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Another day. Another Yunior Severino home run. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (photos of Yunior Severino), Ed Bailey (photo of Pierson Ohl) Seemingly every day, Yunior Severino has continued to mash and hit home run after home run. Find out below how impressive his current streak is, and how unique his season has been in Twins minor-league history. And while it may not be as historically significant, you'll want to see the run that Wind Surge starter Pierson Ohl is on too. The Saints got a nice start from a prospect who appears to have turned around his season. The Wind Surge played another one-run game. And, it was a travel day for the Kernels as they head back home hoping to keep their season alive on Thursday night. All that and much more in Wednesday's Minor League Report. Here are the records of the Twins and their active affiliates through games on Wednesday. Minnesota Twins: 76-70 St. Paul Saints: 80-59 Wichita Wind Surge: 62-71 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 82-50 regular season (0-1 in playoffs) Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Before the games on Sunday, the Twins activated Jorge Polanco from the Bereavement List. To make room, OF Gilberto Celestino was optioned having not played during his short stint with the big club. . SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 2, Louisville 3 (10 innings) Box Score Simeon Woods Richardson started on Wednesday afternoon for the Saints in Des Moines. He gave up one run on three hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out five batters. His ERA this season is now down to 4.92. Now, that may not sound great, but when the calendar turned to July, he was 0-5 with an ERA of 7.47 over 11 starts and 47 innings. However, since then, He is 6-1 with an ERA of 2.95 over 12 games (10 starts) and 61 innings. It has been gradual, but it’s great to see that improvement. Andrew Bechtold came on in relief for the sixth inning. He gave up three runs on three hits and a walk in 2/3 of an inning. However, both outs he recorded were on strikeouts. He has made 18 appearances out of the bullpen since trying to take up pitching on the fly. Blessed with a big arm that is capable of hitting the upper-90s with a fastball, it is worth a shot, and it will be interesting to see if he’s shown enough potential to invest another season in that transition. Bechtold can be a free agent at season’s end. If that happens, it will be interesting to see how he is utilized moving forward. So, it’s important to take his numbers - which haven’t been good - into proper perspective, understanding he hasn’t pitched since high school (10 years ago) and he’s doing it in Triple-A against a lot of veteran players. In 16 innings, he has an ERA of 11.81 and a WHIP at 2.63. He has 14 strikes, but 21 walks, in those 16 innings. But he is 2-1 if you’re interested in Win-Loss record for relievers. Michael Boyle came on and faced four batters. He got all four of them out, two on strikeouts. Jordan Balazovic gave up a hit and struck out one batter in a scoreless inning. The Saints took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Michael Helman scored on a Wild Pitch. The Saints took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth when Hernan Perez hit his 10th home run of the season. The Saints cut their deficit to 4-3 in the top of the seventh inning when Yunior Severino hit his 10th Saints homer and his 34th homer overall. He has homered in three straight games and in five of the past seven games. Only seven players in Twins minor-league history (62 seasons) have hit more home runs in a season than Severino. And he’s got nine games remaining to move up the lists. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 1, Midland 2 Box Score Pierson Ohl continues to roll. The right-hander from Grand Canyon tossed 5 1/3 innings of scoreless ball in this game. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out five batters. He also hit two batters. Early in June, Ohl was promoted to Wichita. In his first three Double-A starts, he went 0-2 with an ERA of 6.61 and opponents hit .297 against him. Since then, he has gone 7-1 with a 1.78 ERA in 13 games (11 starts). His WHIP has been 0.89, and opponents have hit just .198 off of him. He’s got 62 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 70 2/3 innings. Isaac Mattson got out of the sixth inning and then gave up a single run in the seventh inning on a solo homer. Sean Mooney came into a 1-1 tie in the top of the eighth inning. He recorded one out and gave up only an unearned run on two walks. Miguel Rodriguez came into the game with the bases loaded and one out. He got the final two outs of the eighth inning and allowed just one inherited runner to score. He then pitched a scoreless ninth inning. He had three strikeouts. The Surge did score the first run of the game in the second inning. Ben Ross drove in Alex Isola with a single. That was about it for the offense. They had just six hits, and Alex Isola went 3-for-4 in the game and is now hitting .280 on the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids vs. Peoria The Kernels have their backs to the wall in Round 1 of the Midwest League playoffs. Fortunately, the team will find their backs on the walls at their home stadium in Cedar Rapids. And, if they find a way to win Game 2, then Game 3 will be at home as well. They are sending righty Cory Lewis to the mound on Thursday night. He’s arguably been the best pitcher in the Twins organization this season. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day – Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, HR(10/34), R, RBI, K Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl (Wichita) - 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, BB, 5 K, 83 pitches, 53 strikes (63.9%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 0-for-4 #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 0-for-3, BB, 2 K #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 0-for-4 #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, HR(10/34), R, RBI, 1 K #15 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 84 pitches, 53 strikes (63.1%) #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 16 pitches, 11 strikes (68.8%) THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES St. Paul @ Iowa (12:08 PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (5-8, 5.10 ERA) Midland @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Travis Adams (4-10, 5.55 ERA) Playoffs: Game 2: Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) - Cory Lewis (9-4, 2.49 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics! 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The Minnesota Twins lost to the Rays Wednesday afternoon at Target Field. With Cleveland in a tailspin, there’s not much to get worked up about in terms of wins and losses, but there were a couple of big-picture items of concern that continued to reveal themselves. Griffin Jax gave up the go-ahead homer in the ninth inning and has a 6.26 ERA in the second half. Also discussed is the decision to pinch hit Christian Vázquez for Edouard Julien. Down in the minors, both Simeon Woods Richardson and Pierson Ohl continued their strong streak of performances on the mound. Also, Yunior Severino homered for the third-straight game. View full video

St. Paul didn’t hit another grand slam on Thursday, but they flashed plenty of power. Wichita grabbed a late lead, and Fort Myers got off to a late start. Check all of the minor league action within. Image courtesy of Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports TRANSACTIONS RHP Alex Scherff placed on temporary inactive list by St. Paul RHP John Klein promoted from Fort Myers to Cedar Rapids The Twins released RHP Chad Donato from Wichita's roster SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 10, Louisville 3 Box Score St. Paul turned to Simeon Woods Richardson on Thursday night, and he was nothing short of lights out. He worked six innings and allowed just a single run on four hits and a walk. The run didn’t come until the sixth inning, and he punched out five on the evening. It didn’t take long for the electric Saints lineup to produce. Kyle Garlick launched a two-run homer that brought in Trevor Larnach and put St. Paul ahead. Gilberto Celestino nabbed a homer the hard way, an inside-the-park variety, that brought home Jair Camargo in the second inning. Up 4-0, Woods Richardson had a comfortable lead. For the second time on the night, Garlick spiced things up with a homer. The two-run shot was his 14th of the year, and again plated Larnach in the process. Hernan Perez then singled with both Yunior Severino and Anthony Prato on base, driving both in, and making it an 8-0 ballgame. In the sixth inning, Prato ripped an RBI single to score Larnach for the third time. With the bases loaded, Celestino drew a walk to drive Garlick in and make it a 10-0 game. Louisville recorded their first run in the sixth inning, and then plated a pair in the eighth inning, but it wasn’t nearly enough to make this one a game. While Austin Martin didn't make his mark with the bat tonight, he certainly made his presence felt with the glove. The Saints recorded a whopping 14 hits on Thursday with Larnach, Garlick, Severino, Prato, and Camargo all recording a pair each. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 2, Corpus Christi 1 Box Score The Wind Surge gave the ball to Pierson Ohl on Thursday night and he worked 5 1/3 innings allowing one run on four hits. Ohl also gave up a walk while striking out four. His one mistake came on a home run that Chad Stevens sent to left field. Wichita jumped out to an early advantage when Seth Gray crushed his ninth home run of the season. A second inning solo shot represented the game’s first run. Corpus Christi responded with a solo shot of their own in the bottom half and the game stayed tied until the ninth inning. Needing some separation to avoid extras, Wichita made things happen in the ninth inning. Willie Joe Garry Jr. stole second base, and when catcher C.J. Stubbs sailed the throw, he came around the score. The costly miscue put Corpus Christi behind by a run with only three runs to work with. Picking up six hits on the night, no one recorded more than one hit for Wichita. The late run was enough to win it. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 11, Cedar Rapids 6 Box Score C.J. Culpepper made the start on Thursday night for the Kernels, and unfortunately it was a tough outing for him. He lasted just two innings while allowing seven runs on seven hits. Culpepper also walked two and struck out just one. Despite a very good season, this wasn’t an outing to hang his hat on. Trailing 7-0 by the third inning, the Kernels didn’t fold and looked to bounce back. Jefferson Morales doubled home Misael Urbina to put Cedar Rapids on the board. In the fourth inning Luke Keaschall added another when he singled home Jorel Ortega. Then in the fifth inning, Kala’i Rosario kept up his hot-hitting while blasting his 21st dinger of the season. The three-run shot also scored Noah Miller and Emmanuel Rodriguez while bringing the Kernels within two. Wisconsin added a pair of runs back in the fifth inning to push it back to a four-run lead. Adding another pair in the seventh inning, it was an 11-5 game and Cedar Rapids found themselves staring at a sizeable deficit once again. Attempting to mount a comeback, the Kernels gained a run back when Rodriguez drew a bases loaded walk in the eighth inning to score Keaschall. They couldn't capitalize with other runners on base however. Unable to add in the ninth inning, the Kernels dropped the contest by five. The Kernels had just five hits Thursday night, and while Rosario posted three RBI, no one added multiple hits. MUSSEL MATTERS Bradenton 9, Fort Myers 5(F/7) Box Score With inclement weather in the area, the start of Thursday night’s tilt for the Marauders and Mighty Mussels was delayed. After finally getting underway, Miguelangel Boadas took the ball for Fort Myers. In the first inning, Nate Baez doubled with Jay Harry scoring and the Mighty Mussels were on the board first. Yohander Martinez added another with a single during the third inning that scored Danny De Andrade. Leading 2-0, the Mighty Mussels gave both back in the fourth inning and saw the Marauders tie the contest. Bradenton jumped on top of Fort Myers with three runs in the fifth inning. The Mighty Mussels weren't ok with playing from behind and immediately stormed back. De Andrade doubled home Ricardo Olivar before Baez traded places with him on a double of his own. Martinez then singled to drive in Baez and make it a tie ballgame. The Marauders loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning and rather than emerge unscathed, the Mighty Mussels gave up a grand slam. The 9-5 lead was going to be difficult to overcome with just three outs left. Fort Myers couldn't mount a late comeback and that was enough to do them in. With both squads recording ten hits on the evening, Fort Myers saw two each come from De Andrade, Baez, and Martinez. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K Hitter of the Day – Kyle Garlick (St. Paul) - 2-3, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 HR(14), 2 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: #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-2, R, RBI, 3 BB #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-6, 2 K #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-3, BB, K #10 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, RBI, BB, K #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, R, 3 RBI, HR(21), BB, K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 2-6, R, 2 K #15 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K #17 - Danny De Andrade (Fort Myers) - 2-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B(20) FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (6:15PM CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak Wichita @ Corpus Christi (7:05PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:40 CST) - RHP Zebby Matthews Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP Matt Gabbert Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins were off but there was still plenty to go over on the minor league side of things. Simeon Woods Richardson pitched a great game and Gilberto Celestino hit an inside-the-park homer for the Saints. Willie Joe Garry Jr. stole the go-ahead run in the ninth inning for the Wind Surge. Kala'i Rosario hit his Midwest League leading 21st home run for Cedar Rapids. That and more in tonight's recap. View full video

One of his teammates took Hitter of the Day honors, though. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson (Image is Anthony Prato) TRANSACTIONS None Saints Sentinel St. Paul 4, Indianapolis 5 Box Score Simeon Woods Richardson: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K HR: Yunior Severino (2) Multi-hit games: Yunior Severino (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI), Gilberto Celestino (3-for-3, R, BB), DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (2-for-4, R) The Saints made it close on Saturday. Simeon Woods Richardson continued to pitch effectively on Saturday; the 22-year-old held an ERA of 2.96 in July, and now he’s at a 2.79 mark in August. It took a while for the bats to get going, but when they did, they did so with gusto. Yunior Severino blasted a 461 foot moonshot to center, apparently clearing the batter's eye for the first time since St. Paul became an affiliate of the Twins. More runs soon followed for the Saints—they plated a trio in the 8th—but Indianapolis struck for three before they could, leaving St. Paul with a one run disadvantage. All three runs scored off a Hernán Pérez double. The heart of St. Paul’s lineup came up in the 9th, but they went down 1-2-3. Brooks Lee’s sharp lineup was the only non-strikeout. Indianapolis possesses a few notable players. The first, Quinn Priester, started for the first time since his brief, ineffective stint with the Pirates. He pitched four shutout innings. The other—Canaan Smith-Njigba—is brothers with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, whom the Seahawks just selected in the 1st round of the NFL Draft in May. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 2, Springfield 11 Box Score Curtis Taylor: ⅓ IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Alex Isola (3-for-4, 2B, R), David Bañuelos (3-for-4, 2B, RBI) The Wind Surge were thoroughly blown out on Saturday. It’s never great when your starter can’t finish the first inning; it’s even worse when he can only find one out. The Cardinals lineup struck him for four earned runs, turning a leadoff double into a nightmare frame. The more astute amongst us may notice that Taylor earned three strikeouts but only one out. That means that—yes—twice a man reached first on a wild pitch strikeout. Sometimes, it may have been better to avoid the ballpark altogether. Wichita’s bats weren’t up to the herculean task of matching their opponents, but two batters—Alex Isola, and David Bañuelos—collected three hits in the game. For Isola, the game was simply a continuation of an outstanding August; he’s now slashing .295/.396/.659 in the month. Will Holland swiped his 24th base of the season. Cardinals leadoff man Victor Scott II is St. Louis’ 4th-best prospect; he went 3-for-5, with a walk, a stolen base, and a caught stealing. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 6, Wisconsin 5 Box Score C.J. Culpepper: 5 ⅔ IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K HR: Ben Ross (17), Kyler Fedko (4) Multi-hit games: Ben Ross (2-for-5, HR, 3B, R, 3 RBI), Jorel Ortega (2-for-4, 3B, RBI), Kyler Fedko (2-for-3, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB) The Kernels won on a walk-off on Saturday. Cedar Rapids blew a lead late, coming close to sending their fans home disappointed, before they struck with a run in the 9th, overcoming the Timber Rattlers for an exciting win. Starter C.J. Culpepper was strong as usual, reaching the sixth inning while only allowing one run along the way. He struck out four and walked two. His bullpen couldn’t hold the lead, however, as Alejandro Hidaglo and Malik Barrington allowed runs to eventually knot the game at five. It stung for a Cedar Rapids offense that had been explosive up to that point. They collected a perfectly normal nine hits, but fully loaded them with extra-base hits, giving them two doubles, two triples, and two homers respectively in the game. With Emmanuel Rodriguez on first, Jorel Ortega blasted one out to left field, greeting the yellow home run line in left with a startling crack. The shot didn’t clear the fence, but it was enough to plate Rodriguez, who ran like lightning to score off the hit. Big leaguer Jesse Winker played 1st base for the Timber Rattlers, singling once in three at bats. Milwaukee’s 1st-round pick in 2023—3rd baseman Brock Wilken—singled twice in four trips to the plate. Mussel Matters Ft. Myers 4, Palm Beach 0 Box Score John Klein: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Jay Harry (2-for-3, R, BB) Mighty Mussels pitching and defense allowed just one hit on Saturday. John Klein was dominant. The Brooklyn Park native diced up Palm Beach’s lineup, tossing six scoreless innings with eight punchouts and two baserunners allowed. The 21-year-old has been fairly nondescript outside of an incredible debut start for the FCL Twins on June 10th, but starts like this will certainly put him on the prospect map. The Fort Myers offense wasn’t overwhelming, but that did everything they needed to do to support their excellent pitching. Maddux Houghton scored on an error. Luke Keaschall—the man on base because of the mistake—scored on a single. Later efforts pushed Fort Myers’ scoring to four runs. That was enough. The Mighty Mussels swiped three bases on Saturday—one each from Maddux Houghton, Luke Keaschall, and Rubel Cespedes. The Cardinals’ 21st overall pick in 2023—and outfielder named Chase Davis—walked once in three plate appearances. Complex Chronicles Game One: FCL Twins 1, FCL Red Sox 2 (7 Innings) Box Score Spencer Bengard: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The FCL Twins lost the first game of their doubleheader against the FCL Red Sox on Saturday. The bats were cool all game; the Twins collected just two hits—singles from Brayan Acuna and Walker Jenkins. They did take three walks, though. It was a bullpen day on the mound with Devin Kirby pitching the bulk of the game’s innings. His relation to Seattle’s George and Nintendo’s pink blob is unclear. His pitching was excellent, though, as he punched out six over just three frames of work. The team committed four errors, three of which came from 3rd baseman Issac Pena. Game Two: FCL Twins 5, FCL Red Sox 0 (7 Innings) Box Score Nolan Santos: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K HR: Jose Rodriguez (6), Jankel Ortiz (2) Multi-hit games: Walker Jenkins (2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI), Brandon Winokur (2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI), Jose Rodriguez (3-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI) The FCL Twins took game two, though. The bats were much more potent in their second look at FCL Red Sox pitching. It started early, as Brandon Winokur knocked in a pair in the 1st inning, setting the expectations for the game. Later extra-base hits by Jose Rodriguez, Walker Jenkins, and Jankel Ortiz brought the team to five runs. 2023 draftee Nolan Santos started the game for the Twins. The 7th-round selection out of Bethune-Cookman University—the alma mater of a handful of former big leaguers—pitched one scoreless inning, striking out a batter in the process. Kyle Bischoff inhaled the plurality of innings, though, as he whiffed six over four scoreless frames. FCL Twins pitchers struck out 21 batters in the doubleheader. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 3, DSL Phillies White 5 Box Score De Jesus: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K HR: Junior Del Valle (1) Multi-hit games: None The DSL Twins reached halfway to Satan on Saturday. That is, each number in their “R,” “H,” and “E” column was 3. As you could probably predict, that didn’t go well for them; DSL Twins pitchers actually never allowed an earned run, as, instead, all five runs were unearned. DSL Twins hitters had a tough time at the plate, striking out 11 times while earning just three hits. Junior Del Valle’s homer served as the long extra-base knock. Big-name international signing, Hendry Chivilli, continued his abysmal start to affiliated ball, striking out three times while committing his 12th error of the season. The 17-year-old has plenty of time to turn it around, but his Twins introduction has not gone well so far. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – John Klein Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Ben Ross PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 1-4, 2B, BB #2 - Walker Jenkins (FCL Twins) - 3-6, 2B, R, RBI, BB #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 3B, R, RBI, BB, K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-5, 2 K #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-4, R, 2 K #12 - Luke Keaschall (Ft. Myers) - 2-4, R, K #13 - Brandon Winokur (FCL Twins) - 2-7, 2B, R, RBI, 2 K #14 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K #15 - Jordan Balazovic (Minnesota) - 1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K #17 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 2-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, 2 K #18 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K #20 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 3-7, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Indianapolis @ St. Paul (2:07 PM) - RHP Randy Dobnak Springfield @ Wichita (1:05 PM) - RHP Pierson Ohl Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (1:00 PM) - RHP Zebby Matthews Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (10:00 AM) - RHP Jose Olivares View full article

Prospect lists can be flawed in the fact that there are players that have lost prospect eligibility but are still young. Let's explore the Twins' top players in their age-25 season or younger. Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports The Twins have developed a solid young core carrying the team's offense throughout the 2023 season. Each player below is in their age-25 season or younger while playing in the upper level of the minors. Some players no longer qualify for the organization's top prospect list; others have yet to make their big-league debut. Players not eligible for the list include Ryan Jeffers, Trevor Larnach, and Willi Castro, who are all in their age-26 season. 10. Austin Martin, IF/OF Age: 24 Martin was considered the top prospect the Twins received as part of the Jose Berrios trade, but he's struggled since the trade. During the 2022 season, he posted a .683 OPS at Double-A. During spring training, Martin sustained a sprained ligament in his right elbow. Thankfully, he has been able to avoid surgery. In 26 Triple-A games, he has hit .261/.374/.364 (.737) with six doubles and one home run. It will be interesting to see if his performance improves with an entire off-season to recover from his elbow injury. 9. Jose Miranda, 3B/1B Age: 25 Miranda would have easily been in the top-5 of this list at the season's start, but his performance has struggled in 2023. He suffered a shoulder injury during spring training and tried to play through the injury. In 40 big-league games, he posted a 56 OPS+ with seven extra-base hits and 24 strikeouts. Miranda is currently on the IL because of his shoulder issue. When healthy, Miranda is an elite hitter, and the Twins hope this version of Miranda returns for the 2024 campaign. 8. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP Age: 22 It's easy to forget that Woods Richardson is this young, especially after making his big-league debut during the 2022 campaign. He's pitched at Triple-A for nearly the entire 2023 season, where he is over five years younger than the average age of the competition. In 18 appearances, he has a 5.56 ERA with a 1.61 WHIP and 7.4 K/9. Luckily, he still has plenty of time to improve his performance and will be in the conversation for the Twins' 2024 starting rotation. 7. Louie Varland, RHP Age: 25 Varland might seem like the organization's forgotten starting pitching prospect, but he's won back-to-back Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He split time between the Triple-A and MLB levels in 2023 with results that don't match his previous performance. In 12 Triple-A starts, he has a 4.53 ERA with a 1.41 WHIP and 10.6 K/9. The Twins might still need Varland during the 2023 season, but his performance has yet to warrant the team promoting him. He is still part of the team's long-term plans and projects to be in the Twins' rotation for 2024 and beyond. 6. Alex Kirilloff, 1B/OF Age: 25 Kirilloff would rank higher on this list for many teams, but he has struggled to stay healthy for multiple seasons. His wrist impacted his performance over the last two seasons, so the Twins ramped him up slowly to start the 2023 campaign. He looked like one of the team's best hitters for a stretch, including winning the AL Player of the Week. However, a shoulder injury has him back in the IL. An argument can be made for Kirilloff to be in the top-5, but he needs to prove he can stay healthy and productive at the big-league level. How would you rank these players? Which player will have the most significant long-term impact on the club? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Read and rejoice in the starting pitchers who thrived in the month of July. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (graphics by Thieres Rabelo) An issue that pops up in these lists is that of role assignments: pitchers in the minors often flip-flop between starting and relieving to eat up innings whenever they can. This poses challenges for those who acknowledge the delegation of title, as a starter with one relief appearance is still obviously a starter, but some situations aren't as clear-cut. I did my best to adhere to the spirit of the award while still understanding the sometimes silly nature of minor-league pitching order. Below are the names I thought most deserved to be on the list. Their ranking is entirely subjective; I value innings thrown, as those are outs, and outs are valuable, but also like to weigh strikeouts and peripherals as they can differentiate between dominance and a pitcher merely getting lucky. In times when it's a toss-up, I valued the almighty ERA as the great equalizer—got that? Good; let's start. Honorable mentions: RHP C.J. Culpepper - A+ Cedar Rapids C.J. “not Daunte” Culpepper has been one of the biggest stories in the Twins’ farm system this year. Drafted out of a California university not known for baseball stars, Culpepper cruised through Low-A before continuing his excellence at High-A. Why only an honorable mention? The Ks haven’t quite been there after the promotion. RHP Andrew Morris - A/A+ Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids Andrew Morris had a fighting chance at cracking the top five before he tossed up a stinker in his A+ debut on Sunday. Still, his stock is rising as much as his fastball, and he can make the list next month if he settles down at the new level. RHP Matt Gabbert - FCL Twins The short-season teams needed representation on the list as well—and Matt Gabbert is well-deserving of being mentioned. Plucked from indy ball this year, the Evanston, Illinois native struck out nearly 30% of the batters he faced in July, with his six-K outing on the 28th serving as the zenith of his punch out powers. RHP Juan Cota - DSL Twins And now the DSL representative: Juan Cota displayed impressive strikeout stuff with a K% above 30, and also the sort of diminished command typical of a literal teenager, walking three and hitting two over nine frames. 5. LHP Christian MacLeod - A+ Cedar Rapids, 23 1/3 IP, 22.8 K%, 3.47 ERA, 4.72 FIP An injury limited Christian MacLeod to 1 2/3 measly innings in 2021, and an even more measly 0 innings in 2022. Finally healthy, the big lefty drafted out of Mississippi State has done well in his first full-ish season of playing without limits following Tommy John surgery and rehab. The peak of MacLeod’s month came on July 3rd; he decimated the Peoria Chiefs with 5 2/3 overpowering innings, leading to a pair of earned runs along with seven strikeouts. The rest of the month wasn’t quite as impressive, but it was still deeply respectable for a pitcher who—for all intents and purposes—was making his professional debut. Plus, his overhand curveball is just a classic: 4. Zebby Matthews - A+ Cedar Rapids, 22 1/3 IP, 27.1 K%, 3.22 ERA, 4.02 FIP This is now the third “Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month” article I’ve written this year; Zebby Matthews has made the list all three times. His introduction to A+ ball was bumpy, with a ruinous June 10th outing scorching him with eight earned runs over just 2/3 of an inning. Still, Matthews did what Matthews has done since the start of the year: he settled in. He crushed the month of July, flattening his ERA to an acceptable level while punching out hitters at an elevated level. He walked one batter the entire month. One. The eighth-round selection out of Western Carolina University certainly now looks the part, and it should only be a matter of time before he shoots up prospect lists, joining the likes of Bailey Ober as an underrated, undervalued arm from a Carolina college no one has heard of*. Aaron Gleeman already did just that, placing Matthews 19th in his updated top 20 ranking two weeks ago. *With Ryan Jeffers and now Walker Jenkins also hailing from North Carolina, it seems that they will soon be the Carolina Twins, not just the Puerto Rico Twins. 3. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson - AAA St. Paul, 24 1/3 IP, 20.4 K%, 2.96 ERA, 4.27 FIP Almost everything had been a disaster. Entering July, Simeon Woods Richardson held an ERA of 7.47 at AAA, with a FIP at a still unfathomable 5.63. Given the mess, the Twins knew they had to change something up, so they tried a small experiment on July 8th. Brent Headrick started the game, going two innings with four strikeouts while leaving a clean slate for the following arm. Woods Richardson—for just the third time in his professional career—emerged out of the bullpen. The result was mastery: five innings with seven strikeouts, one walk, and a single earned run. He used the momentum to propel himself to a tremendous July, one that finally lowered his ERA, and perhaps righted himself enough to place himself back on the prospect map. Woods Richardson moved back to being a traditional starter after just two relief appearances, and he walked five in his most recent start, potentially signaling that he needs more work before being declared fixed. Still, a fine month deserves praise; here's some recognition for the 22-year-old. 2. RHP Pierson Ohl - AA Wichita, 18 2/3 IP, 29.5 K%, 3.38 ERA, 3.75 FIP Pierson Ohl won’t knock you down with stuff blazing and true; rather, the 14th-round pick from the 2021 draft prefers to carve up hitters with command, placing perfect pitches in precious places, coaxing flailing swings and soft contact. He’s now reached AA in his second full season since being drafted—and he appears to be gaining confidence. Other pitchers may have better numbers, but when you consider Ohl’s placement in the offensive pressure cooker known as the Texas League, his numbers become that much more impressive. Wichita’s team ERA in July was 6.30; lord only knows what it would have been without Pierson Ohl. His July was actually antithetical to his usual body of work: the typically walk-stingy righty handed out seven free passes, but with the trade-off being a near 30% K rate, Ohl was probably fine with the extra base runners. 1. LHP Dallas Keuchel - AAA St. Paul, 28 IP, 20.5 K%, 0.96 ERA, 4.11 FIP Is having Dallas Keuchel on your AAA team like the scene from Billy Madison where Adam Sandler pelts little kids with a dodgeball? Maybe. But it’s impossible to ignore what he’s done in his short stint with the Saints. The 2015 AL Cy Young winner was dominant. He allowed three earned runs the entire month, accruing 28 innings—far more than any other hurler in the system—while striking out a hair over 20% of the batters he faced. That’s a solid showing for his first time in pro ball since September of 2022. With all the attention on his potential opt-out, and whether the Twins will trade, promote, or move on from Dallas Keuchel, it appears he did just about all he could do to earn a spot back in MLB. View full article

The minor-league review should be back to regular programming for the rest of the season after taking a week off with the all-star break. We will recap the last two weeks of action in the organization. With the draft complete, new players will soon be joining teams. Doors opening provide a wave of excitement. But that also means doors closing for others you've read about over the last handful of years. Image courtesy of Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports (photo of Carson McCusker, back in his Oklahoma State days) Don’t forget to read Nick’s Week in Review to catch up on the Twins week. Please check out all the upcoming draft content here! All referenced stats are over the last 15 days. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 53-36 Overview: The Saints have played .500 ball since the last update. 🔥: Anthony Prato has slowly worked his way up the organization ladder and, though it's only been 91 at-bats at AAA, is posting his career-best OPS of 1.069. His three home runs in the last 15 days gives him six for St. Paul and eight total on the year (only two short of his career best). He's worked his way into the conversation in that he could be a utility-type player who can give you defensive value in the infield or outfield and can swipe a base too. 🔥: Simeon Woods Richardson is sporting a 0.60 WHIP and 1.52 batting average against over his last two games/ten innings. He's struck out nine and walked one. 🔥: Though he's been relatively dreadful on the whole, Kyle Garlick continues to beat lefties up. He's got an OPS of 1.004 against southpaws this season and collected nine hits (including two doubles and two home runs) in his last two weeks. 🥶: Blayne Enlow had a rough start, allowing four earned runs in five innings. He struck out four. 🥶: Austin Martin has finally reached Triple-A and the results aren't great. In his last nine games, he's 5-for-36 with two doubles. He's struck out only seven times and has drawn four walks, but his OPS over the last two weeks is a team-low .438 (minimum 10 at-bats). What's Next: The Saints will head to Omaha for a road trip this week. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 35-48 Overview: It's been a rough two weeks for the Wind Surge. Sunday's fun win was the team's first in eight days (yeah, there was a four-day break in there), but Wichita is only 3-8 since July 2. 🔥: Brooks Lee heard the rumbles that fans thought the organization had a new #1 prospect and responded by posting a 1.263 OPS over the last eight games going 13-for-33 with four doubles, three home runs, ten RBIs and more walks (6) than strikeouts (5). 🔥: Marco Raya has made two starts for Wichita so far. He's thrown 5 2/3 innings and has struck out seven. He has only allowed two hits. He'll need to reduced his walks as he's already issued five free passes. 🔥: Alex Scherff was excellent in his five relief outings. He struck out nine in 7 2/3 innings and only allowed one unearned run on three hits and four walks. 🤔: Pierson Ohl was impressive with 11 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings, and you can live with hit eights and three walks in those outings. But he allowed two home runs. 🥶: Will Holland got only five hits this week in 27 at-bats and struck out in 11 of those trips to the bat. He walked twice and did swipe three bags. 🥶: Aaron Rozek has done some good things this year. The last 15 days weren't good, however. In 8 2/3 innings, he allowed 16 hits and 12 earned runs. He walked five and only struck out three. What's Next: Wichita will be on the road facing Amarillo. High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 11-7 in the second half. Overview: The Kernels continue to play good baseball. They took four of six from Quad Cities and two of three from Beloit. 🔥: Noah Cardenas and Ben Ross both had an OPS over 1.000 in somewhat limited at-bats (23 and 19, respectively). Cardenas had ten hits including three doubles and two home runs. Ross had seven hits including three doubles and a home run. 🔥: Multiple good performances from the pitchers in this edition: Jaylen Nowlin struck out ten in six innings. He allowed two runs on two hits and a walks. (Home runs will get you.) C.J. Culpepper struck out six in five three-hit shutout innings. Christian MacLeod gave up too many hits and walks, but carried a K/9 over nine. 🔥: Kala'i Rosario (13 hits), Tanner Schobel (11 hits, including six extra-base hits) and Jorel Ortega (11 hits, two home runs) all had over ten hits on the week. 🥶: Kyle Jones got roughed up over his two starts. In nine innings, he allowed 12 hits and two walks, which turn into nine runs (eight earned). He also gave up two home runs. 🥶: Alejandro Hidalgo allowed six runs (five earned) on four hits and four walks in just two innings. What's Next: The Kernels will play host to Peoria for six games as they look to climb up from one game behind the Chiefs. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 8-10 in the second half. Overview: Fort Myers went into and came out of the break with wins, but has only played .500 baseball since the last update. 🔥: Carson McCusker joined the Mighty Mussels at the end of the June and he's spent the month of July showing off his mighty muscles. With 18 hits in 42 at-bats, McCusker has a .429 batting average, but he's also belted five home runs in that time. McCusker joined the organization after playing in the Frontier League for three seasons. He's a big (6-8, 250) right-handed bat with high-level experience (Oklahoma State), so this might be a fun story to watch. 🔥: Andrew Morris is the highest of last year's draft picks who hasn't made it to Cedar Rapids yet, but he's making his case. In two starts (nine innings), Morris allowed only five hits and two walks and struck out nine with no earned runs allowed. 🔥: Not to be outdone by McCusker, Mikey Perez has four home runs (out of seven hits) in only 28 at-bats. He also stole three bases. 🥶: Rafael Cruz (4-24, two walks, eight strikeouts, .389 OPS) and Carlos Aguiar (2-21, two walks, eight strikeouts, .317 OPS) both had rough weeks. 🥶: Develson Aria had impressed earlier in the year, but had another rough week. He allowed five earned runs on six hits and six walks in only three innings. What's Next: A visit to Bradenton is on the agenda. Rookie: FCL Twins Overall: 13-15, 7.5 games behind the FCL Pirates in the FCL South. 🔥: Cleiber Maldonado (4 2/3 innings, eight strikeouts), Juan Mercedes (4 1/3 innings, six strikeouts) and Bianger Liendo (two innings, two strikeouts) all made the last two weeks without allowing an earned run. 🔥: Yasser Mercedes had two home runs (among seven hits). He also stole two bases. But struck out seven times with only one walk. 🔥: Jankel Ortiz had seven hits in 15 at-bats, including a triple and home run. He walked four times with three strikeouts. 🥶: Bryan Acuna went 3-for-22. So far, he's batting .198 in his stateside debut. But he is only 17, so there's plenty of time. 🥶: Cesar Lares and Jeferson Lopez both got roughed up for lots of runs (nine and 11, respectively), but Lares was able to strike out nine in 6 2/3 innings. Lopez only got six outs. Rookie: DSL Twins Overall: 7-21, 15 games back in the DSL South. 🔥: Dameury Pena collected 13 hits over the last eight games. The 17-year-old is batting .417/.467/.548 (1.045) . 🔥: Juan Cota struck out five batters in five innings. He struck out five. He did allow three runs, but only allowed two hits and two walks. His 0.80 WHIP and .118 batting average against were both team-bests. 🔥: Jesus Peraza (seven hits, three doubles, 1.286 OPS), Ewing Matos (seven hits, four doubles, one triple), Jayson Bass (eight hits, double) all had good offensive weeks. 🥶: Jeicol Surumay allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on eight hits and four walks. He pitched three innings. 🥶: Yilber Herrera (3-for-20) and Angel Trinidad (1-for-13) really struggled. PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated periodically throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. Season-long stats will be in parenthesis. Fielding stats are since the last update three weeks ago. 20. Michael Helman, UTIL, St. Paul: On the 60-day Injured List with a dislocated shoulder. (.333/.434/.711. 1.145 OPS) 19. Yunior Severino, 3B, Wichita: 6-21, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 3 BB, 3 K, CS. (.275/.349/.514. .863 OPS). 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: 4-19, 2B, HR, RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K. (.263/.336/.404. .740 OPS) 17. Blayne Enlow, RHP, St. Paul: 0-1, 7.20 ERA, 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 HRA, 1 HB, BB, 4 K. (AAA/AA combined 1.21 WHIP, .235 BAA) 16. Matt Canterino , RHP: Still recovering from Tommy John surgery. 15. Brent Headrick, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 5 H, 8 K. (1.27 WHIP, .268 BAA). 14. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, Minnesota. St. Paul: (1.60 WHIP, .261 BAA); currently pitching out of the Twins bullpen. 13. Noah Miller, SS, Cedar Rapids: 9-35, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 8 R, 4 BB, 7 K, CS. (.214/.283/.303. .586 OPS), played shortstop in eight games (67 total) and committed no errors in 34 chances (six errors in 287 total chances); played two games (eight total) at second base and committed no errors in 11 chances (no errors in 27 total chances). 12. Jose Salas, INF, Cedar Rapids: 8-30, 2B, 3B, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB, 7 K, SB. (.181/.268/.265. .533 OPS), played two games at shortstop and committed one error in seven chances (13 total; four errors in 43 chances total), played one game (14 total) at third base and committed no errors in one chance (three errors in 32 total chances). He played five games (40 total) at second base with no errors in 16 chances (three errors in 161 total chances). 11. Austin Martin , SS, St. Paul: 5-36, 2 2B, RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, 7 K, 2 SB, CS. (.177/.282/.258. .540 OPS), 10. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: 7-25, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R, BB, 7 K, 2 SB. (.213/.269/.393. .662 OPS) 9. Matt Wallner, OF, St. Paul: 5-31, 2B, 5 RBI, 6 R, 7 BB, 7 K. (.291/.403/.524. .927 OPS); Minnesota: (.368/.520/.579. 1.099 OPS) 8. David Festa, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K. (1.39 WHIP, .256 BAA) 7. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 2-0, 1.80 ERA, 10 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), BB, 9 K (1.68 WHIP, .290 BAA); Minnesota: (1.85 WHIP, .313 BAA) 6. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 3.18 ERA, 5.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 7 K. (AA/h-A combined 0.97 WHIP, .180 BAA) 5. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Announced recently that Prielipp will be undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 4. Edouard Julien, 2B, Minnesota. St. Paul: (.293/.435/.496. .931 OPS), has played all 34 games at second base and has committed three errors in 158 chances; currently up with the Twins. 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 6-27, , 3B, 2 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 11 K, 2 SB. (.212/.374/.406. .780 OPS) 2. Royce Lewis, SS: Minnesota. Currently on the injured list and expected to miss another month. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Wichita: 13-33, 4 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R, 6 BB, 5 K. (.279/.358/.468. .826 OPS), played 8 games (71 total) at shortstop and committed one error in 26 chances (11 errors in 293 total chances). Lee has committed one error in three chances in one game at third base this season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK will return next week when we can vote on a day when there are no games. Ask questions and discuss the Twins prospects in the COMMENTS below. View full article

It seems like something is going on in Cedar Rapids. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (image is of Simeon Woods Richardson) TRANSACTIONS INF Yohander Martinez reinstated from 7-day IL at Fort Myers OF Luis Baez transferred from 7-day IL to 60-day IL at Fort Myers OF Matt Wallner recalled by Twins RHP Pierson Ohl reinstated from development list RHP Jose Bravo reinstated from development list and released RHP Jordan Brink released OF Armani Smith released Saints Sentinel St. Paul 4, Durham 2 Box Score Brent Headrick: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K HR: Anthony Prato (6), Jair Camargo Multi-hit games: Jair Camargo (2-for-4, HR, 2B, R, RBI) The Saints scored late to win on Saturday. They did it again. After the wild success that was last Saturday’s Brent Headrick/Simeon Woods Richardson’s piggyback, the Saints tried the strategy again. Headrick crushed his start, tossing a trio of scoreless innings, while Woods Richardson flourished as well, allowing a lone earned run over five frames. Kody Funderburk slammed the door with a quiet 9th. The bats aided the outstanding pitching effort. Anthony Prato and Jair Camargo both hammered late homers, earning and extending the precious lead. 0Prato now has a 1.064 OPS since joining the Saints. No hitter batting 1-4 got a hit on Saturday; only once did they reach base. Durham’s finest prospect is INF Curtis Mead. The Australian—third in the system; 32nd in MLB—doubled and singled in three at-bats. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 2, Springfield 10 Box Score Pierson Ohl: 4 ⅓ IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K HR: Brooks Lee (8) Multi-hit games: None The Wind Surge got smoked on Saturday. Pierson Ohl was not himself. The righty, so adept at throwing strikes, never found his command; he walked three with a smattering of base hits to allow three runs on his watch. Given that he was only reinstated from the Development List today, he may have just been rusty. Hopefully his typical strike-throwing self appears soon. Brooks Lee gave Wichita their first run when he smoked a solo shot in the 4th inning. But they could only score once more against the Cardinals. Ace pitching prospect, Tink Hence, allowed both runs in an atypically mediocre outing, but Springfield’s bullpen was nails, and the Wind Surge never even got a hit after Hence exited the game. Wichita’s pitchers found no such fortune. Taylor Floyd and Hunter McMahon allowed seven combined runs in support of their starter. The team never recovered. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 9, Beloit 7 Box Score Kyle Jones: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: Kyler Fedko (3) Multi-hit games: Andrew Cossetti (3-for-3, R, RBI, BB) An explosive 1st inning carried the Kernels to victory on Saturday. It took until the seventh batter for Beloit starter Zach King to earn his first out; even that ended up as a run-scoring sacrifice fly. Cedar Rapids went double, hit by pitch, single, single, walk, single, before earning their fifth and final score of the inning when Andrew Cossetti flew a ball deep enough to coax in a run. The Kernels all-around offense continued throughout the game—and the team ended up walking more than they struck out (nine to eight) with every hitter reaching base at least once. Pitching wasn’t as smooth. Kyle Jones was cromulent over five innings, allowing a trio of earned runs, but a few late runs pushed the game within striking distance; fortunately, the Sky Carp never found the critical game-tying knot. Miguel Rodriguez stared down his last man and caught him looking, stranding a runner at third to conclude the game. The Kernels improved their season record to 51-32. Beloit’s star prospect—the second-in-the-system third baseman, Jacob Berry—doubled and struck out three times in five trips to the plate. Mussel Matters Ft. Myers 7, Clearwater 8 (10 Innings) Box Score Jarret Whorff: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K HR: Danny De Andrade (7), Mikey Perez (5) Multi-hit games: Ricardo Olivar (3-for-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB) The Mighty Mussels blew a late lead, turning a three-run advantage with one in the 9th into an extra-innings loss. Jarret Whorff was who he needed to be. The 24-year-old righty worked five scoreless frames, holding the second-scariest offense in the Florida State League to just a pair of singles, scattered and harmless. He unfortunately exited before his bats could give him the support he deserved. But they did come through eventually. Clearwater took a slim lead before Fort Myers roared back, plating four with a Danny De Andrade two-run shot exclaiming the scoring with authority. The lead held strong, guiding the Mighty Mussels into the 9th confident in their work. Gabriel Yanez acquired the first out before Jackson Hicks entered the game. He fell apart. A pair of singles and a three-run homer instantly zapped away the lead. The game entered extra innings. Zach Veen suffered just as well. The new pitcher allowed a back-breaking bases-clearing triple, eventually exiting with four runs standing between Fort Myers and the game continuing. They nearly did it. Mikey Perez blasted home himself and the Manfred Man. A productive groundout brought the game within one, but that was as close as the team could get, and Rubel Cespedes’ full-count strikeout delivered the game its final, disappointing verdict. Outfielder Justin Crawford, Philadelphia’s 3rd-best prospect, and the best prospect playing for the Threshers, singled in five plate appearances. Complex Chronicles The FCL Twins game was halted in the fifth; they will continue their match against the FCL Red Sox on the 21st. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 2, DSL Guardians Red 6 Box Score Juan Cota: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Jayson Bass (2-for-3), Juan Zapata (2-for-3, 3B, RBI) The DSL Twins lost handily on Saturday. It took until the 5th for either team to score—and the game still ended up a seemingly normal affair. Starter Juan Cota has his stuff, leading to three scoreless frames with a pair of strikeouts—and, unusual for a DSL pitcher—no walks. But the Twins’ batters couldn’t take advantage of the effort; a Juan Zapata triple was their lone extra-base hit. The Guardians Red (what a clunky team name) stole four bases, and caught the Twins stealing twice. Hendry Chivilli, Minnesota’s big international signing in January, struck out three times in the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Simeon Woods Richardson Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jair Camargo PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-4, HR, R, RBI, 3 K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-3, R, BB, 2 K #7 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K #11 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 0-4, K, SB #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, R, BB K #15 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 0-4 SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Durham @ St. Paul (2:07 PM) - LHP Dallas Keuchel Springfield @ Wichita (1:05 PM) - RHP Travis Adams Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (1:05 PM) - LHP Christian MacLeod Clearwater @ Fort Myers (11:00 AM) - RHP Andrew Morris View full article

The 2021 Minnesota Twins were not good, and because of that, they found themselves as sellers at the trade deadline. The biggest questions were what to do with Byron Buxton and Jose Berrios. They kept the former and got a haul for the latter. How does that trade look less than two years later? Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports In looking to find their way forward from an organizational building capacity, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine had to decide whether Byron Buxton or Jose Berrios would be franchise cornerstones. Buxton was someone they had previously negotiated with, and ultimately he landed a $100 million deal prior to the 2022 season. Berrios was an arm awaiting a payday, and the Twins front office decided it wasn’t going to come from them. When the names came out after the Toronto Blue Jays acquired the Twins ace, comments across the industry highlight how well Minnesota had done. It wasn’t universally believed that a deal involving Berrios could land either Austin Martin or Simeon Woods Richardson. Instead, Minnesota’s front office found a way to land both of the coveted top-100 prospects. Only Nate Pearson and Jordan Groshans were left from the top four prospects for Toronto, and the Twins netting that sort of firepower for a player that they were going to let walk 15 months later was nothing short of exceptional. The only unfortunate aspect of the deal is that neither player has made a real impact thus far. Martin came to Minnesota a year after he was the fifth overall pick in the 2020 MLB draft out of Vanderbilt. He was a top-20 prospect across baseball going into 2021, and he flashed his abilities during the Futures Game. Posting an .807 OPS with a .424 OBP, there was a lot to be excited about surrounding his offensive profile. Left relatively unchanged after joining Minnesota’s organization in 2021, things started to go awry last season. Martin was urged to change his approach and swing in an attempt to unlock some power. He had never shown that sort of ability in his game, and tapping into it clearly caused issues across the board. He finished with an ugly .685 OPS despite still posting a .368 OBP. Fast-forward to this season and things couldn’t be foggier for Martin. He has played in rehab games this season as he works his way back from an elbow injury. He recently was activated by the St. Paul Saints, and the hope would be that he can avoid Tommy John surgery. He is now 24 years old, and no longer looks like an answer at shortstop, while having the most clear path as a utility player. There is no denying that Martin can have significant value for Minnesota, but he is Rule 5 Draft eligible this offseason, and surgery or not, the Twins will have a decision to make. He could certainly play the Willi Castro or Nick Gordon role a season from now, but the front office likely hoped for more when making him the centerpiece of a Berrios deal. Helping to hedge their bet, Woods Richardson was seen as a candidate to be featured in a good rotation. He competed (in that he was on the roster) alongside Joe Ryan during the Olympics, and ultimately pitched just eight innings at Double-A during 2021. Last season, Woods Richardson made his mark at both Double and Triple-A, posting a 2.77 ERA across 107 1/3 innings. He was every bit the star prospect Minnesota had hoped for. Despite being flipped by the Mets previously, it seemed that his third organization was going to be the one to benefit. At the end of the year, with Minnesota’s season in the tank, his first MLB start took place in the final weekend. The train has fully derailed on Woods Richardson at St. Paul this season. He has made 11 starts and owns an ugly 7.47 ERA with declining strikeouts and increasing walks. He was lit up during a spot-start for the Twins, and his repertoire has never looked less belief-instilling. Still just 22 years old, he is incredibly young, but such a substantial step backwards is anything but ideal. Although the Twins did exceptionally well when flipping Berrios as an asset, this is a reminder that prospect evaluations are increasingly difficult to pin down. We aren’t yet at a point where the return is a wash, but Martin being lost before getting started would be a substantial blow. Woods Richardson needs a sizable turnaround to avoid a future role in the bullpen, and Minnesota wants to capitalize much more than they have. At the end of the day, the Twins were able to use Berrios dollars elsewhere, and they netted a massive prospect haul in the process. The dollars have made sense, but the prospects have proven less fruitful. No matter how big of a win at the time of a deal, how something plays out in the future is much less of a given. View full article

It's always a good day when multiple batters with three-hit games couldn't take home Hitter of the Day honors. Image courtesy of Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports (Image is of David Festa) TRANSACTIONS None Futures Game Buried somewhere deep beneath the streaming super highway, MLB’s yearly Futures Game played out, with the NL team handily beating the AL team 5-0. More important to us Twins fans: RHP David Festa pitched a scoreless inning with one hit and a strikeout of Milwaukee uber-prospect Jackson Chourio on three-straight sliders. He touched 97.6 MPH with his fastball. Saints Sentinel St. Paul 5, Iowa 2 Box Score Brent Headrick: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K HR: Anthony Prato (4), Chris Williams (16) Multi-hit games: None A breakout seventh inning led the Saints to victory on Saturday. It wasn’t working. No matter the start, and no matter the strategy, Simeon Woods Richardson couldn’t get anyone out. The top prospect entered the weekend with a 7.27 ERA on the year at AAA—and had peripherals unable to offer him any comfort. The Saints offered a solution: Brent Headrick would start the game—acquiring as many outs as he could—allowing Woods Richardson to enter facing a Cubs lineup tuned into a left-hander. It worked. Not only did Headrick crush his outing, Woods Richardson had one of his finest performances all year, punching out seven batters over five innings of work with a lone homer as his only blemish. This may be the blueprint needed for the talented youngster. The bats, while not overwhelming, were well-coordinated, leading to five runs off of six hits—more than enough to best the Cubs. Austin Martin plated the first run with a double into the right-center gap, marking St. Paul’s only score until the third act. Patience begat rewards, with an Anthony Prato moonshot finally breaking the stalemate. And fruit continued to bear, turning a 3-1 advantage into a 5-1 lead after Chris Williams cracked a homer out to the right-center power alley. The Cubs played feisty to end the game, scoring a second time to bring the game within three. With two runners on, Josh Winder snapped off a high curve—thought too high by the home plate ump. Williams, the catcher, disagreed. He quickly called for a challenge, and the robots agreed with his assessment, ending the game on a call overturned. Of course, one could opine about the minors having a better strike/ball system than MLB, but that’s better saved for later. The best Cubs prospect in Saturday’s game was Chase Strumpf. Ranked 23rd in the system by MLB.com, Strumpf struck out three times and committed an error. (Strumpf was the shortstop at JSerra High School which is why Royce Lewis played third base his first three years of varsity baseball.) Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 4, Tulsa 3 Box Score Travis Adams: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K HR: Seth Gray (5), Aaron Sabato (5), Alerick Soularie (6) Multi-hit games: DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (3-for-5, 2B) The Wind Surge came back late to win on Saturday. Travis Adams was fine—maybe not great—over his five innings of work, allowing three runs against a surprisingly disappointing Drillers lineup. The 23-year-old started the season poorly, but now has back-to-back five inning starts with one and three runs allowed respectively. His bullpen had his back as well, as Regi Grace and Alex Scherff combined to toss four scoreless frames, carrying Wichita to the finish line as their bats came alive to win it. First it was Seth Gray—sudden and violent—blasting a ball over the centerfield wall to start the scoring, then Aaron Sabato shot one the other way to tie the game at two; Alerick Soularie’s skyscraper gave Wichita the lead for good. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. collected three hits and stole his 28th base of the season. The Drillers are led by Diego Cartaya, the Dodgers next big catcher in their efficient development system. He singled and walked in four trips to the plate. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 8 Box Score Cory Lewis: 3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: Tanner Schobel (14), Noah Miller (3) Multi-hit games: Ben Ross (3-for-4, 2B, 3 R), Noah Miller (2-for-4, HR, R, 4 RBI), Noah Cardenas (2-for-5) The Kernels scored four in the 1st, but couldn’t hold on in a thriller. It was an ambush. Tanner Schobel blasted a fastball 420 feet away into centerfield, surging ahead to first place on the Midwest League homer leaderboard. A few batters later, Noah Miller became the one jogging safely around the bases—and his homer plated three runners, leading to a commanding 4-0 advantage. Unfortunately, Cory Lewis wasn’t sharp. The typically tough righty mis-fired and battled, leading to an inflated pitch count as the River Bandits spit on obvious balls and waited out hittable strikes. He was out after three. Malik Barrington held down the fort for two frames, handing the game off to Alejandro Hidalgo. His Mr. Hyde appeared. A laborious sixth shifted favor towards the River Bandits; a two-run seventh ended the game for good. While Cedar Rapids scored twice after their initial outburst, their bats couldn’t break through to save their lost lead, and the Kernels ended up falling with a bases-loaded groundout in the 9th. Gavin Cross—Kansas City’s best prospect—singled once and plated two runs. Mussel Matters Wet playing conditions ended this game before it began, and the Mussels will play a double-header on Sunday. Complex Chronicles The FCL Twins did not play on Saturday. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 10, DSL Rockies 11 (10 Innings) Box Score Miguel Cordero: 3 1/3 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K HR: Carlos Silva (1) Multi-hit games: Dameury Pena (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI), Moises Lopez (3-for-4, 2B, 3B, R, 4 RBI), Carlos Silva (2-for-4, HR, 2B, R, 2 RBI) The DSL Twins lost a classic, sloppy DSL game on Saturday. These things happen when your starting pitcher is 16-years-old (born in 2006; hope that doesn’t ruin your Sunday). Miguel Cordero peppered the plate, making judicial use of his allotted targets to fire off four walks and five runs allowed. In his defense, his defense failed him for a few of those runs. Also in his defense, he’s two years away from being legally allowed to vote. The DSL Twins offense was prolific, plating 10 runs off of eight hits and seven walks, leaving just five men on base. Dameury Pena, Moises Lopez, and Carlos Silva (not that one) were your stars: the trio combined for seven knocks—with four going for extra-bases. Lopez served as a complex hero, though, as he drove in four runs and gave a few back with a pair of errors. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Simeon Woods Richardson Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Carlos Silva PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5 #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 2-4, 2B, R #7 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K #8 - David Festa (Wichita) - 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (Futures Game) #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-5, RBI #11 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-5, 2B, RBI, K #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, HR, R, 4 RBI, K #15 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (1:08 PM) - RHP Louie Varland Wichita @ Tulsa (1:05 PM) - LHP Aaron Rozek Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (1:05 PM) - LHP Christian MacLeod Fort Myers @ Tampa (10:00 AM) - RHP Jose Olivares Fort Myers @ Tampa (30 minutes later) View full article

The Minnesota Twins lost in especially annoying fashion to the Orioles Saturday. Highlights from that game plus Austin Martin, Simeon Woods Richardson, Aaron Sabato, Alerick Soularie, Tanner Schobel, Noah Miller and more. View full video