shortening Festa's workload with the year ending, Brent Headrick took over in the third inning. He worked 3 1/3 innings of perfect baseball while striking out four. The Saints couldn't find a run in the ninth inning either, and they dropped Sunday's action, going scoreless on six hits. Brooks Lee was the only St. Paul batter to record a pair. They'll return home for a final series against Toledo. WIND SURGE WISDOM Midland 6, Wichita 4 Box Score Needing a victory and then a loss from Springfield to make the playoffs, Wichita turned to Jordan Carr for their final regular season game on Sunday. Carr went three innings while allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk. He struck out one. After a scoreless first frame, Midland grabbed the first lead with a three-run homer in the top of the second inning. Midland added again in the third inning with an RBI single, and the Wind Surge were staring at a 4-0 deficit. The RockHounds added another pair of runs in the seventh inning, and things looked bleak for Wichita. Facing a six-run deficit with just three outs left, the Wind Surge needed a miracle. Alex Isola doubled home Will Holland before Jake Rucker traded places with him. Tanner Schobel stepped in with the bases loaded and just one out and singled home Patrick Wikel. With one out and down 6-3, Ben Ross had the opportunity to walk it off on a home run. The ball didn't leave the yard, but he continued the singles parade and brought home Rucker, leaving the bases still packed. Willie Joe Garry Jr. initially looked like he brought Aaron Sabato home on a fielder's choice, but Midland made the out. Holland flew out to left, and the comeback came just short. Schobel, Rucker, and Isola all grabbed a pair of hits in what ends up being Wichita's final game of the year. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 10, Great Lakes 6 Box Score Kicking off the Midwest League Championship Series, the Kernels turned to Christian MacLeod on Sunday. It was a rough outing as he was lifted after getting four outs and giving up four runs. MacLeod gave up three hits and three walks while striking out three. Zebby Matthews then came on in relief. After getting behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, Cedar Rapids answered and took their first lead in the second inning. With the bases loaded, Noah Cardenas walked and allowed Andrew Cossetti to cross the plate. Jose Salas then grounded into a double play, but Jorel Ortega scored in the process. Carson McCusker then brought Luke Keaschall home from third base and it was a 3-1 game. A Dalton Rushing home run in the bottom of the second inning sent MacLeod to the showers and put the Loons back up 4-3. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Rushing went deep for the second time Sunday and put the Loons up 6-3. Emmanuel Rodriguez answered for the Kernels in the top of the fifth inning, launching a solo shot to bring them back within two. The Loons threatened to add again in the fifth inning with runners on the corners and two outs. Matthews worked a necessary strikeout to get out of the inning, though. Jose Salas got into the box score when he launched a dinger and brought Cedar Rapids within one during the seventh inning. Looking for a tying run in the ninth inning, the Kernels were down to their final three outs. After Keaschall flew out to start the inning, Cardenas drew a walk. Jefferson Morales came on as a pinch hitter, then jogged to second base after Salas filled first following a hit by pitch. McCusker stepped in and launched a three-run blast to center, putting the Kernels on top. Their first lead since the second inning couldn't have come at a better time. Not done with the inning yet, Rodriguez stepped in following a Noah Miller single and launched his second home run. The two-run shot made it a 10-6 ballgame, giving the Kernels some well-deserved breathing room. Malik Barrington finished his 1 2/3 innings of relief scoreless, and Gabriel Yanez came on to get the final out. Rodriguez and McCusker recorded a pair of hits on Sunday, with their home runs being the difference. Cedar Rapids returns home with a chance to win the title on Tuesday night. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 2-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR, 2 K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 2-4 #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 2-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR, 2 K #6 - David Festa (St. Paul) - 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 2-4, RBI #10 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, R, BB, K #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-4, 3 K #20 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (6:37PM CST) - TBD Great Lakes @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Andrew Morris Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games!

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

TRANSACTIONS With the affiliates off on Monday, there were multiple transactions to catch up with on Tuesday: RHP Louie Varland was recalled by the Minnesota Twins to pitch out of their bullpen. In a corresponding move, RHP Cole Sands was sent back to the Saints. UT Michael Helman was assigned to the St. Paul Saints, making his return to Triple-A. Replacing Helman in Wichita, was IF Ben Ross from the Kernels. The Wind Surge activated RHP Isaac Mattson. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 11, Louisville 3 Box Score The Saints got on the board first in the second inning when DaShawn Keirsey Jr., Yunior Severino, and Austin Martin all drew walks to load the bases. Jair Camargo brought in one with a sac fly, but Hernan Perez then lined out to keep them to just one run. Right-hander Blayne Enlow got the starting nod for the Saints and was solid through the first three innings. He scattered four hits, allowed one earned run, and struck out three. In the top of the fourth inning, the good guys broke through with a two-out rally. Martin, Camargo, and Perez all drew walks to prompt a move to the bullpen for the Bats, and Michael Helman brought them all in with a double. Alex Kirilloff followed with a run-scoring single, and it was 5-1 St. Paul. They tacked on two more runs in the fifth when Trevor Larnach led off with a single. Two batters later, Severino launched his sixth home run with the Saints, and 30th of the season to make it 7-1. Hunter McMahon was the first reliever summoned from the Saints bullpen and pitched into the fifth inning. He allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out two. He gave way to Austin Schulfer who went the next 1 2/3 innings, allowing one walk and striking out one. Jordan Balazovic started the seventh and worked around a single and a walk for a scoreless frame. In the eighth, a walk was followed by an RBI double before he was lifted for Austin Brice. In 1 2/3 innings, Balazovic was charged with one earned run on two hits and three walks. Brice finished off the final 1 1/3 innings, giving up one run on one hit and a walk. He struck out two. With the score still 7-1 in the top of the eighth, the Saints put it even farther out of reach as the first four hitters of the inning reached base, with Brooks Lee putting an explanation point on the game by slugging a grand slam the opposite way. Kirilloff (3-for-5, R, 2B, RBI) and Trevor Larnach (2-for-5, R, 2B) led the way with multiple hits for the St. Paul offense. Every hitter in the lineup scored at least one run, and Helman (1-for-5, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI, K), Lee (1-for-4, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB, K), and Severino (1-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K) each drove in multiple runners. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 1, Corpus Christi 5 Box Score The Wind Surge were held to just five hits on Tuesday and were never able to mount a rally against the Hooks’ pitching, so not a whole lot to recap here. Their lone run came on Alex Isola’s 19th home run of the season in the fourth inning to give them a 1-0 lead, but it did not hold up. Starter Jaylen Nowlin was excellent in five innings, allowing just one earned run on two hits. He also walked three, but was able to work around them by punching out six. The bullpen duo of Francis Peguero (2 IP, 2 H, ER, K) and Denny Bentley (1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 K) was not able to keep that going however, allowing four runs over the final three innings. Yoyner Fajardo led the way out of the leadoff spot with two hits and a walk. As a team the Wind Surge were just 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, and left only three men on base in a game that took just two hours to complete. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Wisconsin 3 Box Score The Kernels hit the ground running early in this one, with an Emmanuel Rodriguez triple being followed by a Kala’i Rosario home run for a 2-0 lead before their starting pitcher stepped on the mound. That was righty Andrew Morris, who was excellent in the month of August, going 5-0 with a 2.00 ERA in five starts. He wasn’t able to make it to the fifth in this one, but it also could have been a lot worse. In 3 2/3 innings he gave up eight hits (all singles) and walked three, but managed to allow only three runs. He also struck out three. When he left the game in the fourth inning, his team was still in the lead thanks to a three-run third inning from his lineup. Kyler Fedko led off with his sixth home run, before consecutive walks to Noah Miller and Rodriguez put more ducks on the pond. An error led to the second run of the inning, and a sac fly from Jorel Ortega capped it off. The Kernels added an insurance run in the fifth thanks to an RBI double from Miller to score Fedko, who had walked to start the inning. The Cedar Rapids bullpen took it from there, shutting down the Timber Rattlers the rest of the way after Morris’ departure. Gabriel Yanez picked up his first win with the Kernels by completing 2 1/3 innings. He gave up two hits and struck out three. Malik Barrington (2 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K) and John Stankiewicz (S, 1 IP, H, K) held Wisconsin scoreless the rest of the way. Fedko led the way with multiple hits, collecting a double in addition to his home run, and also drew two walks. Rodriguez and Fedko each scored two runs. The Cedar Rapids Kernels are your second half, and undisputed full-season, Midwest League West Division Champions, with their record sitting at 81-46, the best in all of the minor leagues. MUSSEL MATTERS Bradenton 10, Fort Myers 5 Box Score Starting pitcher Juan Mercedes was ambushed for three runs in the first inning, but settled in pretty good from there. He was able to complete five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits (two home runs accounting for most of the damage) and two walks. He struck out three. The Mighty Mussels got consecutive singles to the second inning, but it took a throwing error from the catcher for them to get a run across to cut the lead to two. In the fourth Rubel Cespedes led off with his thirteenth home run of the season, making the score 4-2 Bradenton. Wilker Reyes came on from the bullpen for Fort Myers to start the sixth inning and delivered a scoreless frame. Back out for the seventh however, he ran into trouble and was lifted after giving up a bases loaded double, allowing two runs to score. In 1 2/3 innings, Reyes was charged with two earned runs on three hits, one walk, and a hit batter, while striking out one. In the bottom of the eighth the Fort Myers lineup finally broke through for a crooked number on the scoreboard, closing the lead to just one run. The big hit came from Walker Jenkins, who delivered a two-run triple that made it 6-4. He then scored the third run of the inning on a groundout from Ricardo Olivar. Zach Veen came on after Reyes’ exit and got the next six outs. He did not allow a hit, but two walks led to two earned runs in the ninth inning. the next pitcher, Juan Mendez, wasn’t much better as he gave up a three-run home run and three walks before being lifted himself. Danny Moreno finally stopped the bleeding by getting a ground ball, but the score was now 10-5. The Mighty Mussels then went down in order to end the game. Jay Harry (2-for-4, R, 2B) and Cespedes (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, RBI, 2 K) had multiple hits in the loss. Jenkins finished 1-for-2 with a run scored, a pair of walks, and is now batting .441 with a 1.192 OPS in eight games with Fort Myers. Oh, and he’s also struck out only once. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Jaylen Nowlin, Wichita Wind Surge (5 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day - Brooks Lee, St. Paul Saints (1-for-4, R, Grand Slam, 4 RBI, BB, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out our full top 20 list here and how they performed on Tuesday below! #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, R, GS HR (3), 4 RBI, BB, K #2 - Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) - 1-for-2, R, 3B (2), 2 RBI, 2 BB #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, 2 R, 3B (9), 2 BB, K #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, R, 2 BB #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 0-for-3, BB #10 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 2B (2) #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, R, HR (20), 3 RBI, BB, K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, R, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB #17 - Danny De Andrade (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (5:35 PM CDT) - RHP David Festa (1-0, 1.80 ERA) Wichita @ Corpus Christi (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Carlos Luna (2-8, 5.56 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (12:10 PM CDT) - RHP Cory Lewis (4-1, 2.53 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CDT) - RHP Chris Paddack (MLB Rehab Assignment) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games!

TRANSACTIONS RHP Austin Schulfer activated from 7-day IL (St. Paul) RHP Alex Scherff transferred from AA Wichita to AAA St. Paul RHP Francis Peguero transferred from AAA St. Paul to AA Wichita Saints Sentinel St. Paul 1, Columbus 4 Box Score Randy Dobnak: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K HR: Alex Kirilloff (4) Multi-hit games: DaShawn Keirsey Jr . (2-for-4) The Saints’ meek offense doomed them on Saturday. The bats couldn’t do much; in total, they collected just six hits, taking four walks while going 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. The only score came when Alex Kirilloff blasted a very Kirilloffian homer out to left field. It’s a shame, because Randy Dobnak pitched excellently, allowing a pair of solo homers across six stellar innings. Perhaps most important to the sinker-baller: he only walked one batter. He threw 62 of 92 pitches for strikes, earning five strikeouts for his troubles. Trevor Larnach reached base three times, singling and walking twice. Kyle Manzardo was the return for Cleveland when they dealt Aaron Civale to the Rays; he, the 60th best prospect in MLB, doubled twice and walked. Brayan Rocchio is ranked 49th and he singled while striking out twice. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 3, San Antonio 5 Box Score Pierson Ohl: 5 ⅔ IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Yoyner Fajardo (2-for-5, 2B), Michael Helman (2-for-5), Tanner Schobel (2-for-4), Alex Isola (2-for-4, 2B, R), Willie Joe Garry Jr. (2-for-4, RBI) The Wind Surge came up short against the Missions on Saturday. Pierson Ohl, fresh off being named our Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month, was on his game again. He was one out short of a quality start, but still made a massive impact, allowing just one lone run in his outing. He struck out just one. Perhaps he wanted his defense to get in on the fun as well. His bats had his back; Willie Joe Garry Jr. knocked in a run in the 2nd and Jake Rucker blasted a triple in the 6th to plate a second run. A wild pitch soon plated Rucker. But, fortune soon changed for Wichita, as Regi Grace and Jordan Carr threw the ball all-around the backstop, leading to four runs off a hit by pitch, three walks, and a back-breaking double. The Wind Surge attempted a comeback—Yoyner Fajardo led the effort with a pair of knocks—but could not mount anything worthwhile, eventually falling to San Antonio with a double play. The 9th prospect in MLB, Jackson Merrill, hit the critical double, but went hitless in his other at-bats. Number 5 prospect—17-year-old (that’s right) catcher Ethan Salas—started but left the game in the 3rd. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 3, Lake County 8 Box Score Kyle Jones: 5 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K HR: Emmanuel Rodriguez (16) Multi-hit games: Keoni Cavaco (2-for-5) The Kernels melted late, dropping a rare game on Saturday. Although Khalil Watson isn’t the prospect he once was when the Marlins drafted him, he still flexed his power chops in the 1st, blasting a two-run shot to give the Captains a lead. He ranks as Cleveland’s 16th prospect. In response, Emmanuel Rodriguez lasered a solo shot off technically old friend Steve Hajjar. Rodriguez has actually hit lefties better than righties in 2023 (.894 OPS vs a .847 OPS). Wait, wasn’t Hajjar dealt to the Reds? Yes, but he was announced as the PTBNL in the deal that sent OF Will Benson to Cincinnati. Starter Kyle Jones recovered well, striking out seven before exiting in the 6th; he allowed just one more run. Staring at the maw of the late-innings, the Kernels folded. Malik Barrington coughed up two runs and Jackson Hicks one-upped him, totaling five runs in the final two frames to place the game firmly out of reach. A late 9th inning rally loaded the bases and led to two runs, but Cedar Rapids could do no more, and Rodriguez’s final whiff ended the game for good. Kernels hitters walked 12 times on Saturday. Mussel Matters Ft. Myers 6, Clearwater 1 Box Score Jose Olivares: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K HR: Nate Baez (1) Multi-hit games: Jay Harry (2-for-5, 2B, R), Ricardo Olivar (2-for-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI), Rubel Cespedes (2-for-4, R, RBI, BB), Alec Sayre (2-for-5) The Mighty Mussels smoked the Threshers on Saturday. Jose Olivares followed up his decent five inning start last week with… five more innings, improving his numbers almost across the board. He allowed a run in the 1st, but quickly settled down, allowing a few runners to reach base before escaping unmarked every time. He gave way to Ty Langenberg and Xander Hamilton—two 2023 draftees who combined for four scoreless frames. Fort Myers’ bats were potent as well. They plated two in the 3rd with a Ricardo Olivar double and a Rubel Cespedes single. They waited a little to score again—perhaps looking to build drama—before exploding with three in the 7th. All three runs scored on Nate Baez’s first homer of the season. He added a sacrifice fly in the 9th for good measure. Another 2023 draftee, Jay Harry, collected a pair of hits to push his Fort Myers slashline to .351/.440/.481. Walker Jenkins did not play after starting both games of Friday’s doubleheader—an act of mercy for Clearwater’s pitchers. Philadelphia’s first-round pick in 2023—shortstop Aidan Miller—singled and struck out in four at-bats. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jose Olivares Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Nate Baez PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 0-4 #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, HR, R, RBI, BB, 2 K #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-4, R, BB, 2 K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 0-4, 2 K #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 2-4, K #19 - Brent Headrick (Minnesota) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (3-0) SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Columbus @ St. Paul (5:07 PM) - RHP Patrick Murphy San Antonio @ Wichita (1:05 PM) - RHP Travis Adams Lake County @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 PM) - LHP Christian MacLeod Fort Myers @ Clearwater (11:00 AM) - RHP Ben Ethridge

It’s been an interesting few days, and it’s been awhile since I’ve updated these standings. The Twins minor-league affiliates have been playing really well of late. Here are the records of the Twins and their six affiliates through games on Friday. Check out the records of the Twins and their affiliates Minnesota Twins: 70-65 (5-3 in past eight games) St. Paul Saints: 75-54 (5-3 in past eight games) Wichita Wind Surge: 59-64 (6-2 in past eight games) Cedar Rapids Kernels: 79-45 (7-1 in past eight games) Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 64-59 (7-0 in past seven games) Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. But before we get to the Twins minor league report, Congratulations to former Twins prospect and big leaguer Devin Smeltzer on his seven-inning no-hitter tonight for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp! TRANSACTIONS Friday marked the first day of September. For baseball fans, and prospect hounds, it is a special day. Or, at least it used to be. Now that rosters only expand by two players, it’s just not as much fun, and it isn’t a big deal. However, the Twins made it a big deal for two players on the Saints roster. LHP Brent Headrick was called up to take a spot in the bullpen. The other spot is a bit of a surprise and yet, incredibly deserved. The Twins selected the contract of veteran outfielder Andrew Stevenson who has clearly been the Saints most valuable player all season long. While he is left-handed, he can help the Twins in several ways. First, he has a good, professional approach at the plate. He takes walks. He’s got some pop in his bat, and he’s got great speed. If you’re been reading these minor league reports throughout the year, you can’t be completely surprised by the addition of Andrew Stevenson. His name appears in the daily game recaps nearly every day. In 106 games with the Saints, he hit .317/.395/.522 (.916) with 23 doubles, seven triples, and 16 home runs. He also had 44 stolen bases and was caught just five times. It will be interesting to see how the Twins use their 40-man roster and that shuttle between St. Paul and Minneapolis over the final month of the season. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Columbus 8 (11 innings) Box Score The Saints jumped to an early lead against an #OldFriend. Unfortunately, the bullpen gave up three runs in the eighth to tie the game. To extra innings, we go. We start with the positive in this one. Former Twins prospect Chris Vallimont made the start for the Clippers. In the first inning, the Saints took the first lead. DaShawn Keirsey singled and stole a base before a two-out, Trevor Larnach single drove him in. With one out in the second inning, Yunior Severino singled. It was followed by a double off the bat of Hernan Perez. After Jair Camargo walked, Gilberto Celestino doubled to drive in two runs. Trevor Larnach and Kyle Garlick started off the bottom of the third inning by hitting their 12th Saints homers. Vallimont got Severino to ground out before he was removed from the game. Unfortunately, that was when the bats went quiet. Hunter McMahon came in for his Triple-A debut. He tossed two scoreless innings. However, he went back out for the 10th inning and got two outs but gave up two runs. Having thrown 44 pitches, his night was done. Because of all of the roster changes, Toby Gardenhire brought in catcher Tony Wolters to pitch. He gave up a double to score the third run charged to McMahon. The Saints went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 11th inning. They finished the game 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base. Hernan Perez went 2-for-3 with two walks and hit sixth and seventh doubles. Trevor Larnach was 2-for-4 with his 12th homer. DaShawn Keirsey went 2-for-5 with a walk and his fifth steal since joining the Saints and 36th overall. Alex Kirilloff didn’t play on Friday night after starting the two previous games. Byron Buxton batted third and was the DH. He was 0-for-2 with two strikeouts. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 2, San Antonio 0 (10 innings) Box Score Let’s jump straight to extra innings. Frankly, nothing really happened through the first nine innings, except some terrific pitching (which we’ll get to in just a minute). Aaron Sabato made the final out in the bottom of the ninth. So when the Surge came to the plate in a tie game in the bottom of the 10th frame, Sabato was set to be the Manfred Man at second base. Instead, Ramon Borrego sent speedster Will Holland in as a pinch runner. Unfortunately, the first two batters of the inning popped out in the infield without advancing Holland at all. It looked like the game was heading to the 11th inning. However, Willie Joe Garry, Jr launched the first pitch over the wall to end the game and give the Surge the win. Following the game, Garry Jr told Twins Daily, "Coming into the box, all I was thinking was 'Be on Time.' They beat me early in the game with some fastballs so I just wanted to catch something out front. He went breaking balls early to the few batters he faced before me, so I sat soft first pitch in hopes that he left something up in the zone." He was right. He got the breaking ball up, and he hit it well. "I haven't hit much on-field BP here, so I'm still not sure how the ball plays late in the game in this part, but I felt like I got enough of it to let the guys know it's time to go home." His mind was running in one focus as he was running from base to base. "Rounding the bases, I didn't think about much other than the fact that we got back in the Win column. The standings are close, so every game matters right now. I was just happy to help us get the win." Marco Raya has certainly struggled since joining the Wind Surge. In this game, he gave up two hits over four scoreless innings. He had two strikeouts and no walks. Taylor Floyd came into the game and got four outs. Then lefty Aaron Rozek pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Miguel Rodriguez pitched a perfect top of the 10th to be credited with the Win. It was a terrific night for the staff as they gave up just four hits and a walk over 10 scoreless innings. It was also a terrific game for their defense as they combined for just five strikeouts. The Kernels had seven hits in the game. Aside from Garry’s fourth homer, Tanner Schobel hit his sixth double since joining the team. Pat Winkel was the lone player to reach twice, with a single and a walk. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 11, Lake County 7 Box Score The Kernels used a six-run fourth inning to take control of this game. Down 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning, the Kernels got back-to-back doubles from Emmanuel Rodriguez and Kala’i Rosario to get on the board. They added a second run in the third inning. Keoni Cavaco led off with a walk before Ben Ross doubled to score him. Down 5-2 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, the Kernels mounted their big inning. Jorel Ortega led off with a single and then stole second base. With one out, Carson McCusker drove him in with a single. Then, Jeferson Morales’s sixth home run tied the game at 5-5. Cavaco followed with a single and scored on Ben Ross’s 19th home run of the season. In a near-replay of the first inning, Emmanuel Rodriguez tripled and then scored on another Rosario double. The Kernels ended the inning with an 8-5 lead. Jose Salas single-handedly scored a run for the Kernels in the fifth inning. He stole second base. Then he stole third base and scored on a throwing error by the catcher. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Cedar Rapids got some needed insurance. The Kernels used a couple of errors to increase their lead to 11-5. Lake County scored two in the ninth inning, but there was no need for stress. Alejandro Hidalgo started and gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in three innings. Jarret Whorff came on and got two runs on one hit (a homer). He had three walks and three strikeouts. Matthew Swain came in and tossed two scoreless innings. A.J. Labas gave up two runs on four hits over the final two innings. He had three strikeouts. The Kernels got several strong performances. Emmanuel Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with his 12th and 13th doubles, and his eighth triple. Kala’i Rosario went 3-for-5 with his 26th and 27th doubles and three RBI. Ben Ross was 2-for-5 with his 25th double and his 19th home run. He had three RBI. Keoni Cavaco went 2-for-2 with two walks. He scored three runs. Jorel Ortega went 2-for-5 and stole his 10th base since joining the Kernels. After his back-to-back steals, Jose Salas now has 22 stolen bases this year. The Kernels won the division title in the first half and have a big lead in the second half as well. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers and Clearwater missed two straight days of game thanks to a hurricane. One of the games was simply canceled. On Friday, the two teams played a doubleheader, two seven-inning games. Fort Myers 11, Clearwater 5 Game 1 Box Score The Mussels jumped out to an early start and got big games from a couple of 2023 draft picks on their way to a Game 1 win. Jay Harry (6th round, Penn State) got things started with a leadoff double. Walker Jenkins (1st round) followed with an RBI single. Ricardo Olivar and Danny De Andrade followed with singles, the latter scoring the Twins second run. In copycat fashion, Rubel Cespedes singled in the third run. After that, the mode of run scoring changed, but they did add on. Alec Sayre walked. Then after the inning’s first out, Dillon Tatum challenged a called strike and was successful. Instead of a strikeout, he walked to score the fourth run. Then with two outs, Harry came up a second time and walked with the bases loaded to “drive in” the fifth run. The Mussels added runs in four of the remaining six innings to keep the pressure on which is good because the Threshers scored in four of their seven innings. Miguelangel Boadas started and worked the first three innings. He gave up two runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out three batters. Danny Moreno had a walk and a strikeout in a scoreless inning. Matt Gabbert worked the final three innings. He gave up three runs on three hits and a walk. He struck out three batters. Back to those 2023 draft picks. Jay Harry led off and played shortstop. In the game, he went 4-for-4 with a walk, his sixth double, and his first professional home run. Jenkins followed that homer with his first home run since joining the Mussels last week. Jenkins was 3-for-5. Both scored two runs. Harry had four RBI to Jenkins’ two. Kamron Willman added two hits, including a triple, in the game. He added his first stolen base. Alec Sayre walked three times and stole two bases. Fort Myers 3, Clearwater 1 Game 2 Box Score There was a little less offense in the second game. However, Walker Jenkins had two of the Mussels’ eight hits. The Mussels got a double from Yohander Martinez to drive in their first run. Danny De Andrade with the second run. Their third run scored on a sacrifice fly to score Nate Baez with the third run. However, that proved to be more than enough for 6-5, 21-year-old, Brooklyn Park native John Klein. The right-hander went all seven innings and needed just 90 pitches. He gave up one run in the first inning, but that was it. He gave up three hits, walked two, hit one and struck out four batters. While the Mussels have been playing well and have won seven games in a row, their elimination number is just one right now. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – John Klein (Fort Myers) - 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 90 pitches, 55 strikes (61.1%) Co-Hitter of the Day – Jay Harry (Fort Myers): 4-for-4, BB, 2B(6), HR(1), 2 R, 4 RBI Co-Hitter of the Day - Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers): 5-for-9, HR(1), 2 R, 2 RBI Co-Hitter of the Day - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-5, 2-2B(13), 3B(8), 3 R Co-Hitter of the Day - Kala'i Rosario (Cedar Rapids): 3-for-5, 2-2B(27), 3 RBI. Co-Hitter of the Day - Keoni Cavaco (Cedar Rapids): 2-for-2, 2 BB, 3 R Co-Hitter of the Day - Willie Joe Garry (Wichita): Extra-innings, walk-off homer. Co-Hitter of the Day - Hernan Perez (St. Paul): 2-for-3, 2 BB, 2-2B(7), R, SB(9) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #2 - Walker Jenkins (Ft. Myers) - Game 1: 3-for-5, HR(1), 2 R, 2 RBI; Game 2: 2-for-4 #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-5, 2-2B(13), 3B(8), 3 R #4 - Marco Raya (Wichita) - 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 48 pitches, 35 strikes (72.9%) #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-for-6, 3 K #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-for-4, 2B(6), K #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-5, 2-2B(27), 3 RBI #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, R, K #15 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 94 pitches, 62 strikes (66.0%) #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 2 WP, 44 pitches, 21 strikes (47.7%) #17 - Danny De Andrade (Fort Myers) - Game 1: 1-for-4, BB, R, RBI, K, SB(18); Game 2: 1-for-4, RBI, K, SB(19) #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 2-for-4, BB, 2 R. SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Columbus @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (4-7, 4.95 ERA) San Antonio @ Wichita (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Pierson Ohl (7-3, 3.06 ERA) Lake County @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Kyle Jones (6-5, 4.23 ERA) vs LHP Steven Hajjar (#OldFriend) Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:30 PM CST) - RHP Jose Olivares (2-4, 6.37 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics!

TRANSACTIONS OF Byron Buxton begins rehab assignment with St. Paul 1B/OF Alex Kirilloff begins rehab assignment with St. Paul INF Kamron Willman reinstated from the development list by Fort Myers SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 6, Columbus 1 Box Score Quite possibly the most anticipated Saints game of the 2023 regular season took place on Wednesday night. Not only was prospect David Festa making his Triple-A pitching debut, but Alex Kirilloff was in the lineup rehabbing, and he was joined by Byron Buxton playing centerfield. The outfield action was Buxton’s first in more than a full calendar year as he ramps back up to rejoin Minnesota. After getting top Guardians prospect Bryan Rocchio to ground out on a broken bat, Festa grabbed his first strikeout when he punched out rehabbing major leaguer, David Fry. Festa popped 97 mph multiple times in the first inning. He got Jonathan Rodriguez, another top 25 prospect for Cleveland, swinging to end the frame. Watching a strike to kick off the at bat, Buxton lined a single to left field and his rehab assignment started off with success. Kirilloff grounded out to the first baseman, on a ball that should’ve been a double play, and Austin Martin stepped in behind the big leaguers. Putting more traffic on against Jerad Eickhoff, Jair Camargo ripped a single to left and brought home Kyle Garlick for the game’s first run. The lineup turned over and leadoff hitter Andrew Stevenson continued his strong season with a single to drive in both Anthony Prato and Camargo to make the score 3-0. In the top of the third inning, Columbus got Festa for a homer before Fry bounced a double off the left center wall. Buxton had his first fielding opportunity, but needed to do little more than play the bounce and throw it back into the infield. Kyle Manzardo finished the inning by sending a lazy fly ball to Buxton, and the Twins centerfielder had his first putout since 2022. It didn’t take long for the Saints to get the run back. Coming to bat in the bottom of the fourth inning, Camargo brought Kyle Garlick around on a single to push the lead back up to three. Buxton drew a walk in his third plate appearance and loaded the bases for Kirilloff with two outs in the fourth inning. He responded with a 105.5 mph single to bring Camargo home and make it a 5-1 game. Festa worked the fifth inning and struck out his seventh batter to end the frame. After throwing 91 pitches, his night was over. It was a strong Triple-A debut allowing just one run on four hits and a walk. Festa continued to sit around 95 mph late in the game, and navigated a very good Clippers lineup. A Brooks Lee double in the fifth inning came on a scary scene as Columbus left fielder Micah Pries went down in a heap tracking the ball. He was eventually carted off and replaced by Chris Roller. The Saints had second and third with no one out. Anthony Prato took his spot in the box and lined a ball back up the middle to score Martin and make it 6-1. Yunior Severino watched strike three on a pitch that just tickled the zone for the ABS system, and Camargo went down swinging leaving runners on first and third. Ronny Henriquez did a great job in relief of Festa on Wednesday night. Although he did walk a pair, the righty didn't allow a hit and struck out three during three scoreless innings of work. He remains on the 40-man roster and could be an option for Minnesota when rosters expand on Friday. Brent Headrick worked the ninth inning and secured Festa's win. Buxton finished going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, while Kirilloff went 1-for-5 with an RBI and pair of strikeouts. The Saints had 11 hits Wednesday and were led by Stevenson, Prato, and Camargo. WIND SURGE WISDOM San Antonio 9, Wichita 2 Box Score The Wind Surge went with Jaylen Nowlin for the start on Wednesday. Starting strong, he tailed in the middle innings and wound up allowing six runs on eight hits and a pair of walks. Nowlin also struck out two. San Antonio struck for four during the third inning. Three singles and a sacrifice fly did a number on Nowlin and put Wichita behind. The Missions plated another in the fourth inning and one in the fifth inning to take a comfortable 6-0 lead. Wichita got on the board in the seventh inning when Willie Joe Garry Jr. doubled home Alerick Soularie. With Dalton Shuffield standing on third and just one out, the Wind Surge had a threat. Michael Helman lofted a sacrifice fly to bring Shuffield in and it was a 6-2 game. San Antonio grabbed a run back against Miguel Rodriguez in the eighth inning, and the lead was again five. Facing Sean Mooney in the ninth inning, San Antonio grabbed another pair and pushed the tally to 9-2. Wichita had just five hits, with Soularie accounting for two. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Lake County 2 Box Score Cory Lewis was on the bump Wednesday night for the Kernels, and he was again looking like the star prospect he has been all year. Turning in five scoreless innings, Lewis scattered seven hits but issued no walks while striking out six. He lowered his ERA to 2.53 in the process. In case you missed the incredible slow-mo video of his knuckleball on Twitter, feast your eyes on this. Cedar Rapids jumped out to an early lead when Jorel Ortega blasted his eighth home run of the year. The two-run shot also scored Noah Cardenas. After Lewis’ strong start, John Stankiewicz and Malik Barrington gave back both in the seventh inning. Emmanuel Rodriguez crushed his seventh triple of the season during the eighth inning, and the three-bagger brought Noah Miller home with just one out. Unfortunately the Kernels couldn’t bring him home, and the one-run lead was the only breathing room for the ninth inning. Jackson Hicks came on looking for his first High-A save. Doing it in style, Hicks sat down big prospects Chase DeLauter and Kahlil Watson before ending it with Dayan Frias. Cedar Rapids recorded just five hits on Wednesday and Rodriguez was responsible for two of them. MUSSEL MATTERS Canceled Fort Myers and Clearwater will kick off their series tomorrow night after Hurricane Idalia disrupted action earlier this week. Thoughts are with everyone down in the southern tip of Twins Territory. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cory Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Jair Camargo (St. Paul) - 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 1-3, 2B(5), BB #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, RBI, 2B(11), 3B(7), 2 K #6 - David Festa (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-3, BB, R #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-4, 2B(5), BB, K #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 0-2, 2 BB, K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 0-4, K #19 - Cory Lewis (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K #20 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 1.0 IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Columbus @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - RHP Louie Varland San Antonio @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Carlos Luna Lake County @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP C.J. Culpepper Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:30PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games!

TRANSACTIONS The Cedar Rapids Kernels placed C Charles Mack on the 7-day injured list (concussion) and C Wilfri Castro was assigned from the FCL Twins in a corresponding move. OF/1B Alex Kirilloff was sent on a rehab assignment with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. He would bat third in the lineup and play first base in their game. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 10, Indianapolis 6 (12 innings) Box Score Brent Headrick made his second appearance of the young season for the Saints in this one, and it was much better than his first. He finished five innings, allowing just one run on four hits and one walk, while punching out eight. 50 of his 72 pitches went for strikes (69%), including thirteen swinging strikes. St. Paul got on the scoreboard first, when Edouard Julien clubbed an RBI double in the third inning to score Tony Wolters. Of note, is Julien was removed from the game after just two at-bats, as he’s been booked a flight to Minneapolis! Julien will be the first prospect from my preseason list to make his MLB debut for the Twins in 2023, and that will be especially fun for me since I’ll be at the game tomorrow. The Saints extended their lead to 3-1 thanks to a wild pitch in the sixth and Julien’s replacement, Hernan Perez's RBI single in the seventh. The score remained that way until the bottom of the ninth when Indianapolis finally got to the St. Paul bullpen. Patrick Murphy was summoned for the save opportunity and promptly loaded the bases. He managed to keep the game tied after allowing a two-run single, getting a strikeout and double-play ball to send it to extra innings. St. Paul and Indianapolis traded runs in each of the 10th (one each) and eleventh (two each) before the Saints broke it open with four in the 12th inning. Jose De Leon then closed the game out by picking up a pair of strikeouts. The Saints got multiple hits from Perez (2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, BB, K), Andrew Stevenson (3-for-6, 2 K, SB), and Wolters (3-for-4, 3 R, 2 2B), RBI, BB, K). In relief of Headrick, Brock Stewart continued his promising start to the 2023 season, going three innings and allowing just one hit and one walk, while striking out four (he had struck out all seven hitters he had faced before this outing). WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 1, Wichita 3 Box Score The Wind Surge grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, after Brooks Lee led off the game for the home team with a double, and was driven in by a sac fly from Jake Rucker. They remained in the lead until the top of the fifth when the Naturals finally got a hit off starter Carlos Luna. He retired the first thirteen hitters of the game before allowing a solo home run to tie it at one in the fifth, and went on to finish 5 2/3 innings. Luna needed just 66 pitches (48 for strikes) while racking up 10 strikeouts in the outing. Kody Funderburk got the last out of the sixth and worked the next two innings, giving up two hits and one walk while striking out three. Alex Scherff finished off the game to pick up the win, walking one and striking out two in 1 1/3 innings pitched. Wichita took back the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning as they loaded the bases with one out. A wild pitch allowed Lee to scamper home before a bases-loaded walk to Pat Winkel made the final score of 3-1. Of note during that sequence, is Aaron Sabato was hit by a pitch and left the game. The teams combined for just five hits in the game with Wichita only collecting two. But they were able to take advantage of five walks and a pair of errors from the NW Arkansas defense late to steal the win in their home opener. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 4, Cedar Rapids 8 Box Score Making the start for the Kernels was 2022 Fort Myers standout, Pierson Ohl. The right-hander finished five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk, while punching out six. Malik Barrington was the first man on in relief and went the next two innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out five. At that point in the game, the River Bandits were up 3-2, with the Kernel's runs coming on a wild pitch in the third inning and an RBI groundout from Willie Joe Garry Jr. in the fifth. They would take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth on RBI singles from Tanner Schobel and Ben Ross. Iowa native Matt Mullenbach delivered a scoreless eighth inning and was back out for the ninth, and if not for the solo home run he allowed, we would not have seen what happened in the bottom of the ninth. Tied at four, the Kernels' Noah Cardenas, Garry Jr., and Noah Miller all drew walks to load the bases for top outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez with no outs. He jumped on the first pitch he saw and, well, enjoy: The walk-off grand slam was Rodriguez’s first home run of the season, the Kernels only extra-base hit on the game (they were outhit 10-to-5 as a team), and he finished 1-for-3 with two runs scored, two walks, and four RBI. Joining him with two runs scored were Miller (0-for-3, 2 BB, K), Cardenas (0-for-2, BB, 2 K), and Garry Jr. (1-for-3, RBI, BB, K, SB). Tanner Schobel chipped in two hits and an RBI. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 0, Clearwater 6 Box Score The Mighty Mussels were blanked by the Threshers on Tuesday, as they managed just three hits and three walks in the game. Jorel Ortega provided their only extra-base hit with a double. They were just 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position as a team, leaving only four men on base. The biggest story among the hitters in this one was the rehabbing major leaguers, including the beginning of a rehab assignment for Alex Kirilloff. He picked up one of their three hits, finishing 1-for-3 with a strikeout. Fellow rehabber Jorge Polanco also was 1-for-3 playing second base, struck out twice, and both major leaguers were substituted to begin the eighth inning. Righthander Tomas Cleto made the start for Fort Myers and went the first four innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out two. Josh Winder made his second rehab appearance for the Mighty Mussels, pitching the fifth inning and setting the Threshers down in order, including a strikeout to end his inning. Wilker Reyes then went multiple innings but allowed runs in each before being lifted for Jackson Hicks with two outs in the eighth. Reyes was charged with four earned runs on six hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings while striking out two. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Carlos Luna, Wichita Wind Surge (5 2/3 IP, H, ER, 10 K) Hitter of the Day - Emmanuel Rodriguez, Cedar Rapids Kernels (1-for-3, 2 R, GS, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-for-3, 2 R, 2B, BB #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, 2 R, GS, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K #5 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 1-for-2, 2B, RBI #8 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 2 K #11 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-for-4, 3 K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, RBI #20 - Misael Urbina (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Indianapolis (10:05 AM CDT) - RHP Bailey Ober (0-1, 6.75 ERA) NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Blayne Enlow (0-0, 1.80 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CDT) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Fort Myers @ Clearwater (5:30 PM CDT) - RHP C.J. Culpepper (2023 debut) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games!

TRANSACTIONS The St. Paul Saints placed RHP Austin Schulfer on the 7-day injured list with a right hip impingement. In his place, they assigned RHP Francis Peguero from double-A. Down in Fort Myers, three pitchers the Twins drafted this year made the move from the FCL Twins to the Mighty Mussels. They were RHP Nolan Santos (7th round), RHP Ty Langenberg (11th round), and RHP Xander Hamilton (14th round). Wichita Wind Surge RHP Sean Mooney was also sent on a rehab assignment to the Mighty Mussels. In not yet official moves, the Twins also announced after today’s FCL game that 2023 first round pick Walker Jenkins was being promoted to the Mighty Mussels. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Omaha 14 Box Score On a super hot and muggy night in Omaha (think even hotter than MSP today), Nebraska Louie Varland was ambushed in the second inning, leading to his first loss of the season with the St. Paul Saints. It looked good in the early going for the visiting squad, as Andrew Stevenson led off the game with his 16th home run of the season. He was followed by Austin Martin’s fifth home with the Saints for back-to-back jobs to start the game. Varland sent the Storm Chasers down in order in the bottom of the first, but that would be as good as it would get for the Minnesota native. In the second, two walks, an error, a double, and a home run turned a 2-0 lead into a 5-2 deficit the Saints would not be able to come back from. Varland did push through to finish four innings, but was charged with seven runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks. He struck out three. The bullpen didn’t fare any better, as the trio of Austin Brice (1 IP, H, 2 ER, 3 BB), Francis Peguero (2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K), and Ronny Henriquez (1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, K) all allowed multiple runs as well. The Storm Chasers pounded out 13 hits and drew nine walks compared to the Saints eight and three respectively, in their blowout win. The Saints scored their other two runs in the top of the fourth thanks to singles from Anthony Prato, Jair Camargo, and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. for an RBI, before a wild pitch brought Camargo home. Stevenson (2-for-5, R, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 K), Martin (2-for-5, R, HR, RBI, K), and Prato (2-for-3, R, BB, K) led the way for the Saints on offense. Trevor Larnach was 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. The Saints managed to strike out four times in the eighth inning as well, which is always fun to witness. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 0, Arkansas 5 Box Score The Wind Surge were unable to solve Traveler’s pitching on Tuesday, managing just seven hits with none of them going for extra bases. They also had just three at-bats with runners in scoring position, but their lone hit wasn’t enough to bring a run home. Starting pitcher Travis Adams kept his team in the game for the first 4 1/3 innings. He gave up just one run on four hits, two walks, and struck out five. Denny Bentley came on in the fifth and recorded the next three outs. He allowed a run of his own on two hits while striking out two. Curtis Taylor got them through the seventh inning still down just 2-0, retiring all five hitters he faced including two K’s. Arkansas got three insurance runs in the eighth off of Miguel Rodriguez. He struck out two in his lone inning but also surrendered four hits. Tanner Schobel and Seth Gray each had two hits in four at-bats to lead the lineup. Alex Isola, Dalton Shuffield, and Yoyner Fajardo collected the other three singles. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, South Bend 6 Box Score The Kernel’s Christian MacLeod took the bump in this one, and was solid for five innings, falling one inning short of a quality outing. He allowed three runs on six hits, walked one, and struck out four. He left the game down 3-1, as the Kernels were only able to score on a Misael Urbina solo home run in the third inning to that point. It was his fourth home run of the season. Reliever Jarret Whorff came on for the sixth and it didn’t go quite as well for him. In one-plus innings, he allowed three runs of his own on six hits, and the Kernels were down 6-1. Malik Barrington entered the game in the seventh, and allowed a few inherited runners to score, but otherwise finished the game for the visiting team. He allowed two hits and struck out four in two innings. Cedar Rapids scored single runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but left too many runners on base to come all the way back. With one out and the bases loaded in the eighth, a sac fly from Noah Miller was all they could muster. In the ninth, a double from Jorel Ortega scored Ben Ross, who had walked to lead off the inning. Emmanuel Rodriguez was the only hitter with multiple knocks, going 2-for-4 on the night. Urbina added a walk to his home run. As a team they had just six hits total, and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. MUSSEL MATTERS Daytona 1, Fort Myers 7 Box Score While the Tortugas struck first against Mighty Mussels starter Ben Ethridge, the right-hander’s lineup had his back, delivering a stronger counter-punch in the bottom half of the first inning. Luke Keaschall got them going with a one-out triple, and Ricardo Olivar followed with a single to tie the game at one. Two batters later, Rubel Cespedes hit his 11th homer of the season, making it 3-1. After the minor blip in the first, Ethridge worked around baserunners for the rest of his five total innings. In all he was charged with just one earned run on six hits and four walks. He struck out three, with 52 of his 83 pitches going for strikes (63%). Fort Myers—or more specifically, Keaschall, Olivar, and Cespedes—tacked on two more runs in each of the third and fifth innings to extend their lead to 7-1. In the third Keaschall led off with a double, Olivar traded places with him for another RBI, and Cespedes later delivered a sac fly. In the fifth Keaschall drew a walk, Olivar was hit by a pitch, and Cespedes clubbed an RBI double. Danny De Andrade added a sac fly. Starting his rehab assignment from Wichita, righty Sean Mooney pitched the sixth inning for Fort Myers. He faced four batters, walking one and striking out two. Danny Moreno then pitched the seventh and eighth innings, allowing one hit and one walk. He struck out two. Zach Veen finished off the game with a scoreless ninth inning, giving up one hit and striking out one. Both teams had eight total hits in the game, but the Mighty Mussels were 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position, compared to 2-for-10 for the Tortugas. Keaschall (2-for-2, 3 R, 2B, 3B, 2 BB), Olivar (2-for-3, 3 R, 2B, 2 RBI), and Cespedes (2-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI) obviously led the way. Alex Sayre also chipped in two hits in four at-bats. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Red Sox 1, FCL Twins 3 Box Score The Twins had just four hits in the game compared to the Red Sox’s seven, but they did get one hit with the bases loaded to score two, while the visitors went 0-12 with runners in scoring position. Anderson Nova’s two-run single in the fourth inning put the Twins on the scoreboard first, and a few walks later they had a 3-0 lead that would hold up. Byron Chourio drew two walks, one of them good for an RBI, and stole a base. Bryan Acuna and Wilfri Castro collected the other two hits, with Castro’s going for a double. Walker Jenkins singled, stole a base, and drew a walk in four plate appearances, which turned out to be his last game on the back fields in Fort Myers. Eduardo Soriano made the start and completed 5 2/3 innings. He scattered four hits, walked one, and struck out two. Relievers Julio Bonilla (2 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) and Jeferson Lopez (1 IP) kept the Red Sox at bay the rest of the way. In other FCL news, pitcher Kyle Bischoff was named the FCL pitcher of the week. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Eduardo Soriano, FCL Twins (W, 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, BB, 2 K) Hitter of the Day - Rubel Cespedes, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (2-for-3, R, 2B, HR (11), 4 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY We have again updated our top 20 prospect list. Check out the full list here and how they performed on Tuesday below! #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 0-for-4 #2 - Walker Jenkins (FCL) - 1-for-3, BB, K, SB (4) #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4 #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, R, HR (5), RBI #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 2-for-4 #10 - Luke Keaschall (Fort Myers) - 2-for-2, 3 R, 2B, 3B, 2 BB #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, 3 K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, 2 K #17 - Danny De Andrade (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3, RBI WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Blayne Enlow (2-5, 9.20 ERA) Wichita @ Arkansas (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP David Festa (2-3, 4.56 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05 PM CDT) - RHP Andrew Morris (3-1, 2.57 ERA) Daytona @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CDT) - RHP Jack Noble (0-2, 3.15 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games!

The Twins were able to celebrate Joe Mauer's induction into the team's Hall of Fame by sweeping the Diamondbacks. You can read all about that and the Twins complete inactivity at the trade deadline in Nick’s Week in Review. And there was a lot that happened in the (still fully intact) system. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 18-15 (2-4 last week) in the second half; In second place in the IL West, trailing Louisville by one game. Overview: It was a down week, dropping out of a first place tie. The Saints, though, are still only 2.5 games outs in their attempt to win the second half title and qualify for the playoffs. 😍: It was a fun week for prospect-watching because the Twins promoted top prospect Brooks Lee, top 20 prospect Yunior Severino and borderline top 30 prospect DaShawn Kiersey. It's entirely conceivable to believe that Severino and Kiersey are doing well enough on their year-long audition to be added to the 40-man roster. The problem for both is that they play positions that have good depth in the organization. How do Severino and Miranda both fit as third basemen? Kiersey is two years older than Gilberto Celestino and, along with most of the other outfielders, bats lefthanded. But Celestino will be out of options going into next year, so it's possible that Kiersey could just replace him. 🔥: I was critical of Austin Martin in this very space last week and he turned around and had a very good week. He only had four hits on the week (in five games), but they came in only 13 at-bats because he also drew seven walks (versus only three strikeouts). He hit for two doubles and was three-of-four in stolen base attempts. He's not playing shortstop at all anymore, but he does add a dynamic right-handed alternative in left field and can also play second base. As the roster flotsam clears up this winter, it's entirely possible the Twins just replace the out-of-options Nick Gordon by giving his roster spot to Austin Martin. Aside from their handedness, they would provide the Twins with pretty similar skillsets. 🔥: Kody Funderburk is almost 27 years old, but it wouldn't be shocking if the Twins took a look at him in the big-league bullpen before the end of the year. He's a tall lefty who began the year at Wichita, but has thrown 43 2/3 innings and struck out 65 for the Saints. His numbers are extremely impressive. In his three games (five innings) this week, he allowed a single run on a hit and three walks. he struck out nine. Most impressively, though, Funderburk has absolutely destroyed right-handed batters (.183/.254/.209. .463 OPS). He hasn't allowed a home run this entire year. He's allowed only three doubles to right-handers in 115 at-bats. 🔥: Trevor Larnach led the team with nine hits and tied for the lead with three extra-base hits. He put up a 1.229 OPS despite not hitting a home run. He's been passed on the organizational depth chart by Matt Wallner and Max Kepler has been raking his way into "maybe the Twins should pick up his option for next year" territory. That would ticket Larnach for St. Paul again, where he would be on his final optional assignment. 🥶: Lee (1-13), Severino (1-8) and Kiersey (2-9) are all adjusting in their first handful of games at the highest minor-league level. 🥶: Blayne Enlow has really slowed down since his promotion to AAA, but he's nearly 80 innings on the year, exceeding his combined innings in the 2021 and 2022. Prior to COVID, Enlow had broken the 100 innings mark in 2019, but obviously didn't throw in games in 2020. Enlow gave up four hits and walked four in three innings allowing four runs (three earned). He struck out two. What's Next: The Saints, who own the best second-half home record (11-4) will welcome the Louisville Bats to CHS Field. Louisville is on a six-game winning streak and are the hottest team in the International League. Two giants colliding! Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 15-18 (4-2 last week) in the second half; 2.5 games behind NW Arkansas and in fourth place in the Texas League. Overview: Wichita sent their three best hitters to St. Paul, but still managed to take four wins in the series. 🔥: Dalton Shuffield has really bounced around since signing as a 10th-round pick in 2022. He got 48 AAA at-bats last year, but has mostly played in Fort Myers this year. He made a brief stop at Cedar Rapids before getting to Wichita and being productive in three games. His three home runs last week (in eight at-bats) were one more than he had in his previous 129 at-bats this season. 🔥: Yoyner Fajardo led the team with 12 hits, six runs and four doubles last week. He also hit two home runs and tied for the team lead with six runs batted in and four stolen bases. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder has a .811 OPS and 34 stolen bases. He doesn't have a typical corner-outfield profile, but he's definitely impressed. 🔥: Pierson Ohl put up another great start. He allowed only three hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out five. Through 46 AA innings, he's struck out 43 with only nine walks. His WHIP is 1.09 and he's actually pulling off the rare feat of making baseball look easier despite moving to a harder level. 🔥: Patrick Winkel had two doubles and two home runs among his seven hits in 16 at-bats. He also drew six walks for an impressive 1.529 OPS. 🥶: Tanner Schobel continues to struggle through 15 games at AA. He went 3-for-19 with two doubles this past week. With the heart of their lineup promoted, someone is going to have step up and eyes will be on Schobel. 🥶: Marco Raya was here last week after a dismal start. This one was even worse. He got pulled without recording an out. He gave up six runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk. It will be interesting to see how Raya is handled this week. The kid gloves have been on with him at almost every turn. What's Next: Heading to NW Arkansas, looking to close the gap in the league standings. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 23-13 (5-1 last week) in the second half, 2.0 games ahead of Peoria. The Kernels have clinched a postseason berth. Overview: A loss on Sunday prevented the Kernels from the six-game sweep. 🔥: Like Emmanuel Rodriguez's performances, I'm hot and cold on him. When it's bad, it's almost unbelievably bad. When it's good - like this past week - it's really, really good. He was 6-for-17 with three home runs. He walked five times and only struck out three times. He also stole two bases. 🔥: After struggling in his debut last week, Andrew Morris picked up a win, throwing six strong innings, allowing only one run on five hits. He struck out nine batters. 🔥: Cory Lewis didn't quite strike out a batter per inning (five in six innings), but he did only allow one run on three hits and a walk. 🔥: Two bullpen members deserve a mention: Jordan Carr pitched four near-perfect innings last week. He struck out three and allowed a single walk. He was in the starting rotation until around Memorial Day, but had a 1.45 WHIP and an opposing batting average of .295. Since the transition, Carr has not allowed an earned run (eight appearances, 23 innings) and has reduced his WHIP and opposing batting average in each appearance (down to 1.05 and .211). Miguel Rodriguez has also been very good. He's 14-for-14 in save opportunities. He's struck out 42 in 41 innings over 33 appearances. His WHIP is 1.05 and his opposing batting average is .212. Carr and Rodriguez are nice back-end for a playoff team. 🔥: Both Jorel Ortega (5-15, 2B, 3B, HR) and Noah Miller (6-18, 2B, HR) had weeks with an OPS over 1.000. 🥶: It's easier to overlook the Kala'i Rosario strikeouts when he's banging home runs. It's less easy when he's striking out 12 times in 21 a-bats. What's Next: The Kernels will head to last-place Quad Cities (12-24), but they'll need to stay hot to keep Peoria and their eight-game winning streak at bay. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 15-21 (3-3 last week) in the second half, 10.0 games out of first place. Overview: A split with Dunedin! Reason to celebrate... but Dunedin is tied for last place with Fort Myers. 🔥: Luke Keaschall is by far the best prospect the Mighty Mussels have and he had a very good week with two doubles in his seven hits. He also stole two bases. 🔥: Jarret Whorff had a great start, allowing only one run on two hits in six innings while striking out nine. It's his best start since moving into the rotation in early July. 🔥: Ricardo Olivar tied for the team lead in hits with seven and also was one of three players to hit a home run. He also stole a base. 🔥: Ben Ethridge allowed three hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball. He struck out five. 🤔: Fort Myers just isn't a very good team this year. We're not going to pick too much on the guys that are struggling. Hopefully there are some more prospect reinforcements on the way to help. What's Next: Bradenton (23-13) will come to town. Rookie: FCL Twins Overall: 17-25 (1-4 last week) on the season. 10.5 games behind the FCL Pirates in the FCL South. 😍: Walker Jenkins is slowing getting back into the baseball thing... and I think he's going to be ok. 🔥: Brandon Winokur led the team with eight hits, six runs and four runs batted in his first few days playing professional baseball. Impressively, Winokur has been playing more shortstop than anything else. Drafted as an outfielder and projected to eventually fit in a corner, the Twins must think that there's a chance Winokur could stay in the dirt (most likely at third base). 🥶: The young international, newsworthy guys - Jose Rodriguez, Yasser Mercedes, Byron Chourio and Bryan Acuna - are all Top 30-type guys and still struggling. Chourio had the best week going 5-for-13. 🥶: Lots of crooked numbers on the pitching side of things and that's not ideal. No one threw more than two innings and had an ERA under 4.00 and only one had a WHIP under 1.40. Rookie: DSL Twins Overall: 9-32 (1-4 last week) on the season. 24.5 games back in the DSL South. 🔥: Yency De Jesus was really good two weeks ago and even better last week. He tied for the lead in innings pitched (5) and strikeouts (5), and led WHIP (0.40) while not allowing a run. 🔥: Dameury Pena led the team with five hits. Despite not hitting for any power, he still managed to get on base 54% of the time so his OPS was near 1.000. 😏: Hendry Chivilli is coming on. He collected four hits in 13 at-bats, including a triple. He is the highest-regarded prospect on this roster. 🥶: There's a reason this team isn't winning many games and a lot of that has to with poor pitching. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated periodically throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. Season-long stats will be in parenthesis. 20. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 4-21, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K, CS. (.252/.318/.404. .722 OPS) 19. Brent Headrick, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: 0-1, 13.50 ERA, 4 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 HB, 3 BB, 3 K. (1.42 WHIP, .271 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 18. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: currently on the Development List and appears on the FCL Twins roster but has not played. (.181/.268/.265. .533 OPS), previously played two games at shortstop and committed one error in seven chances (13 total; four errors in 43 chances total), played one game (14 total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance (three errors in 32 total chances). He played five games (40 total) at second base with no errors in 16 chances (three errors in 161 total chances). 17. Yunior Severino, 3B, St. Paul. Wichita/St. Paul: 2-14, RBI, R, 2 BB, 5 K. (AA/AAA combined .284/.360/.555. .910 OPS). 16. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Cedar Rapids: 3-21, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 4 R, 4 BB, 12 K. (.262/.377/.481. .858 OPS). 15. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.60 WHIP, .261 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 14. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 6 BB, 4 K (1.63 WHIP, .271 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 13. Brandon Winokur, OF, FCL Twins: 8-20, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB, 7 K. (.321/.367/.500. .867 OPS), played four games at shortstop and committed one error in 17 chances and played two games at centerfield and committed no errors in eight chances. 12. Luke Keaschall, 2B, Fort Myers: 7-15, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K. (rookie/l-A combined .364/.516/.455. .971 OPS), played five games at second base and committed one error in 12 chances and played one game at third base and committed one error in two chances. 11. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: 2-7, 2B, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 SB. (.196/.248/.381. .629 OPS) 10. Tanner Schobel, INF, Wichita: 3-19, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, 3 K, CS. (high-A/AA combined .268/.357/.456. .813 OPS), played four games (35 total) at second base and committed one error in seven chances (6 errors in 142 total chances), played two games (52 total) at third base and committed one error in four chances (four errors in 107 total chances). 9. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Announced that Prielipp will be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 8. Austin Martin , SS, St. Paul: 4-13, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R, 7 BB, 3 K, 3 SB, CS. (rehab/AAA combined .231/.344/.333. .677 OPS), played two games (four total) in left field and committed no errors in six chances (no errors in 10 total chances) and played three games (17 total) at second base and committed no errors in 11 chances (two errors in 72 total chances). Has also played three games in centerfield and committed no errors in seven chances(Not so sure we can call him a shortstop prospect anymore,) 7. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 HB, 3 BB, 9 K. (1.44 WHIP, .261 BAA) 6. Charlee Soto, RHP: Has not played in a professional game. 5. Matt Wallner, OF, Minnesota: St. Paul (.291/.403/.524. .927 OPS); currently with the Twins. 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-1, INF ERA, 0.0 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 4 ER, HRA, BB, 2 K. (AA/Hi-A combined 1.10 WHIP, .216 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 6-17, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 5 BB, 3 K, 2 SB, CS. (.228/.396/.452. .848 OPS) 2. Walker Jenkins, OF, FCL Twins: 4-8, 2B, RBI, SB, CS. (.500/.500/.625. 1.125 OPS) 1. Brooks Lee, SS, St. Paul. Wichita/St. Paul: 3-21, 2B, RBI, R, 4 K ,SB. (AA/AAA combined .285/.356/.461. .817 OPS), played 5 games (85 total) at shortstop and committed two errors in 14 chances (14 errors in 342 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK HITTER - Yoyner Fajardo, Wichita. PITCHER - Kody Funderburk, St. Paul.

TRANSACTIONS OF Walker Jenkins assigned to FCL Twins SS Brooks Lee promoted to Triple-A St. Paul OF DaShawn Keirsey Jr. promoted to Triple-A St. Paul INF Yunior Severino promoted to Triple-A St. Paul INF Ernie Yake assigned to Double-A Wichita OF Willie Joe Garry Jr promoted to Double-A Wichita INF Dalton Shuffield promoted to Double-A Wichita SAINTS SENTINEL Columbus 6, St. Paul 3 Box Score The big news for St. Paul was the promotion of Brooks Lee from Double-A Wichita. He wasn’t in the lineup for Thursday’s matinee action, but presumably will be tomorrow. It was Randy Dobnak’s turn on the mound, and he’s put together a great run of outings recently. Going five strong (no runs, no hits), Dobnak didn’t get an out in the sixth inning and was lifted following three hits. He was charged with three runs while walking four and striking out seven. Staying hot, Andrew Stevenson tripled for the sixth time this season, and then Anthony Prato’s 18th double brought him home and put the Saints on the board. Dobnak took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but then things unraveled. Columbus grabbed three straight hits, and when Mark Contreras threw to the cutoff man after the final one, Jair Camargo lazily played the throw, booting it, and allowing a run to score. Jose Tena doubled off of Ronny Henriquez to bring in both inherited runners, and St. Paul was now looking at a 3-1 deficit. In the seventh inning Austin Martin made a poor throw to catcher Tony Wolters, allowing a run to score, before a sacrifice fly plated another for the Clippers. Mounting a comeback in the eighth inning, Camargo blasted a two-run shot that was completely annihilated. After Gilberto Celestino walked, he was able to jog around the rest of the bases. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, and facing Guardians prospect George Valera, Michael Boyle walked in a run allowing his first run of the season. James Karinchak, still working to figure out his command issues on the farm for Cleveland, got the ninth against the Saints. He closed it out and the Saints fell 6-3 on Thursday. Camargo was the lone St. Paul hitter to record multiple hits. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 10, Wichita 0 Box Score Carlos Luna got the ball tonight for Wichita and went 4 1/3 innings allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits. He didn't give up a walk but struck out three. A pair of homers did him in. Jorbit Vivas launched a solo homer for Tulsa in the first inning to open the scoring. They added another in the third inning to make it 2-0 and tacked on a third during the fourth inning. Vivas plated another with a sacrifice fly during the fifth inning and Tulsa led 4-0. Josh Stowers made matter worse for the Wind Surge when he blasted a two-run homer in the sixth inning. For a team pilfered of talent today, things could have been going better. Vivas kept being a pest with a seventh inning single, and the score was now 7-0. Diego Cartaya added another on a single before Stowers did more damage and it was 10-0 deficit. Yoyner Fajardo did have a pair of hits out of the leadoff spot tonight, but those were two of the three Wichita hits. This was one to forget. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Lansing 5 Box Score Kyle Jones started tonight for Cedar Rapids and went five innings allowing four runs on eight hits. Two homers were the big bugaboo, but he did strike out three while walking none. After getting down 1-0 in the first inning, Cedar Rapids answered with runs of their own. Kala'i Rosario doubled for the 24th time scoring both Noah Miller and Emmanuel Rodriguez before Andrew Cossetti brought him in on a sac fly. The three runs were enough to win the inning and give the Kernels a 3-1 lead. A Carson McCusker third inning single drove in Cossetti and made it a 4-1 game. Emmanuel Rodriguez added another run in the fourth inning with his 14th homer of the season, and the addition was necessary as Lansing scored three in the top of the fifth. Brennan Milone homered in the sixth even to even the score, and the Kernels lead was gone. In the eighth inning Noah Miller roped his 11th double, driving in Kyler Fedko, and putting the Kernels back in front. Ben Ross then took a bases loaded walk to bring home Miller before the inning ended. Ross grabbed a pair of hits as did Noah Cardenas. A.J. Labas and Niklas Rimmel combined to work scoreless relief for Cedar Rapids. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 11, Dunedin 1 Box Score Juan Mercedes made the start Thursday for Fort Myers. He worked four innings of two-hit baseball allowing just a single unearned run. Mercedes also struck out four while scattering three walks. After getting behind in the first inning, Fort Myers took a second inning lead and never gave it back. Maddux Houghton singled to score Nate Baez before a balk during Jay Harry's at bat allowed Dylan Neuse to come home. In the third inning Neuse recorded his 13th double of the season to bring home Rafael Cruz, and then Kyle Schmidt singled home both Baez and Neuse. In the fifth inning Alec Sayre lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Cruz again, and make it a 6-1 game. Another balk, this time with Yohander Martinez batting, allowed Sayre to cross the plate and make it 7-1. Ricardo Olivar singled in Houghton during the inning to add another run, and Baez walked on a wild pitch that allowed Olivar an opportunity to scamper home. In the ninth inning Martinez reached on an error that allowed Schmidt to score before Olivar drew a bases loaded walk driving in Sayre. For the second time today, the Twins system was part of an 11-1 game in Florida, but this time they were on the right side of it. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Rays 11, FCL Twins 1 Box Score It was an exciting day for the FCL Twins as they wrote 2023 first-round pick Walker Jenkins’ name in the lineup for the first time. Brayan Medina was on the bump to start the game, but allowed three runs on two hits before being removed from the game without recording an out. Jenkins batted third for the FCL Twins, and that slotted him in just ahead of fellow Twins draftee Brandon Winokur. In Jenkins’ first professional at bat, he ripped a double to left field. Pitching woes continued for the Twins, this time reliever Pierce Banks, as he allowed a five-spot in the fourth inning to make it a 9-0 game. The Twins did get on the board in the fourth inning when Endy Rodriguez singled home Winokur. They needed to get to work if a comeback was in the cards. Unfortunately the Rays added two more runs, making it an 11-1 lead. With 16 hits on the day, they had plenty of opportunities. Jenkins finished with two hits, on of which was a double, and a stolen base during his debut. He was the lone Twins batter to record a pair of hits on the afternoon. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Cardinals 6, DSL Twins 3 (F/7) Box Score The DSL Twins faced off against the same organization the big league club is playing later on Thursday. Yency De Jesus made the start and worked five strong innings of no-hit baseball. He allowed a pair of walks but struck out five. Moises Lopez opened the scoring in the first inning with a single that scored Jayson Bass. The Twins added another in the second inning on a solo shot by Ewing Matos, his first as a professional. In the third inning, Hendry Chivilli lofted a sacrifice fly allowing Ariel Castro an opportunity to cross the plate. Unfortunately, things got out of hand in the sixth inning and the Cardinals took the lead. Adding two more in the top of the seventh, the lead now was 6-3. No Twins hitters recorded multiple hits, and they couldn’t mount a comeback. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Randy Dobnak (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Dylan Neuse (Fort Myers) - 3-4, 3 R, RBI, 2B(13), BB, K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - Did not play, but he was promoted to the Saints. #2 - Walker Jenkins (FCL Twins) - 2-4, 2B, SB(1) #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-2, 2 R, RBI, BB, HR(14) #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-3, K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 0-1, 3 BB, K, SB(6) #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 0-2 #13 - Brandon Winokur (FCL Twins) - 1-3, R, BB, K #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B(24), 2 K #20 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 1-4 FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (6:05PM CST) - LHP Blayne Enlow Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Lansing @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Christian MacLeod Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30PM CST) - RHP Ben Ethridge Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games!

It was really a good day overall in the Twins organizations. The Saints got a big win in Ohio. The Wind Surge got a tremendous pitching performance, and a great all-around game from their catcher. Two Top 20 prospects on the Kernels powered the Kernels to another win. A 2023 draft pick helped lead the Mussels to another win, and a lefty signed from the independent leagues tossed six great innings in his fifth pro start. And there was a rarity in the FCL game played on Wednesday, something you likely will never see again... a complete game from a 17-year-old. Here are the records of the Twins and their six affiliates through games on Wednesday. Minnesota Twins: 55-54 St. Paul Saints: 60-43 Wichita Wind Surge: 41-56 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 60-38 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 47-51 FCL Twins: 17-22 DSL Twins: 9-30 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Lots of players were added to the FCL Twins roster for procedural purposes. When a player is signed, the organization has 15 days to add them to a roster. Several 2023 draft picks and non-drafted free agents were added to the FCL Twins roster on Wednesday. Some of them may start getting into game action soon. One name that you will notice has not been assigned is Walker Jenkins. He just signed a week ago, so they still have time to add him to the FCL Twins roster. Here is a look at the 2023 Twins draft picks, and players signed as undrafted free agents since then. 1st Round: OF Walker Jenkins (signed last week) Comp A: RHP Charlee Soto (will be assigned soon) 2nd Round: IF Luke Keaschall (assigned to FCL Twins on 7/27, promoted to Fort Myers on Monday) 3rd Round: OF Brandon Winokur (assigned to FCL Twins on 7/27) 4th Round: RHP Tanner Hall (assigned to FCL Twins) 5th Round: RHP Dylan Questad (assigned to FCL Twins) 6th Round: SS Jay Harry (assigned to FCL Twins on 7/27, promoted to Fort Myers on Monday) 7th Round: RHP Nolan Santos (assigned to FCL Twins) 8th Round: RHP Jace Stoffal (assigned to FCL Twins) 9th Round: RHP Jack Dougherty (assigned to FCL Twins) 10th Round: LHP Ross Dunn (assigned to FCL Twins) 11th Round: RHP Ty Langenberg (assigned to FCL Twins) 12th Round: RHP Paulshawn Pasqualotto (assigned to FCL Twins) 13th Round: RHP Jeremy Lee (assigned to FCL Twins) 14th Round: RHP Xander Hamilton (assigned to FCL Twins) 15th Round: RHP Spencer Bengard (assigned to FCL Twins) 16th Round: RHP Anthony Silvas (assigned to FCL Twins) 17th Round: LHP Kade Bragg (assigned to FCL Twins) 18th Round: RHP Hector Garcia Jr (assigned to FCL Twins) 19th Round: 1B Sam Parker - Did not sign. Heading to Chipola which means he could be a draft-and-follow before next year’s draft. 20th Round: OF Ashton Larson - Did not sign. He’s headed to LSU. Undrafted Free Agents RHP Devin Kirby (assigned to FCL Twins) RHP Jacob King (assigned to FCL Twins) RHP Liam Rocha (assigned to FCL Twins) C Cole Elvis C Ildefonso Poncho Ruiz (assigned to FCL Twins on Monday) SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Columbus 3 Box Score Depending on how you choose to look at it, you could see Simeon Woods Richardson’s start through a positive or negative lens. On one level, he was charged with only an unearned run on just one hit in four innings. He had four strikeouts. However, he went just four innings because he walked six batters. So, how about we just say he did a very nice job of limiting any damage. The bullpen did a nice job too and the offense came up with enough big hits. Kody Funderburk came on and tossed a very strong 2 2/3 innings. He gave up no runs and no hits. He walked one and struck out five. Oliver Ortega got the next four outs, but he was charged with two unearned runs on just one hit. He had two strikeouts. Cole Sands struck out the side in the ninth for his first Save. The Saints got on the scoreboard first. Mark Contreras singled in Anthony Prato with the first run. It was followed by a Gilberto Celestino single that scored Trevor Larnach. The Clippers scored a run in the bottom of the inning. But Chris Williams responded in the top of the second with his 18th homer. The Saints added a run in the fourth when Austin Martin scored on an Ernie Yake double. In the fifth, they added their fifth (and final) run when Celestino “drove in” Trevor Larnach with a bases-loaded walk. Gilberto Celestino led the way. He went 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. Trevor Larnach walked twice. Austin Martin walked twice and then stole two bases. Anthony Prato added his 17th double. By the way, if you missed @Theo Tollefson's profile on Anthony Prato this week, please click here. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 4, Tulsa 0 Box Score The Wind Surge received a fantastic start from Pierson Ohl on Wednesday night. The right-hander from Grand Canyon University tossed six shutout innings. He gave up just three hits, walked one and struck out five batters. Not a bad outing considering he didn't think he had his best stuff. Following the outing, he said, "In all honesty, the stuff I was working with didn't feel that great, but I was able to make a few high-quality pitches in big spots." From his perspective, the best seat in the house, Patrick Winkel played a role in Ohl's performance, but gives the credit to his pitcher. "Oh was great. he knew how he wanted to attack each hitter and execute his plans. That's the biggest thing. He wasn't falling behind and was putting his pitches where he wanted to. When he does that, he's really, really tough on hitters." Taylor Floyd came on and walked two, but gave up no runs, in 1 2/3 innings. Alex Scherff got the final four outs without any further damage. Wichita took the early lead in the first inning when DaShawn Keirsey singled in Brooks Lee. Lee had led off with a single and stole second base. Later in the inning, Keirsey stole his sixth base. Things stayed quiet until the bottom of the fourth inning when Patrick Winkel drilled his sixth homer of the season. An inning later, Alerick Soularie crushed his seventh home run to give the Surge a 3-0 lead. Soularie went 2-for-3 with the homer. He also stole his 11th bag. Keirsey went 2-for-4 with his 17th double. Winkel led the offense. He went 3-for-3 in the game with a walk, his ninth and tenth doubles, and his sixth homer. Plus, he caught a shutout. What a night! Winkel says that he has been working a lot on his swing and timing. "Trying to eliminate the soft contact has been a big focus. I feel confident, and I think the swing and approach is in a really god place. We have a great coaching staff and having their input has helped a ton as well." His battery mate (Ohl) noted, "Winkel and I have found a great connection this year, and we really love working together. He is very easy to throw to because he does his homework, and he's a guy you can trust back there. Almost feels like he's on the mound with me." KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Lansing 3 Box Score Emmanuel Rodriguez was not traded at the deadline, and on Wednesday, he put together a great game. This game was scoreless through the first three innings. Lancaster got on the board with two runs in the fourth and a solo homer in the fifth frame. Zebby Matthews was very solid. He was charged with those three runs over five innings. He gave up six hits in total and had five strikeouts with any walks. The Kernels powered their way back into the game in the bottom of the fifth. With Noah Miller on base, Rodriguez hit his 12th homer of the season. Kala’i Rosario followed with his 16th homer to tie the game and 3-3. The Kernels added a run in the sixth inning to take the lead. Jeferson Morales scored on a Kyler Fedko single. Then Rodriguez finished the night’s scoring with his second homer of the game and 13th of the season. The bullpen came up big for the Kernels Malik Barrington improved to 5-0 by tossing two scoreless, one-hit innings. Then Jordan Carr earned a two-inning save with two scoreless, hitless innings. Emmanuel Rodriguez and Kala’i Rosario each had two hits. Rosario added his 23rd double to go with his 16th home run. Rodriguez also threw out a baserunner trying to advance to third base. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Dunedin 2 Box Score The Mussels scored two runs in the first and again in the third inning to take a 4-1 lead. They added one more insurance run in the eighth inning and held on to a 5-2 win. Jarret Whorff made the start. The southpaw provided a very strong six innings of one-run ball. He gave up two hits, walked none and struck out a career-high nine batters. Wilker Reyes recorded four outs, two of them on strikeouts. Danny Moreno also got four outs, but he was charged with one run on one hit and two walks. He also had two strikeouts. Gabriel Yanez recorded his second save by striking out the one batter he faced to end the game. In the first inning, with a rehabbing-Hernan Perez at third base, Danny De Andrade grounded out but drove in the first run. Two batters later, a Nate Baez single drove in Luke Keaschall. In the third inning, Perez scored on Ricardo Olivar’s ninth home run. Olivar then scored the final run in the eighth inning on a wild pitch. In his second Mighty Mussels game, Keaschall went 2-for-3 with a walk with his second double. He also stole his second base in as many games. Ricardo Olivar went 2-for-3 with a walkalong with the home run. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from FLORIDA No Game Scheduled. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from BOCA CHICA DSL Twins 0, DSL O’s 2 Box Score So the first thing you notice when looking through the DSL Twins box score is that a Twins pitcher tossed a complete game. Miguel Cordero, a 17-year-old from the Dominican Republic, is a really decent prospect. He pitched at the end of the DSL All-Star game on Sunday. How many pitches did he throw? It’s not like pitchers at this level are known for their control and limiting their pitch counts. The I saw it. This was the completion of a game that started on July 17th but was suspended by rain. Cordero started that game and worked until the game was suspended. Then on Wednesday, he came back and finished the rest of the game, and pitched well. In the game, he is credited with giving up two runs (1 earned) on nine hits in nine innings. He walked two and struck out seven batters. The two runs scored in the sixth inning which was in the transition. For the offense, well, there was no offense. Yilber Herrera had the team’s lone hit, a triple. I know I tweeted it on Sunday night, but the DSL All Star Game was on Sunday and three Twins prospects participated in the game. On Wednesday, the Twins Player Development account provided pictures. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day – Pat Winkel (Wichita) - 3-for-3, 2-2B(10), HR(6), BB, R, RBI Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl (Wichita) - 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 80 pitches, 49 strikes (61.3%). PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-for-4, R, RBI, SB(6) #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-4, 2-HR(13), 2 R, 3 RBI, K #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 1-for-3, BB, HR(6), R, 3 RBI, 2 K. #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 0-for-2, 2 BB, R, 2-SB(5). #12 - Luke Keaschall (Ft. Myers) - 3-for-4, 2B(2), R. #14 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 4 K, 76 pitches, 35 strikes (46.0%) #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-3, BB, 2B(23), HR(16), R, RBI, K #17 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 0-for-4, 2 K THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES St. Paul @ Columbus (11:05 AM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (4-4, 4.26 ERA) Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Carlos Luna (1-6, 5.50 ERA) Lansing @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Kyle Jones (5-4,4.28 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 PM CST) - RHP Juan Mercedes (1-1, 11.12 ERA) FCL Rays @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM CST) - TBD DSL Cardinals @ 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!