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Episode 10 of Destination: The Show is a 47-minute interview with Cedar Rapids Kernels co-pitching coach Jonas Lovin. The entire episode consists of his personal journey in baseball, general player development questions, specific player questions and listener questions. Image courtesy of Thiéres Rabelo It's a Twins-heavy episode, but there's a lot of interesting notes from Jonas Lovin about communication between teams, goals for players and how teams handle promoted players. Regardless of what team you cheer for, it's full-on nerding-out about the finer points of baseball. 0:00 - Intro 1:51 - What was Jonas' personal journey through baseball and how did he get connected with the Twins. 5:32 - How different is coaching at the collegiate level than the professional level? And how have the Twins supported you? 7:42 - What type of conditions do you try to create to help players thrive? 12:03 - How do you blend the old-school with the new-school way of thinking? 13:19 - Player development - new promotions, getting information, setting goals. 15:23 - How clear is the 2024 pitching forecast? 17:00 - The 2022 Draft Haul with specific time stamps for each of the following pitchers: 18:34 - Corey Lewis 21:17 - CJ Culpepper 23:01 - Zebby Matthews 27:40 - Andrew Morris 29:36 - Kyle Jones 31:30 - How good will the competition in between those players be and what's the biggest step going to be to have success at AA. 34:30 - How impressive was Connor Prielipp when healthy? 35:45 - Listener Questions 41:41 - We ask Jonas to make "under-the-radar" picks for pitchers that he coached. You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, leaving us a positive review and five star rating at iTunes or Spotify, retweeting show related content on Twitter, and subscribing to the Twins Daily YouTube page. You can follow us @DTS_POD1, @J_D_Cameron, @Jeremynygaard, and @TheodoreTollef1 on Twitter. Send us your prospect and draft related questions for our next episode. 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

Yesterday, we announced Kody Funderburk as the Twins Daily relief pitcher of the year. Today, we shift our attention to the starting pitchers, and there were several very impressive pitching prospects who took bit strides in 2023. If we have learned anything over the past couple of years, it's that when the Twins draft a college pitcher on the third day of the draft, don't just assume they will be an organizational filler. Who knows? That Day 3 draft pick may become an organizational thriller (like Louie Varland, Bailey Ober). A look through the top starting pitchers in the Twins minor leaguers, we see more examples of this. Pitchers drafted out of college on Day 2 or 3 fill up much of this list. The Twins 2022 college draft picks helped lead the Cedar Rapids Kernels to the Midwest League championship this year. It's fun to see these pitchers enter the organization with one scouting report, and one or two years later, they have added four to six mph of velocity and a second and/or third pitch that are now at least an average pitch. Before getting into the top four starters, here are some others who received votes. . Others Receiving Votes RHP C.J. Culpepper, 21, Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids: 21 GS, 86.0 IP, 72 H, 31 BB, 89 K, 3.18 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9, 9.3 K/9. RHP Andrew Morris, 22, Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids: 18 G, 17 GS, 84.1 IP, 86 H, 19 BB, 79 K, 2.88 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.0 BB/9, 8.4 K/9. RHP Marco Raya, 21, Cedar Rapids/Wichita: 22 GS, 62.2 IP, 45 H, 22 BB, 65 K, 4.02 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9, 9.3 K/9. RHP Louie Varland, 25, St. Paul: 16 G, 15 GS, 81.2 IP, 84 H, 26 BB, 88 K, 3.97 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9, 9.7 K/9. Others Receiving Votes Blayne Enlow, Ben Ethridge, Ronny Henriquez, Simeon Woods Richardson Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year Here are the top four vote-getters for Twins Starting Pitcher of the Year. 4. RHP David Festa, 23, Wichita/St. Paul 24 G, 22 GS, 92.1 IP, 86 H, 42 BB, 119 K, 4.19 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 4.1 BB/9, 11.6 K/9. Festa was the Twins 13th round pick in 2021 out of Seton Hall. He had a tremendous first full season in pro ball in 2022. After five starts (with a 1.50 ERA) in Fort Myers, he moved up to Cedar Rapids and went 7-3 with a 2.71 ERA. In 103 2/3 innings, he had 108 strikeouts with 34 walks. As important as the numbers, Festa had developed some really awe-inspiring “stuff,” including a fastball in the upper 90s. The 23-year-old began this season in Wichita and pitched in 21 games (19 starts). He went 3-3 with a 4.39 ERA, and in 80 innings, he struck out 104 batters. He also walked 34 batters. In July, he pitched an inning in the Futures Game. He ended his season with three starts for the Saints. He was 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA. He had 15 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. He also walked nine batters. He will need to hone in on his control, but David Festa should spend the 2024 season at St. Paul, eagerly awaiting an opportunity. He should continue to start, but like Louie Varland this year, Festa has the arm to finish the season as a dominant, late-inning reliever if needed. 3. RHP Zebby Matthews, 23, Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids 22 G, 20 GS, 105.1 IP, 96 H, 15 BB, 112 K, 3.84 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 1.3 BB/9, 9.6 K/9. A native of North Carolina, Zebby Matthews began his college career at Walters State. In 2020, he transferred to Western Carolina and went 3-1 before the season ended due to Covid. Over the next two seasons, he went 10-8 and posted sub-4.00 ERAs both years. In 157 innings, he had 182 strikeouts and just 28 walks. The Twins drafted him in the 8th round in 2022. He pitched in just two games. Matthews began the 2023 season at Fort Myers. However, after eight games (7 starts), he went 3-1 with a 2.56 ERA and was promoted to Cedar Rapids. He made 14 games (13 starts) for the Kernels. As he did in college, he continued to show great control. In 105 1/3 total innings, he has 112 strikeouts with just 15 walks. Matthews has a fastball that reaches 94-95 mph. He has also developed a sweeper and cutter, making them effective secondary pitches. The combination of three potentially average-or-better pitches and his ability to throw strikes and command the zone makes him very intriguing. 2. RHP Pierson Ohl, 24, Cedar Rapids/Wichita 24 G, 21 GS, 127.1 IP, 117 H, 18 BB, 115 K, 3.32 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 1.1 BB/9, 9.1 K/9 A southern California native, Ohl headed east, to Phoenix and Grand Canyon University for his college years. As a freshman, he posted a 3.45 ERA in 16 starts. He had a 2.89 ERA through his four pre-Covid starts in 2020. Then in 2021, he went 10-2 with a 2.60 ERA. Over those final two college seasons, he struck out 120 batters and walked just 13. Based on those numbers, the Twins had to be thrilled to draft him in the 14th round in 2021. He spent the entire 2022 season at Fort Myers and went 6-7 with a 3.53 ERA. In 91 2/3 innings, he had 101 strikeouts and just 13 walks. Oh began the 2023 season in Cedar Rapids where he pitched in eight games (7 starts). He started the season with five really good starts and had just two walks and 26 strikeouts in 26 innings. But then, over the next three starts, he gave up 15 runs (13 earned) in 14 1/3 innings, which made it very interesting that he was promoted to Double-A. He gave up nine runs in 10 2/3 innings in his first two Wichita starts. However, over his final 14 starts, he went 7-2 with a 2.00 ERA. In 76 1/3 innings, he struck out 65 and walked just 13. Opponents hit just .197 against him. While working as a starter, he touched 97 on the radar gun, well above the high-80s, low-90s he threw when drafted. He also has a good curveball and a change-up that can be very good most days. 1. RHP Cory Lewis, 22, Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids 22 GS, 101.1 IP, 74 H, 33 BB, 118 K, 2.49 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9, 10.5 K/9 I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that Cory Lewis was a star on his Marina High School baseball team. He was a four-year letter winner. He was the league’s freshman of the year. He was named the league’s top pitcher as a sophomore. He was also All-League as a first baseman. He was the league’s MVP his senior season. After high school, he went to UC-Santa Barbara. He was set to redshirt his first year, which worked out fine since it was the Covid season. In 2021, he pitched in 15 games and made 10 starts. He was 7-4 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. In 80 innings, he had 86 strikeouts to go with 31 walks. In 2022, he made 16 starts and went 9-1 with a 3.57 ERA. In 88 1/3 innings, he had 107 strikeouts and 42 walks. As a redshirt sophomore, Lewis was the Twins ninth-round pick in 2022. He didn’t pitch at all in the Twins organization. So he made his professional debut in 2023, and it went well. He began the season with nine starts in Fort Myers. He went 4-3 with a 2.75 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. In 39 2/3 innings, he struck out 55 batters and issued 15 walks. In mid-May, he threw the first 5 2/3 innings of a combined no-hitter for the Mussels. He was promoted to Cedar Rapids where he made 13 starts. He was 5-1 with a 2.32 ERA. In 62 innings, he had 63 strikeouts and 18 walks. And all that work led him and the Kernels to their Midwest League championship. Twins Director of Player Development Drew MacPhail began by simply saying, “Big Game Cory!” He continued, “Not only did Cory Lewis dominate across two levels this year. He also pitched in two, winner-take-all playoff series at Cedar Rapids (including a championship rubber match) and dominated both outings! Not only does Cory have outlier fastball pitch qualities and traditional secondary offerings, but he pairs that with an 84 mph knuckleball that got outlier miss across Low A and A+ this year.” You’ve been reading about Lewis throughout the season here at Twins Daily, so you knew he threw a knuckleball. However, he is not a knuckleball pitcher, per se. He doesn’t just throw a 60 mph knuckleball every pitch. No, with Lewis, the knuckleball is just one of his quality pitches. He threw it about 10% of the time in 2023, and as Mr. MacPhail noted, he throws it hard, generally between 82 and 85 mph. That is very unusual. And those pitches are typically seen heading toward the plate at less than 200 RPMs. Lewis has a fastball in the 91-93 mph range, but he can throw it very well up in the zone. He also has a solid changeup, curveball and slider. It will be interesting to see how his pitch repertoire changes as he continues to move up the organizational ladder. Congratulations to Cory Lewis on winning the Twins Daily Starting Pitcher of the Year award for 2023. He’s obviously joining an impressive group of previous winners. And congratulations to all of the pitchers mentioned in today’s articles on fantastic 2023 seasons! Join us in congratulating Lewis and the rest of these pitchers and discussing them and the Twins pitching pipeline in the comments below. For more Twins Daily content on the pitchers mentioned in today's article, click on the links below: Cory Lewis, Pierson Ohl, Zebby Matthews, David Festa, CJ Culpepper, Andrew Morris, Marco Raya, Louie Varland, Blayne Enlow, Ben Ethridge, Ronny Henriquez, Simeon Woods Richardson. Previous Starting Pitcher of the Year Winners: 2022 winner - Louie Varland 2021 winner - Louie Varland 2019 winner- Randy Dobnak2018 winner - Tyler Wells2017 winner - Stephen Gonsalves2016 winner - Stephen Gonsalves2015 winner - Jose Berrios2014 winner - Jose Berrios2013 winner - Taylor Rogers 2012 winner - BJ Hermsen View full article

Not enough people are talking about how good the pitchers drafted in 2022 have been. View full video

Plus, come see how the Mighty Mussels scored nine off just four hits. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (Image is of Willie Joe Garry Jr.) TRANSACTIONS RHP Jordan Balazovic optioned to AAA St. Paul Saints Sentinel St. Paul 3, Omaha 7 Box Score Randy Dobnak: 6 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K HR: Hernán Pérez (8) Multi-hit games: Andrew Stevenson (2-for-4, R, BB), Austin Martin (2-for-4, R), Brooks Lee (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB) The Saints dug themselves into an early hole and never recovered. Fortune can change quickly. St. Paul whiffed on scoring with the bases loaded in the first, after excellent patience placed runners on every base—and their missed opportunity immediately bit them, as Randy Dobnak coughed up three runs. They did finally strike, though, when Brooks Lee cleared two runners off the bases with a double in the 5th. The 22-year-old has struggled since earning a promotion, but Saturday may have been his finest day since joining the Saints; he reached base four times. That was about the height of the game. Dobnak surrendered more runs in the 6th, and the two relievers following him—Alex Scherff and Jordan Balazovic—allowed a run each to put the game too far out of reach. St. Paul made full usage of the bases on Saturday, swiping four bases against the Storm Chasers; Austin Martin stole a pair, with DaShawn Kiersey Jr. and Andrew Stevenson adding steals of their own to the total. Technically old friend Evan Sisk allowed a run over two innings of relief. 2nd baseman Nick Loftin is Kansas City’s 5th-best prospect; he homered and collected three RBIs on Saturday. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 2, Arkansas 0 Box Score Pierson Ohl: 5 ⅔ IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K HR: Willie Joe Garry Jr. (2) Multi-hit games: None The Wind Surge won a pitching battle on Saturday. It may have been Pierson Ohl's best start of his professional career; the righty whiffed eight batters, allowing no runs as he came just one out away from earning the elusive quality start. He'll settle for a win. Ohl's AA ERA is now down to 3.06, as—following some early bruises after his promotion—Ohl owns a 1.99 ERA since June 29th. Wichita did just enough to support his effort offensively. Their bats were about as deadened as Arkansas, leading to four hits, two of them for extra bases. Fortunately, one of those hits was this massive tater crushed by Willie Joe Garry Jr. That's certainly not the swing of a batter looking to get cheated! Seth Gray owned the other extra base hit—a 9th inning double. Aaron Rozek and Miguel Rodriguez delivered the game to its end with masterful relief pitching. Rozek obliterated the Travelers with five punchouts, while Rodriguez closed the door with a scoreless 9th. Seattle's typically strong farm system is especially young these days, leaving Jonatan Clase, their 8th-ranked prospect, as the Travelers premier player. He went hitless. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 14, South Bend 5 Box Score Zebby Matthews: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K HR: Andrew Cossetti (8), Ben Ross (18) Multi-hit games: Kala’i Rosario (3-for-6, 3 R, 3 RBI), Ben Ross (3-for-5, HR, 2B, 4 R, 3 RBI, BB), Misael Urbina (2-for-5, RBI, BB), Jeferson Morales (3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, BB) The Kernels blasted their opponents on Sunday. The bloodbath started early. Cedar Rapids had 12 runs after just three innings. They had 11 hits, too. Singles, walks, homers, the team had it all—Noah Miller had hit for the third time before the 2nd ended, and he nearly hit for the fourth time in the 3rd. Andrew Cossetti had the big smash, with a three-run homer that gave him eight on the year with the Kernels, but, really, it was a group effort to put so many runs up as quickly as they did. The team took 24 at-bats with runners in scoring position. Zebby Matthews was acceptable. The righty handed a trio of runs back in a disastrous first inning, but he recovered quickly, allowing a smattering of baserunners, but no further damage. John Stankiewicz followed him with a pair of scoreless frames. Gabriel Yanez oversaw a few unaffecting runs before ending the game. Cossetti is slashing .296/.435/.552 in 2023. MLB’s 76th overall prospect, Kevin Alcantara, singled and struck out in five at-bats. Mussel Matters Ft. Myers 9, Daytona 4 Box Score Jose Olivares: 5 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Luke Keaschall (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB) The Mighty Mussels exploded late, erasing a 3-0 deficit to handily win Saturday’s game. You aren’t going to see nine runs score on only four hits too often. Fort Myers could find no BABIP fortune—the baseball gods saw to that—but they could walk, and they did so often on Saturday, taking a free base 11 times. Every batter in the lineup walked at least once. Ricardo Olivar was also hit twice. But you still need someone to knock in those runs, though, and Luke Keaschall and Danny De Andrade were the ones who met the challenge. Their doubles, plus a single from Maddux Houghton, proved to be the only run-scoring knocks the team could find; every other run scored on a groundout, a sacrifice fly, or an error. The sudden offensive explosion was a relief, as the pitchers, while not poor, did not dominate the game. Starter Jose Olivares struggled with command. So did 2023 draftee Ty Langenberg. But Matt Gabbert and Samuel Perez had their stuff, steadying the staff while leading the team to a victory with critical scoreless frames. Keaschall is slashing .294/.427/.485 in 19 games with the Mighty Mussels. He already has eight doubles. Cincinnati’s 19th ranked prospect—Victor Acosta—doubled and walked while hitting out of the leadoff spot. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl 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) - 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-6, R, BB, 4 K #5 - Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-3, 2 K #8 - Austin Martin (St. Paul) - 2-4, R, K, 2 SB #12 - Luke Keaschall (Ft. Myers) - 2-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, K #15 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 3-6, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 K #17 - Yunior Severino (St. Paul) - 0-5, 2 K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (2:05 PM) - LHP Michael Boyle Wichita @ Arkansas (1:35 PM) - RHP Travis Adams Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (1:05 PM) - RHP Kyle Jones Daytona @ Fort Myers (11:00 AM) - RHP Juan Mercedes 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

In the Complex League today, several Twins draft prospects made their professional debuts, and none were more impressive than Brandon Winokur. Yunior Severino went jack-job in his third straight game, while Zebby Matthews and Noah Miller shined for the Kernels. Check out all of the action within. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge TRANSACTIONS OF Trevor Larnach optioned to Triple-A St. Paul UT Hernan Perez assigned to Single-A Fort Myers on minor league rehab assignment SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 5, St. Paul 3 Box Score Simeon Woods Richardson took his turn Thursday for the Saints on Irish heritage night. He didn’t last five innings, but the 4 1/3 innings were quality allowing just a single run on two hits. Walks were a bugaboo as he racked up five of them, but the Saints starter kept damage at bay with six strikeouts to his credit. Trailing by one entering the third inning, Kyle Garlick stepped in for St. Paul and lifted a sacrifice fly to score Ernie Yake. That run knotted things up, and they would stay that way until the seventh inning. Austin Schulfer was looking to wriggle out of a bases loaded spot, but instead gave up a two-run single and the Saints found themselves in another deficit. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, facing former Twins reliever Matt Wisler, Anthony Prato crushed a double off the left field wall driving in both Alex De Goti and Andrew Stevenson to even things back at three. Toledo added a run during their portion of the eighth inning, and then a tough play with the infield drawn in saw Chris Williams get no outs and another run score. He missed tagging the base at first, and made an errant throw to the plate attempting to cut down the run. St. Paul needed to come back from two runs behind with just three outs remaining. Yake stepped in needing to get things going, and it was clear Jair Camargo, Austin Martin, and Trevor Larnach were all unavailable as Toby Gardenhire didn't insert a pinch hitter. With the rain falling significantly, Stevenson singled to bring Prato up with a chance to tie the game. He drew a walk with fans behind the plate showing off their chests in the rain, and Garlick stepped in having a chance to win it. Coming through yet again, Garlick ripped a double to right field scoring Stevenson and putting the tying run just 90 feet away. Contreras popped out to right field, and that's where the rally ended. Prato and Yake both recorded a pair of hits on the evening. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 4, Frisco 1 Box Score It was Pierson Ohl’s night for Wichita. He worked five innings of one-run ball. Ohl gave up three hits but walked just one and struck out five on the evening. Patrick Winkel opened the scoring during the first inning when his ground out allowed Brooks Lee to score from his leadoff walk. They did give the run back during the top of the second inning, but recaptured the lead during their half of the third inning. Yunior Severino crushed his 21st home run of the year, and third in three games, to score DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and make it a 3-1 ballgame. The fifth inning saw the Wind Surge add again when Jake Rucker ripped his 14th double of the season to score Winkel and push the lead to three. Alex Scherff came on for the final two innings and shut down Frisco allowing a single hit and giving up zero free passes. He punched out four to preserve the lead. Keirsey Jr. and Severino both finished with a pair of hits. Brooks Lee did grab one on the evening, and his days with Wichita are numbered. KERNELS NUGGETS Wisconsin 4, Cedar Rapids 3 (F/10) Box Score The Kernels went with Zebby Matthews for the start Thursday, and he worked six strong innings. Allowing just two runs on five hits, Matthews punched out seven on the evening and didn’t allow a single free pass. The Kernels were up against the Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff tonight who is working through a rehab assignment. He allowed one run on four hits while striking out three across four innings. After getting behind by a run in the second inning, the Kernels answered when Noah Miller singled home Misael Urbina to draw even. Wisconsin answered in the bottom half, but that lead wouldn’t hold. Again, it was Miller, this time with a fifth inning double to score Keoni Cavaco and even things up. Both sides remained tied through nine innings and extras were necessary. Because why not, it was again Miller in the 10th inning with a single to plate Cavaco for the second time, and the Kernels had their first lead of the night. Miguel Rodriguez walked the leadoff batter for Wisconsin, and a Robert Moore single scored two for the Timber Rattlers, walking off Cedar Rapids. Miller had three hits on the night with Jorel Ortega adding two of his own. MUSSEL MATTERS Palm Beach 9, Fort Myers 4 Box Score The Mighty Mussels turned to Jarret Whorff on Thursday. He worked four innings of three run baseball. Palm Beach scored on three hits and five walks, despite punching out five times during his outing. Giving up two runs in the third inning, Fort Myers responded with a pair of their own during the fourth inning. Rafael Cruz singled to drive in the rehabbing Hernan Perez, and Dylan Neuse cracked his fourth triple allowing Cruz to score. The game didn’t stay tied long after the Cardinals put up a three-spot in the fifth inning. Trying to mount a comeback, the Mighty Mussels started with one as Perez lofted a sacrifice fly to score Alec Sayre and make it a 5-3 game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Fort Myers couldn’t tack on more however, and a four-run eighth inning made it a laugher. One last gasp in the ninth inning saw Neuse drive in Cruz, but the 9-4 lead was enough for Palm Beach to hold on. Cruz and Maddux Houghton were the only Mighty Mussels to record a pair of hits on the night. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Braves 7, FCL Twins 5 Box Score Thursday was a big day for 2023 Twins draft picks. The first three of them, Luke Keaschall, Jay Harry, and Brandon Winokur all made their professional debuts. Brayan Medina was on the bump Thursday for the FCL club and worked five innings of three-run baseball. He cruised through the first four before allowing two hits, and three walks to bite him. Medina did strike out three on the day. Looking to make a comeback in the sixth inning, it was the draftees that did some of the heavy lifting. After Daniel Pena singled to score Isaac Pena, Nate Baez grounded out and drove home Luke Keaschall on the play. Keaschall reached with a walk before stealing both second and third to set up the run. Jay Harry then walked before Brandon Winokur stepped in and launched his first professional home run, putting the Twins ahead 4-3. With the new draftees getting into just their first game, both Keaschall and Harry were lifted after the top of the sixth inning for Jankel Ortiz and Bryan Acuna. Unfortunately the Braves put up a four-spot in the seventh inning to regain the lead and they held it for good. Winokur did reach on a dropped third strike during the ninth inning, and Yasser Mercedes grounded out to bring him home. No one recorded multiple-hits, but each player making their pro debut made an impression. DOMINICAN DAILY DSL Dodgers Mega 9, DSL Twins 7 (F/6) Box Score Cristian Hernandez drew the start on Thursday and gave up just a single run through his first three innings. The wheels fell off a bit when he was unable to finish the fourth inning. Working 3 2/3 on the day, Hernandez gave up four runs on three hits and five walks. He did strike out five. Trailing 5-0 through five and a half innings, the Twins put up a four spot in their half. Unfortunately that one-run deficit wouldn’t hold as the Dodgers put up for more to open the sixth inning and stretch their advantage again. The Twins responded with three of their own in the sixth inning, but that still left them two short and the sides decided to wrap this one up there. The Twins spread out their six hits with no one recording more than one. Each of them were singles and opportunity passed them by going 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position while leaving 12 on base. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Zebby Matthews (Cedar Rapids) - 6.0, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR(21), K PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 1-3, R, 2 BB #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, BB, K #10 - Tanner Schobel (Wichita) - 1-3, BB #11 - Yasser Mercedes (FCL Twins) - 0-4, RBI, K #12 - Luke Keaschall (FCL Twins) - 0-2, R, BB, K, 2 SB #13 - Brandon Winokur (FCL Twins) - 1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR(1), K #14 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 4.1 IP, 2 H, R, ER, 5 BB, 6 K #16 - Kala’i Rosario (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, 4 K #17 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR(21), K #20 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 0-4, K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - LHP Dallas Keuchel Frisco @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:40PM CST) - RHP Kyle Jones Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - RHP Juan Mercedes Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins were off Thursday but there was still plenty of minor league action to cover. Prospects featured tonight include Anthony Prato, Yunior Severino, Pierson Ohl and Zebby Matthews. View full video

Congratulations to the Cedar Rapids Kernels for officially earning another of their annual trips to the playoffs in the Midwest League. Beyond that, you'll want to see a strange innings for St. Paul, a comeback for Wichita, a big final-inning homer by a top 20 prospect in the DSL, and a five-hit game in the DSL. Read all about it in today's minor-league report. And Happy Blayne Enlow Day to those who celebrate. It was a full day in the Twins minor league system on Friday, but there were some really exciting games as well. It seems so early, but Cedar Rapids clinched another playoff spot and the Midwest League's first-half West Division title. The Saints needed extra innings but still crushed in Louisville, Likewise, the Wins Surge got some big hits late in the game. Fort Myers did not have a good game, but the FCL Twins had a strong showing and a top 20 prospect hit a pretty massive home run. And there was a five-hit game in the Dominican. Read all about it and more. Win-Loss Records St. Paul Saints: 39-27 Wichita Wind Surge: 26-34 Cedar Rapids Kernels: 36-25 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels: 32-29 FCL Twins: 5-4 DSL Twins: 2-7 Let’s get to the report. As always, please feel free to discuss and ask questions. TRANSACTIONS Following their game, the Twins announced that left Brent Headrick was being called up to the Twins. Josh Winder has been optioned to St. Paul. Cedar Rapids placed LHP Jordan Carr on the IL with left elbow inflammation. OF Willie Joe Garry was activated from the Cedar Rapids Injured List. RHP Ricky Mineo and C.J. Culpepper was activated from the Development List (which he was on for one day) . SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 8, Louisville 3 (10 innings) Box Score Hard to imagine that this game was tied at 1-1 at the end of nine innings. However, the Saints scored seven runs in the top of the 10th to grab an “easy” extra-innings win. They are now 5-1 in extra-inning games. The Saints got on the scoreboard first with a Matt Wallner opposite field solo home run. And the Bats got their run in the fifth inning when Joey Votto was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Alright, let’s get to the good stuff, the top of the 10th inning. Elliot Soto began the inning as the Manfred Man. He advanced to third base on a ground out. Mark Contreras pinch-hit for the rehabbing Gilberto Celestino and drilled a triple which allowed Soto to walk in from third. Next, Trevor Larnach singled in Contreras. That was followed by a double by Jose Miranda. With runners on second and third, Matt Wallner was intentionally walked to load the bases. But that brought red-hot Chris Williams to the plate. He lined a single to left that drove in two more runs to make it 5-1 Saints. But that wasn’t it. With a new pitcher, Jair Camargo walked to reload the bases. Then Anthony Prato drove in two runs with a single to center. Then Soto singled to score Camargo and end the Saints scoring. They gave up two runs in the bottom of the 10th, but no worries. Kenta Maeda made another rehab start. He was charged with one run on two hits. In his 4 1/3 innings, he walked four and struck four batters out. Kody Funderburk got the next five outs, two on strikeouts. Austin Brice worked a scoreless inning. Patrick Murphy struck out two batters over the eighth and ninth innings. He recorded the Win and improved to 5-0 and has given up just one run over his past 21 2/3 innings. Alex Scherff gave up two runs (1 earned) in the 10th inning, but he also struck out three batters in his Triple-A debut. The Saints had 10 hits and eight walks in the game, but until the 10th inning, they struggled to score. Larnach and Prato went 2-for-5. Wallner was 1-2 with three walks and his eighth homer. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 8,Midland 5 Box Score This was really a back-and-forth game, but the Wind Surge scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to give them their margin of victory. The top of the Wichita lineup continued to produce. DaShawn Keirsey is now hitting .323 after going 2-for-5. Brooks Lee went 2-for-5 with his system-leading 23rd double. Yoyner Fajardo went 2-for-5 and drove in three runs, two in the ninth inning. David Festa made the start on the mound. He gave up four runs on six hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out seven batters. Hunter McMahon was fantastic. He got all eight batters he faced out, three on strikeouts. Francis Peguero gave up the game-tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning. With the lead, Regi Grace got the ninth inning and recorded his first Double-A save. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, South Bend 1 Box Score The Kernels got strong pitching from Marco Raya and Zebby Matthews, and just enough offense to win the game. Cedar Rapids has been a Twins affiliate since 2012, and every year they have made the playoffs. That streak will continue as the win clinched the first-half title for the Kernels. Congratulations to Brian Dinkelman, his staff and players. Raya made the start and again worked three innings. He gave up one run on two hits. He also struck out six batters without a walk. Coming off of his first bad appearance of the season, Matthews came in and tossed six shutout innings. He gave up five hits, struck out four and also did not walk a batter. He was credited with his first High-A Win. Down 1-0 going to the bottom of the fourth, Misael Urbina doubled to score Noah Miller and tie the game. Urbina then scored on a single by Jose Salas to give them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Noah Cardenas gave them a little insurance in the eighth inning when he singled to score Emmanuel Rodriguez for the team’s third run. Urbina led the way. He went 2-for-3 with his seventh and eighth doubles. Salas was also 2-for-3. Rodriguez walked and doubled in the game. Twins 2022 11th round pick Brandon Birdsell, who didn’t sign with the Twins, opting to spend another year at Texas Tech, took the loss in the game for the Cubs. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 1, Bradenton 6 Box Score The Mussels were unable to muster a run until they scored a single run in the top of the ninth inning, but that certainly wasn’t enough on this night. Fort Myers had just five hits in this game, and 2022 sixth-round pick Jorel Ortega had three of them, including his 22nd double. Rubel Cespedes added his ninth double of the seasons nd drove in the lone run. Jose Olivares gave up four runs on just two hits over 4 1/3 innings in the start. He was hurt by the four walks, but he also notched seven strikeouts. Danny Moreno came in to finish the fifth inning, but before he got two outs, he allowed an inherited runner and two more runs to score. Ricky Mineo returned to action and struck out two in a scoreless inning. Jackson Hicks finished with two scoreless innings. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from FLORIDA FCL Twins 12, FCL Red Sox 11 (7 innings) Box Score Man, I heard this was a wild one! And to think, it only went seven innings. The Red Sox scored two in the second inning. They busted out for six in the fourth and three more in the fifth. After four innings, the Twins were down 8-3, but they scored four runs in the fifth, two in the sixth and three in the top of the seventh to take the lead. The hero? Jose Rodriguez hit a three-run homer to give the Twins the lead, and eventually the win. Let’s start with the good news, the offense. Anderson Nova went 2-for-2 with two walks and his first two doubles of the season. Jose Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with a walk and his first home run of the year. Bryan Acuna went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Isaac Pena added a double. On the mound, Brayan Medina started. In 3 1/3 innings, he gave up seven runs (6 earned) on seven hits and two walks. He struck out one. Yon Landaeta got the final two outs of the fourth inning, but not before both of Medina’s runners scored and he gave up a run of his own. Cleiber Maldonado gave up three runs on three hits and a walk over 1 2/3 innings. Finally, Matt Gabbert came on and got the final for outs, three of them on strikeouts. COMPLEX THOUGHTS from BOCA CHICA DSL Twins 12, DSL Brewers (1) 1 Box Score The Twins Dominican Complex team scored five in the first inning and then scored in six of the first seven innings to earn a lopsided win from the now 6-3 Brewers squad. The hitting star was infielder (DH in this game) Dameury Pena. He went 5-for-6 with two doubles and three RBI in the game. He is now hitting .467 (1.051) on the young season. Catcher Jesus Peraza went 3-for-5 with his first double of the season. Juan Hernandez went 2-for-5 with his first double as well. Ariel Castro led off and went 1-for-3 with a walk, a triple, three runs scored and two driven in. Miguel Cordero started and gave up just one hit over four scoreless innings. He walked four and struck out six batters. Joel Garcia gave up one run on three hits and two walks over three innings. He recorded the Win and struck out five batters. Juan Cota and Eider Machuca each struck out two batters in a scoreless inning. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Zebby Matthews (Cedar Rapids) - 6 IP, 5H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 71 pitches, 52 strikes. Hitter of the Day – Dameury Pena (DSL Twins) - 5-for-6, 2-2B(3), 2 R, 3 RBI, SB (3) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on the new Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did on Wednesday. #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 2-for-5, 2B(23), R, RBI, K #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 0-for-3, BB, K #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-3, BB, 2B(4), R. #4 - Edouard Julien (Minnesota) - 2-for-4, 2 K #6 - Marco Raya (Cedar Rapids) - 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 47 pitches, 31 strikes.. #8 - David Festa (Wichita) - 4.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 78 pitches, 51 strikes.. #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-for-2, 3 BB, K, 2 R, RBI #10 - Yasser Mercedes (FCL Twins) - 1-for-2, 2 R, SB(2). #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 2-for-3, RBI, CS #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-4, R, K #15 - Brent Headrick (Minnesota) - Called up to Twins after the game. #18 - Jose Rodriguez (FCL Twins) - 2-for-3, BB, HR(1), 2 R, 3 RBI. . SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE AND PITCHING PROBABLES St. Paul @ Louisville (6:15 PM CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (first AAA start) Wichita @ Midland (7:00 PM CST) - RHP Carlos Luna (1-3, 5.40 ERA) South Bend @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 PM CST) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin (2-3, 4.11 ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 PM CST) - RHP Ben Ethridge (0-3, 2.96 ERA) FCL Red Sox @ FCL Twins (9:00AM CST) - TBD DSL Twins @ DSL Giants Orange (10:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! View full article

The Minnesota Twins fell 2-1 to Cleveland Sunday despite an impressive start from Joe Ryan. A Willi Castro solo homer was all the offense the lineup could muster. Royce Lewis had another scary moment on the field, this time involving a collision with the first baseman. Luckily, it sounds like he's going to be OK. Players featured from the minor leagues tonight include Matt Wallner, Edouard Julien, Kenta Maeda, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., Zebby Matthews and Kala' Rosario. View full video

The Twins saw some big offensive performances in the system today, and Zebby Matthews highlighted the pitching portion of things. Check out all of the action below. TRANSACTIONS LHP Caleb Thielbar activated from rehab assignment with St. Paul RHP Cole Sands was placed on the Injured List. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 8, Buffalo 5 Box Score Rehabbing Minnesota Twins starter Kenta Maeda worked three innings for the Saints. He allowed two runs on five hits including a home run. Maeda struck out four in what was his second time rehab start with St. Paul. The hot-hitting Matt Wallner continues to make a case for playing with Minnesota rather than with the Saints. His 12th double of the season allowed for Andrew Stevenson to race home. Buffalo took a 2-1 lead in the second inning, but St. Paul broke out with six runs in the third inning. Jose Miranda singled in Stevenson to start things off, and then Wallner’s 13th double brought Miranda home. Edouard Julien lifted his fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot scoring Trevor Larnach and Wallner. Before the inning was over, Elliot Soto grounded into a double play that still allowed Mark Contreras to come home. In the fourth inning Julien kept going with a double, his 11th of the year, and Miranda raced across the plate. Up 8-2, that was enough to withstand a pair of Bisons runs for the attempted comeback. Stevenson grabbed three hits out of the leadoff spot with Miranda, Wallner, Julien, and Tony Wolters all tallying two apiece. Brent Headrick operated as the long man after Connor Sadzeck took over for Maeda. He pitched five innings and picked up his third win of the season. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 6, Wichita 5 (F/10) Box Score It was David Festa's day for the Wind Surge and he worked 3 2/3 innings. Giving up two runs in the outing, he allowed four hits while walking none and striking out three. Blayne Enlow also got some work in relief. He went three innings and allowed a pair on a hit and a walk. He struck out three as well. By the time Wichita stepped in for the fifth inning the Wind Surge found themselves looking at a 4-0 deficit. Posting three runs, they nearly came all the way back in that inning alone. Anthony Prato dropped down a sacrifice bunt that was misplayed and allowed Aaron Sabato to score the first run. Will Holland then recorded his fifth double of the season to drive in Prato before Yunior Severino plated Holland with a single of his own. In the seventh inning DaShawn Keirsey Jr. clubbed his fifth dinger of the year to even the score. Needing extras to sort this one out, the Drillers put pressure on by scoring a pair in the top of the tenth inning. Alex Isola drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom half to bring home David Banuelos, but Wichita left the bags loaded. Keirsey Jr. and Holland both had a pair of hits while Patrick Winkel picked up three. KERNELS NUGGETS Lansing 3, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Zebby Matthews took his turn for the Kernels and was again great for Cedar Rapids. He worked six innings allowing just a single run on a solo shot. He limited the Lugnuts to only three hits and struck out six while walking zero. Getting behind in the first inning, Cedar Rapids answered with a run in the third inning. Ben Ross used a sacrifice fly to drive in Tanner Schobel. After they gave back the lead in the seventh inning, Kala’i Rosario answered with a solo shot to draw things even. It was his ninth of the season. Unfortunately the Kernels gave up a Lansing run in the eighth inning and that was enough to drop this contest. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 8, St. Lucie 3 Box Score The Mighty Mussels used Wilker Reyes as an opener. He went two innings and allowed a single run on a hit and a walk. He struck one out. Jarret Whorff picked up his second win of the season going three innings. He allowed just one run on three hits but struck out five and walked none. St. Lucie kicked off the scoring first with a run in the second inning. In the bottom half, Kyle Schmidt hit his first Low-A home run of the year and his three-run shot brought in Rubel Cespedes with Alec Sayre. Fort Myers extended their lead during the third inning when Cespedes got aboard on a fielder’s choice. A rehabbing Gilberto Celestino scored and the bases were loaded. Schmidt then drove in both Mikey Perez and Cespedes with a single to centerfield. Up 6-1, Fort Myers had a commanding grasp of the lead. With St. Lucie looking to claw back in the game, it wasn’t until the sixth inning that the Mighty Mussels added again. Luis Baez ripped his first double of the year to score Schmidt, and then Baez came home on a wild pitch. The 8-3 tally is where this one ended. Schmidt was the only batter to record a multi-hit game, but his 3-for-3 effort also came with five RBI. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Zebby Matthews (Cedar Rapids) - 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Kyle Schmidt (Fort Myers) 3-3, 2 R, 5 RBI, 3B, HR(1) PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #1 - Brooks Lee (Wichita) - 0-0, BB (pinch hit) #2 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 0-4 #3 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, BB #4 - Edouard Julien (St. Paul) - 2-4, R, 4 RBI, BB, 2B, HR(5) #8 - David Festa (Wichita) - 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 2-5, R, 2 RBI, 2 2B(13) #12 - Jose Salas (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, 2 K #13 - Noah Miller (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4 #15 - Brent Headrick (St. Paul) - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K #17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 3.0 IP, H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 3 K #19 - Yunior Severino (Wichita) - 1-5, RBI, 2 K TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - TBD Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05PM CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05PM CST) - TBD Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Sunday’s games! View full article

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

It's unusual that the best players are the ones you can't find mentioned on prospect lists. Image courtesy of Fort Myers Mighty Mussels This originally began as a look at a few prospects having great seasons, something of an off-setting on Matthew Taylor’s piece from the other day. I already knew of some of the names I could target, but a search revealed a fascinating pattern: nearly all the minor leaguers crushing the season are not well-regarded. That isn’t an insult to these young men—prospect evaluation is far from a perfect science, and internal synopses likely vary greatly from the public lists—but I found it worthy of mentioning that the “non-prospects” have been the ones performing the best in 2023. Let’s look at the names, speed-date style: RHP Zebby Matthews Freshly promoted to Cedar Rapids, Matthews crushed his time with Fort Myers, striking out 35.3% of the batters he faced while walking 3.3% (!!) of them over 38 2/3 frames. Of 448 pitchers in the minors with at least 30 innings, that’s good for the eighth-lowest walk rate (but not even the best in the system! More on that soon). An 8th-round selection out of Western Carolina University in 2023, Matthews may soon move up prospect lists, but he is still something of an unknown. RHP Cory Lewis Lewis is the only player in this article currently on MLB.com’s top-30 list for the Twins; he takes the very last spot. Owning a spinny fastball, downer curve, and a knuckleball—yes, a knuckleball—Lewis has been nearly as good as Matthews in Fort Myers’ rotation, punching out 34.4% of hitters while walking them 7.6% of the time, still elite peripherals for nearly any pitcher. You may remember Lewis after he helped toss a combined no-hitter for Fort Myers a few days ago. INF Jorel Ortega This could have just been a “the Mighty Mussels are better than we probably gave them credit for” piece. Yet another 2022 draft pick, this one a 6th-rounder out of Tennessee, Ortega has struck the ball impressively at a pitching-dominated level, putting up a 152 wRC+ off a .295/.409/.487 slash line—mere points away from the classic .300/.400/.500 line reserved for the truly special hitters. C Andrew Cossetti .330/.462/.607 served as Cossetti’s Fort Myers slash line before Minnesota decided to stop terrorizing Florida State League pitchers with such offensive domination. A product of St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia (the same college as Jamie Moyer; what a pull), Cossetti quickly earned a promotion to Cedar Rapids, where he will help stimulate a Kernels team looking for some extra thump. Cossetti was yet another 2022 draft selection. OF Kala’i Rosario After a mediocre season with Fort Myers in 2022, Rosario's prospect status atrophied as the former 2020 draft selection had yet to have an overwhelmingly impressive season in the minors. Things have turned around so far in 2023. Rosario shaved a few points off his strikeout rate, replaced them with walks, and improved his isolated power to above the major-league average (.191). He’s currently holding a 153 wRC+; he may inch back onto top prospect lists soon. C Noah Cardenas Few people have more of an interest in Cardenas than I do. Catchers who can hit are rare; catchers who walk more than they strike out are unicorns. Cardenas may not spout a horn on his head, but his 2023 play looks an awful lot like his 2022 line: an elite walk rate buoying competent average and power capabilities. His isolated power is down a little (.119 from .152), but the hitting package still looks excellent. RHP Pierson Ohl Remember the comment about Matthews’ walk rate? Here’s the guy who has him beaten. Ohl has walked four batters over 35 2/3 innings, good for a rate of 2.6%. That’s unheard of. He may actually throw too many strikes for his own good—as evident by his ERA far elevated above his peripherals—but the Twins have shown a consistent ability to coax effectiveness from command-first repertoires like Ohl. Check almost any major stat, and you'll find similar results; the Twins' minor league system is succeeding off the backs of "lesser" prospects, not the players you would most expect to lead the pack. What do we make of this? It can be difficult to rank freshly drafted players, especially those taken lower in the draft, so the lack of prospect respect for these players is unsurprising. They just need time. For the others? Either they never commanded attention in the first place, or the industry opinion altered and never recovered. No matter—these players and their performances should be appreciated, and hopefully, they can keep it up as the season marches on. View full article