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When the Minnesota Twins embarked upon the 2023 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, they found themselves in an enviable position. The first draft lottery pushed them up the board. Picking fifth overall instead of 13th, the organization was bound to get a stud in a loaded crop of prospects. It’s gone even better than imagined. Image courtesy of William Parmeter While Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews were the talk of the top pick, Wyatt Langford, Max Clark, and Walker Jenkins were all considered worthwhile top picks in many years. Minnesota stayed true to their board in grabbing Jenkins, and if early returns are anything to dream of, he's not the only one to be excited about. Jenkins has been everything expected and then some. Playing at both the rookie ball and Single-A levels, he looked like the game was too easy. Across 26 games, Jenkins slashed .362/.417/.571 with five doubles, four triples, and three home runs. He commanded the zone as a player well above his age, posting a 14/9 K/BB. If Jenkins was expected to be this good, he has brought many of his draft mates. Second-round pick Luke Keaschall, taken out of Arizona State, has graduated to High-A Cedar Rapids. Playing for a championship in his first season, Keaschall has also been an integral part at each stop. In 31 regular season games, he slashed .288/.414/.478 with 10 doubles, a triple, and three homers. He consistently puts the ball in play and made quick work of Low-A Fort Myers. The third-round pick, Brandon Winokur, was deemed a raw, five-tool talent. His .884 OPS across 17 games in rookie ball was highlighted by five doubles and four home runs. He didn't jump up as quickly as Jenkins, but there should be expected to be more of a developmental curve here. Winokur is a mature young man who presented well in his limited professional action. The Twins took a bunch of pitchers. Most weren't forced into significant playing time out of the gate. While a handful appeared in Complex or Florida State League action, it's far too soon to evaluate them. Former Penn State infielder Jay Harry also looked the part early. In 30 games, Harry slashed .339/.434/.468. He's not much of a power guy at this point, but nine doubles showed an ability to find gaps. Neither of the Twins' last two picks, both high school position players, signed, but neither Sam Parker nor Ashton Larson were taken as anything more than a fallback option. Minnesota went heavy on pitching in this draft, so how the arms, especially youngster Charlee Soto, develop remains to be seen. The organization couldn't be happier for the few hitters they did take. It's worth wondering if Jenkins starts at High-A in 2024, and that would make a meteoric rise similar to Orioles' Jackson Holliday plausible. If Jenkins gets to Triple-A or even masters Double-A next season, it would be hard to see him as anything but a big-league option in 2025. Both Keaschall and Harry might have been safer picks from the standpoint of their veteran status coming out of college, but to see each acclimate so quickly is nice to have when looking for future depth options. Being able to play at advanced levels so quickly should do wonders for their confidence and future development. If the Twins hit on this draft class from a pitching standpoint, anything like they have with the bats, it could go down as one of the best in the Derek Falvey era. View full article

The performances of Minnesota’s younger players this season should move them up in many dynasty rankings. Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Stories of the demise of Minnesota’s farm system were perhaps exaggerated. The Twins did notably move a handful of good prospects in the past few years to acquire the likes of Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle and Jorge Lopez, with the last two deals of course not looking so great at the moment. With the exodus of some young talent, there was chatter about Minnesota’s system taking a hit, and it certainly did from a depth perspective. However, I think we’ve seen enough from a handful of Minnesota youngsters to still feel pretty good about the system, both from a real baseball and fantasy perspective. In terms of minor league prospects, Brooks Lee and Walker Jenkins continue to look like studs, while David Festa has gotten off to an encouraging start at the Triple-A level, and Austin Martin has rehabbed some of his stock with the Saints this season as well. Emmanuel Rodriguez is also still an intriguing long-term prospect for dynasty players. Looking at players already in the majors, Royce Lewis is the obvious dynasty riser, and I have more on him below. Edouard Julien has also seen his stock climb dramatically in the past year. Meanwhile, Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez and Jhoan Duran aren’t quite as young as Lewis and Julien and perhaps don’t have as much upside in dynasty formats, but all three have boosted their outlooks this year. The trio is still in their 20s, so plenty of good baseball should be ahead. Overall, these five players are likely the best Minnesota dynasty targets when considering both immediate impact and long-term upside. It’s a pretty solid group that fantasy managers can feel comfortable investing in. Let’s now take a look at some key injury updates, plus which Twins have their stock rising and falling from a fantasy perspective due to results from the past week as well as a prospect to keep an eye on. I’ll also take a look at the week ahead and highlight some matchups to target and avoid. Twins Injury Updates Michael A. Taylor Expected return: This week Taylor took batting practice and ran the bases last week as he recovers from a hamstring strain. It looks like a return is imminent, which could cut into Willi Castro’s playing time in center field. Brock Stewart Expected return: Sept. 22 Stewart began a rehab assignment with the Saints on Friday and looked sharp. He’ll likely get in a few more appearances for St. Paul, and assuming everything goes well, he should return from his elbow issue when the Twins start their final homestand of the season. Chris Paddack Expected return: Late September Paddack tossed 58 pitches in a rehab game for Double-A Wichita last week after previously logging 54 pitches in his first rehab game. The righty is still hoping to help the Twins at the end of the regular season and possibly in the playoffs, with a long-relief role his likely landing spot as he returns from Tommy John surgery. Byron Buxton Expected return: Late September Buxton’s hamstring injury remains a mystery hanging over the team. He was pulled from a rehab assignment in early September and has yet to pick it back up. He could still return at the end of the month and give the squad a jolt, though fantasy players shouldn’t count on anything more from Buxton at this point. Nick Gordon Expected return: Late September or 2024 Gordon suffered a fractured tibia earlier this year but could work his way back before the regular season ends. He started a rehab assignment with the Saints on Friday and will likely need a little time there considering his long layoff. Gordon could give the Twins a dynamic bench option for the postseason but likely won’t have any more fantasy impact in 2023. Stock Rising: Royce Lewis ESPN ownership: 48% We’re running out of words to describe what Lewis has been doing. He’s now batting .311 this year with a .923 OPS, 14 home runs (including four grand slams!) and 51 RBI across 55 games. Over the course of 162 games, that comes out to around 41 long balls and 150 RBI. I still can’t believe that his ownership is under 50%, and managers who’ve enjoyed Royce’s run could very well be in line to win their leagues. Lewis should rocket up draft boards in 2024, particularly in dynasty formats considering he's still only 24. Stock Falling: Dallas Keuchel ESPN ownership: 1% Keuchel is not scheduled to start again this season as he shifts to a relief role, which makes room for Bailey Ober’s return to the rotation. The veteran southpaw had a few nice moments, though he has an 8.03 ERA across his last three starts, so he may be running out of gas. Either way, his fantasy value is essentially zero as a long reliever, so managers should look elsewhere. Prospect Spotlight: Walker Jenkins (Single-A Fort Myers) Jenkins quickly earned a promotion from the Florida Complex League, and the 18-year-old has continued to mash for his new team. Across 12 games for Fort Myers, he’s batting .392 with a 1.054 OPS and 10 RBI. The offensive talent is clear, and while Jenkins likely won’t appear with the Twins until 2025 at the earliest, he’s a definite target in dynasty formats. Upcoming Week Matchup Notes 3 Games vs Cincinnati (Connor Phillips, Ben Lively, Hunter Greene) 3 Games at Los Angeles Angels (Griffin Canning, Tyler Anderson, Reid Detmers) The Twins will face the Reds for the first time this year, which means getting a closer look at former Minnesota prospects Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. While Cincinnati has been strong on offense, the pitching matchups don’t look particularly daunting. Same goes for the Angels, so it could be a big week for Minnesota hitters. Two-Start Starting Pitchers Joe Ryan is set to start Monday and Sunday. As noted, the Reds are a tricky matchup, but if Ryan can navigate that one, he could be in line for two wins this week with the Angels struggling lately and playing without both Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. Twins Fantasy Hitters to Watch Greene probably has the best pure stuff of anyone Minnesota will face this week, but no one on the slate looks too scary. Phillips has an ERA over 8.00 and is currently at Triple-A, while Lively and Anderson have ERAs above 5.00. Those are the spots I’d focus on in DFS. Phillips and Lively are both righties, so Julien, Max Kepler and Alex Kirilloff are good targets. Anderson is a lefty, so Lewis and Carlos Correa probably deserve a bump. Frankly, Lewis looks matchup-proof at this point, and with middling pitchers on the docket this week, he could be in line for a huge week. As noted above, he should probably be more widely owned, so now could be a good time to scoop Lewis up if he’s still out there in your league. Willi Castro also merits a quick shoutout, as he’s batting .304 this month with a pair of home runs and stolen bases. He’s been dynamic for Minnesota when given the opportunity, and while the return of Taylor could cut into Castro’s role, I think he’s a good bargain option in DFS whenever he’s in the lineup. Which Twins are you most excited about in dynasty leagues? Let me know in the COMMENTS, plus post your thoughts on the matchups this week. View full article

The Fort Myers season ended and despite Cedar Rapids continuing to play, Jenkins did not. What's the thinking behind that? View full video

Draft tandem JD Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard team up for a new podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the Big Leagues. In this episode, we cover recent promotions, do a rapid-fire round up on 2023 draftees and answer listener questions. Image courtesy of Thiéres Rabelo 3:20 Pete Crow-Armstrong Promoted 4:28 Scouting Report 7:21 2023 Stats 10:45 PCA Next Year? 12:52 Usage in 2023 14:07 Why an Excellent Prospect? 19:15 Rapid Fire Round-Up 20:27 Twins Draftees 28:25 Cubs Draftees 37:18 Brewers Draftees 47:00 Listener Questions 47:35 Walker Jenkins, Brandon Winokur, Luke Keaschall 54:42 Connor Prielipp View full article

Can we find some comps for the 18-year-old with no regard for pitcher’s egos? Image courtesy of Michael Cuneo/STARNEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK Most 18-year-olds are pretty useless. I mean, @Matt Braun, at 18, was entering his Freshman year of college, and he didn't end up doing much that year outside of playing Mario Kart with his buddies on the weekend. Stone sober, of course. Classes? Don't need them; I was feeling tired anyway. That's your average 18-year-old: draining society with their laziness. Walker Jenkins is not average. After taking the Twins down to the wire in contract negotiations, he suited up for the FCL team and hit .333/.390/.537, leading to Minnesota's decision-makers declaring that they've seen enough. Jenkins was sent to Fort Myers when short-season ball ended, and he has since slashed an even better .447/.488/.684, with one strikeout. One. Hey, at least I was a menace on Rainbow Road. His performance so far has been impressive—probably even beyond what the wildest optimist could conceive—so let's look at the numbers and see if we can find some historical comparisons for the terror out of North Carolina. 40 plate appearances is a putrid sample size, but going back to 2006 (the extent of Fangraphs' minor league data), no one tops Jenkins' 1.112 OPS as an 18-year-old at A-ball. Some of his close contemporaries are Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Juan Soto... Domingo Santana... and Giancarlo Stanton. Some players around him never became stars—that happens when you look at small samples in the lower minors—but there are also some undeniable superheroes, easy Hall of Famers, who shaped the game's landscape. But stretching 40-plate appearances that thin, especially when some of these guys are sitting at 500+, is a dangerous game. Expanding the sample to all 18-year-olds with at least 100 plate appearances in a minor league season (conveniently, the number Jenkins has split between Rookie and A-Ball) gives us some interesting results. The greatest 18-and-under batter in recent MiLB history was Malcom Nuñez, who hit for a Bondsian 238 wRC+ in Rookie Ball in 2018. He's now a fringe prospect with the Pirates. So it goes. You'll still find guys like Joey Gallo and Nolan Gorman populating the leaderboard, but most young batters bashing in the low minors hit a wall somewhere in their future development, finding the older competition more challenging to dominate as all the boys mixed in with the men get filtered out eventually. Still, Jenkins is 44th on the list by OPS, tied with Austin Riley as one of the best youngsters to eviscerate his peers thoroughly. Most impressively, though, is that strikeout rate: most 18-year-olds only have a sporadic relationship with contact, finding the ball reclusive and tricky. Not Jenkins. Only one non-DSL hitter—William Bergolla of the Phillies—has a lower K-rate than him amongst 18-year-olds with at least 100 minor league plate appearances. Most are slugging at or around .400; Jenkins is at .579. Honestly, I don't think his numbers can tell us much of anything at this point; you can strangle stats until they tell you what you want to see, but the reality is, plenty of 18-year-olds have appeared to be an unstoppable comet, streaking through the sky, seemingly unable to be stopped until some force (pitchers that aren't literal teenagers) kills their momentum. It happens. It can happen here. So, be excited about Jenkins' tremendous start—lord knows I am—but practicing at least a little discipline may also be wise. Minor league stats can be informal, but they also often lie, leading to unrealistic expectations and dramatic levels of hype that can swallow you whole without you even realizing it. Jermaine Palacios once looked like an unstoppable force, after all. View full article

Sunday marked the final day of our Twins Daily minor league reports showcasing the team's four full-season affiliates. The Mighty Mussels' season is complete. Find out how they ended their season, and how the other Twins affiliates played on Sunday, and how many could reach the playoffs still. And yes, a couple of the 2023 draft picks had big games again! It's that time of year again. On Sunday, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and the Cedar Rapids Kernels regular seasons came to an end. The Kernels will begin their playoff run on Tuesday after winning their division titles in the first and second half. Wichita has one more week remaining in their regular season, and they are very much still in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Saints still have a couple of weeks remaining. Here are the records of the Twins and their six affiliates through games on Sunday. Check out the records of the Twins and their affiliates. Minnesota Twins: 73-66 St. Paul Saints: 79-58 Wichita Wind Surge: 62-69 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 82-50 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 67-64 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Before the games on Sunday, the Twins placed Jorge Polanco on the Bereavement List. They called up OF Gilberto Celestino to take his roster spot. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 2, Louisville 3 (10 innings) Box Score The Saints and Bats needed one extra inning to decide a winner in this game. St. Paul got a first-inning run when Brooks Lee knocked his fourth Saints home run. In the fourth frame, Yunior Severino hit his eighth Saints home run (and 32 homers overall). Blayne Enlow started things for the Saints on Sunday. He gave up one run on two hits (one homer). Patrick Murphy came in and provided five scoreless innings. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out two batters. Jordan Balazovic gave up one hit and walked two batters and got two outs in the eighth inning. Cole Sands came in with two on and two out and got the final out of the inning. He gave up one run in the bottom of the ninth inning to send it to extra innings. After the Saints went scoreless in the top of the 10th inning, Sands gave up the unearned run in the bottom of the inning to take the loss. Trevor Larnach hit his 12th and 13th doubles with the Saints. He was the lone batter to have more than one hit. Chris Williams went 1-for-3 with a walk and his 13th double. The Saints have two weeks remaining in their schedule. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, Corpus Christi 2 Box Score The offenses were quiet through the first eight innings. As the game turned to the ninth, the Wind Surge scored two runs in the top of the inning and held on for the one-run win. The Wind Surge got on the board in the sixth inning when Alerick Soularie hit his 10th home run of the season to tie the game at 1-1. Fast-forward to the top of the ninth inning. With one out, Alex Isola walked, and Ben Ross ran for him. Seth Gray singled to right which allowed Ross to advance to third base. Jake Rucker followed with his 20th double of the season to drive in Ross and push Gray to third base. Willie Joe Garry singled to score Gray and give one extra insurance run. Jaylen Nowlin started and gave up one run on two hits and two walks and two hit batters in 2 1/3 innings. Isaac Mattson struck out three batters over the next 2 2/3 innings. He gave up just one hit. Curtis Taylor struck out four batters over the following 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Miguel Rodriguez got the final out of the eighth inning on a strikeout. He also struck out three batters in the ninth inning. He did give up two singles in the ninth, and an unearned run scored on an error, but he came up big with two strikeouts to end the game. Rucker went 3-for-4 with two doubles. Yoyner Fajardo went 3-for-4 with his 23rd double and seventh triple. Gray went 2-for-4. The Wind Surge have one more week of regular season play. They are currently just ½ game out of a playoff spot in their division. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Wisconsin 8 Box Score The Kernels regular season came to an end with an overall record of 82-50 and titles in the first half and the second half. They will start their playoff run on Tuesday. 2023 draft pick Luke Keaschall led the Kernels offense. He went 3-for-5 including his first High-A home runs. He had a solo homer off of a rehabbing Brewers pitcher, lefty Aaron Ashby, in the first inning. Then in the fifth frame, he hit a two-run homer. Carson McCusker added his seventh Kernels home run. He also had seven home runs in his short time in Fort Myers. Jose Salas went 2-for-4 with his 13th double. Noah Miller went 2-for-5. Misael Urbina hit his 18th double. Alejandro Hidalgo started and gave up two runs on three hits and three walks over two innings. He had one strikeout. Jackson Hicks came in and gave up three runs on five hits. He recorded three outs. AJ Labas worked an inning and gave up three runs on two hits and three walks. He also threw two wild pitches. Matt Swain saved the bullpen a bit by working three scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit and hit one batter. Jarret Whorff pitched a scoreless eighth. The Kernels will travel to Peoria for Game 1 on Tuesday. Then they will have Wednesday off. Game 2 will be Thursday in Cedar Rapids, and if a Game 3 is necessary, the Kernels will host that game on Friday. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Bradenton 5 Box Score The Mighty Mussels season comes to an end with a loss and a record of 67-64. They will not make the playoffs this year, so their season is done. It’s possible a couple of these players will join the Kernels for their playoff run. Manager Brian Meyer went with Johnny Wholestaff in this season finale. Ben Ethridge started and gave up one run on three hits and a walk in three innings. He struck out three batters. He issued a walk to start the top of the fourth inning. He left with an injury and Develson Aria came in and got just one out. However, the lefty walked two batters and hit a batter. Zach Veen came in with the bases loaded and allowed two of the inherited runners to score. Veen recorded five outs without being charged with his own run. He had two walks. Down 3-0, a Nate Baez single drove in Ricardo Olivar in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it 3-1. Then two innings later, Walker Jenkins drilled a triple down the right field line to drive in Jay Harry with the team’s second run. Jenkins then scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Olivar. Nolan Santos walked two over two scoreless innings. Ty Langenberg came on for the eighth inning. He gave up two runs on three hits and two walks. He got the first two outs in the top of the ninth frame, but with the bases loaded, he was replaced by catcher Kyle Schmidt came in and got a ground out for the final out. Jenkins went 2-for-5 in the game with his third triple. Assuming that is his final game of his debut season, he ends it by hitting .362/.417/.571 (.988) with five doubles, four triples and three home runs. In his 12 games with theMighty Mussels, he hit .392/.446/.608 (1.054) with two doubles, three triples, and a homer. Nate Baez went 2-for-4 with a walk. Kyle Schmidt - along with slamming the door on a Marauders ninth inning rally - had three walks in the game as a batter. Ricardo Olivar went 1-for-3 with a walk and his 28th double. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day – Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-5, 2-HR(2), 2 R, 3 RBI Pitcher of the Day – Patrick Murphy (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, BB, 2 K, 68 pitches, 49 strikes (72.1%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, HR(4), R, RBI #2 - Walker Jenkins (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-5, 3B(3) R, RBI, 2 K #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, BB, 2 K #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 0-for-4 #10 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-5, 2-HR(2), 2 R, 3 RBI #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, 3 K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, HR(8/32), R, RBI, 1 K #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K, 17 pitches, 5 strikes (29.4%) TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES St. Paul @ Iowa (6:38 PM CST) - TBD Midland @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - TBD Playoffs: Game 1: Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (6:35 PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games or any other Twins minor league topics! View full article

Hear what Baseball America's Carlos Collazo thought about the Twins draft class. View full video

While a former top prospect has been rewriting the rules around grand slams in the majors, a current top prospect in Triple-A added to their team's baseball-leading-total on the season on Tuesday. It was also the first of his career as a professional. The Cedar Rapids Kernels also clinched the second half Midwest League division title with a win, after doing the same in the first half of the season. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints (photo of Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee) TRANSACTIONS With the affiliates off on Monday, there were multiple transactions to catch up with on Tuesday: RHP Louie Varland was recalled by the Minnesota Twins to pitch out of their bullpen. In a corresponding move, RHP Cole Sands was sent back to the Saints. UT Michael Helman was assigned to the St. Paul Saints, making his return to Triple-A. Replacing Helman in Wichita, was IF Ben Ross from the Kernels. The Wind Surge activated RHP Isaac Mattson. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 11, Louisville 3 Box Score The Saints got on the board first in the second inning when DaShawn Keirsey Jr., Yunior Severino, and Austin Martin all drew walks to load the bases. Jair Camargo brought in one with a sac fly, but Hernan Perez then lined out to keep them to just one run. Right-hander Blayne Enlow got the starting nod for the Saints and was solid through the first three innings. He scattered four hits, allowed one earned run, and struck out three. In the top of the fourth inning, the good guys broke through with a two-out rally. Martin, Camargo, and Perez all drew walks to prompt a move to the bullpen for the Bats, and Michael Helman brought them all in with a double. Alex Kirilloff followed with a run-scoring single, and it was 5-1 St. Paul. They tacked on two more runs in the fifth when Trevor Larnach led off with a single. Two batters later, Severino launched his sixth home run with the Saints, and 30th of the season to make it 7-1. Hunter McMahon was the first reliever summoned from the Saints bullpen and pitched into the fifth inning. He allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out two. He gave way to Austin Schulfer who went the next 1 2/3 innings, allowing one walk and striking out one. Jordan Balazovic started the seventh and worked around a single and a walk for a scoreless frame. In the eighth, a walk was followed by an RBI double before he was lifted for Austin Brice. In 1 2/3 innings, Balazovic was charged with one earned run on two hits and three walks. Brice finished off the final 1 1/3 innings, giving up one run on one hit and a walk. He struck out two. With the score still 7-1 in the top of the eighth, the Saints put it even farther out of reach as the first four hitters of the inning reached base, with Brooks Lee putting an explanation point on the game by slugging a grand slam the opposite way. Kirilloff (3-for-5, R, 2B, RBI) and Trevor Larnach (2-for-5, R, 2B) led the way with multiple hits for the St. Paul offense. Every hitter in the lineup scored at least one run, and Helman (1-for-5, 2 R, 2B, 3 RBI, K), Lee (1-for-4, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB, K), and Severino (1-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K) each drove in multiple runners. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 1, Corpus Christi 5 Box Score The Wind Surge were held to just five hits on Tuesday and were never able to mount a rally against the Hooks’ pitching, so not a whole lot to recap here. Their lone run came on Alex Isola’s 19th home run of the season in the fourth inning to give them a 1-0 lead, but it did not hold up. Starter Jaylen Nowlin was excellent in five innings, allowing just one earned run on two hits. He also walked three, but was able to work around them by punching out six. The bullpen duo of Francis Peguero (2 IP, 2 H, ER, K) and Denny Bentley (1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 K) was not able to keep that going however, allowing four runs over the final three innings. Yoyner Fajardo led the way out of the leadoff spot with two hits and a walk. As a team the Wind Surge were just 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position, and left only three men on base in a game that took just two hours to complete. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Wisconsin 3 Box Score The Kernels hit the ground running early in this one, with an Emmanuel Rodriguez triple being followed by a Kala’i Rosario home run for a 2-0 lead before their starting pitcher stepped on the mound. That was righty Andrew Morris, who was excellent in the month of August, going 5-0 with a 2.00 ERA in five starts. He wasn’t able to make it to the fifth in this one, but it also could have been a lot worse. In 3 2/3 innings he gave up eight hits (all singles) and walked three, but managed to allow only three runs. He also struck out three. When he left the game in the fourth inning, his team was still in the lead thanks to a three-run third inning from his lineup. Kyler Fedko led off with his sixth home run, before consecutive walks to Noah Miller and Rodriguez put more ducks on the pond. An error led to the second run of the inning, and a sac fly from Jorel Ortega capped it off. The Kernels added an insurance run in the fifth thanks to an RBI double from Miller to score Fedko, who had walked to start the inning. The Cedar Rapids bullpen took it from there, shutting down the Timber Rattlers the rest of the way after Morris’ departure. Gabriel Yanez picked up his first win with the Kernels by completing 2 1/3 innings. He gave up two hits and struck out three. Malik Barrington (2 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K) and John Stankiewicz (S, 1 IP, H, K) held Wisconsin scoreless the rest of the way. Fedko led the way with multiple hits, collecting a double in addition to his home run, and also drew two walks. Rodriguez and Fedko each scored two runs. The Cedar Rapids Kernels are your second half, and undisputed full-season, Midwest League West Division Champions, with their record sitting at 81-46, the best in all of the minor leagues. MUSSEL MATTERS Bradenton 10, Fort Myers 5 Box Score Starting pitcher Juan Mercedes was ambushed for three runs in the first inning, but settled in pretty good from there. He was able to complete five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits (two home runs accounting for most of the damage) and two walks. He struck out three. The Mighty Mussels got consecutive singles to the second inning, but it took a throwing error from the catcher for them to get a run across to cut the lead to two. In the fourth Rubel Cespedes led off with his thirteenth home run of the season, making the score 4-2 Bradenton. Wilker Reyes came on from the bullpen for Fort Myers to start the sixth inning and delivered a scoreless frame. Back out for the seventh however, he ran into trouble and was lifted after giving up a bases loaded double, allowing two runs to score. In 1 2/3 innings, Reyes was charged with two earned runs on three hits, one walk, and a hit batter, while striking out one. In the bottom of the eighth the Fort Myers lineup finally broke through for a crooked number on the scoreboard, closing the lead to just one run. The big hit came from Walker Jenkins, who delivered a two-run triple that made it 6-4. He then scored the third run of the inning on a groundout from Ricardo Olivar. Zach Veen came on after Reyes’ exit and got the next six outs. He did not allow a hit, but two walks led to two earned runs in the ninth inning. the next pitcher, Juan Mendez, wasn’t much better as he gave up a three-run home run and three walks before being lifted himself. Danny Moreno finally stopped the bleeding by getting a ground ball, but the score was now 10-5. The Mighty Mussels then went down in order to end the game. Jay Harry (2-for-4, R, 2B) and Cespedes (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, RBI, 2 K) had multiple hits in the loss. Jenkins finished 1-for-2 with a run scored, a pair of walks, and is now batting .441 with a 1.192 OPS in eight games with Fort Myers. Oh, and he’s also struck out only once. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Jaylen Nowlin, Wichita Wind Surge (5 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day - Brooks Lee, St. Paul Saints (1-for-4, R, Grand Slam, 4 RBI, BB, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out our full top 20 list here and how they performed on Tuesday below! #1 - Brooks Lee (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, R, GS HR (3), 4 RBI, BB, K #2 - Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) - 1-for-2, R, 3B (2), 2 RBI, 2 BB #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, 2 R, 3B (9), 2 BB, K #7 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, R, 2 BB #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 0-for-3, BB #10 - Luke Keaschall (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, 2B (2) #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, R, HR (20), 3 RBI, BB, K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 1-for-3, R, HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K #16 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB #17 - Danny De Andrade (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (5:35 PM CDT) - RHP David Festa (1-0, 1.80 ERA) Wichita @ Corpus Christi (6:35 PM CDT) - RHP Carlos Luna (2-8, 5.56 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (12:10 PM CDT) - RHP Cory Lewis (4-1, 2.53 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CDT) - RHP Chris Paddack (MLB Rehab Assignment) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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Draft tandem JD Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard team up for a new podcast called Destination: The Show. The focus will be on the draft, the minor leagues and everything else that happens on the way to Major League Baseball. Image courtesy of Thieres Rabelo Join JD Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard for Episode 4 as they discuss the Twins draft with Baseball America's draft expert, Carlos Collazo. Listen to Carlos' reflections on the Twins class, under the radar picks, and prospects who are off to a fast start in pro ball. Carlos also reflects on the current state of the 2024 draft class, answers listeners draft questions, and answers some quickfire hypotheticals on the Holliday brothers. Time-Stamped Running Order 1:49 Welcome Carlos Collazo from Baseball America 4:00 Headlines/takeaways from each draft class 4:39 Twins 6:51 Cubs 8:43 Brewers 11:07 Carlos's "Under the Radar" Favorites 16:42 Impressive pro performances 17:10 Twins 18:12 Cubs 19:02 Brewers 20:40 2024 Draft Preview 21:40 How do you familiarize yourself with the names of the next class? 24:37 Strengths and weaknesses of 2024 draft 27:35 Who's Going to Emerge? 30:54 Listener Questions: 32:30 Brandon Winokur 35:45 Soto vs Knoth 39:20 Holliday Szn 47:33 Final Thoughts You can find Destination: The Show on all major podcast platforms including Spotify, iTunes, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music. The show is available on Libsyn, our podcasting platform, in addition to Youtube. View full article

Despite all the hand-wringing and Twitter (can I still call it that) meltdowns amongst fans, the Minnesota Twins baseball organization has had an exceptional 2023. While the Twins remain in the AL Central driver's seat, both the St. Paul Saints and Cedar Rapids Kernels appear poised for the postseason. After some slow starts, the prospect-list has started to show some more consistent promise as well. Image courtesy of William Parmeter (photo of Walker Jenkins) While it's certainly not perfect - I'd love for Byron Buxton and Connor Prielipp to be healthy - I don't think there are many people that wouldn't willingly take where the organization is right now if presented this chance in the spring. The Twins have an excellent chance to make the playoffs (and have a huge series this week), Royce Lewis looks the like savior we've yearned for since Joe Mauer stopped catching, the St. Paul Saints have been exciting to follow (and a welcome distraction when the Twins have tripped over themselves both figuratively and literally *coughJoeyGallocough*) and the Cedar Rapids Kernels boast one of the most impressive rotations and winningest records in all of baseball. Oh, and first-round pick Walker Jenkins is playing a game that currently looks way too easy for him. Read all about the Twins week in Nick’s Week in Review. WEEK IN REVIEW Triple-A: St. Paul Saints Overall: 32-25 (3-3 last week) in the second half; In first place in the IL West by two games; tied for sixth place in the International League. Overview: The Saints had another great chance to make up ground in the standings and couldn't. Their path to the playoffs just got cloudier. 🔥: Trevor Larnach. Finally. Seven hits in 19 at-bats (including two doubles and a home run). He drove in four and walked more times (3) than he struck out (2). With the emergence of Matt Wallner and the resurgence of Max Kepler, it's hard to say how Larnach fits in the Twins long-term plans. But it certainly behooves him to not be terrible and have a week like this. 🔥: David Festa made quite an impression in his first AAA start. He fanned seven over five innings, while only allowing one run (a home run). 😍: Alex Kirilloff is rehabbing and proving that AAA is beneath him. In 17 at-bats, Kirilloff collected seven hits (including a double and a two home runs). He didn't walk and struck out three times, but all of that is good enough for a 1.236 OPS. Kirilloff is likely to rejoin the Twins later in the week. 😏: Louie Varland is making his transition to the bullpen to help out the Twins and reportedly will be joining them in Cleveland. He pitched once for the Saints and threw a pitch over 100 mph. He's going to look nice as a Minnesota reliever for the next month, but expect him to return to the rotation next season. 🥶: Jordan Balazovic (3.1 IP, 4 ER) and Andrew Bechtold (2 IP, 5 ER) both really struggled out of the Saints pen this week. 🥶: Austin Martin was lighting up Triple-A... and then this week happened. Only two hits in 23 at-bats, seven strikeouts with only two walks and one stolen base. There's a need in centerfield across the river, but performances like this aren't going to get you promoted. What's Next: Now the Saints head to Louisville (28-29) to try to make up ground. They haven't been good on the road in the second half (10-14). One nice thing is the two hottest teams in the league (Buffalo and Lehigh Valley) play each other. One not-nice thing is that Durham heads to Charlotte, who is absolutely brutal. The Saints will probably have to win five or six just to keep pace. Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge Overall: 32-25 (3-3 last week) in the second half and has pushed their division lead to 3.0 games. Overview: The four-series win streak has come to an end with a split against San Antonio, but the Wind Surge remain in the driver's seat in the Texas League North Division. 🔥: Willie Joe Garry Jr might be getting his first mention of the year, but he deserves it. He collected eight hits in 19 at-bats including four doubles and two home runs. He also stole two bases. The ninth-round pick has really struggled as a pro (never hitting over .228 at any level and) but has really shined in his 22 Double-A games this year (.286/.346/.600). He's always had the ability to steal bases, but here he is over 1000 minor league plate appearances and finally showing signs of maybe figuring it out a little bit. 🔥: Most of the staff deserves mention here. Marco Raya was fantastic in four shutout innings. Aaron Rozek allowed three hits over 5 2/3 shutout innings. Denny Bentley, Taylor Floyd, and Curtis Taylor combined to pitch 10 shutout innings out of the bullpen. Pierson Ohl continues to be great, this time allowing a single run (on a home run) in 5 2/3 innings. 🔥: Tanner Schobel had seven hits (two doubles, home run) this week. 🥶: Alex Isola has gotten a lot of love at the top of these breakdowns, but a 4-for-24 week with six strikeouts puts him at the bottom of this list. He has put together a really solid year and looks deserving of getting his shot at AAA to start next year. 🥶: Jaylen Nowlin had a rough start, allowing six runs on eight hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. What's Next: The Wind Surge head to Corpus Christi (29-28) where a split might give some hope to Springfield (29-28) who hosts Tulsa (22-35). High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels Overall: 40-20 (5-1 last week) in the second half, five games ahead of Peoria. The Kernels have clinched a postseason berth and own a 80-46 overall record on the season. Overview: Even though both Wisconsin and Peoria have been two of the hottest teams in the Midwest League, they haven't been able to make much ground on the also-hot Kernels. 🔥: Big weeks all over as eight of the 11 Kernels with double-digits at-bats posted weeks with OPSes over .900. Emmanuel Rodriguez led the way with seven hits (three doubles, two triples, home run). Jose Salas also had seven hits and though he showed little power, stole three bases. Keoni Cavaco and Jorel Ortega both had five hits 🔥: Christian MacLeod scattered three hits and a walk in his five shutout innings. He struck out three. C.J. Culpepper (4 2/3 innings) and Cory Lewis (5 innings) also left their starters allowing no runs. 🥶: Alejandro Hidalgo posted the Kernels worse start, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks over three innings. What's Next: ... but if the Timber Rattlers (32-28) do want to make up ground, they will have a chance this week. Wisconsin, who is on an eight-game winning streak, will welcome the Kernels for six games. Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Overall: 31-28 (4-1 last week) in the second half, 7.5 games behind Lakeland. Overview: It's too bad Fort Myers got off to such a poor start in the second half, but they have been arguably the best team in the entire league over the last two-plus weeks. They are 8-2 in their last ten and have a +52 run differential (trailing only Lakeland) in the second half of the season. 😍: It's Walker Jenkins' world right now and we're all just living in it. He had nine hits (three extra base hits) in 17 at-bats. He didn't strike out, walked once and stole a base. He's improved upon all of his numbers from his stint in rookie ball and when the Mighty Mussels season ends, there is no reason he shouldn't be promoted to Cedar Rapids for the playoff push. Even if he starts next year back at low-A, it seems like it should be a pretty easy decision to allow him to be challenged this year and putting him into a playoff atmosphere would be a challenge. 🔥: Jay Harry and Ricardo Olivar are probably getting talked about more if Jenkins wasn't so impressive. Harry had seven hits including two doubles and a home run. Oliver had six hits including two doubles and a triple. Harry will just jump in line with the Schobels and Keaschalls of the organization as middle infielders who rake. 🔥: John Klein had another great start. The Minnesota native has had an exceptional six-game run in low-A and probably deserves a shot to start at a higher level. The problem, of course, is that Cedar Rapids has a loaded rotation. 😏: The 2023 draft class of pitchers is certainly on a pitch-limit, but this week all of Xander Hamilton, Ty Langenberg, Jeremy Lee and Nolan Santos pitched more than one inning and none gave up a run. I'm very intrigued to see how this group - as well as the 11 guys who haven't pitched yet - look in the spring after getting a little Velocity Camp action this fall. 🥶: The Kyle Schmidt hitless streak has no reached a new level. Two straight weeks with no hits. Last week was 0-13 with one strikeout. This week was 0-8 with two strikeouts. That either suggests extremely bad luck or inability to hit the ball very hard. What's Next: Fort Myers hosts Bradenton (37-22). Ironically, the Mighty Mussels have struggled at home in the second half and Bradenton has been excellent on the road. A split probably leaves Fort Myers with too little time to catch up, but five or six wins against Bradenton and there might be a race (though the probability still remains very, very low). PROSPECT SUMMARY This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week. The Prospect Tracker will be updated periodically throughout the season. Notice that these pages now include stats and splits, as well as past article links, video and more. Season-long stats will be in parenthesis. 20. Brent Headrick, RHP, Minnesota: Recalled to the Twins bullpen. (1.31 WHIP, .238 BAA ), St. Paul: (1.36 WHIP, .263 BAA). 19. Cory Lewis, RHP, Cedar Rapids: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 IP, 7 H, 6 K (1.08 WHIP, .205 BAA). 18. Jose Rodriguez, OF, FCL Twins: (.262/.325/.412. .737 OPS) 17. Danny De Andrade, SS, Fort Myers: 4-16, 4 RBI, R, 2 BB, 3 K, 3 SB. (.244/.353/.398. .751 OPS), played three games (85 total games) at shortstop and committed no errors in 13 chances (13 errors in 308 total chances). Previously played one game at third base and had no errors in four chances. 16. Jordan Balazovic, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 10.80 ERA, 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB. 2K. (1.65 WHIP, .266 BAA); Minnesota: (1.56 WHIP, .274 BAA). 15. Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, St. Paul: 0-0, 3.60 ERA, 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, HRA, HB, 3 BB, 6 K (1.55 WHIP, .257 BAA); Minnesota: (1.56 WHIP, .274 BAA). 14. Yunior Severino, 3B, St. Paul: 4-16, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K. (AA/AAA combined .280/.357/.546. .903 OPS). 13. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Cedar Rapids: 4-15, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 2 R, 4 BB, 5 K. (.255/.370/.468. .838 OPS). 12. Yasser Mercedes, OF, FCL Twins: (.196/.248/.381. .629 OPS) 11. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Cedar Rapids: Prielipp underwent season-ending elbow surgery. (1.75 WHIP, .294 BAA) 10. Luke Keaschall, 2B, Cedar Rapids: 2-5, 2B, R, 2 K, SB. (rookie/l-A/h-A combined .299/.439/.460. .899 OPS), played one game (20 total) at second base and committed no errors in one chance (one error in 61 total chances), played one game in centerfield (three games total) and had committed no errors in no chances (his first chances of the year). Previously played one game at third base and committed one error in two chances. 9. Brandon Winokur, OF, FCL Twins: (.288/.338/.545. .883 OPS), played nine games at shortstop and committed two errors in 34 chances and played seven games at centerfield and committed no errors in 19 chances. 8. Tanner Schobel, INF, Wichita: 7-22, 2 2B, HR. RBI, R, 2 BB, 7 K. (high-A/AA combined .267/.357/.440. .797 OPS), played two games (50 total) at second base and committed no errors in 9 chances (9 errors in 200 total chances), and played one game (57 total) at third base and committed no errors in five chances (four errors in 114total chances). Schobel also played his first three games at shortstop this week and committed no errors in eight chances. 7. Austin Martin, 2B/OF, St. Paul: 2-23, R, 2 BB, 7 K, SB. (rehab/AAA combined .261/.367/.402. .769 OPS), played two games (10 total) in centerfield and committed no errors in four chances (no errors in 24 total chances), played three games (33 total) at second base and committed no errors in 14 chances (four errors in 135 total chances), played one games (nine total) in left field and committed no errors in one chance (no errors in 21 total chances). 6. David Festa, RHP, St. Paul: 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 4 H, ER, HRA, BB 7 K. (AAA/AA combined 1.34 WHIP, .247 BAA) 5. Charlee Soto, RHP: Did not pitch. 4. Marco Raya, RHP, Wichita: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 IP, 2 H, 2 K. (AA/Hi-A combined 1.14 WHIP, .207 BAA) 3. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Cedar Rapids: 7-18, 3 2B, 2 3B, HR, 2 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 K. (.240/.395/.466. .861 OPS) 2. Walker Jenkins, OF, Fort Myers: 9-17, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 RBI, 4 R, BB, SB. (FCL/low-A combined .372/.413/.581. .994 OPS) 1. Brooks Lee, SS, St. Paul: 6-21, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K. (AA/AAA combined .285/.355/.463. .818 OPS), played four games (99 total) at shortstop and committed one error in 25 chances (18 errors in 410 total chances) and played one game (five total) at third base and committed no errors in once (one error in 11 chances total chances). PLAYERS OF THE WEEKHITTER - Walker Jenkins, Fort Myers (72.5% of the vote) PITCHER - John Klein, Fort Myers (45.2% of the vote) View full article

The early returns on the Minnesota Twins' No. 5 pick Walker Jenkins are exceptional. Jenkins is dominating the lower levels of the minors, increasing excitement for his future among the fanbase. View full video

The Wind Surge wrapped up their weekend with a walk-off victory, and Cedar Rapids added by threes late. Walker Jenkins continues to be great, and Brooks Lee added some excitement as well. Check out all of Sunday’s action within. SAINTS SENTINEL Columbus 14, St. Paul 6 (F/10) Box Score Patrick Murphy drew the start Sunday evening for the Saints. He worked 5 2/3 innings of two-run baseball. Murphy allowed four hits and four walks while striking out five. Bailey Ober was optioned to Triple-A having not pitched since August 27. Without making a start today for St. Paul, it appears the desire to limit his innings is in full swing. After the Clippers kicked off the scoring in the first inning, Kyle Garlick responded with a single. Anthony Prato was on second base after his double, and he raced around to score and tie the contest. Columbus again added in the second inning, and Alex Kirilloff tied it with his second home run in two days during the third inning. In the bottom of the fourth inning, St. Paul grabbed their first lead. Catching the defense napping, Gilberto Celestino brought in Yunior Severino on a bunt to score the Saints third run. Looking to create some breathing room, the Saints found a few more tallies for the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Brooks Lee, who recently was featured in a great interview by Lou Hennessy, ripped his second triple for St. Paul. Garlick came around to score on the play and make it a 4-2 game. Trevor Larnach then lofted a sacrifice fly deep enough to bring Lee the final 90 feet. After getting the first two outs in the sixth inning, Murphy gave way to Alex Scherff in relief. The Saints reliever came on and got the final out of the frame, stranding a pair of runners on first and second. After a dropped pop up between the catcher and first baseman that resulted in Celestino being called out for interference, the St. Paul outfielder was tossed and Hernan Perez took over in left field. Looking to keep the lead intact, Austin Brice came on for Scherff with two outs in the top of the seventh and the bases loaded. Johnathan Rodriguez put a charge into one but Perez caught it up against the wall to save the lead. Columbus got a run back in the eighth inning when Jhonkensy Noel launched a solo shot off of Brice. The Clippers put runners on the corners with two outs, and Toby Gardenhire decided to make a change. Michael Boyle came in to replace Brice, and hung a slider to Guardians prospect Brayan Rocchio. He blasted the pitch for a three-run homer and the Saints lead was gone, now trailing 6-5. Down to their final out in the ninth inning, Lee stepped in and sent a baseball flying into the night. He launched his second Triple-A homer, and did it with his fourth hit of the night. Looking to make a playoff push, St. Paul had forced extras. Unfortunately Boyle struggled to get outs in the 10th inning and Andrew Bechtold gave up plenty as well. Columbus piled back on to the tune of a 14-6 advantage. The Saints couldn't get any momentum back going in their half of the 10th inning, and the big Columbus explosion was how things ended. Lee finished with a four-hit night while Kirilloff and Severino each had a pair of their own. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 4, San Antonio 3 Box Score Sunday was Travis Adams' turn to take the ball for Wichita. He worked five innings, allowing three runs on five hits. The Wind Surge starter also gave up three walks, but struck out five. San Antonio scored first with a pair of first inning runs. It was in the bottom of the second that Wichita provided their first answer. Will Holland doubled for the 10th time this season, and the base hit brought home both Patrick Winkel and Willie Joe Garry Jr. to tie the contest. After the Missions added a run with a third inning solo shot, the Wind Surge got the run back during the sixth inning. Aaron Sabato stepped in and blasted his 11th home run of the season. Needing just one run to walk it off, Michael Helman stepped in with runners on 1st and 2nd down to the final out. His single brought Holland across the plate, and the Wind Surge sent fans home happy. Despite recording nine hits on the day, it was a team effort for Wichita with only Tanner Schobel having a pair to his credit. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 12, Lake County 0 Box Score Seeking a victory to wrap up the weekend, Cedar Rapids turned to Christian MacLeod on Sunday. He worked five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and a walk. MacLeod also struck out three. While it took a few innings for the Kernels to get going, they went to work in a big way late. During the fifth inning, Keoni Cavaco launched a three-run shot to score Andrew Cossetti and Jose Salas. A three-run frame in the sixth inning was had on a Salas single to score Jorel Ortega, and a Jeferson Morales double to bring home both Cossetti and Salas. In the seventh inning, the Kernels continued their run of threes. This time it was Carson McCusker bringing home Ortega on a double before Cossetti scored on a wild pitch. Then Morales grounded out, but not without McCusker coming home in the process. With no reason to stop adding, Cedar Rapids saw another opportunity for a fourth-straight three-run inning during the eighth. Emmanuel Rodriguez scored on a single by Cossetti, and Salas drove Ortega home on a single of his own. With the bases loaded and Morales batting, his two-out walk brought Cossetti across the plate. Cavaco ended the inning as the next batter, and the 12 runs across four late innings was an impressive bit of production for the Kernels. Lake County went down quietly during the ninth inning, and Cedar Rapids secured the victory. Salas went 4-for-4 Sunday, while Cossetti added two of his own. MUSSEL MATTERS Clearwater 3, Fort Myers 2 Box Score Ben Ethridge got the start Sunday morning for the Mighty Mussels. He turned in five innings of three-run ball. Ethridge gave up four hits and two walks while striking out five. Fort Myers scored first when Maddux Houghton stole home. Jay Harry stole second and Clearwater threw down on the play allowing the run to score. During the fifth inning, Clearwater plated three runs and took the lead. Walker Jenkins, who already tripled in the contest, singled home Dillon Tatum in the eighth inning to make it a one-run game. The comeback came up short with Fort Myers falling by one. With the loss, Fort Myers saw their eight-game winning streak snapped. Jenkins had two hits, which accounted for half of the Mighty Mussels production on the day. It was also his sixth straight multi-hit game, and he owns a .438/.455/.656 slash line in his first seven games for Fort Myers. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Christian MacLeod (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Hitter of the Day – Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 4-4, 2 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 (St. Paul) - 4-5, R, 2 RBI, 3B(1), HR(2) K #2 - Walker Jenkins (Fort Myers) - 2-4, 3B(1), RBI #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, BB, 2 K #8 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 2-3, BB, K #13 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 0-5, 3 K #14 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 2-3, R, 2 BB, K #17 - Danny De Andrade (Fort Myers) - 0-4, K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (5:35PM CST) - TBD Wichita @ Corpus Christi (6:35PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:40 CST) - TBD Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article

August was an incredible month for Twins minor league hitters, but one promising young talent stood out among the rest. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints August was the month of offensive outbursts from the Dominican Summer League Twins to the Major League club itself. Highlighted by top prospects and the new faces of the 2023 draft class, seemingly everyone wanted to showcase their hitting ability this month. Choosing only five hitters felt wrong, so let's begin by celebrating the honorable mentions. Honorable Mentions Moises Lopez - DSL Twins - .306/.405/.528 (.933), 42 PA, 11 Hits, 4 BB, 12 K, two doubles, two home runs Brandon Winokur - FCL Twins - .296/.345/.556 (.901), 58 PA, 16 Hits, 3 BB, 17 K, five doubles, three home runs Luke Keaschall - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels - .292/.426/.472 (.898), 94 PA, 21 Hits, 15 BB, 20 K, eight doubles, one home run Andrew Cossetti - Cedar Rapids Kernels - .259/.440/.537 (.977), 75 PA, 14 Hits, 16 BB, 20 K, two doubles, three home runs Carson McCusker - Cedar Rapids Kernels - .255/.305/.636 (.941), 59 PA, 14 Hits, 3 BB, 21 K, three doubles, six home runs Noah Miller - Cedar Rapids Kernels - .281/.350/.494 (.844), 100 PA, 25 Hits, 10 BB, 22 K, eight doubles, three home runs Emmanuel Rodriguez - Cedar Rapids Kernels - .260/.402/.479 (.881), 92 PA, 19 Hits, 18 BB, 25 K, two doubles, four home runs Hernan Perez - St. Paul Saints - .310/.383/.643 (1.026), 47 PA, 13 Hits, 5 BB, 8 K, two doubles, four home runs Andrew Stevenson - St. Paul Saints - .275/.363/.525 (.888), 91 PA, 22 Hits, 10 BB, 19 K, four doubles, four home runs #6. Walker Jenkins - FCL Twins/Fort Myers - .333/.362/.469 (.831), 74 PA, 23 Hits, 5 BB, 9 K, four doubles, two home runs The number five overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft came out of the gates as advertised, lining a double over the FCL Rays third baseman head on his first-ever professional at-bat. After this memorable moment, Jenkins managed to hit .333/.390/.537 (.927) through 59 plate appearances with the FCL Twins before being promoted to the Fort Myers Might Mussels on August 22. Since joining Fort Myers, Jenkins has hit .333/.333/.400 (.733) through just 15 plate appearances, with his highlight moment coming last week when he hit a walk-off single in his second game with the Mighty Mussels. Jenkins has met expectations so far, and his somewhat surprising promotion to Single-A Fort Myers while being an 18-year-old fresh out of high school is a sign that the Twins view Jenkins as developmentally advanced. There is a lot of hype around Jenkins, and with hype comes pressure and expectations. Whether Jenkins will be able to meet those expectations long-term is yet to be seen, but he has undoubtedly impressed during his first cup of coffee in professional baseball. #5. Patrick Winkel - Wichita Wind Surge - .318/.410/.591 (1.001), 78 PA, 21 Hits, 11 BB, 18 K, six doubles, four home runs Number five on this list comes in the form of catching prospect Patrick Winkel. Winkel, 23, was drafted in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins out of the University of Connecticut. While at the University of Connecticut, Winkel hit a .299/.357/.501 (.858) with 112 hits, 35 BB, 21 doubles, and 19 home runs over 430 plate appearances with the Huskies. Winkel had a relatively uninspiring 2022 season with the High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels, hitting just .254/.330/.391 (.721), but has elevated his game hitting .272/.373/.437 (.810) since joining the Double-A Wichita Wind Surge to begin the 2023 Texas League season. The left-handed hitting Winkel has a smooth and compact swing that stays in the strike zone, not too dissimilar to that of Max Kepler, which lends to him manufacturing good at-bats that tend to lead to production. Winkel has been incredible in August, exhibiting a great sense of contact while hitting an impressive six doubles and four home runs. Twins minor league catchers have been impressive this season, and Winkel is among the top of that group. Winkel's performance has landed him just behind another impressive standout member of the Wind Surge. #4. Yoyner Fajardo - Wichita Wind Surge - .341/.423/.568 (.991), 105 PA, 30 H, 12 BB, 15 K, six doubles, four home runs Number four on this list comes in the form of the speedy and versatile Fajardo. Fajardo started his professional career with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, but began his first season in the Minnesota Twins minor league system in April with the Wichita Wind Surge. Fajardo, 24, has been impressive all season, but he elevated his performance to the next level in August. Beyond hitting .341/.423/.568 (.991), Fajardo stole 17 bases in August, nine more than the next closest player in the Twins minor league system. Fajardo steals bases at a high clip and has hit the ball hard all across the park, as illustrated by his 33 extra-base hits this season. Fajardo also provides value as a utility player, playing second base, third base, designated hitter, and all three outfield positions in his professional baseball career. Fajardo has predominately played left field this season at Double-A Wichita, but versatility is still a relevant aspect of his game. Fajardo has been a pleasant surprise this season, and hopefully he can finish out his best season as a professional baseball player on a high note. #3. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. - Wichita/St. Paul - .323/.458/.576 (1.034), 85 PA, 22 Hits, 12 BB, 16 K, three doubles, two home runs Keirsey Jr. started the month out at Double-A Wichita, but after just two games, he was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul. Since joining the Saints, Keirsey Jr. has hit .297/.416/.438 (.854) with 19 hits and four extra-base hits over 64 at-bats. Keirsey Jr. has played centerfield as well as both corner outfield spots and has been a steady left-handed bat at the top of the Wind Surge and now Saints lineup. Keirsey Jr., who I have ranked as the eighth-best prospect in the Twins system, is having his best season as a member of the Twins organization, leading those who follow the team to wonder if he has Major League aspirations in the near future. Keirsey Jr. is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this upcoming offseason again, and if the Twins elect not to add him to the 40-man roster there is a relatively high chance he would get plucked by another team. If the Twins add Keirsey Jr. to the 40-man roster, Twins fans will likely watch him make his Major League debut next season. Keirsey Jr. had a great month of August, and his promotion to Triple-A St. Paul was well deserved. #2. Alex Isola - Wichita Wind Surge - .358/.424/.617 (1.041), 92 PA, 29 Hits, 10 BB, 17 K, three doubles, six home runs The runner-up for August 2023 Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is C/1B/DH Alex Isola. Isola has built off his productive 2022 season with an even more impressive 2023 season, highlighted by his breakout month of August. Through 92 plate appearances, Isola has six home runs, which ties Carson McCusker of the Cedar Rapids Kernels for the minor league system lead in August. Not only is Isola hitting home runs, but he is making sufficient contact and hitting the ball around the park. Home runs are great, but when a C/1B/DH can consistently the ball around the field for contact it begins to feel like that player, in this case Isola, might be an exceptional talent. Isola has been incredible in August, and if it weren't for the resurgence of the winner below, he would have walked away with the honor of Twins Daily Hitter of the Month for August 2023. Winner: Austin Martin - St. Paul Saints - .357/.489/.600 (1.089), 90 PA, 25 Hits, 16 BB, 11 K, five doubles, four home runs The Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month for August 2023 is the number five overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Austin Martin. For the first time since he joined the Twins minor league system, Martin is playing like the star he was at Vanderbilt. The most notable way Martin plays like that is by spraying the ball across the park while generating hard contact. Martin had 25 hits in August, which is incredible, and nine of them were extra-base hits. Now, while only 36% of a player's hits being extra-base hits isn't all too encouraging, having Martin regain form as a hitter who sprays singles around the field is encouraging. While Martin mainly shoots singles and the occasional double around the field, he has added an essential element of power to his game, showcased by the four home runs he hit in August. Martin will likely never be a power hitter - that's just not who he is - but if he can hit three to four home runs a month while being an elite contact hitter, the Twins would have themselves an exceptional player. Not only is Martin hitting the ball exceptionally well, but he is providing adequate defense at both second base and centerfield while making the occasional highlight-worthy play. Martin's incredible month at the plate has earned him the honor of Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Month for August 2023. View full article