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Dallas Keuchel continued to work well for the Saints while a few other Twins minor league pitchers showed out. Runs came across and Carson McCusker put his mark on the day. Check out more action from the farm within. TRANSACTIONS 1B/3B Keoni Cavaco activated from Cedar Rapids Development List and transferred to FCL Twins RHP John Klein transferred from FCL Twins to Fort Myers RHP Ricky Mineo placed on IL by Fort Myers with a right forearm strain LHP Zarion Sharpe was sent on a rehab assignment with the FCL Twins. He last pitched for the Mighty Mussels in 2021 where he sent 6-2 with a 3.62 ERA. He has been out with arm injuries and Tommy John surgery. RHP David Festa was placed on the temporarily inactive list. (Gasp!) Nothing to worry about. He will head to Seattle to prepare for Sunday's Futures Game. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Iowa 1 Box Score Thus far Dallas Keuchel has been north of short of great since joining the Twins organization. That continued tonight for the Saints as the former Cy Young went 5 2/3 innings allowing five hits and four walks. No runs scored, and he struck out four as well. In the seventh inning, Matt Wallner drew a bases-loaded walk to open the scoring on the evening. Anthony Prato walked home and the tie was broken. Kyle Garlick then singled to score Alex De Goti. Trevor Larnach followed with a sacrifice fly that plated Andrew Stevenson. Jair Camargo added his own sacrifice fly which drove in Wallner to make it 4-0. David Bote scored in the eighth inning to put the Cubs on the board but that was as far as the rally would get. Mark Contreras recorded three hits on the night as the lone Saints hitter with more than one hit. Ronny Henriquez earned the win working 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 6, Wichita 4 Box Score Making his Double-A debut, Marco Raya was on the bump tonight for Wichita. He lasted just two innings allowing a pair of runs, but gave up just one hit while striking out three and walking four. After a scoreless first inning, the Wind Surge took a 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to an Alerick Soularie bases loaded walk on a wild pitch. Seth Gray scored on the play, and then Soularie came home after Will Holland struck out on a dropped third strike. Allowing a pair of walks in the third inning, Raya saw both runners come around to score and tie it at two. A four-run, fourth inning gave Tulsa a 6-2 lead, and the Wind Surge found themselves in a hole. The Wind Surge loaded the bases in the ninth inning. Brooks Lee took a bases-loaded walk to score Soularie. Holland scored on a Yoyner Fajardo ground out. However, that was as close as they were able to get. Gray was the lone hitter to record a pair of hits on the night. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 3 Box Score Making his second start for the Kernels, C.J. Culpepper sought to continue his scoreless innings streak. He didn’t allow a run through five innings to stretched the streak to 11 scoreless at High-A. Culpepper gave up three hits but issued no walks and struck out six batters. Kala’i Rosario kicked off the scoring during the first inning when he singled home Emmanuel Rodriguez. Noah Cardenas blasted his third homer of the season during the second inning to score Noah Miller and make it a 3-0 game. In the fifth inning, Cedar Rapids added again. Miller singled home Rodriguez before Cardenas brought home Rosario with a single of his own. When the frame was over, the Kernels led 5-0. The River Bandits added three in the seventh inning, and River Town kicked off that scoring with a single. Fortunately the Kernels still placed a dam between their lead that kept the rivers at bay. This one ended in a 5-3 win for Cedar Rapids. Rosario recorded three hits on the night with Cardenas adding a pair of his own. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Jupiter 0 (F/10) Box Score The Mighty Mussels gave Jack Noble the ball, and he was nothing short of exceptional. The recently-promoted righty twirled six innings of scoreless baseball. He allowed just two hits and two walks while punching out six batters. Danny Moreno came on and worked two scoreless innings with Jackson Hicks pushing it through the ninth inning still scoreless. Carson McCusker and Rafael Cruz both had two hits thus far, but no runs crossed the plate. Heading into extras, and with the inherited runner on third after a misplayed Dylan Neuse sacrifice bunt, McCusker blasted a three-run homer to take the lead. Hicks locked down the bottom half and it was a 3-0 victory for the good guys. McCusker finished with three hits on the night. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Red Sox 4, FCL Twins 1 Box Score Cesar Lares took the ball for the Twins, but he lasted just two innings. He gave up three runs on three hits. The Red Sox jumped out to an early lead with a first-inning run, and then added another pair in the second inning. Looking to get back in it, the Twins scored when Jankel Ortiz singled home Andres Centeno in the fourth inning. The Red Sox wiped that run away with another of their own in the fifth inning, and the 4-1 lead was enough for a victory. Ortiz had two of the three hits on the day for the Twins with Byron Chourio grabbing the other. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Cardinals 7, DSL Twins 2 Box Score It has been a rough start to the season for the DSL Twins and they dropped to 6-17 on the year. The Cardinals kicked things off with a two-run first inning, and they repeated that tally in the fourth and seventh innings. Moises Lopez and Ricardo Pena combined to score the Twins first run when they stole second and home respectively in the second inning. Unfortunately, the Twins only added one other run. Lopez lifted a sacrifice fly during the seventh inning to score Pena. The Twins outhit the Cardinals by a 6-5 tally, and Jayson Bass was responsible for two of them. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jack Noble (Fort Myers) - 6.0 IP, 2 H 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Carson McCusker (Fort Myers) - 3-5, R, 3 RBI, HR(3), 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 (Wichita) - 1-2, RBI, 3 BB, 2B(26) #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2 R #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 0-1, K #6 - Marco Raya (Wichita) - 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 R, 4 BB, 3 K= #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-3, R, RBI, 2 BB, K #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3 #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, R, RBI, BB, K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (6:08PM CST) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Wichita @ Tulsa (7:05PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Cory Lewis Fort Myers @ Jupiter (5:00PM CST) - RHP Miguelangel Boadas FCL Twins - No Game Scheduled DSL Twins @ DSL Rockies (10:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! 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

Noah Cardenas went off for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, and Royce Lewis was off for the St. Paul Saints as he needed to catch a flight for the Minnesota Twins. Image courtesy of Cedar Rapids Kernels TRANSACTIONS OF Willie Joe Garry Jr. place on the injured list with an oblique strain for High-A Cedar Rapids C Kyle Schmidt had been activated off the injured list for High-A Cedar Rapids RHP Zebby Matthews promoted from Low-A Fort Myers to High-A Cedar Rapids RHP Jose Olivares reinstated from the development list for Low-A Fort Myers LHP Wilker Reyes reinstated from the injured list for Low-A Fort Myers SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 10, Omaha 6 Box Score Royce Lewis was given the day off today for the Saints. He will fly to Texas and is expected to be reinstated to the Minnesota Twins roster tomorrow. The Saints turned to Simeon Woods Richardson and things again went poorly. Across just four innings, Woods Richardson gave up four runs on six hits while allowing a pair to reach on walks. He struck out just a single batter. Trailing 4-0 after the top of the third inning, St. Paul finally found an opportunity to answer. Andrew Stevenson continued his ability for heavy lifting with a single that scored Jair Camargo. No longer were the good guys being blanked, and we had a 4-1 game. In the fifth inning, things got worse for the Saints. Samad Taylor stole his 26th base and then scored on a throwing error from Tony Walters attempting to nab him at third base. A C.J. Alexander single then drove in Nate Eaton and the deficit grew. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Camargo looked to make things interesting. With the bases loaded, he hit a grand slam for his fifth dinger of the season. Scoring Chris Williams, Hernan Perez, and Ryan LaMarre, St. Paul was only down by a run. Former star prospect for the Royals, Jackson Kowar was on for Omaha and the wheels fell off. Andrew Stevenson crushed his eighth double of the year to score Tony Wolters, and Jose Miranda scored Stevenson on a single to Brewer Hicklen. Hernan Perez then went deep for the fourth time this season scoring both Miranda and Williams to make it a 10-6 game. That's where things ended and Stevenson was matched by Perez and Camargo four multi-hit games. WIND SURGE WISDOM Springfield 10,Wichita 5 Box Score Chad Donato was on the bump and his coal was to shut down the opposite. Unfortunately, he allowed five earned runs on four hits across just two innings, and his 2/1 K/BB was rendered virtually useless. The Cardinals put up a five-spot against Donato in the bottom of the second inning and it became an uphill battle from there for Wichita. Jacob Buchberger ripped his 8th home run of the season for the Cardinals and Springfield stretched their lead to 6-0 in the third inning. Anthony Prato did bring Alex Isola home on a fielding error in the fourth inning, but the Wind Surge allowed a Noah Medlinger homer in the bottom half of the inning to make it 9-1. Extended to 10-1 in the fifth inning, the deficit just got worse. Looking for some sort of a rebound, Prato triple for the first time this season and scored Isola. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. then drove in Prato on a single and Will Holland scored Keirsey Jr. on his third double of the season. With it 10-4 going into the seventh inning, Wichita was trying to rally. Keirsey Jr. singled in Yoyner Fajardo to make it 10-5 in the eighth inning, but that's as close as the good guys got. Isola recorded two hits as did Prato and Keirsey Jr. Working for something better next week is now the goal. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 9, Wisconsin 6 Box Score Coming off the injured list, Christian MacLeod made the start for Cedar Rapids. He pitched only a single inning while giving up three runs on two hits and a walk. Wisconsin raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning when Joe Gray Jr. blasted a three-run homer, his third of the year, to put the Timber Rattlers on the board. Trying to immediately answer, Noah Miller singled in Tanner Schobel making it a 3-1 game. Gray Jr. blasted a two-run shot in the third inning to make it 5-1 before Cedar Rapids went to work. Noah Cardenas roped his ninth double of the season to score Emmanuel Rodriguez and shorten the lead. Miller’s fourth double then brought the Kernels within two before the inning ended. During the fourth inning, Schobel singled in Jose Salas and the Kernels found themselves within a run at 5-4. Without being able to even it first, Gray Jr. doubled and put Wisconsin back up 6-4. The Kernels answered in a big way during the fifth inning. Misael Urbana singled in Cardenas before a Jose Salas sacrifice fly scored Miller to tie the game. The Kernels looked to be back in command at that point. In the sixth inning, Cedar Rapids decided to call game. Cardenas singled in both Schobel and Ben Ross. Then Urbina plated Cardenas and the lead had been stretched to 9-6. Both Schobel and Cardenas opted for a pair of hits on the day. Urbina decided to join them while Miller grabbed three of his own. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 7, Fort Myers 1 (Game 1/F/7) Box Score Looking to play a pair today, the Mighty Mussels sent Jose Olivares to the mound in Game 1. He worked 3 2/3 innings while allowing seven runs on six hits. The disastrous day only included a single strikeout and walk apiece. Dunedin raced out to a 7-0 lead by the fourth inning, and the Mighty Mussels never flexed anything. Dylan Neuse recorded his fourth double in the seventh inning to make it 7-1, but the game was well in hand at that point. Fort Myers 6, Dunedin 4 (Final/7) Box Score Wilker Reyes was on the bump for Game 2 as the Mighty Mussels twirled a pair. He worked 2 2/3 innings allowing two runs on two hits with three walks and no strikeouts. Fort Myers jumped on the board first when Dalton Shuffield scored Jorel Ortega and Ricardo Oliver on a first-inning single. Rubel Cespedes then launched a two-run shot to right field, scoring himself and Shuffield, making it a 4-0 lead. Dunedin added single runs in both the second and third innings before the Mighty Mussels responded. Mikey Perez ripped a single that scored Cespedes to make it 5-2 and that helped to preserve a lead when Dunedin added another. Jorel Ortega homered for the fourth time this year when he went deep in the seventh, and that was plenty to hold the lead after a Blue Jays run in the seventh inning. Fort Myers held on for the victory. Ortega was joined by Cespedes for two hits on the day. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Juan Mendez (Fort Myers) - 2.1 IP, 1 H 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Noah Cardenas (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB, 2B 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: #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, R, BB, 3 K #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 0-3, BB, 2 K #7 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 4.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K #9 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 2-2, 2 BB #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, R, RBI, 2B, K #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 3-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 0-0, BB SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Buffalo (5:05PM CST) - TBD Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - LHP Blayne Enlow Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (5:00PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya St. Lucie @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article

It was quite the day for rehabbing players, and Noah Miller continues to look sharp for the Kernels. Michael Helman is tearing up the competition for Fort Myers, and Alex Kirilloff looks closer than ever to a return for the Minnesota Twins. Image courtesy of William Parmeter TRANSACTIONS RHP Simeon Woods Richardson optioned to St. Paul RHP Bailey Ober recalled by Minnesota SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 8, Scranton/WB 5 Box Score With Bailey Ober heading across town and rejoining the Twins today, Randy Dobnak made the start in his place. He was efficient and impressive, working four scoreless innings. Dobnak allowed just a single hit and gave up only one free pass. He struck out three. Dobnak has been used in a hybrid role this year, so he was lifted after 51 pitches. Josh Winder, rehabbing for the Twins, piggybacked Dobnak and worked three innings of relief on his own. He allowed a run on two hits. The run came off just a solo home run, and Winder generated three strikeouts. Possibly coming to the end of his rehab stint, Alex Kirilloff blasted an opposite-field homer in the cold during the 1st inning. He’s been impressive for St. Paul, and could be a significant boost for the Minnesota lineup. Elliot Soto then added another run for the Saints when he singled in Ryan LaMarre during the 4th inning. Kirilloff wasn’t satisfied with his first homer of the day, so he decided to add another. In the 7th inning, with Soto and Edouard Julien on, the Twins slugger pulled one to right center field and picked up his fifth RBI of the day. Jorge Alcala made his 2023 debut for the Saints in the 8th inning and it was almost a disaster. Allowing a pair of hits and a walk, he had the bases loaded before getting a pop out to end the inning. Looking for a little bit more insurance, the Saints added a pair in the bottom half. LaMarre scored in a Byron Buxton-like fashion after a shallow Soto sacrifice fly. Hernan Perez also came home on an error. Trevor Megill's struggles continue for the Saints and he was taken deep by Jake Bauers in the 9th inning. It was his second blast of the game and an attempt to crawl back with an unlikely rally. Megill did get two outs, but after a Billy McKinney walk and a Michael Hermosillo home run, the lead was down to just three and his day was done. Brock Stewart, who has been great for the Saints this year, came on and allowed a triple by Estevan Florial, but getting Jamie Westbrook ended the game. Kirilloff was joined by both Soto and Perez in the multi-hit category on the day. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 4, Wichita 3 Box Score The Wind Surge closed out their series against the Drillers with Carlos Luna on the mound. He gave Wichita 4 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on a pair of solo shots. Luna did punch out a trio of Tulsa batters while walking just one. It didn’t take long for Wichita to grab a lead today with DaShawn Keirsey Jr. clubbing his second home run of the year in the top of the 1st inning. Brooks Lee was on, and the two-run shot had the Wind Surge off and running. Before the frame closed, Pat Winkel stepped in and recorded his second double of the year, this one driving in Armani Smith. Unfortunately for Wichita, that is where the adding ended. Jonny DeLuca and Jorbit Vivas both homered in the 3rd inning to cut the Wind Surge lead, and then Vivas went yard again in the 6th inning to even the score. An RBI single for Jose Ramos followed a few batters later and Andy Pages crossed the plate for a go ahead run. The Wind Surge got just four hits on the afternoon, and two of them came from Keirsey Jr. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 11, Beloit 1 Box Score Pierson Ohl took the ball this afternoon for the Kernels and was very sharp. He scattered four hits across five innings giving up only a single run on a solo homer. He picked up five strikeouts and avoided allowing any free passes. Complementing Ohl’s strong performance on the mound was the Cedar Rapids offense. They came out with a first inning run when Ben Ross singled in Noah Miller, and from there they just kept adding on. The 2nd inning saw the Kernels plating four runs. Miller singled to drive in both Jeferson Morales and Ernie Yake, before Tanner Schobel lifted a line drive to center field, scoring Miller and Noah Cardenas. Cardenas got in on the run production with a double of his own during the 3rd inning. He tried to stretch it for a triple but was gunned down. That didn’t prevent both Morales and Miller from scoring on the play. Beloit finally got on the board with a 4th inning solo shot, but it was immediately answered by Cedar Rapids in the 5th inning. Cardenas put the ball in play and with the Sky Carp booting it around, Yake raced home. A 6th inning wild pitch gave Schobel a chance to cross the plate, and Miller drove Keoni Cavaco in on a sacrifice fly. The offensive outburst checked in to the tune of 10 runs on 10 hits. Miller stirred the drink strong at the top of the Kernels lineup. Going 4-for-5 with a double, three runs scored, and three walks, he’s up to an .805 OPS this year. Cardenas joined him in the multi-hit affair as well, picking up three and scoring on a 9th inning balk. MUSSEL MATTERS Jupiter 10, Fort Myers 9 (F/11) Box Score The Mighty Mussels got a start from Tomas Cleto today, and while he only went three innings, his single run was nice to see in a game that saw 19 runs on 28 hits. Both Jupiter and Fort Myers kicked off scoring in the 1st inning with a run apiece. The Mighty Mussels got their first tally from a Jorel Ortega single to score the rehabbing Michael Helman. From there, it was a back and forth offensive onslaught. Needing to answer four Jupiter runs, Ricardo Olivar’s solo shot in the 6th inning brought Fort Myers within three. Trading runs in the 7th inning, Helman tripled to drive in Alec Sayre and make it a 6-3 game. Needing a last ditch effort in the 9th inning, Fort Myers was up to the challenge. A throwing error allowed Sayre to score and the bases were loaded for Olivar. He was plunked by a pitch to get an RBI the hard way. Carlos Aguiar then evened the score at six when he drove in Helman. Jupiter’s 10th inning run scored on a fielder’s choice in the top half before Luis Baez score for the Mighty Mussels on a wild pitch. Onto the 11th inning, and trailing by three after Jupiter singled and tripled in runs, Fort Myers again had to erase a three-run deficit. Helman continued to make his presence felt and a double allowed Yohander Martinez to score. Aguiar picked up another RBI on a single as he drove in Helman, but Ortega wound up being stranded at second base and the rally ended two bases short. Playing down a handful of levels it’s not surprising to see him rake, but Helman went 4-for-5 on the day with a trio of runs scored and a pair of RBI. He’s got a 1.226 OPS during his rehab assignment and should be back with the Saints in short order. Outfielder Dylan Neuse was the only other Mighty Mussels hitter to record multiple hits on the day. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER 0 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Day – Michael Helman (Fort Myers) - 4-5, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB 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) - 1-4, 2B, 1 R, BB #11 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-4, K #14 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 4-5, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI #18 - Tanner Schobel (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Rochester (5:05PM CST) - TBD Springfield @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP David Festa West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - TBD Fort Myers @ Daytona (5:35PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins let the lowly Washington Nationals come back on them at Target Field Friday night, falling 3-2. Over in the minors, Matt Wallner clubbed a grand slam and Kyle Garlick hit a walk-off homer for the Saints, Marco Raya made his 2023 debut and much more discussed in tonight's Twins System Recap. View full video

The minor leagues are (fully) back! Here are highlights from tonight's action, featuring Edouard Julien, Brooks Lee, Matt Wallner, Blayne Enlow, Yunior Severino, Jaylin Nowlin, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Noah Cardenas, Keoni Cavaco and much more. Also today, Jorge Polanco started a rehab assignment with Fort Myers. View full video

I also added in a few prospects with extreme statistical profiles, just for fun. Image courtesy of Andrew West/The News-Press via Imagn Content Services, LLC Noah Cardenas For my life, I can’t figure out why Noah Cardenas isn’t well-regarded as a prospect. Catchers who can hit are rare; catchers who can hit and field well are unique, and Cardenas might be that kind of player. Let’s start with the bat: his .302/.407/.426 line at UCLA has translated well to a .261/.421/.413 one over his first full season in professional ball, 99 games with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. Despite a hitting environment that favors pitchers, Cardenas rode his excellent feel for the plate to an 18.2% walk rate, good for 3rd in the Florida League; his .421 OBP placed him 4th. Fielding is more difficult to analyze—even major league stats remain shaky these days—but Eric Longenhagen and Tess Taruskin refer to him as a “glove-driven” catcher, and the Pac-12 honored Cardenas with an honorable mention on their All-Defensive Team in 2019. He’s a touch older than your typical A-ball player—he celebrated his 23rd birthday on September 10th—but Cardenas should remain firmly on your radar over the next few years. Cody Laweryson “Fun” is seldom a word that describes a prospect, but the word fits Cody Laweryson’s bill perfectly. A 14th-round pick out of Maine in 2019, Laweryson shocked with a monstrous 15-strikeout performance to end his time in rookie ball but entered a hiatus thanks to the canceled minor league season in 2020. His 2021 season was forgettable, but he returned with a dominating 2022 campaign. Laweryson silenced bats with a 1.62 ERA, flipping between starting and relief, striking out 30.2% of hitters while walking just 7.2%. He even stepped up his game at AA, holding a 1.06 ERA over 59 ⅔ innings in a hitter-friendly environment. Laweryson’s secret sauce is deception, a crane-like delivery with slanted arms and raised elbows that would fit perfectly next to Michael Jackson in the Thriller music video. Hitters can barely see the ball as a barrage of limbs fly toward the plate, masking Laweryson’s pitches until too late. The Twins chose not to protect Laweryson in the upcoming Rule 5 draft, opening up the chance for another team to poach him. Brent Headrick In May, Matthew Lenz told us we should start noticing Brent Headrick. He was on to something. After struggling with command in 2021, Headrick shifted into high gear in 2022, punching out batters at an elite rate—31%, to be exact—while limiting walks with Joe Musgrove-esque control. Even a promotion into a hitters' lion's den—the Texas League—couldn’t slow down Headrick’s reign; his K-BB% barely budged after joining the Wind Surge. While not a velocity expert, Headrick works with a deceptive delivery, placing pitches in their proper location before punching out the batter with a high fastball or a diving breaking ball. The Twins agree that Headrick is fascinating; the team chose to protect him in the upcoming Rule 5 draft, perhaps paving a path for the Illinois State product to pitch for the major league club in 2023. Others Prospect evaluation is far from perfect, but one can often parse through the noise, instead focusing on the statistical freak shows who have become major league stars in recent seasons. Steven Kwan rode an elite contact profile to a 4.4 fWAR season; our own Luis Arraez broke out and won a silver slugger in 2022; Cristian Javier’s absurd minor league K numbers have translated to a career 30.9% K rate in the majors. These players were dinged for other drawbacks, but their outlier abilities have carried them to major league success. Here are a few guys in the Twins organization who stick out: Jaylen Nowlin Jaylen Nowlin struck out 35.9% of hitters in 2022. His command was dreadful enough to omit from this paragraph—his walk rate could scare the less courageous among us—but that punch-out rate will keep him around, maybe translating to major league playing time. Austin Schulfer The nearly 27-year-old Austin Schulfer is knocking loud enough on the Twins’ door that the neighbors are starting to get irritated. His strikeout and walk rates moved in the wrong direction in 2022, but his groundball rate jumped from average to 58.3%, good for tops in the system amongst all pitchers with 50 innings. Only seven qualified MLB relievers could claim a better penchant for grounders in 2022. Noah Miller 19-year-olds aren’t supposed to walk 16.2% of the time in their first full season in professional baseball, especially when they play in an offensively stunted environment. Noah Miller’s extra-base authority lagged, but his feel for the zone is already elite. View full article

Seth cats with catcher Noah Cardenas, the Twins 8th round pick in 2021 out of UCLA about his amateur days, getting drafted and his early days in pro ball with the Twins. View full video

In 2022, catcher Noah Cardenas had a strong first full season in professional baseball. Get to know the talented backstop from UCLA in this Twins Spotlight. Image courtesy of William Parmeter / Mighty Mussels Noah Cardenas was born and grew up in Southern California. He’s a Twins fan now, but it is understandable that he grew up a Dodgers fan and went to several games at the stadium. He enjoyed watching Yasiel Puig play the game. While he played some football until junior high, some basketball, and even some soccer. It was on the baseball field that he excelled. He attended Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills in one of the best prep baseball leagues in the country. In the Mission League, they played against teams like Chaminade and Harvard-Westlake (where Lucas Giolito, Max Fried, and Jack Flaherty played). Notre Dame had Hunter Greene pitching and playing shortstop. There are first-round talents in the conference nearly every year. While there, he was a four-year letter winner. As a junior, he was an honorable-mention All-American. In the summers, he was playing in various national and regional events, such as Perfect Game and the Area Code Games. He was one of the top prospects in his class in California. As a senior, he hit .444/.577/.694 with 15 extra-base hits. He committed to UCLA and was very excited to go there. Cardenas said, “I love UCLA. I think it’s an amazing university. Obviously a diehard Bruin fan now. I grew up a USC fan during the Reggie Bush Era. My brother poisoned me into that thing. I grew up a USC fan, but I was lucky enough for UCLA to recruit me.” In the summer before his freshman year, he played for Portland in the West Coast League and hit .287 with six extra-base hits in 30 games. Cardenas had an incredible freshman season. In 58 games, he hit .375/.476/.500 (.976) with six doubles, a triple, and three homers. He had 17 walks (and was hit 10 times) to go with just 14 strikeouts. He was also an Honorable Mention All-Defensive Team in the Pac-12 that year too. That summer he was scheduled to go play for the Mankato Moondogs of the Northwoods League. Last minute, his coach let him know that he was heading to the Cape Cod League. As a sophomore, he played in just 11 games before Covid hit and ended that season. He did play some summer ball. He has a brother that is a trainer in the Texas Rangers organization, and he helped him out during that lost season. They developed a training schedule for him that included all aspects of the game. In his junior season (2021), he played in 57 games and hit .268/.371/.404 (.774) with 12 doubles, a triple, and five home runs. Behind the plate, he threw out 38% of would-be base stealers. He was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team. With that success, he became the Twins eighth-round pick in the 2021 draft. Cardenas noted, “You just sit there and wait. It was an awesome time. I really enjoyed it, but that time just sitting on your couch, I just want to go already. I just want to get picked. Finally, that time came, and it was the right time, and I was lucky enough to get drafted by the Twins.” Seven rounds later, the Twins also selected his UCLA teammate Mikey Perez. “Going to UCLA, we always stayed together in the same apartment. He’s been trying to get away from me for years now, and it’s funny that we were drafted by the same team.” He continued, “Mikey’s just been a great friend to have, and the transition to pro ball has been awesome.” After signing, Cardenas got into 13 games late in the year in the FCL. He hit .300/.400/.500 (.900) with a double and a homer in his 25 plate appearances. He got an offseason to work, and he came into the 2022 season ready to go. He remained in Ft. Myers and spent the season with the Mighty Mussels. In 99 games, he hit .261/.421/.413 (.834) with 18 doubles and nine home runs. He even stole 11 bases. You also can’t help but notice his Isolated Discipline (OBP - BA) of .160. He had 73 walks on the season with just 70 strikeouts. He credits Ft. Myers hitting coach Rayden Sierra with helping him focus on knowing the strike zone, but also knowing which pitches he can do damage in the zone. He came in fourth place in voting for the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year Award behind only Matt Wallner, Edouard Julien, and Chris Williams. He played 25 games at first base, but he made 56 starts behind the plate. He threw out 29% of potential base stealers. All that, and he earned the Mighty Mussels’ Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service for all of the work he did away from the field, time with kids, and visiting hospitals and more. Hear more about: Learning how the Twins used technology and analytics, and how it can help him. Both of his parents speak Spanish, but he acknowledges that he “can’t speak a lick of it.” So, adjusting to conversations with Spanish-speaking pitchers and teammates. What he enjoys about catching and what he has done to learn more behind the plate. “I was really excited to get a guy like Tucker Frawley who is the catching guy… I felt what he was teaching us was really good stuff.” His thoughts on the electronic strike zone, and the review process that was used at times in the Florida State League. Working with rehabbing big leaguers such as Sonny Gray in Ft. Myers. For more Twins Daily content on Noah Cardenas, click here. View full article

On Monday, the Minnesota Twins announced the recipients of the Harmon Killebrew Awards for Community Service. The award is handed out by each of the Twins four full-season affiliates to a player who represents the affiliate, the Twins and the work of legendary Harmon Killebrew and his kindness in the community. Image courtesy of Steve Buhr, Twins Daily (L to R: David Banuelos, Frank Nigro, Alex Isola, Bradley Hanner, Noah Cardenas) When Harmon Killebrew passed away in 2011, the Twins developed the Killebrew Award for Outstanding Community Service. The players are nominated by each affiliate's general manager based on how much the players do in the community, whether it is reading for kids at school or participating in special camps or visiting hospitals. St. Paul Saints (Catchers David Banuelos and Frank Nigro) Banuelos was the Killebrew Award winner in 2018 when he played with the Kernels as well. In 2022, the Saints recognized him for his work at each of the team's kid baseball camps. He took a strong leadership role in those camps, making sure that the kids were having fun and getting to interact with all the kids. He also participated in the team's annual ACES bowling event. Banuelos has been in big-league spring training the past few years because he is fantastic behind the plate. While he hit just .204, he added seven doubles and eight home runs in 55 games. The Saints referred to Frank Nigro as an "unsung hero" involved in community service initiatives. When he was in St. Paul, he was always willing to volunteer his time. He encouraged kids as they headed back to school this fall with a video message. He also spent time visiting kids in the hospital. Nigro, 25, spent time in the FCL, at Ft. Myers, in Cedar Rapids, and with the Saints, and he had just 34 at-bats in 18 games played. Wichita Wind Surge (Catcher/First Baseman Alex Isola) Alex Isola is also now a two-time Killebrew Award recipient. He won the award in 2021 with the Kernels. The Wind Surge recognized Isola for being a "strong advocate for the team, its fans and the entire Wichita community." Isola went to the team's McConnell Air Force Base Nose Art Ceremony. He also helped the team announce their alternate identities, the Turbo Tubs and the Tumba Vacas. He was always signing autographs for Twins before and after home games. Isola is currently playing in the final week of the Arizona Fall League. The 24-year-old played in 58 games for the Surge this year and hit .286 with nine doubles, 10 homers and 40 RBI. He missed nearly two months with an injury. Cedar Rapids Kernels (RHP Bradley Hanner) Brad Hanner was the Kernels choice for the Killebrew Award as he kept busy volunteering throughout the 2022 season. He was a "standout" during the Twins' organization-wide Week of Service. He assembled boxes at the local Meals on Wheels location to help pre-package meals. He brought breakfast to the elderly several mornings with his host family. The 23-year-old went above and beyond, always spending talking to the fans and signing autographs. Hanner was one of the Kernels top bullpen arms, especially in the first half. In 39 games, he went 7-4 with a 4.60 ERA. In 58 2/3 innings, he had 65 strikeouts. Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Catcher Noah Cardenas) Noah Cardenas spent his first full professional season with the Mighty Mussels. The team's front office recognized Cardenas for "his fantastic participation and engagement in community events during the season." He was "always courteous to fans, employees, and community members." The 23-year-old backstop hit .261 with 18 doubles and nine home runs. He also walked 73 times and walked 70 times. Past Killebrew Award Winners 2011: Rochester: Kyle Gibson, New Britain: Bobby Lanigan, Ft. Myers: Reggie Williams, Beloit: Ryan O'Rourke. 2012: Rochester: JR Towles, New Britain: Shawn Roof, Ft. Myers: Andy Leer, Beloit: Corey Williams. 2013: Rochester: Brian Dinkelman, New Britain: Dan Rohlfing, Ft. Myers: Stephen Wickens, Beloit: Niko Goodrum. 2014: Rochester: Logan Darnell, New Britain: Tony Thomas, Ft. Myers: Tim Shibuya, Cedar Rapids: Tanner Vavra. 2015: Rochester: Logan Darnell, Chattanooga: Tim Shibuya, Ft. Myers: Tanner Vavra, Cedar Rapids: Jared Wilson. 2016: Rochester: Logan Darnell, Chattanooga: David Hurlbut, Ft. Myers: Trey Vavra, Cedar Rapids: Nelson Molina. 2017: Rochester: DJ Baxendale, Chattanooga: Travis Harrison, Ft. Myers: Kevin Garcia, Cedar Rapids: Hector Lujan. 2018: Rochester: Jake Reed, Chattanooga: Chris Paul, Ft. Myers: Tyler Wells, Cedar Rapids: David Banuelos. 2019: Rochester: Jake Reed, Pensacola: Hector Lujan, Ft. Myers: Calvin Faucher, Cedar Rapids: Brian Rapp. 2021: St. Paul: Sherman Johnson, Wichita: Hector Lujan, Cedar Rapids: Alex Isola, Ft. Myers: Jeferson Morales. View full article

Matt Wallner smashed his way through the upper minors on the way to making his big league debut. Here's why Wallner was the unanimous choice for Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (graphics by Thieres Rabelo) Last season, Jose Miranda compiled one of the best minor league seasons in Twins' history. He was named the Twins Daily 2021 Minor League Hitter of the Year, and fans have seen how he has translated that into a successful rookie campaign. For the second consecutive season, there was a clear choice for the organization's Minor League Hitter of the Year, with Matt Wallner cementing himself into the team's long-term plans. Wallner grew up in Forest Lake, MN, and was impressive as a high school slugger. Minnesota took him in the 32nd round of the 2016 MLB Draft (as a pitcher), but Wallner was committed to playing at the University of Southern Mississippi. He became a three-year starter at the school while averaging over 19 home runs per season with a 1.113 OPS. He helped his draft stock significantly, and the Twins took him with the 39th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, this time as a three-time All-American outfielder. Wallner showed some power in the lower minors as his OPS was .810 or higher in 2019 and 2021. For the most part, he was slightly older than the average age of the competition at each level, so it would have been nice to see him post even better offensive numbers. He missed over two months of the 2021 season with a broken hamate bone, so the Twins decided to find him some extra at-bats after the minor league season concluded. His performance in the 2021 Arizona Fall League might have been what pushed him to a tremendous 2022 campaign. In 18 games, he went 20-for-66 (.303 BA) with two doubles and six home runs, which resulted in a 1.011 OPS. Minnesota sent Wallner to Double-A to start the 2022 campaign, where he was younger than the average age of the competition at his level for the first time since 2019. His season started slowly as he posted a .200 BA and a .741 OPS in April. His bat started to heat up in May when he hit seven doubles and six homers in 24 games (.984 OPS). However, the month of June is where he solidified his prospect status. As the calendar flipped to June, Pitchers couldn't find a way to retire Wallner. He got on base in 50% of his plate appearances for the month. In 27 games that month, he only failed to reach base in three contests. He had two multi-homer games and seven games where he walked twice or more. Wallner ended the month hitting .345/.500/.714 (1.214) with five doubles, one triple, and eight home runs. July saw Wallner's bat cool off a bit, but the month also saw some other impressive feats. He represented the Twins at the 2022 Futures Game in Los Angeles and hit a two-run homer in a tie game. Minnesota also promoted him to Triple-A, where he was four years younger than the average age of the competition. After adjusting to St. Paul, Wallner posted a .978 OPS with 17 doubles, three triples, and six home runs in 39 games from August 2- September 15. With the big-league club struggling, there was some question about why the team wasn't promoting Wallner for the team's playoff push. He quickly made his mark with the Twins as his first big-league hit was a home run with his family in attendance. It was a perfect way to cap a tremendous 2022 season, and there is little doubt that Wallner's powerful bat will be part of the Twins line-up for most of the next decade. Runner-Up: Edouard Julien, IF AA Stats (113 G): .300/.441/.490 (.931), 19 2B, 3 3B, 17 HR, 67 RBI Like Wallner, Julien was drafted out of college in 2019 but was taken in the 18th round. In his first two professional seasons, he has combined for a .922 OPS while moving from Low-A to Double-A. He was a staple in the Wind Surge line-up this season and faced older pitchers in over 87% of his plate appearances. Defensively, Minnesota had him focus on second base in 2022, so that's his most likely path to the big leagues. Second Runner-Up: Chris Williams, 1B/C AA/AAA Stats (109 G): .255/.352/.528 (.880), 21 2B, 1 3B, 28 HR, 88 RBI Williams posted impressive power numbers, including double-digit home runs at Double- and Triple-A. Minnesota took him in the 8th round of the 2018 MLB Draft from Clemson. The 2022 season was the first where most of his plate appearances came as a first baseman instead of a catcher. This may have helped his power numbers increase, as he could keep his legs stronger throughout the season. Honorable Mention: Noah Cardenas, C/1B Low-A Stats (99 G): .261/.421/.413 (.834), 18 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 43 RBI Minnesota took Cardenas with their 8th-round pick in 2021 from UCLA. He impressed in his first full professional season as he caught over 460 innings and played time at first base. Cardenas led the team in many offensive categories. His prospect stock will continue to rise if he can hit for power while continuing to catch. What impressed you the most about the names mentioned above? Should a different player have made the list? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. PREVIOUS WINNERS: 2012 - Oswaldo Arcia 2013 - Miguel Sano 2014 - Mitch Garver 2015 - Max Kepler 2016 - Daniel Palka 2017 - Mitch Garver 2018 - Alex Kirilloff 2019 - Trevor Larnach 2021 - Jose Miranda View full article

We have reached September, and the minor-league seasons will be coming to an end in just a couple of weeks. At that point, a couple of Twins affiliates will be participating in the playoffs. But today let's celebrate the top hitters from the month of August. Before jumping into the top five hitters of the month, here are some of the honorable mentions. HONORABLE MENTIONS IF/OF Michael Helman - St. Paul Saints - 26-101, .257/.321/.465 (.786) with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs, 23 R, 10 RBI, 10 BB, 21 K. C Jair Camargo - Wichita Wind Surge - 23-82, .280/.344/.561 (.905) with 2 doubles, 7 home runs, 14 R, 18 RBI, 9 BB, 26 K. IF/OF Anthony Prato - Wichita Wind Surge - 21-83, .253/.431/.422 (.853) with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 18 R, 12 RBI, 24 BB, 24 K. C Alex Isola - Wichita Wind Surge - 20-68, .294/.351/.500 (.851) with 5 doubles, 3 home runs, 11 R, 13 RBI, 5 BB, 11 K. IF Jake Rucker - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 27-101, .267/.330/.455 (.785) with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 13 R, 17 RBI, 8 BB, 28 K. OF Misael Urbina - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - 29-100, .290/.372/.460 (.832), 8 doubles, 3 home runs, 15 R, 10 RBI, 13 BB, 26 K. OF Yasser Mercedes - DSL Twins - 20-49 - .408/.453/.633 (1.086), 4 doubles, 2 triples, one home run, 14 R, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K, 13-14 SB. THE TOP FIVE AUGUST HITTERS Number 5 - Wichita Wind Surge - 2B Edouard Julien - 27-93, .290/.426/.573 (.899), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 18 R, 13 RBI, 21 BB, 30 K. Julien’s background is pretty unique. He grew up in Quebec where he spoke French and went to a secondary school that also taught Spanish. He became well known in scouting circles playing on the Canadian national teams. He was drafted out of high school, but he went to Auburn University. It was there that he learned English. In 2019, he helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series. He was a draft-eligible sophomore, and the Twins used their 18th-round pick to select him. He fully intended to go back to school, but as the deadline to sign, the Twins ponied up and gave him fourth-round money and he signed. However, he did not make his pro debut until 2021 after Tommy John and the lost 2020 season. Between Ft. Myers and Cedar Rapids, he hit .267/.434/.480 (914) with 28 doubles, 18 homers, and 72 RBI. He also had 34 stolen bases in 39 attempts. He led all of minor-league baseball with 110 walks. He began the 2022 season with Wichita, and he remains hitting near the top of the Wind Surge lineup. In 99 games, he has hit .293/.436/.501 (.938) with 16 doubles, three triples, and 17 home runs. In other words, he had a fantastic month of August, but it was actually a little below his season average. His .438 on-base percentage ranks fifth in minor-league baseball, just .015 behind the top spot. His 88 walks rank 10th in the minor leagues, just two behind Matt Wallner for the organization lead. Julien’s combination of approach at the plate, power, and speed are incredibly exciting. As a 2019 draft pick, he would appear to be a given to get added to the 40-man roster in November. He is the #14 Twins Prospect on this site. (For more past Edouard Julien content from Twins Daily, click here.) Number 4 - St. Paul Saints - C/1B Chris Williams - 13-54, .241/.368/.667 (1.035), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs, 12 R, 19 RBI, 12 BB, 21 K. Like many Twins, Williams didn’t hit for average for the Saints this past month, but he continues to take strong at-bats, walks a lot, and his power just continues to be immense. Williams was the Twins' eighth-round pick in 2018 out of Clemson. That summer, he was the Twins Daily short-season Minor League Hitter of the Year. Following the missed 2020 season, Williams went to High-A Cedar Rapids where, in 17 games, he went 5-for-50. Yes, he was hitting .100 when he was promoted to Wichita. In 28 games with the Wind Surge, he hit .225/321/.405 (.935) with five doubles and three home runs. He began this season with the Wind Surge again. In 75 games, he hit .277/.372/.542 (.915) with 16 doubles, 18 homers, and 58 RBI. Something had clicked and his massive power was showing. And his seven August homers came in his 17 games with the Saints. A catcher, he also plays a lot of first base. He’s got a strong arm. He has worked really hard and is in better shape, and with that, improved stats and his power is back. It will be very interesting to see if he is added to the team’s 40-man roster this offseason. (More Chris Williams content at Twins Daily, click here.) Number 3 - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - C Noah Cardenas - 23-71, .324/.467/.507 (.974), 4 doubles, 3 home runs, 11 R, 9 K, 18 BB, 9 K. The Twins drafted Noah Cardenas out of UCLA in the eighth round of the 2021 draft. After signing, he played in 13 games in the FCL last summer and hit .300/.400/.500 (.900) with a double and a homer. The 22-year-old has played in 94 games this season for Ft. Myers. He has hit .253/.417/.403 (.820) with 15 doubles, nine homers, and 38 RBI. So, as you can see, his approach and power in August really shone through. First, as you see, he had 18 walks to go with just nine strikeouts (on the season, he has 70 walks to go with 68 strikeouts). That’s a strong knowledge of the strike zone, an ability to see pitches well, and an ability to put the ball in play. But he also has displayed the ability to drive the ball, for doubles and over the fence. Cardenas is a good athlete, especially with the “especially for a catcher” mantra. He’s got good speed and runs the bases well. He is well respected behind the plate and has done a really nice job receiving. He is definitely a catching prospect to watch. (For more Noah Cardenas content on Twins Daily, click here.) Number 2 - St. Paul Saints - OF Matt Wallner - 25-95, .263/.412/.495 (.907), 8 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 18 R, 15 RBI, 21 BB, 32 K. You know the story. Minnesota’s top high school player in 2016 from Forest Lake, drafted by the Twins in the 32nd round as a pitcher. Went to Southern Mississippi and became an All-American outfielder. In 2019, he was the 39th overall pick in the draft by his home team Twins again. He was also the short-season hitter of the year in 2019. You know about his season. He has been a finalist for this award throughout the 2022 season. After a slow start, Wallner hit .299/.436/.597 (1.033) with 15 doubles and 21 homers in 78 games. In 37 games since joining the Saints, he has hit .245/.379/.453 (.832) with 10 doubles and five home runs. 25 doubles and 26 home runs. Yes, he’s still striking out a lot, but he’s also walking at an incredible clip. Only seven players in minor-league baseball have walked more than he has (89). He ranks #23 in home runs, #17 in RBI, #23 in OBP, and #19 in OPS. Yes, he got off to a slow start in Wichita. Yes, he got off to a slow start in St. Paul. But, the Twins #9 prospect has shown an ability to make adjustments and start hitting the ball really hard quickly. And, he has some impressive exit velocities, including the 117 mph home run that he crushed in the Futures Game. Is Wallner ready for the big leagues? I don’t know. There may be a ton of strikeouts, but if he can also take some walks, we know that he’s going to hit some lasers. It is likely he will debut early in the 2023 season after being added to the 40-man roster in November. For more Matt Wallner content on Twins Daily, click here. And the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is: Cedar Rapids Kernels/Wichita Wind Surge - OF Will Holland - 24-73, .329/.427/.589 (1.017), 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 15 R, 12 RBI, 14 BB, 20 K. Will Holland and Edouard Julien comprised the left side of the infield for the 2019 Auburn Tigers team that played in the College World Series. Julien was taken in the 18th round due to questions of whether he would sign. Holland, a tremendously athletic player from Atlanta, was the Twins fifth-round pick. He fell in the draft after a disappointing junior season which followed an incredible 2018 season in college. The Twins were thrilled to see a player that was projected as a first or second-round pick just six months earlier in the fifth round. Things haven’t gone really smoothly for Holland in his pro career. Like others, he did not have a 2020 season. In 2021, he spent the full season in Low-A Ft. Myers. In 76 games, he hit just .214/.336/.401 (.736) with 15 doubles and 10 homers. He also stole 19 bases. Even with the struggles, you could see that he does have pop in his bat and that he has elite speed. It is unlikely that you would find a faster player in the Twins' minor leagues. While he missed some time with injury, he showed an ability to play a very good center field. He’s got a strong arm and incredible range. But, he also showed some very good instincts out in center, especially someone who hasn’t played there a lot. Holland began the 2022 season with Cedar Rapids. In 85 games, he hit .225/.331/.362 (.694) with 12 doubles, four triples, and six home runs. He also stole 21 bases in 25 attempts. On August 9th, he started in center field for the Kernels at the Field of Dreams ballpark. The next day, he was promoted to the Wind Surge. In his seven games for the Kernels in August, he had 10 hits. In his first five games with Wichita, he had eight hits including a double, a triple, and three homers. He had a five-RBI game in which he was 2-for-2 with three walks, a double, and a homer. Just as interesting, he played center field the first time games and then just twice more over the remaining 15 games of the month. For the first time, he played in left field and right field. With Holland and DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. in the outfield, they can cover some major ground. It has been a breakout season for Will Holland. Will it be enough to get him a spot on the Twins' 40-man roster? He has great speed, is a great athlete, has shown some pop, and can really play strong defense in the outfield as well as at shortstop. (For more Will Holland content at Twins Daily, click here.) Join us in congratulating Wind Surge outfielder Will Holland, Twins Daily’s choice for Minor League Hitter of the Month for August 2022. Feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions. PREVIOUS 2022 WINNERS April 2022: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Cedar Rapids Kernels May 2022: Spencer Steer, Wichita Wind Surge/St. Paul Saints June 2022: Matt Wallner, Wichita Wind Surge July 2022: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Cedar Rapids Kernels/Wichita Wind Surge View full article

In about a year, the country is going to turn its eyes on Iowa for non-sports reasons. On Saturday night, the Saints were in Iowa and managed to steal a victory against the Cubs. Whitey Herzog would be proud! Wichita's balanced offense made a big comeback, and the late-season rains in Florida wreaked havoc again on Saturday. TRANSACTIONS OF Leobaldo Cabrera was activated by Wichita. OF Cole Sturgeon was activated by the Wind Surge and then promoted to the Saints. RHPs Ben Heller and Ariel Jurado were also activated by the Saints. SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 3, St. Paul 6 Box score Simeon Woods Richardson took the mound for his second Saints start. In 5 2/3 innings, he gave up two runs on four hits and a walk. He also struck out eight batters. He earned his first Triple-A wins. Michael Feliz had one walk and one strike out in 1 1/3 innings. Mario Sanchez gave up a run in the eighth frame, but Brad Peacock locked things down in the ninth for his first Save. He struck out two batters in a perfect inning. Power and speed can be a great combination, right? The Saints used both to earn the win. The power? Mark Contreras hit a two-run in the fifth inning to put the Saints in the lead for good. It was his 13th home of the year. The speed? In yesterday’s report, we showed the organization’s leaders in stolen bases. In this game, the Saints added an incredible NINE stolen bases to their season total. Contreras stole two bases to go with his home. Michael Helman, who went 2-for-4 with a walk, led the way with four stolen bases. John Andreoli also stole two bags, and Matt Wallner added one as well. WIND SURGE WISDOM Frisco 6, Wichita 8 Box Score Lefty Aaron Rozek made the start and gave up four first-inning runs. After a scoreless second inning, the first two batters of the third inning reached. Andrew Cabezas allowed one of the inherited to score, so Rozek’s final lie was five runs on nine hits over two innings. Cabezas, other than the inherited runner that scored, tossed two scoreless frames. Francis Peguero gave up one run on a hit and a walk. He had two strikeouts over his two innings. Jordan Gore pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Casey Legumina came on and struck out three batters in a scoreless eighth frame. The Wind Surge had a very balanced offensive attack to put up their eight runs. All nine starters had one hit. No one had two, just one hit for everyone. In the first inning, Yunior Severino hit a two-run homer. In the fifth frame, Jair Camargo hit his ninth Wichita homer. The two each drove in two runs, as did Austin Martin who went 1-for-5. With an 8-6 lead going to the bottom of the ninth, Blayne Enlow was brought in for the save opportunity. After a leadoff walk, he struck out two batters on his way to a scoreless inning and his second Save. KERNELS NUGGETS Lake County 6, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score OF Dylan Neuse hit a double. OK, that is it for the Hitters portion of the Kernels report. That’s it. One hit, two walks and 12 strikeouts. To the defensive portion of this game. OF Dylan Neuse had two outfield assists in this game, twice throwing out runners at first base. The Kernels also had two errors in the game. Lefty Jaylen Nowlin made his second Kernels start. He gave up three runs on four hits (2 homers) over five innings. He walked three and struck out six batters. He was replaced by Sean Mooney who gave up three runs on three hits in an inning. Jon Olsen came on and gave up one run on one hit over the final two innings. MUSSEL MATTERS Lakeland 2, Fort Myers 6 (Final-6) Box Score As per usual at this time of year, the Weather has been the “Winner” in Florida of late. As we mentioned yesterday, Brock Stewart started for the Mussels and went the first two innings. He gave up two runs on just one hit. Michael Boyle pitched a scoreless top of the third inning. Noah Cardenas hit a solo home run in the second inning, his ninth of the year. In the bottom of the third inning, Misael Urbina led off with a double. Ben Ross drove him in with a double. One batter later, Ross stole third base and then scored on a Cardenas single. Kala’i Rosario followed with an RBI double, his 20th two-bagger of the season. And that’s when the game was delayed by rain. It resumed in Ft. Myers on Saturday afternoon. After the second out of the bottom of the third inning was recorded, 2022 draft pick Alec Sayre singled to score Rosario. . Later in the game, the Mussels got one more run on the first professional home run from Tanner Schobel. In this game, Noah Cardenas went 3-for-3 with a single, double, and home run. When the Mussels took the field, they sent Marco Raya to the mound. Raya gave up a single and then was removed from the game with an injury. We are trying to learn more about the specifics. Malik Barrington came on and worked three scoreless, hitless innings. He walked one, hit one, and struck out four batters. Then the rains came again. The Mussels held the 6-2 lead after 5 1/2 innings, so the game was called complete. Boyle got the Win, and Barrington recorded the well-earned Save. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Malik Barrington (Ft. Myers) - 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Noah Cardenas (Ft. Myers) - 3-3, 2B (15), HR (9), 2 R, 2 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-5, 2 RBI, R #6 - Simeon Woods-Richardson (St. Paul) - 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (78 pitches, 55 strikes) #8 - Marco Raya (Ft. Myers) - 0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (left with injury) #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-2, 2 BB, K, R, SB #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-3, R, RBI, 3 K #15 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, Save #18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - 1-3, R, RBI, HR(1), #20 - Kala'i Rosario (Fort Myers) - 1-3, 2B(20), RBI, K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Here are the start times and probables for Sunday’s games. St. Paul @ Iowa (1:08 PM CST) - RHP Dereck Rodriguez Wichita @ Frisco (6:05 PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick Cedar Rapids @ Lake County (12:00 PM CST) - TBD Lakeland @ Fort Myers (DH starting at 10:00 AM CST) - TBD, RHP Regi Grace Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Saturday's games. View full article