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On our pitching staff we have a rock solid starting 5 or even 6 if you count Mahle. (Lopez, Gray, Ryan, Ober, and Meada) In the pen we have Duran, Jax, Pagan, and Thielbar and then we have the other guys. Who are the other guys? They are the depth starters and relievers used to round out the staff. The other guys include: Varland, Winder, Keuchel, Headrick, Balazovic, Sands, Brock, Deleon, Ortega and Funderburk. These guys combined to make 17 starts and pitch 283.33 innings giving up 135 Earned Runs for a 4.29 ERA with 113 BB and 281 Ks. They combined to go 16 wins and 7 loses and 3 saves. We wouldn't have been able to win the division without their contributions. Much like our bench who managed to hit league around league average and provide value on offense and some on defense. These pitchers held their own in the rotation and bullpen. Some of them will be counted on for bigger roles as early as next season with the hopes that Varland and Funderburk can step up and be major parts of the staff. And Brock made it to that point already in his limited time with the Twins (27 2/3 innings pitched). Will anyone else step-up next season? Who else will step up and be a bigger part of the pen? who will remain as one of the other guys. Someone who helps glue the staff together and contributes in places where needed. And who will join this group of unheralded pitchers to step in where needed if only for a start or a few relief appearances?

The Cedar Rapids Kernels started the Midwest League Championship Series in style, while the St. Paul Saints dominated on the mound. Wichita was up against long odds and was looking for a way to extend their season. Check out the action within. Image courtesy of Steve Buhr, Twins Daily 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! View full article

A champ on the 2019 Nationals toasted AAA enough to earn a promotion to the Twins. Image courtesy of Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports As reported by Do-Hyoung Park, the Twins have called up outfielder Andrew Stevenson as part of September’s roster expansion. In his first season with the Twins organization, Stevenson played in 106 games with the St. Paul Saints, slashing .317/.394/.522 (.916) with 16 homers, 91 runs, and 44 stolen bases. That last number may be the most pertinent; the Twins are stagnant on the bases outside of Willi Castro and Michael A. Taylor, so adding Stevenson deepens their pinch-running pockets, allowing the team to be a little more aggressive later in ballgames. Stevenson’s glove is also considered plus, according to Eric Longenhagen’s 2018 prospect report on him. Stevenson, 29, has 248 MLB games under his belt, all with the Washington Nationals. Most of his playing time came in 2021, when he hit .229/.294/.339 (.633) in 213 plate appearances. He was, though, on the 2019 roster when the Nationals won the World Series, giving the Twins yet another former player from that team (Taylor). Stevenson didn’t factor into the postseason much; his lone appearance came during the infamous Wild Card game vs the Brewers, when he pinch-ran and scored on Juan Soto’s single late in the game. The move leaves Austin Martin out in the cold. Martin crushed AAA pitching in August with a .329/.460/.544 (1.004) slash line and more walks than homers, leading to hushed murmurs on a potential promotion. That will likely have to wait. Although the team could add him if a relevant player is injured, the move signifies a preference for veteran assurance over seeing what the youngster Martin could do. To make room for Stevenson on the 40-man roster, the Twins placed infielder Jose Miranda on the 60-Day Injured List. The other September call-up is left-handed pitcher Brent Headrick. View full article

While their Major League brothers were “walking it off” at Target Field with a bunt, a top prospect in Cedar Rapids had grander ambitions on Tuesday night. Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Brent Headrick) 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! View full article

The best part of that game was when it ended. Image courtesy of Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Dallas Keuchel: 1 2/3 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 0 K Home Runs: Jorge Polanco (7), Max Kepler (19) Bottom 3 WPA: Dallas Keuchel (-.486), Ryan Jeffers (-.073), Joey Gallo (-.054) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) For a moment, it appeared to be 2019 again; the last time the Twins played at Citizens Bank Park, Jorge Polanco hit for the cycle and Max Kepler homered in all three games. Four years later, the two went back-to-back in the 2nd inning, giving Minnesota a quick 2-0 lead. That would be the apex of the game, though, as Dallas Keuchel imploded in the 2nd inning, allowing enough hits to get himself removed before the third out could be had. It was a bludgeoning dynamic and brutal; the Phillies cracked six hits, churning in just as many runs as everything Keuchel threw was walloped into empty grass. Even the two outs he earned brought in runs. Batted balls failed to find gloves, instead banging around the field, creating chaos and scoring runs as the visions of his double plays on Sunday become distant and unrecognizable. Across 10 balls in play, Keuchel allowed an average exit velocity of 95.5. To his credit, at least, the Phillies terrorized every pitcher the Twins threw out there; Josh Winder could only last two frames before giving way to Brent Headrick; neither man survived without allowing multiple earned runs. In the background—as Minnesota’s pitchers allowed contact loud and obtrusive—the Twins settled into their usual routine against left-handed starters, with flashes of scoring potential drowned in their monolith of muck. Cristopher Sánchez did as Keuchel was supposed to, coaxing nine groundouts over six frames to earn a workman-like win. If you looked closely, there were three generations of crafty lefties at the stadium: Keuchel—whose remaining playing days appear few—Sánchez, who looks well-suited to join the ranks of tricky southpaws of year’s past, and Jim Kaat, who likely watched Keuchel with the painful eye of a player who knows all too well how a start like his could occur. The rest of the game was the slow, inevitable march towards 27 outs. It’s baseball at its least compelling; runs scored by either side feel like vain roadblocks on the way to the inevitable conclusions. Relievers replace each other endlessly. Hits and walks? Pointless. A decent lawyer could argue they never happened. Sometimes time can appear to move backwards during these Twilight Zone frames creating infinite, inconsequential baseball. Jordan Luplow eventually pitched, placing the perfect bow on top of this awful game. Notes: Dallas Keuchel has not struck out a batter in 6 2/3 innings with the Twins. Max Kepler is one homer away from tying his second-highest single-season homer total. He is many home runs away from reaching the 36 he hit in 2019. Jordan Luplow has now been involved in three instances of a position player pitching since joining the Twins; Saturday was his first on the mound venture with his new club. Carlos Correa extended his hitting streak to seven games. Post-Game Interview: What’s Next? The Twins and Phillies will play the second game of their series at 5:05 PM on Saturday; Pablo López will start against Taijuan Walker. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet View full article

The Twins looked the best they have all season against a left-handed starter to begin the four game series in Detroit. Joey Wentz started for Detroit and the Twins knocked him off early, scoring eight runs on him in the first three innings. Image courtesy of David Reginek, USA Today Sports Box Score SP: Pablo Lopez 7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K (96 pitches, 70 strikes (73% strikes)) Home Runs: Ryan Jeffers (9), Carlos Correa (13) Top 3 WPA: Ryan Jeffers .190, Carlos Correa .150, Pablo Lopez .080 Win Probability Chart Early Innings Fireworks Wentz didn't have control of the strike zone from the first pitch he threw as Donovan Solano snapped the ball to center field for a lead-off double. Following a Jorge Polanco strikeout, one hit followed another. Carlos Correa's RBI double to put the Twins up 1-0, then a Max Kepler single, and finally a Ryan Jeffers three-run home run to make it an early 4-0 lead for Minnesota. The offense cooled off from there in the first but still had every Twins hitter get to the plate. From there, the Twins continued to do damage. The second time through the lineup in the second inning saw back-to-back singles from Solano and Polanco, then, for the first time since July 17, Carlos Correa hit a home run. The three-run shot made it 7-0, and for once this season, the Twins figured out how to solve a left-handed starter. Any further rally threats died, with Wentz retiring the next three batters, one-two-three in the second. In the third, Willi Castro scored on an RBI ground out from Michael A. Taylor, putting the Twins up 8-0. Lopez Cruises Through Motor City Kitties Pablo Lopez was as sharp as ever on the pitcher's mound Monday night. Starting his night already up 4-0, Lopez got a groundout and a couple of strikeouts but did give up a two-out single to Matt Vierling. Lopez faced the minimum in the fourth inning. Otherwise, the Tigers' hitters found ways to reach base in every inning he threw. Fortunately, Lopez's pitch mix still worked to his advantage, getting 17 swings and misses in the game and adding eight strikeouts to his 165 on the season coming into Monday. Lopez's curveball resulted in the most swings and misses, with his breaking balls on Monday having five, while his four-seam fastball got him an additional six. Even with five hits surrendered and one batter reaching on an error, Lopez allowed no walks making this his fourth start of the season with zero walks allowed. It's also the first time since September 20 and 27 of 2022 that he had back-to-back starts with no walks surrendered. Late Inning Runs for Both Teams The Twins had insurance runs added on in the late innings unexpectedly. Alex Lange walked three hitters in the top of the eighth and gave up a run without giving up a single hit as he threw a pitch to Kepler that hit him in the foot and gave the Twins a 9-0 lead. With such a massive lead, the Twins removed Kepler from the game and put Matt Wallner in as a pinch runner. Ryan Jeffers, however, struck out looking to end the inning. The insurance run helped the Twins a bit. Reliever Brent Headrick was given a second inning of work in the ninth, and he hit Kerry Carpenter in the hand (which looked like it could have been a lot worse). Zack Short followed with a single and Nick Maton launched a 3-run shot to kill the shutout and make it 9-3. Headrick got the final out after throwing 41 pitches. Other Notes Taylor's walk in the top of the eighth made him the last Twins batter to get on base in Monday night's game. The last game the Twins had every hitter getting on base at least once was on Saturday, July 29, a 7-10 loss against Kansas City on the road. What's Next? The Twins play the second of a four-game series against the Tigers beginning at 5:40 p.m. CT tomorrow. Sonny Gray will make the start for the Twins against Eduardo Rodriguez for the Tigers. Postgame Interview Coming soon. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet 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

The Twins needed a win against the red-hot Red Sox tonight to get back to the .500 mark and stay in first place. What they got instead were plenty of reminders as to how they got below the .500 mark again in the first place. Here are the main storylines from tonight's game. Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Bailey Ober: 6 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K ( 95 pitches, 63 strikes (66%) Home Runs: Byron Buxton (11), Royce Lewis (4), Max Kepler (8) Bottom 3 WPA: Edouard Julien (-0.130), Max Kepler (-0.113), Brent Headrick (-0.092) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) The Twins began the night with a losing record again, still nursing a two-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central. The last time this happened, the Twins were able to win four of their next five against Toronto and Milwaukee to create some separation, only to come crashing back to earth against the Tigers and Red Sox. Many storylines surrounded the game tonight, and most of them contained some element of desperation and exasperation. Storyline #1 - Twins Starting Pitching Had a Rough Week After carrying the team for the bulk of the season, the Twins starting staff had taken their lumps this past week, with only Bailey Ober and the bullpen game bringing home victories. As the Twins sent down Louie Varland in anticipation of Kenta Maeda's return this week, stalwarts Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, and Pablo Lopez all got rocked and caused the bullpen to overexert themselves last week. Luckily, Ober was the man on the mound tonight, and he started the game on cruise control blanking the Red Sox through the first three innings with four strike outs. Then Adam Duvall happened in the top of the fourth, and he crushed a home run to dead center to put the Red Sox ahead 1-0. Then one out later, Christian Arroyo homered to left to make the score 2-0. After a redemptive fifth inning, Ober came back out for the sixth. The Red Sox did more of what the Red Sox have done lately, they hit the ball all over the place with two outs. Three singles equals one more run, and it was now 3-0. Ober's night ended, and when your teammates can't score a run to save their lives, giving up three runs usually is going to end in a loss. Storyline #2 - Byron Buxton Riding an 0-for-24 Streak Skipper Rocco Baldelli grows more and more impatient with the question, but its going to keep getting asked. When will Buxton be roaming the outfield again? The life of a DH that can't hit the ball isn't a sustainable one, especially for someone tabbed as the superstar of the organization. Buxton clearly is struggling in the role, and the pressure from all sides continues to build. In his first plate appearance of the evening, some of that pressure got released...albeit for a single. But the smile on Buxton's face said it all. It felt like a step towards something not quite so miserable. Buxton popped up to start the fourth inning. He walked in the sixth, and didn't try to steal yet again, eventually being stranded at first base while watching Joey Gallo strike out again. Still, Buxton on base is better than Buxton non-on-base. More on Buxton later... Storyline #3 - The Rest of the Twins Offense Feels Like They are Riding an 0-for-2023 The Twins found a way to string together a couple of singles in the second and in the third off of Kutter Crawford. Max Kepler took care of the first threat with a five foot dribbler towards the pitcher that the Red Sox turned into a slick double play. Alex Kirilloff, sitting in the third spot in the lineup between Carlos Correa and Buxton, grounded out weakly to the shortstop to end the threat in the third. With the Twins sonly down 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Ryan Jeffers led off with a double. Willi Castro advanced him to third on a groundout, and here was a moment for the Twins to deliver a run to close the gap and to stay in the game. Edouard Julien struck out. Correa struck out. Sigh. Crawford thanked the Twins for helping his stat line immensely, and left the game as the eventual winner after five scoreless innings. I would like to add some more information from the sixth and seventh innings but nothing of consequence happened for the Twins besides weak contact and more strike outs. Storyline #4 - The Twins Bullpen Has Started a Bad Habit of Turning a Close Game Into a Laugher If you watched Monday nights game, tonight's seventh inning didn't surprise you. Brent Headrick came in to keep the game close, and instead he helped Boston become so confident in their winning probability that they put in Corey Kluber to finish the game. Five hits, one walk, and five runs later the Twins were down 8-0, and Twins Daily co-writers were sending me condolence texts. Oliver Ortega made his Twins debut in the eighth inning, and Masataka Yoshida hit a 447 foot homerun to the upper deck in left center, 108.8 mph, launch angle 24 degrees, to make Boston's win probability 100 percent in the eighth. The Twins still had two full innings of at bats left in the game, and mlb.com was already calling it! Good grief! Target Field tried to boo, but they just didn't care anymore really, and it didn't last as long as the wave in the sixth. (Truth in journalism act - I was sitting in my basement, but just assume the Red Sox fans were able to get a wave going in the sixth, because they can do anything they want to us right now.) Storyline #5 - Unwatchable Baseball and No Repercussions Twins fans know that a plan is in place, the same lineup will get trotted out tomorrow, and baseball is a long season with many ups and downs. At least that's the narrative that keeps on coming through the airwaves and interviews. Tonight was the first night that I remember Dick Bremer and Justin Morneau not even buying the narrative during the broadcast. They are tired of filling time like the booth had to do in the early 2010's, and so are those who are being asked to pay for tickets. Which game will be the game that stops the narrative, and changes the tide? Will that game be in 2023? Most of us will keep watching this series either way, because we love the Minnesota Twins and we love baseball. This brand of baseball is becoming almost impossible to follow. Storyline #6 - Neverending Hope and Why We Keep Watching I know it was Kluber pitching in a mercy rule type of role, but Buxton hit a home run to the upper deck in the eighth inning and it was awesome. The scoreboard showed 10-2, but watching Buxton trot around the bases felt like the correct end to a vibe that had grown throughout the game for him. In the bottom of the ninth, with mlb.com sticking strongly to its 100 percent winning probability prediction, Royce Lewis and Kepler started off the inning with back-to-back jacks. The score was 10-4, and those Red Sox runs in the seventh and Baldelli's decision to ride it out with Headrick for the entire inning began to sting again. Is the offense waking up? Or was that a mirage in the midst of the desert called "Twins baseball in June?" Baldelli promised in his post-game interview that "hope isn't a good plan in professional sports," but "it's going to get better" for the Twins. Here's to hoping that he's right. What’s Next? The first place Minnesota Twins will try to claw their way back towards .500 by sending RHP Sonny Gray (4-1, 2.37 ERA) back out on the mound in his first start post-Baldelli meltdown. The Red Sox counter with RHP Garrett Whitlock (4-2, 4.38 ERA) and his 1.23 WHIP in seven appearances. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm CDT. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet (I refuse to do the work of adding Willi Castro to the chart, but he allowed zero runs on nine pitches.) FRI SAT SUN MON MON TOT Headrick 0 35 0 0 41 76 De León 0 24 0 25 0 49 Balazovic 0 0 40 0 0 40 Pagán 0 21 0 17 0 38 Morán 0 0 11 13 0 24 Jax 0 8 0 10 0 18 Ortega 0 0 0 0 16 16 Durán 0 15 0 0 0 15 Stewart 0 5 0 0 0 5 Steve Trefz, I write about the Twins because I love the Twins...even this year. Follow Steve Trefz on Twitter: @TwinsTrefz View full article

The Twins continued to struggle offensively, but the bullpen and Brent Headrick kept the Tigers off the board, allowing a two-run fifth inning to stand up. Royce Lewis started two key double plays and Alex Kirilloff drove in a run off a lefty to key the win. Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Box Score Bulk pitcher: Brent Headrick: 2 1/3IP 1H, 0ER, 1BB, 2SO (35 Pitches, 24 Strikes, 68.5%) Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Headrick (0.140), Alex Kirilloff (0.132), Emilio Pagan (0.099) Win Probability Chart (Via Fangraphs): The Opener works Jose De Leon and Emilio Pagan gave the Twins 3 2/3 perfect innings to start the game, then gave way to Brent Headrick, who finished off the fourth and ran into the first bit of trouble in the fifth before getting bailed out by a brilliant relay throw from Correa to Jeffers that cut down Zach Short trying to score from first on Miguel Cabrera’s double. He pitched an easy sixth inning to cap off his day. Brock Stewart had a five pitch seventh, Griffin Jax an eight pitch eighth, and Jhoan Duran sealed the win. Twins make Joey Wentz look great Featuring a fastball spotted on the outer edges all day, a cutter and curveball he threw for strikes, Wentz was perfect through four innings. The Twins failed to adjust to his arsenal, which baffled them similarly last year when he went four innings and gave up one hit to the Twins on May 31st before leaving with an arm injury that ultimately cost him two months. Forced to pitch longer this time around, Wentz ran into trouble in the fifth, managing to walk Royce Lewis and allowing two singles and an RBI groundout. His stuff may have been less crisp, or the Twins may have made the adjustment that they just need to put something into play. In any case, that fifth inning resulted in double the amount of runs the Twins had scored in their past 20 innings combined. Tigers botch challenge, pay for it immediately After an unsuccessful challenge on the play that retired Short at home, The Twins finally put a rally together, with Royce Lewis’ second career walk, and singles from Willi Castro and Alex Kirilloff bringing in the games first run. Ryan Jeffers then blistered a one-out ground ball (106 MPH) that Short picked off expertly and almost pulled an Isaac Paredes and started an inning-ending double play. However, Kirilloff barreled into the second baseman Nick Maton like it was 1993, taking his legs out and allowing Jeffers to reach first with the second run coming across. A challenge may have resulted in Kirilloff being called out via the “Chase Utley rule,” but there was no challenge to be had. Buxton continues to struggle He worked counts a little better but the holes in Buxton’s swing looked enormous as he struck out twice against the lefty Wentz, missing both belt-high fastballs and back-up breaking balls. He flew out to fairly deep right center field in the sixth on an elevated fastball on the outer half of the plate (101.6 MPH) which counts as progress at this point. He then struck out looking at three strikes in the eighth facing Tigers lefty reliever Tyler Alexander. He is now 0-12 with seven strikeouts since returning from the IL on Thursday. What’s Next: Louie Varland (3-2, 4.70 ERA) tries to bounce back from consecutive poor outings against the Rays and Blue Jays against the light-hitting Tigers. He will face the Tigers’ bullpen, with Detroit missing a multitude of starters on the IL for extended periods. Postgame Interviews: Bullpen Usage Chart: TUE WED THU FRI SAT TOT De León 24 0 0 0 24 48 Pagán 0 0 24 0 21 45 Headrick 0 0 0 0 35 35 J. López 0 0 32 0 0 32 Durán 0 12 0 0 15 27 Morán 0 0 22 0 0 22 Jax 0 11 0 0 8 19 Stewart 0 14 0 0 5 19 View full article

The Minnesota Twins went with a bullpen game Saturday and six pitchers combined to shutout the Tigers: José De Léon, Emilio Pagán, Brent Headrick, Brock Stewart, Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran. And it was a good thing they were all so sharp, as the lineup struggled once again. The Twins scored just two runs, which came on an Alex Kirilloff single and a Ryan Jeffers fielder's choice. Minor league highlights include Gilberto Celestino, Trevor Larnach and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. View full video

The Twins now have two affiliates in first place. Which two are they? Who’s been hot? Who’s not? All those questions are answered within. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review (written by Nash Walker) to catch up on the Twins week. TRANSACTIONS RHP Miguelangel Boadus promoted from FCL Twins to low-A Fort Myers. RHP Cory Lewis promoted from low-A Fort Myers to high-A Cedar Rapids. RHP Orlando Rodriguez activated from development list for high-A Cedar Rapids. RHP Pierson Ohl promoted from high-A Cedar Rapids to AA Wichita. RHP Regi Grace promoted from high-A Cedar Rapids to AA Wichita. RHP Chad Donato placed on AA Wichita's development list. RHP Seth Norlin released from the organization. RESULTS Tuesday (5/30): Major Leaguers Pitch and Hit Saints to Victory Wednesday (5/31): Wallner Wallops the Baseball Thursday (6/1): Saints March In, Cedar Rapids Did What? Friday (6/2): Affiliates Struggle Saturday (6/3): Schobel Racks Up Four Hits in Average Night on the Farm Sunday (6/4): Zebby Deals and Schmidt Rakes MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT Minnesota Twins 2019 Draft Retrospective: Late-Round Steals Edouard Julien Has a Blueprint to Work On Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month - May 2023 Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month - May 2023 Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month - May 2023 Minnesota Twins 2020 Draft Retrospective: Raya Sunshine TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - TBD Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05PM CST) - TBD Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD FCL Twins @ FCL Rays (11:00AM CST) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Phillies Red (10:00AM CST) - TBD WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints (Week: 5-1) Overall: 32-23, 0.5 game ahead in the International League West. Overview: An excellent week for the Saints took them from second-place into the lead and they’ll look to extend that league this week. 🔥: Matt Wallner has been on fire since being sent down. He had eight extra-base hits (with three home runs) with 10 RBIs among his 11 hits. 🔥: Brent Headrick pitched ten innings across two starts, with 11 strikeouts and four walks. He allowed three runs on 10 hits. 🥶: Mark Contreras struck out 11 times and went 5-23. 🥶: Randy Dobnak made a start and threw 4 1/3 innings allowing seven hits and four walks. He struck out two. What's Next: The Saints host the Iowa Cubs (31-23) in a battle for a first-place in the division. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge (Week: 1-5) Overall: 21-29, 13.5 games back in the Texas League North. Overview: A rough week for the Wind Surge dropped them four games further back in the standings. 🔥: Curtis Taylor pitched 4 1/3 perfect innings over two relief appearances. 🔥: DaShawn Keirsey led the team with seven hits and four stolen bases. Yunior Severino and Alex Isola both hit two home runs. 🥶: Aaron Rozek, Travis Adams and Chad Donato all struggled in their starts this week. Donato lasted five innings, but gave up six runs. Rozek gave up four runs in 2 2/3 and Adams gave up two runs in one inning. 🥶: Seth Gray got a hit in a one-game mid-week cameo for St. Paul, but went 0-11 for the Wind Surge this week. He struck out six times. What's Next: Wichita will head to San Antonio (27-24) who sits a top of the South Division. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels (Week: 4-2) Overall: 29-22, 2.0 games up in the Midwest League West. Overview: A four-win week - highlighted by a 24-run performance on Thursday - keeps the Kernels in first place. 🔥: Kala’i Rosario keeps crushing it for the Kernels. He had four home runs on eight hits and drove in nine runs. 🔥: Tanner Schobel deserves his own fire emoji too. He had 14(!) hits in 29 at-bats this week, including two home runs. He drove in 10 and scored seven runs. 🔥: Zebby Matthews made his first start at High-A and was great. He struck out six in six innings, only allowing three hits and one run (on a home run). 🥶: Misael Urbina went 1-for-19. He appears to have been a victim of BABIP, as only three of his 18 outs came via strikeout. 🥶: Christian MacLeod gave up four hits and four walks in four innings. He only allowed one earned run (a home run), but putting two runners on per inning is not a recipe for success. What's Next: The Kernels travel to Dayton (26-25). Dayton is 8-2 in their last ten, so it will be a battle of two of the hottest teams in the league. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Week: 3-3) Overall: 28-23, 8.5 games behind Clearwater in the Florida State League West. Overview: The Mighty Mussels split with St. Lucie, but lost two games in the standings. 🔥: C.J. Culpepper threw five shutout, hitless innings and struck out six. He did walk three. 🔥: Kyle Schmidt led the team with six hits (in only 12 at-bats) and five RBIs. He had three extra-base hits as well. 🥶: Cory Lewis walked three and only recorded two outs in his lone start of the week. 🥶: Danny De Andrade, Carlos Aguiar and Jorel Ortega combined to go 5-51 with a double, two home runs, four RBIs, 11 walks and 22 strikeouts. Hopefully it’s a better week ahead for this young trio. What's Next: Clearwater (36-14) will come to Ft. Myers. Hopefully the mussels are mighty against the top team in the league. 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: 6-20, 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K. (.282/.359/.540. .899 OPS). 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF: Extended Spring Training 17. Blayne Enlow, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 4.91 ERA, 7.1 IP (two games), 4 H, 7 R (4 ER), HRA, HB, 3 BB, 13 K. (1.10 WHIP, .225 BAA) 16. Matt Canterino, RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 15. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 2-0, 2.70 ERA, 10 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 11 K. (1.41 WHIP, .285 BAA) 14. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 13.5 ERA, 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, HB, 5 K. (1.41 WHIP, .243 BAA) 13. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 2-19, 2 R, BB, K. (.204/.279/.282. .561 OPS), played shortstop in five games (40 total) and committed no errors in 15 chances (four errors in 166 total chances); played no games (six total) at second base (no errors in 16 total chances). 12. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 4-18, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, BB, 4 K, SB. (.162/.240/.223. .463 OPS), played one game at shortstop (10 total) and committed no errors in four chances (three errors in 33 chances total), played one game (10 total) at third base no chances (three errors in 22 total chances). He played three games (21 total) at second base with no errors in 12 chances (one error in 84 total chances). 11. Austin Martin, SS: Martin has an arm injury, but is expected to resume playing shortly.. 10. Yasser Mercedes, OF: Extended Spring Training 9. Matt Wallner , OF, St. Paul: 11-26, 4 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R, BB, 5 K. (.299/.405/.577. 982 OPS); Minnesota: (.368/.520/.579. 1.099 OPS) 8. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 4.91 ERA, 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, HRA, 3 K. (1.45 WHIP, .262 BAA) 7. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 4.15 ERA, 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 K (1.88 WHIP, .329 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 6. Marco Raya, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 3.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 2 H, ER, HRA, 4 K. (0.73 WHIP, .145 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: 4-11, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, R, 3 BB, 3 K. (.294/.447/.513. .960 OPS), has played all 30 games at second base and has committed two errors in 140 chances; Minnesota: (.210/.296/.435. .731 OPS) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 5-19, HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, 6 BB, 7 K, 2 SB. (.177/.338/.372. 710 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: (.333/.395/.692. 1.087 OPS), played one game (four total) at shortstop and committed no errors in four chances (no errors in 12 total chances). Lewis played one game (four total) at third base and committed one error in five chances (one error in eight total chances); Minnesota: 5-25, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 8 K (.200/.200/.480. .680 OPS), played five games at 3B (five total) and had no errors in 16 chances. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 5-18, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R, 4 BB, 6 K, SB. (.262/.341/.415. .756 OPS), played five games (43 total) at shortstop and committed one errors in 18 chances (four errors in 179 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 - Brent Headrick, St. Paul (Headrick 50%, Matthews 22%, Culpepper 17%, Taylor 11%): I don't think Headrick is who I would have voted for, but it's nice to see that despite the injuries and the lack of progress from other AAA arms, that the Twins still do have some stater-depth in St. Paul. HITTER - Matt Wallner, St. Paul (Wallner 90%, Rosario 6%, Schmidt 3%, Keirsey 1%): Wallner is on one of the best runs of a hitter in recent memory. After reaching base eight straight times with the Twins before being demoted, he handled the step down by absolutely crushing AAA pitching. Considering all the Kirilloff/Larnach talk coming into the season, it's now fair to say that Matt Waller deserves just as much publicity as anyone. 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

If you were the Buffalo Bisons on Tuesday, you had to feel a bit unlucky on Tuesday, as multiple rehabbing pitchers, as well as several other players with significant major league experience, bit them all night. A starter in Wichita also tied a career high in strikeouts, and the Kernels came from behind to steal a win on the road. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Matt Wallner) TRANSACTIONS The St. Paul Saints received two major league pitchers on rehab assignments before Tuesday’s game. RHP Kenta Maeda made the start and LHP Caleb Thielbar followed him out of the bullpen. Ricardo Olivar was placed on the 7-Day IL with a hamstring strain. He was also named the Florida State League Player of the Week. In five games last week, he went 9-for-18 with two doubles, a homer and three RBI. They also received OF Gilberto Celestino on a rehab assignment. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 9, Buffalo 1 Box Score The St. Paul Saints got on the scoreboard in the first inning when Andrew Stevenson reached base on an error, stole his 17th base of the season (also his 18th later in the game), and was promptly driven in by a Jose Miranda single. Already ahead in the game, Kenta Maeda went to work in his first start of a rehab assignment. He struck out the side in the first, getting all three swinging, and worked around a two-out walk in the second by picking up his fourth K of the game to end his outing. Of his 29 pitches, 16 went for strikes (55%), and he topped out at 91 MPH with his fastball. The second major league-rehabbing pitcher, Caleb Thielbar, then got the third inning. He allowed a leadoff single, but retired the next three hitters, including one with a strikeout. When Brent Headrick came on for the fourth inning, that made it three Saints pitchers who have appeared in the majors this season that the Bison’s were forced to face. They didn’t get anything going against Headrick until the seventh, when they strung together three straight singles to cut the Saints lead in half. The Saints got their second run in the top of the sixth when Mark Contreras followed Matt Wallner’s double with an RBI single. St. Paul tacked on two more insurance runs in the eighth thanks to an RBI triple from Wallner, and an RBI single from Hernan Perez to make it 4-1. Headrick finished five innings and allowed just one run on five hits while striking out seven in a strong piggy-back effort to the rehabbers. He threw 87 pitches, with 54 going for strikes (62%), including a solid 16 swinging. In the top of the ninth, the pieces of the lineup with major league experience continued their assault and broke the game open. With the bases loaded, Miranda delivered a two-RBI single, and was followed by a three-run blast from Wallner. So I don’t leave anyone out who has experience with the Twins, Kyle Garlick DH’d in the game, but was 0-for-5, and Ryan LaMarre left the game with an injury in the second inning after reaching base on an error. Oliver Ortega closed out the win with a scoreless bottom of the ninth. He walked the leadoff man and allowed a two-out single, but struck out one and kept Buffalo scoreless to seal the victory. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 9, Wichita 8 Box Score Wichita starter Blayne Enlow entered this game looking to continue his solid start to the season, where he has amassed a 2-1 record with a 3.02 ERA in eight starts. In his last two outings, he had allowed just one run while striking out ten, followed by one run allowed when striking out just one. He cruised for the first four innings, retiring ten in a row at one point with multiple strikeouts in each inning, including the side in the fourth. Then the fifth inning happened. A leadoff walk was followed by a two-run home run for the Drillers first runs of the game, then another walk was followed by a botched catch at second base on a double-play ball that would have helped Enlow out of danger. Instead, two batters later, he picked up another strikeout for the innings first out, and allowed a single to end his night. Hunter McMahon came on and promptly gave up a three-run homer to tie the game at six, and Enlow’s pitching line turned into a weird one. In all, Enlow went 4 1/3 innings, allowing five runs (just two earned) on three hits and two walks, while tying his career-high with 10 strikeouts. Wichita had built their 6-0 lead with a big first inning. The first five hitters of the game reached base, with Pat Winkel delivering a two-run triple, and Alex Isola crushing a two-run homer, his seventh of the season. Out of the bullpen for the Wind Surge McMahon went 1 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits, one walk, and struck out two. Michael Boyle pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit and striking out two. Francis Peguero gave up two earned runs on three hits and a walk in his lone inning. Denny Bentley finished off the final inning, allowing one earned run on a hit and walk. Wichita made an effort at a comeback in the bottom of the ninth. Brooks Lee led off the inning with his second double of the game, and his 16th of the season which leads the Texas League. Two batters later Yunior Severino hit his 11th home run of the season, cutting the Tulsa lead to one. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. extended the inning, and his seven-game hitting streak with a single, but a popup from Jake Rucker ended their attempt. The Wind Surge got multiple hits from Yoyner Fajardo (2-for-5, R, K), Lee (2-for-3, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI, BB, K), Winkel (2-for-5, R, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 K), and Severino (3-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K). Alerick Soularie drew three walks and scored two runs. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Lansing 4 Box Score The Kernels sent promising left-hander Jaylen Nowlin to the bump to start their series with the Lugnuts, and he delivered a quality outing. Two of the six hits he allowed were solo home runs, but when you scatter the other four singles and one walk, you will still end up with a pretty good pitching line. He allowed three runs on six total hits, and struck out four in his six innings. Of his 83 pitches, 53 went for strikes (64%). Both of those home runs came on the first pitch of an inning, so the Lansing coaches may have caught onto something as the game progressed. The Kernels tied the game at one in the top of the third when Misael Urbina drew a walk to lead off the inning, and was later driven in from second on a two-out single from Tanner Schobel. Down 3-1 in the top of the sixth, Jefferson Morales led off the frame with a double, and scored on a single from Emmanuel Rodriguez two batters later. Heading into the eighth, it was 4-2 Lugnuts, but a two-out rally pulled them within one on a Ben Ross single, then in the ninth an error on a single from Schobel plated the tying and go-ahead runs. Charlie Neuweiler was the first reliever for the Kernels, and he gave up another solo home run to the first hitter he faced, but also delivered a scoreless eighth. He allowed three hits and struck out two. Regi Grace then came on for the save opportunity and set Lansing down in order, getting a strikeout to punctuate the comeback. It is Grace’s fifth save of the season and could be due for a promotion soon. In 16 appearances so far this year, he’s struck out 26 in 21 1/3 innings, along with a 1.27 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, and sub .430 OPS allowed. Schobel led the way on offense by going 3-for-5 and driving in two. Rodriguez was 1-for-4 with a run scored, RBI, and a walk. Morales’ double was the only extra-base hit for Cedar Rapids, but they were 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position as a team compared to the 1-for-8 effort from their hosts. MUSSEL MATTERS St. Lucie 5, Fort Myers 6 Box Score Lefty Develson Aria got the start for the Mighty Mussels in Game 1 versus the Mets this week, and he made himself work a bit harder than he would have liked. Although he gave up just three runs, they came in only four innings. He allowed three hits, walked four, and struck out three. His pitch count got ran up to 75, with just 39 going for strikes (52%). Fort Myers got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth, when Danny De Andrade drilled his second home run of the season, a two-run shot that cut the Mets lead to one. After Aria’s exit, the Mighty Mussels got 1 2/3 innings from Samuel Perez, who allowed one run on one hit and two walks while striking out one. The home team got a rally started in the bottom of the sixth thanks to Mikey Perez, who took over for the rehabbing Gilberto Celestino, and led off the inning with a single, stole second and third base, and raced home after a throwing error from the catcher. Later in the frame, Maddux Houghton singled in front of Dylan Neuse’s first home run of the season that gave them a 5-4 lead. Perez was responsible for their final run of the game in the seventh as well, when his RBI-double gave them a needed cushion. Johnathan Lavallee picked up the win with two solid innings, allowing two hits, one unearned run, and punching out five Mets hitters. A.J. Labas picked up his first save of the year by pitching the final 1 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out two. Perez (2-for-2, R, 2B, RBI, 2 SB) and Neuse (2-for-3, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB) led the way for the Mighty Mussels offense with multiple hits. Celestino finished 1-for-2 with a run scored in the first game of his rehab, playing five innings total. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Brent Headrick, St. Paul Saints (W, 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 7 K) Hitter of the Day - Matt Wallner, St. Paul Saints (3-for-5, 3 R, 2B, 3B, HR, 4 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI, BB, K #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 1-for-4, R, 2B, 3 K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, R, RBI, BB, K #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 1-for-4 #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 3-for-5, 3 R, 2B, 3B, HR, 4 RBI #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, R #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, BB #15 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - W, 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 7 K #17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 4 1/3 IP, 3 H, 5 R (2 earned), 2 BB, 10 K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 3-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Buffalo (12:05 PM CDT) - RHP Aaron Sanchez (2-4, 4.17 ERA) Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Carlos Luna (0-3, 5.68 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (10:05 AM CDT) - RHP Kyle Jones (2-3, 5.13 ERA) St. Lucie @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CDT) - RHP C.J. Culpepper (1-2, 3.08 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

It was a strong lineup of starting pitching probables across the Twins system tonight. Here's a look at some highlights of Brent Headrick (St. Paul), Blayne Enlow (Wichita), Marco Raya (Cedar Rapids) and a rundown on C.J. Culpepper's outing for Fort Myers. View full video