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The Twins continued to use the final few Triple-A games as a rehab spot, and the Saints launched their 14th grand slam of the season. Although there was only one game on the farm Friday, there was plenty of action. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson - St. Paul Saints TRANSACTIONS OF Jordan Luplow recalled from St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 10, Toledo 6 Box Score Lefty Blayne Enlow took the mound Friday night for the Saints last weeknight game of the year. Byron Buxton and Joey Gallo got the night off while Nick Gordon batted second and played second base. Enlow’s final start of the season was just a short three inning outing. He allowed three runs on two hits while striking out four. The lefty out a bow on his season, showing good command with no walks. St. Paul answered the three-run shot in the second inning with a big crooked number. Anthony Prato homered for the ninth time this season, and the two-run blast brought home Hernan Perez. Austin Martin then plated DaShawn Keirsey Jr. on a sacrifice fly. Michael Helman then stepped in with the bases loaded and launched the Saints 14th grand slam of the season. Chris Williams, Tony Wolters, and Nick Gordon all came home making it a 7-3 contest. In the bottom of the third inning, Prato hit his second dinger of the night, and the solo-shot made it an 8-0 game. Not to have his power outdone, Yunior Severino homered in the fourth inning. His 11th big fly at Triple-A pushed the score to 10-3. Brock Stewart worked a scoreless inning of relief striking out two, while Jorge Alcala pitched two scoreless innings and struck out four. Austin Schulfer took over for the next two and was perfect with a pair of strikeouts. Still up 10-3, it was Michael Boyle on to finish out the ninth inning. He allowed a pair of runners and then a big fly to bring them home. Still up 10-6, the lead was enough to hold up. Helman and Prato both had a pair of hits. Gordon was 0-for-3 on the night with a run scored. The 14th grand slam for St. Paul tied the modern era record by a professional team in a season dating back to 2005. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – St. Paul Middle Relief - 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Anthony Prato (St. Paul) - 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR(10), 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: #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR(11), K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (6:37PM CST) - RHP Patrick Murphy Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’ game! View full article

The June schedule is now complete. It is hard to believe that three months of the season are already complete. The draft is just over a week away, and there are just a little over two months to go. The Saints reached double digits again. Big innings really helped both Wichita and Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints The Twins offense showed up in Baltimore, ending a three-game losing streak. The Saints used another double-digit run scoring game with an interesting pitching performance. Wichita had a big first inning and held on for another win. Cedar Rapids just continues to find ways to win games, and they did so again on Friday. Things didn't go well for the Mussels, particularly their starting pitcher, but a rehabbing prospect had a strong game. The FCL Twins split a game at JetBlue Park, and the DSL Twins used a strong start and some power to win. It was a good day in the organization. Keep reading to find out more specifics, and please feel free to fill up the Comments section with questions for me. I'll be happy to answer as many as I can. Here are the records of the six Twins affiliates through games on Friday. St. Paul Saints: 46-31 Wichita Wind Surge: 31-40 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 44-28 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 37-35 FCL Twins: 10-9 DSL Twins: 6-13 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS The Twins sent LHP Zach Neff to a rehab in the FCL on Saturday. Catcher Duncan Hewitt was assigned to the FCL Twins. OF Carson McCusker was assigned to the Mighty Mussels. LHP Denny Bentley was activated from the Wichita injured list. RHP Alex Phillips was released by the Twins. . SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 10, Gwinnett 3 Box Score The Saints scored early, and then the game went quiet, but then they added six runs in the sixth inning and later to have an easy win. But let’s start with Blayne Enlow. The right-hander tossed five innings of no-hit, no-run ball. He struck out three batters. The only negative was that he walked five batters. Just 44 of his 85 pitches went for strikes. It was his second straight solid outing following his rough Triple-A debut. Aaron Sanchez came on and gave up two runs on three hits and four walks over three innings. He struck out three. Finally Cody Laweryson gave up a solo homer in the ninth inning. It will likely surprise no one that Matt Wallner led the offense. He went 3-for-5 with his 19th double and third triple. Jair Camargo went 3-for-4 with his seventh double. Kyle Garlick went 2-for-4 with a walk and his fifth double. Anthony Prato had two singles. Gilberto Celestino went 1-for-2 with three walks. Andrew Stevenson had one hit and one walk. He also stole his 27th and 28th bases. The top eight hitters in the Saints lineup had at least one hit. Six different players drove in runs. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 5, NW Arkansas 4 Box Score The Wind Surge scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning and really held on from there. The lead was cut to 4-3 in the fifth. Wichita added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning which proved necessary because NW Arkansas scored one in the top of the ninth. In the first inning, Patrick Winkel singled to center to drive in Brooks Lee. Soon after, Aaron Sabato singled in Winkel. Seth Gray singled in Sabato eventually. Yoyner Fajardo scored the fourth run courtesy of a passed ball. No one had a huge game, but the Wind Surge got contributions from almost everyone. In the bottom of the eighth frame, Yunior Severino singled to center to drive in DaShawn Keirsey with what proved to be a very important run. The top seven batters had at least one hit. Fajardo went 2-for-4, the only multi-hit game for Wichita. Brooks Lee hit his 25th double, and that was the team’s lone extra base hit. No surprise. Keirsey stole his 26th base, and Fajardo stole his 22nd bag of the year. On the mound, it was Carlos Luna who made the start. He gave up three runs (1 earned) on three hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out four batters. Alex Scherff came on with the bases loaded and allowed two inherited runners to score before getting the third out of the fifth inning. He worked a scoreless sixth inning. Taylor Floyd struck out three batters over 1 2/3 one-hit innings. Jordan Brink got the final out of the eighth inning. He gave up a solo homer in the ninth, but that was it, and he recorded his fifth save of the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Peoria 1 Box Score Marco Raya gave up an unearned run on four hits and two walks over 2 2/3 innings. He had four strikeouts. 35 of his 53 pitches were strikeouts. Kyle Jones came on and left two runners stranded to get out of the third inning. He went five more innings as well. Combined, he tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up two hits, walked two and struck out five batters. Malik Barrington gave up two hits but no runs in the ninth inning to record his first save of the season. The Kernels only had five hits and three walks in the game. But it was just enough. In the top of the seventh inning, Jorel Ortega singled to score Tanner Schobel with the game-tying run. Next up was Noah Miller who singled to right that scored Ben Ross with the go-ahead, and eventually winning run. The Kernels had no extra base hits. No one had more than one hit. The only player to reach twice was Noah Cardenas with two walks. But as they have done all year, the Kernels just found another way to win a game. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Lakeland 7 Box Score Fair to say that Develson Aria’s 2023 season has been rather inconsistent. He’s either been really good and looked almost dominant, or he has had a forgettable performance. This game fits into the latter category. The southpaw faced six batters. He gave up a single and five walks. Four eventually came around to score. Without getting an out, he threw 31 pitches and just 10 of them were strikes. Jarret Whorff came on and completed four innings. He was charged with an unearned run on one hit and one walk. He struck out four batters. Wilker Reyes gave up one run on four hits over 2 1/3 innings. He struck out five batters. Zach Veen gave up a run on a hit and a walk in 1 1/3 innings. He struck out two batters. Johnathan Lavallee gave up two hits over 1 1/3 scoreless innings, though an inherited runner scored. Austin Martin’s rehab continued. He batted second and DHd in this game. He went 3-for-5 with an RBI, and he stole a base. Ricardo Olivar led off. He went 1-for-3 with two walks and his 10th double. Kamron Willman had the other hit and drove in the other run. Maddux Houghton walked twice and stole his 10th base. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from FLORIDA Game 1: FCL Twins 6, Red Sox 1 Box Score In the first game of this doubleheader, the Red Sox were the home team. The Twins scored five runs in the second inning and that was all they really needed thanks to some really strong pitching. And that’s where we will start. Brayan Medina gave up only an unearned run on three hits over the first six innings. He struck out three and didn’t hurt himself with any walks. He did hit one batter. Zach Neff came on and worked a perfect inning including one strikeout. In that second frame, Andres Centeno started the scoring with his second homer of the season. Omari Daniel drove in Bryan Acuna and Anderson Nova on a bases-loaded ground-rule double. Isaac Pena grounded out to shortstop, but both Frank Nigro and Daniel scored on an error. Pena grounded out to third base in the sixth inning to drive in the team’s sixth run. Nova was the lone Twins batter with multiple hits. He was 2-for-3 and hit his third double. Game 2: FCL Twins 2, Red Sox 8 Box Score Despite the second game also being played at JetBlue Park, the Twins were the home team. They actually took a 1-0 lead after one, but then the Sox scored six runs in the second and that was about it. Matt Gabbert made the start. He was charged with those six, second-inning runs. He completed four innings and gave up ‘just’ those six runs on 11 hits and a walk. He struck out four batters. Cleiber Maldonado came on and gave up two runs on four hits and a walk in two innings. Yon Landaeta struck out two batters in a scoreless seventh frame. The Twins managed just two hits in the second game. Andres Centeno had a single and a walk. Jankel Ortiz had a single and a walk and scored one of the two runs. Nova had two walks, and he had an outfield assist. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from BOCA CHICA DSL Twins 10, DSL Yankees 7 Box Score The Twins jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. They increased that lead to 8-0 with a four-run fourth. The Yankees tried to come back, but the Twins added single runs in the eighth and the ninth innings. After a sacrifice fly by Jayson Bass scored Ariel Castro with the game’s first run, Carlos Silva singled to score Dameury Pena. Moises Lopez then launched his first home run of the season to give them a 4-0 lead. In the fourth frame, it was Castro who doubled to score Juan Hernandez and Angel Trinidad. Yilber Herrera then hit his first homer, another two-run shot. Miguel Cordero earned his first Win of the season with five solid innings. He gave up two runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out five batters. Juan Cota came on and gave up three runs on three hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. Joel Garcia came in and went the final 2 1/3 innings. He gave up two runs on two solo homers. He had five strikeouts. Herrera went 2-for-3 with the homer and two RBI. Dameury Pena went 2-for-4 with a walk. In addition to his home run, Lopez also walked twice. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitters of the Day – Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 3-for-5, 2B(19), 3B(3), 3 R, 2 RBI, K. Co-Pitcher of the Day – Blayne Enlow (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 3 K, 85 pitches, 44 strikes (62.5%). Co-Pitcher of the Day – Kyle Jones (Cedar Rapids) - 5 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 64 pitches, 40 strikes (62.5%). Co-Pitcher of the Day – Brayan Medina (FCL Twins) - 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. (Note - our next prospect rankings update will come after the draft.) #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB, 2B(25), BB, K. #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 3-for-5, RBI, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB, 2 K. #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 0-for-2, 2 K #6 - Marco Raya (Cedar Rapids) - 2 2/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 53 pitches, 35 strikes (66.0%) #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 3-for-5, 2B(19), 3B(3), 3 R, 2 RBI, K. #11 - Austin Martin (Rehab Ft. Myers) - 3-for-5, RBI, SB(1) #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, K, SB(14), CS(7) #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, RBI, 3 K #14 - Jordan Balazovic (Minnesota) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 9 pitches, 6 strikes (66.7%). #17 - Blayne Enlow (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 3 K, 85 pitches, 44 strikes (51.8%) #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 0-for-6, R, BB, 5 K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K. SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Gwinnett @ St. Paul (6:07 PM CST) - LHP Dallas Keuchel (0-0, 2.25 ERA) NW Arkansas @ Wichita (6:05 PM CST) - RHP Jose Bravo (2-3, 6.46 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35 PM CST) - RHP C.J. Culpepper (first MWL start) Lakeland @ Fort Myers (5:00 PM CST) - RHP Jack Noble (first FSL start) FCL Red Sox @ FCL Twins (9:00 AM CST) - TBD DSL Angels @ DSL Twins (10:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics! View full article

It's not a great sign when the team that walks away most unharmed had their game canceled for lightning. TRANSACTIONS C Kyle Schmidt Transferred from AA Wichita to Low-A Fort Myers C Frank Nigro transferred from Low-A Fort Myers to the FCL Twins C David Banuelos activated from IL at AA Wichita RHP Josh Winder optioned by the Twins to AAA St. Paul LHP Brent Headrick recalled by the Twins Saints Sentinel St. Paul 1, Louisville 12 Box Score Blayne Enlow: 3 IP, 7 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 5 K HR: Trevor Larnach (4) Multi-hit games: Tony Wolters (2-for-2) A disastrous 4th inning soiled the Saints’ night on Saturday. It all happened so fast. Blayne Enlow—freshly promoted and ready for his AAA debut—breezed through three opening frames, even finding time to punch out the great Joey Votto twice. Matt Reynolds may have blasted a solo homer, but life was smooth. Then the 4th inning happened. A pair of full-count walks set Enlow on edge and teetering; the following two-run single knocked him fully off his perch. From there the walks and hits cascaded, eventually ending with a crescendo when Jose Barrero crushed a three-run homer off the righty to end his night. The deficit proved far too great for the Saints—and they only received a tepid hitting effort anyways. Despite a lead-off double by Gilberto Celestino to begin the game, Bats starter Michael Mariot cruised through St. Paul’s lineup, only surrendering a Trevor Larnach solo shot during his eight innings on the mound. The homer extended St. Paul’s streak of homering in a game to 22, tied for the second-longest streak in baseball in 2023. The Bats’ best prospect, one Christian Encarnacion-Strand—you may know him—racked up three hits and walked, sending his AAA OPS to 1.119. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 4, Midland 7 Box Score Carlos Luna: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K HR: Pat Winkel (3), DaShawn Kiersey Jr. (8) Multi-hit games: None Wind Surge stumbled early, late in Saturday's loss. Usually, a first-inning homer begets a victory; this game was the exception. Pat Winkel barreled up a fastball at his shoulders, depositing the pitch over the wall in center to hand his team a quick 1-0 lead. The advantage held for one inning. Midland blasted their own homer before enjoying a Brooks Lee error allowing the chance at more runs; that runner stole second and eventually scored, putting Lee on poor terms with his starter. Carlos Luna allowed his second earned run the following frame when Lawrence Butler homered to extend Midland’s lead to two. And so it stayed—not large, capable of reaching with normal effort—until DaShawn Kiersey Jr. obliterated his eighth home run of the season. The ball landed 440 feet away. I waxed a little about Kiersey Jr. last week, and I’ll do it again this week: he’s been smoking AA this season. Is this an aberration—a 26-year-old crushing younger competition—or a true breakout from a talented outfielder? Only a promotion will tell. But it will be a promotion well deserved for the 4th-round pick out of Utah in 2018. Wichita’s hitting ceased with the homer, though, and a few runs allowed by Jose Bravo in the coming innings put the game too far out of reach for the Wind Surge; Will Holland’s 9th-inning RBI knock could only soften the blow. The aforementioned Butler is Midland’s best prospect, according to MLB.com; he added a double to total six bases in Saturday’s match. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 2, South Bend 10 Box Score Jaylen Nowlin: 2 ⅔ IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: Jeferson Morales (3), Willie Joe Garry Jr. (2) Multi-hit games: None The Kernels continued the streak of losing on Saturday, falling by eight runs to the Cubs. It was a disaster from the start. Jaylen Nowlin had two outs secured in the opening frame before releasing the pitch resulting in a sudden 2-0 disadvantage. He never recovered, allowing two more runs in the 3rd before exiting the ballgame, turning more than six innings of pitching duties over to Cedar Rapids’ bullpen. That weight—a punishing endeavor for any collection of arms—was far too mighty, and everyone paid the price. The only relief pitcher to walk away without extra earned runs attached to their name was Niklas Rimmel. He netted two outs. Cedar Rapids could not match the offensive effort, blasting a pair of homers in the 2nd before halting advances there; all they could offer following their home run outburst was two hits and three walks. Kevin Alcántara is the 70th-best prospect in baseball according to MLB.com, and he proved the ranking correct—if not a little low—with a monster five-hit outing, including a pair of homers. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 0, Bradenton 3 Box Score Ben Ethridge: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Alec Sayre (2-for-4), Yohander Martinez (3-for-4), Maddux Houghton (2-for-4) The Mighty Mussels wrapped up the full-season games by finalizing a straight sweep of the Twins’ system. Starter Ben Ethridge was solid, allowing a lone solo homer over his four otherwise quality innings of work—including a final striking out of the side in which he caught superstar prospect Termarr Johnson looking at strike three. The bats couldn’t support him, though. Despite out-hitting the Marauders eight to six, all of Fort Myers’ knocks were singles—poorly coordinated ones, at that—and runners across the frames experienced lonesome frustrations walking back to the dugout empty-handed. The shutout included a 6th inning play in which it appears Rubel Cespedes attempted a steal of home. He was unsuccessful. Bradenton blasted a second homer in the 7th, and so the game ended—with Fort Myers still seeking a hit with runners in scoring position and the Marauders satisfied with their victory. Johnson is the 20th-best prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com; he drew a walk in an otherwise silent night at the plate. Complex Chronicles Lightning postponed the FCL Twins’ game before it began; the match will be made up as a doubleheader on Friday, June 23rd. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 3, DSL Giants Orange 10 Box Score Jose Vasquez: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Junior Del Valle (2-for-4, RBI) The DSL Twins imploded late, quickly losing nuts and bolts in the final frames to turn a tied match into a laugher. The common issues of DSL players—walks and defense—caused the fiasco: multiple 8th-inning throwing errors aided in expanding the deficit, while Twins pitchers walked eight batters. That’s how it goes when you’re dealing with literal teenagers. 17-year-old Moises Lopez tripled for the second time this season; Dameury Pena earned his fourth double and owns an OPS of 1.016. The Twins allowed five steals in the loss. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Carlos Luna Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – DaShawn Kiersey Jr. PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 0-2, R, BB, 2 K #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, BB #15 - Brent Headrick (Minnesota) - 2 ⅓ IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K #17 - Blayne Enlow (St. Paul) - 3 IP, 7 H, 8 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-3, BB, K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (12:05 PM) - RHP Aaron Sanchez Wichita @ Midland (1:00 PM) - RHP Travis Adams South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 PM) - RHP Kyle Jones Fort Myers @ Bradenton (11:00 AM) - TBD View full article

There was plenty of good action worth tuning into on the farm for the Twins today. Rehab assignments were taking place for the Saints, while pitching and hitting were on display in Wichita. The Kernels put up a boatload of runs, and the Mighty Mussels flexed with a win on Sunday. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge TRANSACTIONS OF Gilberto Celestino MLB rehab transferred to St. Paul SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 8, Iowa 5 Box Score Hoping to bounce back from the tilt last night, Cody Funderburk opened for Jordan Balazovic. He went two scoreless allowing just a single hit and striking out two. Balazovic then worked three innings. He gave up two runs on four hits and four walks. The bright spot was a trio of strikeouts. Joey Gallo played his first rehab game in the outfield today for the Saints and kicked off the scoring with a ground out that brought Andrew Stevenson in. After a fourth inning homer by Iowa, the game was knotted at one and stayed that way until the sixth inning. Iowa grabbed another run before Jair Camargo stayed hot with a double to drive in Chris Williams and even things again. The Cubs then took another one run lead in the seventh inning, but Gallo hit his second homer in as many days, and with Gilberto Celestino on, the Saints had a 4-3 lead through seven innings. Breaking it open in the eighth inning, St. Paul put up four runs. Stevenson singled to drive in Anthony Prato, then Matt Wallner took a bases loaded hit by pitch scoring Alex De Goti. Andrew Bechtold rapped a single to right field scoring both Wallner and Williams for some added breathing room. Even a David Bote two-run homer in the ninth was no longer enough to make it interesting and St. Paul heads out on a two week road trip off a win. The Saints had a foursome of multi-hit performers today with Stevenson, Williams, Bechtold, and Camargo all grabbing two each. Celestino was 0-for-2 with three walks in his first Triple-A rehab game this season. Gallo collected a hit on his homer and went 1-for-3. He should be expected back with the Twins on Tuesday. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8, San Antonio 7 Box Score It was a Blayne Enlow start for the Wind Surge today. He worked five innings and danced around seven hits to give up just a single run. Enlow didn’t allow any free passes and struck out four. The strong run of work could have him looking at a promotion to Triple-A St. Paul soon. Alerick Soularie started the scoring with a solo shot in the second inning, his second of the year. After San Antonio tied it in the bottom half, Wichita answered in the fourth inning. Soularie again did damage with a single that scored both Alex Isola and Aaron Sabato. A wild pitch later in the inning then allowed Soularie to score making it a 4-1 game. Keeping his hot game going, Soularie was at it again with his second homer of the day. A two run blast in the sixth inning played Kyle Schmidt and made it a 7-1 game. San Antonio then went to work mounting a comeback. Scoring runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, they made it close at a 7-5 game. Thanks to Wichita adding a run when Schmidt singled in Isola during the ninth inning, the Wind Surge withstood a two-run homer in the bottom half that would’ve otherwise tied the game. Soularie did the heavy lifting in this one and his three hits were nearly half of the Wichita total of eight. After the game Enlow was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 16, Dayton 7 Box Score Originally scheduled to play a regular nine inning game, the Kernels were delayed and played just a seven inning tilt this afternoon. Jaylen Nowlin was on the bump and worked four innings allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and a pair of walks. He did strike out six batters during his outing. The bats showed up in a big way today and it started right away in the first inning. Kala’i Rosario played Tanner Schobel on a fielder’s choice before Noah Cardenas recorded his tenth double on the year to bring in Ben Ross. Misael Urbina grounded out, but Rosario scored on the play, and then an error allowed Andrew Cossetti to reach with Cardenas scoring. Already up 4-0, Kyle Fedko singled in Jose Salas with a Schobel single plating Cossetti for the six spot. Rounding out the inning was another error, this time on a ball hit by Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Fedko came home. When the dust settled it was 7-0 before Dayton got to hit. Cedar Rapids gave three runs back in the bottom of the first inning but Ross hit his ninth homer of the year, with Rodriguez also on, to make it a 9-3 game in the third inning. Giving another back in the bottom half of the third inning, the Kernels answered when Salas singled in Cardenas during the fourth inning. Rosario then blasted his tenth homer of the season, again with Rodriguez aboard, and it was a 12-4 lead after the top of the fifth inning. Dayton was able to add two more, but the Kernels scored another on Rosario’s single in the seventh. Schobel raced across the plate and made it a 13-6 laugher. The Dragons scored once in the bottom of the seventh, but that certainly wasn't going to move the needle. While the game was suggested to only be of the seven inning variety, the two clubs played on. Maybe Dayton thought the extra runway would give them ample comeback ability. Instead, Rodriguez recorded his third double on the season and made it 14-7 when Cossetti scored in the eighth inning. Ross then singled to score Fedko, and Rosario singled to bring home Rodriguez. Dayton probably would've preferred this one to have ended an inning ago. Continuing to play past the adjusted seven then caught the clubs when rain again came during the ninth inning causing another delay. The 19 hits meant that everyone in the lineup recorded a base hit. Cardenas led the way with four of his own, while Rodriguez, Ross, and Rosario each had three. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Clearwater 3 Box Score The Mighty Mussels went with Ben Etheridge today and he worked 3 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. Giving up just a single hit and no walks, Etheridge also struck out three in a very solid outing. Fort Myers got on the board quick for Etheridge and gave him some breathing room. In the bottom of the second inning a Maddux Houghton single drove in Alec Sayre to score the game’s first run. Frank Nigro couldn’t get on, but his double play grounder did allow Yohander Martinez to cross the plate and make it 2-0. Adding to their lead in the third inning, Rafael Cruz recorded his fifth double scoring Dylan Neuse. Rubel Cespedes then singled to center and scored Cruz on the play. The Mighty Mussels had doubled their lead just one frame later. With Clearwater still scoreless, Luis Baez singled to score Gregory Duran in the sixth inning and make it a 5-0 lead. The Threshers did make things interesting with runs in the seventh and ninth inning, but the two were all they could push across. Cruz was the only Fort Myers hitter with a pair of hits on the day. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Alerick Soularie (Wichita) - 3-5, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR(3), K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 3-4, 2 R, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 3-6, 3 R, RBI, 2 B #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 1-4, R, BB, 2 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-4, R, RBI, 2B #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, RBI, BB, K #14 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, ER, 4 BB, 3 K #17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-5, 2 K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (5:35PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez Wichita @ Midland (6:30PM CST) - TBD South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article

The Twins front office had a clear mission this winter, including adding more depth to multiple places on the roster. So far this season, the Twins have seen some benefit to this depth, but the St. Paul Saints continue to thrive. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints For some fans, getting used to the idea of the St. Paul Saints being the Twins' Triple-A affiliate still takes a little. The 2023 season marks the third year of an affiliation between the crosstown teams. Pros and cons of this affiliation have been evident since the organizations joined forces, and it will be interesting to see how the relationship continues to evolve in the years to come. However, the most significant positive for the Saints this season is the caliber of players on the field on any given night. Last season, the Twins had to dig into the team's Triple-A depth quite regularly because of the vast number of injuries at the big-league level. The Saints finished the season with a 74-75 record, which placed them 17 games back in the International League West Division. Mark Contreras and Jermaine Palacios were the lone position players to play over 100 games for the club. At the same time, Ronny Henriquez, Dereck Rodriguez, and Mario Sanchez were the only pitchers to toss over 90 innings. Some of the team's top prospects appeared on the club, but it was a roster full of veterans looking for another shot at the big-league level. Minnesota's front office focused on adding depth to the big-league roster for the 2023 season. These moves naturally added more talent to the Saints' roster because the Twins pushed players down the organizational depth chart. Many big-league teams would be forced to use players like Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, Jose Miranda, and Edouard Julien. Luckily, the team has allowed these players to find their footing at the Triple-A level, no matter if they are playing well or struggling when they get called up. This depth has helped the Saints to start the season at the top of their division. Through Sunday's game, St. Paul had a 32-23 record with a +42 run differential. The Saints rank in the top 10 in runs per game, home runs, and OPS in the International League. St. Paul's pitchers have fared even better, ranking in the top-5 in ERA, strikeouts, and K/9. The top seven teams in the IL West Division are only separated by 4.5 games, so the Saints must continue to rely on organization depth to qualify for the playoffs. Saints fans can also look to Double-A for players that can reinforce the roster in the second half. Yunior Severino has started the year on a tear for Wichita with 12 home runs and an .899 OPS in his first 44 games. Brooks Lee is considered by many to be the organization's top prospect, and he's holding his own (.756 OPS) during his first full professional season. Alex Isola and DaShawn Keirsey have an OPS higher than .800 and can provide different defensive skills at Triple-A. Those are just some offensive weapons that could be in a Saints uniform later this year. On the mound, Blayne Enlow seems like a lock to enter St. Paul's rotation in the second half. The Twins removed him from the 40-man roster this winter, but he's out to prove he belongs. He has been terrific with a 3.30 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and a 61-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his first 49 innings. David Festa is another pitcher to watch at Double-A, but he's had a slower start to the 2023 campaign. The Wind Surge have been giving many late-inning opportunities to Alex Scherff, and he has posted a 12.13 K/9 that might translate well to the Saints bullpen. Injuries have started to impact the Twins, but it has yet to deplete the Saints' rosters. Fans in the Twin Cities can head to CHS Field and watch some impact players working toward Target Field. Minnesota's depth is substantial, and the Saints will continue to benefit throughout 2023. Do you think the Saints will continue to stay in the division race? Which players will significantly impact the Triple-A roster most in the second half? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Read and rejoice in the starting pitchers who thrived in the month of May. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey (graphics by Thieres Rabelo) An issue that popped up a little in this list is that of role assignments: pitchers in the minors often flip-flop between starting and relieving to eat up innings whenever they can. This poses challenges for those who acknowledge the delegation of title, as a starter with one relief appearance is still obviously a starter, but sometimes it isn't as clear-cut. I did my best to adhere to the spirit of the award while still understanding the sometimes silly nature of minor-league pitching order. Below are the names I thought most deserved to be on the list. Their ranking is entirely subjective; I value innings thrown, as those are outs, and outs are valuable, but also like to weigh strikeouts and peripheral numbers as they can differentiate between dominance and merely a pitcher getting lucky. In times when it's a toss-up, I valued the almighty ERA as the great equalizer—got that? Good; let's start. First, some honorable mentions: LHP Brent Headrick, St. Paul Saints Brent Headrick was second in the organization in strikeouts in May, punching out 32 hitters over 23 2/3 innings; run suppression proved his downfall, though, as he held a 4.18 ERA. RHP Marco Raya, Cedar Rapids Kernels May saw a rare perfect month as Marco Raya did not allow a run in four starts, striking out 35.0% of batters while walking just 2.5% of them. He only pitched 12 innings, though, which is why he was relegated to the honorable mention list. RHP Alejandro Hidalgo, Cedar Rapids Kernels Alejandro Hidalgo’s ERA was a sparkling 1.84, but he walked 12 batters over 14 2/3 innings, revealing some good fortune under the hood. LHP Jaylen Nowlin, Cedar Rapids Kernels Jaylen Nowlin led the organization in innings in May and walked just six batters. He also hit six more, though, limiting his placement to the honorable mention list. Now on to the main list: 5. LHP Jordan Carr - High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels, 21 IP, 24.1 K%, 1.71 ERA, 3.36 FIP Jordan Carr is a quick lesson in why pitcher designation in the minors is silly: Carr started three games in May but entered in relief once on May 26th to piggyback off Marco Raya, eventually finishing the game with six excellent frames. Technically that’s not a start, but Carr was still tremendous in May. With just four earned runs over 21 innings, Carr’s microscopic ERA was supported well by respectable strikeout and walks rates. Maybe next month, he won’t be a partial victim of circumstance, but for this month, he'll slot in as the fifth spot on this list. 4. RHP Blayne Enlow - AA Wichita Wind Surge, 25 1/3 IP, 32.4 K%, 3.20 ERA, 3.77 FIP An incredible lesson in patience and perseverance, Blayne Enlow rebounded from a middling 2022 season, making fools of Double-A hitters with revitalized stuff and excellent command. May was a continuation of April; Enlow gobbled up batters with two separate 10-K outings and a third start earning nine whiffs. If it weren't for a bizarre one-strikeout outing and another semi-blowup start, the 2017 draft pick could have reached even higher on this list. Still, Enlow is firmly back on the prospect map, and he could very well see major-league playing time sometime this season—something almost no one expected after the Twins removed him from the 40-man roster last off-season. 3. RHP Cory Lewis- Low-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, 19 2/3 IP, 34.6 K%, 2.29 ERA, 2.64 FIP Cory Lewis was a strong contender amongst the top three pitchers I considered for starter of the month. He didn’t take the top spot, but third place is something to cherish for the 22-year-old. He was dominant in May; A-Ball hitters walked back to the dugout 27 times after facing Lewis—a total only trailing Brent Headrick and Blayne Enlow, respectively. With a 0.92 WHIP and a suffocating .169 batting average against, that Lewis ever allowed runs seems like a miracle. You may remember him as the main force behind a May 14th combined no-hitter, striking out seven over 5 2/3 innings of work. He will inevitably join the Kernels sometime in the coming weeks, bringing his knuckleball north to the state of Iowa. 2. RHP Zebby Matthews - Low-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, 18 ⅓ IP, 36.0 K%, 1.96 ERA, 1.19 FIP 1.19 FIP! Yeah, that’s real, somehow. You should know about Zebby Matthews by now; perhaps no Twins pitching prospect has dominated this season like Matthews, who earned a promotion to Cedar Rapids before two full months had even passed. It’s easy to see why, though, given that Matthews allowed just four runs in May, striking out 27 batters while walking just two. Two. That’ll get a guy sent up a level. High-A hitters, be warned: Matthews looks to be a force even the strongest-willed amongst us would prefer to avoid. 1. LHP Aaron Rozek - AA Wichita Wind Surge, 22 2/3 IP, 22.4 K%, 1.99 ERA, 3.50 FIP A comeback story as fine as any. Aaron Rozek made three starts in April, surrendering 15 earned runs over 10 frames of work—unenviable numbers from the Burnsville native. But be it fate, fortune, hard work, or a combination of the three, Rozek found himself in May, turning in just five total earned runs over 22 2/3 innings. He beat out a tough crowd to become Twins Daily’s May Minor League starting pitcher of the month. In no start did he allow more than two earned runs, instead opting to hand his opponents one score before shutting them down for the evening; three of his starts were one-run endeavors. Those are difficult numbers to come by in an offensive-heavy environment like the Texas League. What are your thoughts on the starting pitching performances in the Twins minor leagues in May? How would you rank these pitchers? Comment below. View full article

The Twins removed Blayne Enlow from their 40-man roster this winter after he struggled in his return from Tommy John surgery. He's out to prove he belongs back in the Twins' long-term plans. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge The Twins drafted Blayne Enlow in the third round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of high school in Louisiana. Minnesota had to be strategic when working to sign Enlow since he was committed to playing for Louisiana State University. With the number one pick, the Twins took Royce Lewis and signed him to an under-slot deal, so the team could use that money to sign picks in later rounds. To coax him away from LSU, the Twins made Enlow one of two players in the third round to sign for $2,000,000. Enlow made his professional debut with the GCL Twins shortly after signing with the organization. In 20 1/3 innings, he allowed three earned runs on ten hits with a 19-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Minnesota moved him up to Low-A for 2018, where he was nearly three years younger than the average age of the competition. Enlow posted a 3.26 ERA with a 1.37 WHIP with 71 strikeouts in 94 innings. He only faced younger batters in 13 plate appearances, so it was an impressive first full season. In 2019, Enlow split time between Low- and High-A while pitching over 110 innings for the first time in his career. His first eight appearances came in Cedar Rapids, and his strikeout rate jumped from 6.8 K/9 in 2018 to 9.6 K/9. Minnesota promoted him to Fort Myers at the end of May, and his final 13 appearances came in the FSL. In 69 1/3 innings, he posted a 3.38 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP, but his K/9 dropped to 6.6 with the bump in competition. Enlow was solidifying himself as one of the organization's top pitching prospects, and the 2020 season had a chance to be a breakout year. Unfortunately, the pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season, and Enlow's 2021 season was also cut short. He started the season well as he limited batters to three earned runs (1.84 ERA) on 13 hits with 23 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings. But he underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2021 and missed the rest of that season and the beginning of the 2022 campaign. Minnesota still valued Enlow enough to add him to the 40-man roster that winter, even though he would miss time during the following season. Enlow returned from Tommy John surgery in May 2022, less than 12 months after the team announced his surgery. Many pitchers see ups and downs in their return from Tommy John surgery, which was the case for Enlow. Batters posted a .968 OPS against him during his first five starts, but his OPS allowed dropped by over 300 points in June and July. In the second half, batters started to find success against him again, and the team moved him to the bullpen to control his innings total. He ended the year with a 4.20 ERA, and the Twins removed him from the 40-man roster. Thankfully, Enlow cleared waivers, and the Twins kept him in the organization. This season, he's made eight starts at Double-A with a 3.02 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and a 48-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His control has improved this season, which can take time following Tommy John surgery. In 2022, he posted a 4.7 BB/9 and allowed nearly ten hits per nine, and this year his walk rate has dropped to 2.2 BB/9 with 8.0 H/9. He's allowing his career's highest home run rate (1.1 HR/9), but it's a limited sample size to this point. The Twins will likely need more starting pitching depth at the big-league level, especially with injuries to Tyler Mahle and Kenta Maeda. Enlow has been surpassed by other pitching prospects on the organization's depth chart, but his numbers this season are hard to ignore. He is on pace to be promoted to Triple-A, and then he is only a phone call away from making his big-league debut. What have been your impressions of Enlow in 2023? Will the Twins need him at some point this season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Minnesota's first draft under the current front office included a critical decision with the number one overall pick. However, that isn't the only player that has impacted the Twins from the 2017 draft class. Image courtesy of Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Major League Baseball's 2023 Draft is scheduled to start on July 9, 2023. Each team prepares for the draft with a specific plan, and sometimes those plans play out better than others. To prepare fans for the upcoming draft, this series will examine recent Twins drafts and how those players have performed so far in their professional careers. First Round: Royce Lewis, Brent Rooker The Twins had an intriguing choice at the top of the 2017 MLB Draft. Multiple players were in consideration for the top overall pick, including Hunter Greene, MacKenzie Gore, Brendan McKay, and Kyle Wright. Minnesota took Lewis and signed him to an under-slot deal which they could use on other picks in later rounds. Greene and Wright have provided positive value in the early years of their careers while the Twins are waiting on Lewis. Lewis was considered one of baseball's top prospects for multiple seasons, but now he is recovering from his second ACL surgery. At Twins Daily, the minor league writers had difficulty deciding whether Lewis or Brooks Lee should be the organization's top prospect. Lewis began his rehab assignment on Thursday, so he has a chance to rejoin the Twins next month. Minnesota's current front office has loved drafting college bats, and Rooker was the first player to fit this profile. The Twins selected him with the 35th overall pick, a competitive balance before the second round. He played 65 games for the Twins with a 96 OPS+, and the team included him in the Taylor Rogers trade with the Padres. In recent seasons, he's bounced around to a few different organizations before finding a home with the A's. Rooker is leading baseball in SLG, OPS, and OPS+. It didn't look like the Twins had room for him, so it's good he is getting an opportunity for a bad team. Second Round: Landon Leach The Twins used their second-round pick on Leach, a high school pitcher from Canada. He pitched fewer than 60 innings in the Twins organization and topped out in Low-A during the 2021 season. Last season, he pitched in the Braves organization and is currently a free agent. Minnesota passed over multiple players that have accumulated 2.4 WAR or more, including Griffin Canning and Daulton Varsho. Third Round: Blayne Enlow The Twins used some of the money they saved on Lewis to coax Enlow out of his commitment to LSU. He was one of two players in the third round to sign for $2,000,000. Enlow pitched well in the low minors with a sub-3.50 ERA and improving strikeout rates. Unfortunately, he underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2021. Since that time, Minnesota has added and removed him from the 40-man roster. Now in his age-24 season, Enlow is pitching well at Double-A with a 3.56 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and 11.0 K/9. If he continues pitching this well, he can put himself back into the team's long-term plans. 12th Round: Bailey Ober Ober has established himself at the big-league level, and he looks like a steal from the 12th round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He's accumulated more WAR than any other Twins draft pick from that class. Minnesota sent him to Triple-A to begin the season, but Tyler Mahle's season-ending injury firmly puts Ober into the rotation's fourth spot. He's made 35 big-league starts and has a 117 ERA+ for his career. Ober projects to be in the Twins' rotation for the better part of the next decade, which is an excellent value from a late-round pick. Other Notable Picks: Andrew Bechtold, Mark Contreras, Calvin Faucher, Charlie Barnes Bechtold and Contreras may never be significant contributors at the big-league level, but both have provided depth to the Twins organization. Contreras played in 28 games for the Twins last season and struggled with a .441 OPS. He's off to a solid start to the 2023 campaign with a .896 OPS with nine doubles and five homers at Triple-A. Bechtold is also a regular in the Saints line-up, and he has ten extra-base hits in his first 25 games this season. Two other Twins draft picks from the 2017 draft class have made their big-league debuts. Minnesota took Barnes in the fourth round and he pitched his way to Triple-A during his third professional season. He made nine appearances for the 2021 Twins and has pitched the last two seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization. Faucher was the team’s 10th round pick and he was included in the Nelson Cruz trade with Tampa. He’s bounced between Triple-A and the big leagues over the last two seasons with a 5.86 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP across 35 1/3 innings during his MLB stints. How should the Twins feel about the 2017 MLB Draft? Did they make the right pick at the top? Will Enlow impact the big-league roster? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. OTHER POSTS IN THE SERIES -2016 Draft Retrospective View full article

Three Minnesota Twins affiliates played on Wednesday. The Kernels lost an afternoon tilt. The Saints got a big inning, gave it up late, but then completed a walk-off win. The Wind Surge had a big inning, and then another, and one more on their way to a big win. Find out everything that happened in the Twins minor league system on Wednesday. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photos of Blayne Enlow, Brooks Lee) On Wednesday afternoon, the Minnesota Twins salvaged the third game of their three-game series against the San Francisco Giants. They got another solid start from Joe Ryan, and Edouard Julien and Matt Wallner both contributed mightily to the Twins win. Fort Myers was rained out on Wednesday, but the three other affiliates played. There were some big innings. There were comebacks. There was a walkoff. There was a Quality Start. There were homers, and lots of multi-hit games. Continue on to find out what all happened. St. Paul Saints: 24-21 Wichita Wind Surge: 19-21 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 22-19 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 23-17 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS No transactions on Wednesday. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 6, Omaha 5 Box Score In the bottom of the second inning, the Saints put up a big five spot. Were they able to hang on to that lead? Well, Omaha scored three runs in the top of the third and another in the fourth. But as the game went into the ninth inning, the Saints still held a 5-4 lead. Before we get to that, let’s talk about that five-run second frame. Hernan Perez got the team on the board with a double to score Ryan LaMarre. Jair Camargo followed with a single that drove in Perez with the second run. Royce Lewis, who batted second and played third base, then lined a double to left field that drove in Camargo and Andrew Stevenson. Finally, Jose Miranda singled to score Lewis with the fifth run of the inning. Lefty Brent Headrick was the Saints starter. In the third inning, he gave up a three-run homer to Royals middle infield prospect Nick Loftin. He also was charged with an unearned run in the fourth inning. In all, Headrick needed 82 pitches to work through four innings. He gave up four runs (3 earned) on seven hits and two walks. He recorded three strikeouts. Josh Winder had a nice outing. He tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked three and struck out four batters. Connor Sadzeck got the next four outs, three on strikeouts while maintaining the 5-4 lead. Oliver Ortega came on and walked a batter before getting a strikeout to get the eighth inning. In the top of the ninth inning, Ortega remained on the mound. He got the first batter to line out. Then he recorded a strikeout. With two outs, Logan Porter hit a soft single. Ortega then got a ground ball, but a throwing error put runners on first and third. Unfortunately, Dairon lined an 88 mph single that tied the score at five. Ortega got the final out on a fly out. So the Saints had to take their at-bats in the bottom of the ninth. Andrew Stevenson got things started with an opposite-field single. With Andrew Bechtold batting, Stevenson stole second base, his 16th of the season. Then on a 3-2 count, Bechtold hit a ground ball that the pitcher deflected toward second base, but he beat the throw to first. With runners on first and third and nobody out, Jose Miranda stepped to the plate. Bechtold took second on Defensive Indifference before Miranda walked it off with a single to left field to give the Saints a 6-5 win. Jose Miranda went 2-for- 5 with two RBI in the game. Lewis played the first seven innings before being replaced by Bechtold. Lewis went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Stevenson went 2-for-5. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 13, Springfield 1 Box Score It was a big day for the Wind Surge offense. They had a four-run third inning. In the seventh, they had a five-run inning to increase their lead to 10-1. They added three more in the eighth inning to provide the final score. Wichita had 18 hits and four walks in the game. Eight of nine starters had at least one hit. Seven of nine had multi-hit games. Three players had three hits in the game. We will get into the specifics for the hitters, but it's always important to highlight strong pitching. Blayne Enlow was the beneficiary of the offensive explosion, but he again did his job and kept the Cardinals’ prospects at bay. Enlow started with five shutout innings. He then gave up one run in the sixth inning. He was very efficient as well. He had just one out (the final batter he faced), but he also walked no one. He needed just 76 pitches to get through six innings. When the offense had their long, five-run seventh inning, his night was over. It was his third Quality Start of the season. Following the game, Blayne Enlow told Twins Daily, “It felt great. Complete opposite of last outing with the Ks (he had 10 strikeouts in 5 ⅓ innings), but I made the right pitches when I needed to and got weak contact that the defense just vacuumed up today.” Lefty Denny Bentley is back. He got five outs in this game, two on strikeouts. Alex Scherff gave up three hits and a walk over the final 1 1/3 innings, but also did not allow a run. Back to the offense. Let’s start with the big hits. In the four-run third, Anthony Prato got things started with a solo home run, his second of the season. Soon after, Yoyner Fajardo doubled in a run, and that was followed by Brooks Lee’s fourth homer of the year. Fajardo drove in Prato with a single in the fourth inning to make it 5-0. Yunior Severino got things going in the five-run seventh frame. His sixth double scored Brooks Lee. Next, Jake Rucker scored on a passed ball. DaShawn Keirsey’s seventh double (you need to see this one!) drove in two runs and the scoring for the inning was complete when Pat Winkel singled in Keirsey. Yoyner Fajardo has been incredible with the Wind Surge this season. In the eighth inning, he singled in another run. Lee followed with his 13th double. Finally, Severino hit into a double play that scored the team’s 13th and final run of the night. Fajardo, who came to the Twins organization as a minor-league Rule 5 pick this offseason, is speedy. But after his 3-for-5 night pushes his batting average to .316. The 24-year-old outfielder’s on-base percentage is up to .377. Following the game, Fajardo noted, "My thoughts for tonight were to hit (the ball to) the middle since the opposing team threw me a lot of breaking pitches the night before. I tried to think for the middle, and thank God, the results turned out well." Jake Rucker went 3-for-5. Seth Gray went 3-for-4 with a triple in the game. Brooks Lee went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, and a home run. His batting average is now .252 with an OPS of .753. Severino went 2-for-5. Keirsey went 2-for-5. Winkel went 2-for-4 with a walk. We seem to always highlight when the Twins and their affiliates don’t do well with runners in scoring position. Well, in this game, the Wind Surge went 7-for-9 in those situations. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Wisconsin 4 (10 innings) Box Score The Kernels hosted an afternoon game on Wednesday. It was quite a pitchers duel and needed an extra inning to decide it. Jaylen Nowlin made the start. The southpaw was charged with one run on seven hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out five batters. Regi Grace came on and worked two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, walked two and struck one out. Miguel Rodriguez worked two perfect innings and struck out one batter. Niklas Rimmel came on for the top of the 10th inning. As you know, the Rattlers started the inning with a runner on second base. Rimmel got a strikeout of Robert Moore. However, Matthew Wood singled to left which advanced the runner, Eric Brown Jr., to third base. However, Rimmel got Ben Metzinger to line out for the second out of the inning. Unfortunately, Joe Gray Jr drilled a three-run homer to put Wisconsin in front 4-1. With one out in the bottom of the 10th inning, Jeferson Morales singled to drive in the “Manfred Man” Andrew Cossetti to deficit to 4-2. But that was it for the Kernels and they fall to 22-19. In the game, the Kernels managed just three hits. Misael Urbina hit a solo homer leading off the second inning. Along with his 10th inning single, Morales had one of the team’s four walks. In his first High-A game, Cossetti went 0-for-4. Bonus Brewers Content (If you are a friend of the Brewers, or know people who are, be sure to send them to Brewer Fanatic.) For the Brewer Fanatic readers checking out today’s report, here are a few notes. OF Joe Gray was the Brewers second-round pick in 2018 out of high school in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. In high school, he played with and against Kernels RHP Regi Grace and OF Willie Joe Garry. Alexander Cornielle gave up one run on two hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings. Alex Hall went 2-for-3 with a walk. Matthew Wood was the Brewers fourth round pick out of Penn State last year. He had two hits in this game and is now hitting .344 with an .806 OPS in eight games since his promotion. Finally, 2022 top pick, shortstop Eric Brown Jr. was hit in the face by a pitch in late April. At the time, he was hitting .137/.267/.157 (.424) with one double in 14 games. After missing about 10 days, he returned to the lineup in early May. In 18 games since his return, he has hit .329/.429/.471 (.900) with four doubles and two homers. Overall, he has 17 walks with 22 strikeouts in 144 plate appearances. He also has 20 stolen bases and has only been caught twice. Definitely one to watch, including in this two-part Brewers Spotlight interview. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers, Dunedin (PPD-Rain) Box Score The game was postponed due to weather and field conditions in Dunedin. The teams will make up the game as part of a doubleheader on Saturday. . TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Blayne Enlow (Wichita Wind Surge) - 6 IP, 1 R, 6 H, 0 BB, 1 K. 76 pitches, 49 strikes (62.2%). Hitter of the Day – Brooks Lee (Wichita Wind Surge) - 2-for-4, BB, 2B(13), HR(4), 3 R, 3 RBI, K. PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 2-for-4, BB, 2B(13), HR(4), 3 R, 3 RBI, K, #2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul-Rehab) - 2-for-4, 2B(1), R, 2 RBI, 2 K, E. (played 3B). #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, BB, K. #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 1-for-3, BB, HR(3), 2 R, 2 RBI, SF, K, E #9 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 1-for-4, 2B(1), R, RBI, SB, #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB, 2 K. #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4. #15 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 4 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 82 pitches, 51 strikes (62.2%) #17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 76 pitches, 49 strikes (64.5%) #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 2-for-5, 2B(6), R, RBI, K . THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES Omaha @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (2-4, 4.89 ERA) Wichita @ Springfield (7:05 PM CST) - RHP David Festa (2-2, 5.58 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Kyle Jones (2-2, 3.62 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! View full article

A pretty average week as two teams went .500 and the other two were a game above or below. There were some standout performances and you can get the entire week in a glance right here. Image courtesy of Tim Grubbs Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. TRANSACTIONS None as of publishing. RESULTS Tuesday (5/16): Guess Who's Back? Back Again, Royce is Back, Tell a Friend Wednesday (5/17: Tough Day for the Twins Organization Thursday (5/18): Enlow Excites Again Friday (5/19): Prospects Put on a Show Saturday (5/20): The Only Way to Win is With Mother Nature Sunday (5/21): Winkel Wins it for Wichita MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT One Pitcher From Each Minor League Level That Deserves a Promotion Twins Daily Updates Top 20 Prospect Rankings Bring on Balazovic Rankings Update: 4 Twins Prospects Crack MLB's Top 100 It’s Time to Jump on the Yunior Severino Hype Train TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (11:07AM CST) - TBD Wichita @ Springfield (6:355PM CST) - TBD Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Pierson Ohl (2-3, 3.60 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30PM CST) - TBD WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 2-4) Overall: 23-20, 2.5 games back in the International League West. Overview: The Saints dropped four of six at Columbus and will start a homestand on a two-game losing streak. 🔥: It sure is nice having Royce Lewis back playing. He hit three home runs among eight hits for the Saints. He looks back to his normal self and will be ready for activation around the first of June. 🔥: Brent Headrick struck out seven in his start. He gave up two runs on four hits in six innings. 🥶: Matt Wallner struck out 15 times in six games. He still had six hits in 25 at-bats, including two doubles. But a 60% strikeout rate is… yikes. 🥶: Last season, Jose Miranda turned his season around with a demotion that included taking zero at-bats at Triple-A. This week, he went 3-22 with two runs and three RBIs. With Lewis’ return imminent, Miranda could find himself buried even further down the organizational depth chart. 🥶: Randy Dobnak made two starts. He allowed nine hits and five earned runs in only four innings. What's Next: The Saints will host Omaha (18-24). Omaha has the worst record in the International League West and is only a game and a half out of last place in the entire International League. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 3-3) Overall: 18-20, 6-5 games back in the Texas League North. Overview: The winning streak has ended with a split with a Arkansas, so no ground was made up in the race for the division. 🔥: Alex Isola collected eight hits including two home runs in twenty-five at-bats. 🔥: Blayne Enlow keep getting it done. In 5 1/3 innings, he struck out 10, walked none and gave up one run (a home run) on six hits. 🔥: Jordan Brink collected two saves, allowing only one hit in four shutout sinnings. He walked one and struck out three. 🔥: Aaron Rozek struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed only one run on two hits and two walks. 🥶: David Festa has really come down after such a hot start to the season. Festa couldn't make it out of the third inning in his last start and gave up five runs on five hits, three walks and a hit batter. 🥶: After being on top of the world, Yunior Severino came back down to earth. He was 6-25 with no extra base hits and eight strikeouts. What's Next: A trip back on the road to Springfield (16-22) who is in last place. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 4-2) Overall: 22-17, 0.5 games back in the Midwest League West. Overview: The Kernels took four of six from a Peoria team who was also competing in the division. 🔥: Kala’i Rosario had two home runs and a double while batting 7-20. He drove in five runs. 🔥: Jaylen Nowlin stuck out four and allowed three runs over six innings, issuing no walks but allowing one home run among the three scored. 🤔: Misael Urbina didn't exactly tear it up, but five hits and three walks is a huge improvement over how he's been playing. He's still 21, so there's time... but the ticking is louder than it was when he wasn't hitting at all in Fort Myers in 2021. 🥶: Alejandro Hidalgo struggled to locate in his lone start. He walked six and only got four outs. 🥶: Ben Ross was 2-20. He scored three runs and drove in one. He struck out five times and had a team-low OPS of .236 (minimum five at-bats). What's Next: Next up is the last place Timber Rattlers (11-27) who are 11 games out of first place. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 3-3) Overall: 22-17, 7.0 games behind Clearwater in the Florida State League West. Overview: The Mighty Mussels split with Lakeland but remain in second place. 🔥: Andrew Cossetti led the team with seven hits on the week and was one of seven different hitters to triple. 🔥: Christian McLeod allowed one run on a hit and two walks over four innings. He struck out seven. 🔥: Zebby Matthews and Cory Lewis both had pretty good performances. Both were hurt by unearned runs, but struck out nine and eight, respectively. Both have been setting themselves up for a summer promotion. 🤔: Jorel Ortega had three extra base hits, but struck out eight times in 22 at-bats. Ortega has been playing a pretty solid third base, but he'll have to lower his strikeout numbers, which are just a tick below 30%. 🥶: Dalton Shuffield went hitless in 14 at-bats over the week. The 10th-round pick came out on fire after being drafted, but hasn't hit for average or power like he did last year. He has taken more walks though. What's Next: The road trip continues in Dunedin (21-18) who are tied with Bradenton and are one game behind Fort Myers. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated on the first of each month throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. (Season-long stats will be in parenthesis.) 20. Michael Helman, UTIL, St. Paul: On the Injured List with a dislocated shoulder. (.333/.434/.711. 1.145 OPS) 19. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 6-25, R, BB, 8 K. (.277/.356/.546. .902 OPS) 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Extended Spring Training 17. Blayne Enlow, RHP, Wichita: 1-0, 1.69 ERA, 6.1 IP, 6 H, ER, HRA, 10K. (1.15 WHIP, .235 BAA) 16. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 15. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 3.00 ERA, 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, HB, 7 K. (1.27 WHIP, .277 BAA) 14. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 4 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, HRA, 5 K. (1.29 WHIP, .210 BAA) 13. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 4-21, HR, RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K. (.199/.288/.270. .558 OPS), played shortstop in five games (26 total) and committed one error in 27 chances (four errors in 130 total chances); played one game (six total) at second base and committed no errors in one chance (16 total). 12. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 3-17, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, 4 K, SB, CS (.159/.236/.221. .457 OPS), played one at shortstop and had one error in three chances (three errors in 29 chances in nine games total) and one game (eight total) at third base with no errors in one chance (two errors in 17 total chances). He played three games (14 total) at second base with one error in 19 chances (one error in 60 total chances). 11. Austin Martin, SS: Martin is still recovering from an arm injury. 10. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Extended Spring Training 9. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: 6-25, 2 2B, BB, 15 K. (.271/.392/.486. 878 OPS); Minnesota: (.000/.273/.000. .273 OPS) 8. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 19.29 ERA, 2.1 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, HRA, HB, 3 BB, 1 K. (1.50 WHIP, .273 BAA) 7. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 3.60 ERA, 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 3 K (1.67 WHIP, .294 BAA); Minnesota: (2.14 WHIP, .350 BAA) 6. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, H, 2 K. (0.89 WHIP, .170 BAA) 5. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: On the injured list, but expected to resume throwing. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 4. Edouard Julien, 2B, St. Paul: 4-10, 2B, R, 4 BB, 4 K. (.287/.442/.481. .923 OPS), has played all 27 games at second base and has committe two errors in 119 chances; Minnesota: 1-5, B, 2K (.219/.286/.406. .692 OPS) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 3-17, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI, 5 BB, 7 K, SB. (.167/.322/.375. 697 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: St. Paul: 6-16, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 5 K, SB, CS. (.333/.500/.500. 1.000 OPS), played two games (three total) at shortstop and committed no errors in four chances (no errors in eight total chances). Lewis played two games (three total) at third base and committed no errors in one two chances (no errors in three total chances). 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 4-19, HR, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 3 K, SB, CS. (.252/.331/.403. .734 OPS), played five games (33 total) at shortstop and committed no errors in 24 chances (three errors in 136 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (as voted on by fans on Twitter) PITCHER - Blayne Enlow, Wichita HITTER - Royce Lewis, St. Paul Who would have been your picks? Any early season surprises or disappointments? Ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects in the COMMENTS below. View full article

In just over a month’s worth of minor league games, some pitchers are starting to stand out. Here are three arms, one from each level, that have impressed so far in 2023. If they keep it up for much longer, they could be pressing for a promotion in the near-future. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge Even though we’re less than two months into the minor league season, we’re getting to the point where sample sizes for prospects start to require more serious discussion in terms of what comes next. Whether the organization decides to reward them with a promotion to the game’s next level is very much up in the air. But at the very least, the players are getting the attention of the Twins’ top-brass. Here are three players that should be in the conversation when the time comes to adjust the competition level. Pierson Ohl (High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels) After being drafted in the 14th-round of the 2021 draft, Ohl made only one appearance for the Florida complex league. But before that, he was a three-year starter for Grand Canyon University, where he started a total of 35 games. He had a career ERA of 2.99 in college, and while he didn’t get the fanfare of some other college arms in that draft class, he showed some strengths that led him to a professional career. In his final collegiate season, Ohl threw just over 100 innings of 2.60 ERA ball and averaged just over a strikeout per inning. Baseball America liked his plus-changeup and usable curveball, saying he was “the textbook example of a pitcher thriving on pitchability to compensate for a below-average fastball.” Without the comfort of a big heater, Ohl had to develop his off-speed as a swing-and-miss offering. He’s always been a pitcher with strong control, averaging just 1.3 walks per nine innings at GCU. That has carried over to professional ball, and has even reached new heights in his second year with the Twins Organization (0.69 BB/9). All in all, Ohl has a 2.77 ERA with a 25% strikeout rate and just two walks in the season’s first month. Yes, that’s a small sample, but players with three or more seasons at the collegiate level under their belts tend to progress quickly – or not at all. If Ohl keeps pitching like he has thus far, a promotion to Double-A Wichita is a reasonable jump since he’s going to turn 24-years-old later this summer. Blayne Enlow (Double-A Wichita Wind Surge) There was much ballyhoo in January when the Twins placed Enlow on outright waivers. He was the odd man out when the club needed to make room on the 40-man roster for the newly-acquired Oliver Ortega. The logic behind the decision was sound, as the team needed to bring in some competition for their bullpen spots, and Enlow was still easing back into his development after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2021. He had become somewhat of an afterthought on the depth chart, but many were still disappointed to see him cut from the roster. After all, he was drafted in the third round of the 2017 draft and was touted as a first-round talent that only slipped due to signability concerns. The Twins were able to give him an over-slot offer after saving some funds by taking Royce Lewis first overall. They liked Enlow for his lethal curveball and his big-league starter upside coming out of high school. Now in 2023, he’s starting to show flashes of that potential in the upper-minors. Through seven starts with Double-A Wichita, the 24-year-old right-hander has a solid 3.28 ERA, but he’s striking out 31.8% of opponents and limiting his walks back to the levels he was showing pre-surgery. He had a rough go results-wise upon returning to the hill last season, especially when it came to control (11.6% walk rate), so it’s nice to see him button this up so far in 2023 with just a 6.8% walk rate. Now that more time has passed since his procedure, he’s showing why fans were worried about another team claiming him when he was outrighted. He’s benefitted from adding a pitch to his repertoire – something he has in common with a handful of arms on the Twins’ staff. “Like several other Twins pitchers, he’s added a sweeper to the mix this year, giving him five usable offerings and some potential for untapped upside as he gets more comfortable with it,” Aaron Gleeman said in a recent piece for The Athletic. “Durability and consistency will be key, but Enlow is still young enough to get back on the prospect map.” Jordan Balazovic (Triple-A St. Paul Saints) The former fifth-round pick in the 2016 draft has lost some of his luster since being a back-end Top 100 prospect a few years ago. He battled various injuries, most notably a left knee injury that affected his delivery for much of last season. He was then sidelined for the first few weeks of spring training after breaking his jaw in an off-field incident. It was a real punch to the face for the 24-year-old, both figuratively and literally. But Balazovic has found a way to put the past behind him, and has had an impressive first month at Triple-A with the Saints. On the year, he has a 2.89 ERA across 18 ⅔ innings pitched. He has made eight appearances (three starts), and seems to be the ideal candidate for the Twins’ desire to find a crop of arms to be bulk relievers. If all goes well, he’ll get a promotion to the major league club as a low-leverage reliever that can sop up innings if a starter departs early, or if the score gets out of reach for either team. And by all accounts, all is going well so far for Balazovic. His strikeout numbers are strong (12.5 K/9) thanks to a very strong 14.6% swinging-strike rate, and he’s only allowed one home run, which was his biggest crux in 2022 when he allowed 20 bombs. Scouts praise his curveball as his best offering, and his splitter draws solid marks, as well. If he can limit the damage done against his fastball, he’ll take the next step as an MLB-ready arm entering the prime seasons of his career. What do you think? Are we going to see any of these three at the next level in 2023? Who else has impressed you enough to deserve a promotion? Let us know what you think in the comment section below. View full article

We last updated the Twins Daily Top 20 prospects in February, our preseason Top 20. Now the players are about six or seven weeks, and 30-40 games into their 2023 seasons. It was time to update the rankings. This time, we did it a little different. Find out more, and were there any big changes? Image courtesy of Katherine Ramirez, Frisco RoughRiders When Twins Daily just started about a dozen years ago, I wrote the majority of minor league content and the first few Top Prospect rankings were basically me, along with Cody Christie and Jeremy Nygaard, sharing our rankings. Since then, we have been including as many Twins Daily writers who provide minor-league content (written or video). It obviously becomes much more of consensus ranking than a more limited group. With this prospect ranking, we are adding even more data points. Here’s how it works. I worked with our minor-league staff on our prospect rankings. I asked them to provide me with their Top 30 players and with that determine the Top 20 for the writers. In addition, Brock started a forum topic, asking Twins Daily readers to provide their Top 20 rankings. After several days, he then went into those rankings and consolidated them into the forum Top 20. Take the writer rankings. Take the forum community rankings. Give each 50% weight, and "Voila!" We have our new Top 20 Twins Prospects from Twins Daily. Some players have started well. Some players have struggled early. Several players have had or fought injuries. All of that may alter the rankings. So below, I will get to the updated Top 20 rankings, but here are some notes about those rankings. Who’s Out? First, Louie Varland is no longer in the rankings. While he is technically still a “prospect” today, as soon as he gets three more outs in the big leagues, he will hit the 50-inning mark, removing his prospect status. This is a great way to no longer make a prospect list! Three players at the back end of the previous rankings fell out of the Top 20. #17 Ronny Henriquez was hurt through spring training, then made about four rehab appearances and is now on the Saints roster. This one feels a bit out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Also, that he is most likely a relief pitcher likely pushes him down a couple of spots too. #18 Tanner Schobel was the team’s second-round pick last year out of Virginia Tech. He has made the jump to High-A Cedar Rapids where the 23-year-old is playing all over the infield and hitting about .240 with three homers. Finally, #20 Misael Urbina fell down a bit, just outside the Top 20. The 21-year-old outfielder is hitting just over .160 in his first month-plus of High-A ball. Who’s In? #15 – Brent Headrick jumps into the Top 20 rankings after not being in the Top 30 this spring. Many were surprised that he was added to the 40-man roster last fall. Articles were written saying he may be a DFA candidate in spring training if a roster spot was needed. Instead, the 25-year-old lefty had a terrific showing in spring training. He was sent to St. Paul to start the season, despite spending just two months at Double-A Wichita last season. Early in the season, the Twins needed a long reliever and summoned Headrick. He impressed with three solid innings out of the bullpen in Fenway Park in his debut, recording a save in the process. He got the final out in a win over the Nationals. Then he had another extended outing in Yankees Stadium and fared well. With Tyler Mahle and Kenta Maeda out for the foreseeable future, we are not likely to see Headrick in a long-relief role anytime soon. It’s possible he, along with Simeon Woods Richardson, are the two candidates for spot starts for the time being. #17 – Blayne Enlow returns to the Top 20 with a strong start to his 2023 season. As you know, the former third-round pick needed Tommy John surgery in June of 2021. He was added to the 40-man roster following that season anyway. He worked his way back and after just one rehab appearance, he was pushed up to Double-A. Admittedly, he had some troubles, throwing strikes, being consistent, as is not unusual following surgery. He was removed from the 40-man this offseason, cleared waivers, and started this season back in Double-A for somewhat of a make or break season. Somewhat surprising, he returned to the starter role. It hasn’t been perfect, but he’s shown the increased velocity, the walks are down, and he is getting a lot of strikeouts. Enlow has spent a lot of time in the Twins Daily Top 10 Prospect rankings since being drafted in 2017. He’s incredibly driven and still has an opportunity to be a long-term big-league pitcher. #19 – Yunior Severino was an intriguing signing when he signed with the Twins for $2.5 million. You can read a lot more about him, especially if you want to hop on the Severino Hype Train, so I won’t get into a ton of detail here. However, over the past couple of seasons, he has really developed his powerful swing. His 10 home runs this season are four more than any other minor leaguer in the Twins minor leagues. He’s been eligible to be selected I the Rule 5 a couple of years already. It’s very possible he wouldn’t get through that process again. #20 – Michael Helman has had a tough season, if we are being honest, but his “stock” and respect in the organization and in the mind’s of many Twins fans has greatly improved. He earned an invitation to big-league spring training, but then he hurt his hamstring and missed that opportunity, along with the first month of the season. He returned to St. Paul and for a week, he was remarkable, but now he’s on the IL with a dislocated shoulder. How long will he be out? We shall see. But if healthy, if there is a need for a versatile, right-handed bench or platoon bat, Helman is a candidate. He has hit 19 and 20 homers, respectively, the past two seasons. He stole 40 bases last year. Over the past couple of seasons, he has played at least 20 games at seven position (4 infield and 4 outfield), and hey, he was a catcher in high school, and he has a strong arm and could probably pitch if needed too. No Change at the Top Probably no surprise, but the top three did not change at all. The ‘battle’ for #1 prospect between Brooks Lee and Royce Lewis was incredibly close, and it still was. However, Lee remained at #1 for both the writers and the community. There are those (like me), who will continue to have Lewis at #1 because of his potential, his make up, and the potential we saw in his 12 games with the Twins in 2022. For others, the back-to-back seasons with the ACL injuries, were too much to keep him at #1. Neither answer is right, and neither answer is wrong. But it certainly can be a fun discussion. And Twins fans, we should ultimately just be thankful to have both in the organization. And while he has been limited with an injury, and a strikeout machine when he has been healthy, we all still believe in Emmanuel Rodriguez’s upside, and he sticks at #3. Big Movers? There really weren’t a lot of players that moved up or down the list significantly, aside from the four new guys mentioned above. But of those that were on the list preseason and now, the player who moved up the most is RHP David Festa who moved up to #8 from #13. He has been solid for Wichita and has his best start recently. He is also sitting with a fastball between 96-98 mph. Jose Salas fell four spots. He is one of the ten youngest players in the Midwest League, and he (like several of the Twins young prospects in Cedar Rapids) has struggled to keep his batting average over about .160. New to the organization, we didn’t necessarily know where to rank him before the season. Now we have six weeks of data points that haven’t looked pretty. However, there is no question that the tools are there with the bat and with his speed. What does it mean? Connor Prielipp moved up two spots to #5. He made just a couple of starts in Cedar Rapids before being placed on the IL with some left arm concerns. The reports on him since have been positive, but that’s scary. Jordan Balazovic couldn’t have had a more difficult past season. He started 2022 hurt, and then really struggled all season with the Saints. Then came this spring training where, well, things didn’t go well. His season started a bit late and then he started the season in the bullpen. But something happened. He returned to form. Sure, there have been too many walks, but he’s been making starts and shown the ability to be really good, even dominant, for two or three innings. Maybe he extends that length, or maybe he becomes a 2-3 inning guy with great stuff. Austin Martin and Matt Canterino fell just one spot in the rankings. Simeon Woods Richardson has an ERA over seven, and he only fell a couple of spots. Marco Raya and Emmanuel Rodriguez each missed a month with injury. Rodriguez stayed at #3, and Raya fell to #6 (one spot behind Prielipp). It seems like guys that missed time stayed close to where they were, or even moved up, in part due to the reality that very few top prospects have actually played great to start the season. Yes, Varland has improved, but now he’s not eligible for the list. Edouard Julien has been quite good with the Saints and showed some of what he can be in his short time with the Twins. Matt Wallner continues to bash Triple-A pitching. But those were top guys already with not very many spots to move up. Who else has started the season making a strong impression? Solid Starts, but not quite Top 20 Andrew Cossetti got a few Top 30 votes by our writers, and he has had a huge start to his season. Severino has been fantastic. For Fort Myers, Jorel Ortega is playing very well, and Dalton Shuffield is hitting well for the Mighty Mussels. Noah Cardenas has been a bright spot in the Kernels’ lineup, and I would argue that Ben Ross and Kala’i Rosario should have moved up people’s lists, but to the borderline of the top 20. DaShawn Keirsey is again playing well in Wichita and already has 16 stolen bases. Yoyner Fajardo has hit very well, for average, with the Wind Surge. On the mound, a few of the 2022 draft picks have started out strong. That would include Kyle Jones, Cory Lewis, Zebby Matthews, and C.J. Culpepper are doing well. Pierson Ohl moved up a level and has 26 strikeouts with just two walks. Newcomer Alejandro Hidalgo is young for the Midwest League, but he’s got a 1.50 ERA with the Kernels. Jaylen Nowlin is still striking out a ton of batters, though he’s walking some as well. Out of the bullpen, Regi Grace has been fantastic all season. Kody Funderburk’s ERA and strikeout rate have been terrific, though his WHIP is quite high. Matthew Swain is really starting to dominate. 2022 Day 3 draft picks Ben Ethridge and Zach Veen both have ERAs of 1.20 and lower, and WHIPS under 1.00. Who’s Next? Well, as you would expect, I can only speak to which players are next in line on the writers’ “ballots,” just outside our consensus Twins Daily Top 20 prospects. At the top of that list is Fort Myers shortstop Danny De Andrade. He was a big international free agent signing a couple of years ago. He’s being challenged, but so far, he has at least held his own. Here are “The Next 10.” 21.) Danny De Andrade, Fort Myers 22.) Misael Urbina, Cedar Rapids 23.) Ronny Henriquez, St. Paul 24.) Tanner Schobel, Cedar Rapids 25.) Bryan Acuna, FCL 26.) Cole Sands, Minnesota 27.) Kala’I Rosario, Cedar Rapids 28.) Jaylen Nowlin, Cedar Rapids 29.) Alejandro Hidalgo, Cedar Rapids 30.) Byron Chourio, FCL Ask Away Be sure to dig around in the Twins Daily Prospect Tracker to learn more about each of the Top 20 prospects. But feel free to use the COMMENTS below to discuss these prospects. Who is ranked too high, and who is ranked too low? And be sure to ask us about our rankings or about any of the players. We will try to answer your questions, and hopefully get comments from our minor-league writers on their thoughts too. View full article