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About this blog

I love baseball, beer, bacon, bs-ing, black labs, and brunch. MiLB Report contributor for @TwinsDaily and enjoy watching hanging sliders fly out of Target Field.

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Color Me, and Joe Mauer, Impressed by Lewis Thorpe and Nick Burdi

I was able to be talked into taking a trip down to Cedar Rapids on Saturday to catch Joe Mauer playing with the Kernels. For this particular game they had a cool promotion, where it was “Jimmy Buffet Night,” complete with the Kernels wearing special jerseys, which were auctioned off after the game. Mauer’s took in $1,000.   After the game, when told that was probably a record for the Kernels jersey auctions, beating Byron Buxton by $250, Mauer remarked, “I’m glad to raise some money. If I was do
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

4

The Next Twins - 2017

Top prospects lists have always one of the most fun things to read in the baseball offseason for me. Whether that’s by checking out the 2017 Prospect Handbook by Twins Daily’s own Seth Stohs and company, the great prospect capsules that are written on this site, or checking out any of the litany of lists available elsewhere, I can’t ever get enough. But because there are so many resources for this type of information, I like to take a little bit of a different look at prospects coming into a new
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

8

The Next Minnesota Twins - 2018

The first time I remember watching Minor League Baseball was when I was 11 years old on vacation to visit family living in Appleton, Wisconsin. At the time, the city was home to a Midwest League affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, the Appleton Foxes. That season, they had a player who went on to become one of the greatest and most hated baseball players the game has ever seen—a wiry shortstop by the name of Alex Rodriguez who would make his Major League debut at just 18 years old later that same
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

6

The Next Twins - 2016

The 2015 season was deemed “the year of the prospect” across all of the Major Leagues, as young prospects made their presence felt throughout year. The Chicago Cubs made the early waves, keeping stud power hitter Kris Bryant down for two weeks to avoid Super 2 conditions, and also saw Top 100 players Addison Russell, Jorge Soler, and Kyle Schwarber make their MLB debuts en-route to a Wild Card finish. Shortstop Carlos Correa exploded onto the scene in Houston and helped propel the Astros to thei
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

2

Twins Minor League Report (AFL Week 1): Rosario Comes Out Hitting/Running

The Arizona Fall League season started last week on Tuesday, and Minnesota Twins Minor Leaguers Byron Buxton, Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler, Taylor Rogers, Jason Adam, Zack Jones, and Jake Reed all helped the Salt River Rafters compile a 4-1 record to open play.   So let’s check out what each of those players did in the season’s first week!     Byron Buxton – 4 games, 5-17, 4 R’s, 2 RBI, 2 BB’s, 4 K’s, 1 SB, 2 Errors.   Buxton batted leadoff and played centerfield in all four games on the week, gett
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

6

The Next Twins - 2015

Even though the Twins lost yesterday at the hands of David Price and the Detroit Tigers, it’s hard not to be excited for MLB Opening Day. The start of the baseball season means summer is just around the corner, and the prospect of spending afternoons and evenings at Target Field gets me all giddy, even if the opening day roster doesn’t.   You see, despite the fact this roster is currently loaded with veterans and retreads, both new (Tim Stauffer, Blaine Boyer, Ervin Santana, Shane Robinson) and
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

5

Twins 2015 Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year - Jose Berrios

The Minor League seasons came to an end last week, and even though Cedar Rapids and Chattanooga are still playing in the playoffs, it is time to start handing out some awards. All week, we will be handing out some (proverbial) awards. Yesterday, it was Max Kepler taking home the Hitter of the Year prize.   The Twins Minor League Report authors each voted for the five awards being handed out. Today, we’ll take a look at the top Starting Pitchers in the Twins minor league system in 2015. We each v
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

0

Twins Minor League Report (6/6): Turley Blows RailRiders Away

In the minors on Tuesday there were a few shortstop prospects who collected hits in bunches, including a near-cycle, but they couldn’t quite match the effort of a starter called up to AAA earlier in the day. He did something not many pitchers could say they’ve done over the first three innings, along with setting a career high for K’s on the game. Bad weather in Florida also wreaked havoc on the Miracle’s attempt at a mid-week series.   To find out who made the headlines on 2-1 night in the syst
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

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Arizona Fall League Preview: Gonsalves and Gordon Highlight Twins Contingent

While the Minnesota Twins aren’t playing any October baseball for the sixth consecutive season, that doesn’t mean there isn’t baseball to pay attention to when it comes to your favorite team. The fall and winter seasons are full of other leagues both well-known and obscure where many of your favorite Major League players or prospects might be playing. You just have to know where to look for them.   The most well-known of these leagues, is played during the months of October and November in the d
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

3

Twins Minor League Report (8/3): Comeback Trails

The Minnesota Twins offense exploded twenty-three hits to pound their rival White Sox on Sunday afternoon in Chicago, 16-3. Danny Santana was 5-6 and a home run shy of the cycle, while Chris Parmelee (2-2), Oswaldo Arcia (3-6), and Eric Fryer (3-6) hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the ninth inning with the game well in hand. Arcia’s mammoth blast cleared the seating in right field, and was estimated at 452 feet, which would be the longest HR of the year at U.S. Cellular field per ESPN’s H
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

0

Twins Minor League Report (5/17): Close Battles

In the minors on Sunday every game was a close and hard fought battle, unlike the Minnesota Twins against Chris Archer. There was a dynamic pitching duel in one, and another that went back and forth seemingly every inning. When the dust settled, the Twins affiliates went 2-2 on the day.   There was also some action on the roster front, as one (surprise?) major league was sent to AAA, and a few pitching spots were shuffled.   Read on to find out what happened across all four affiliates!   TRANSAC
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

2

Twins Minor League Report (5/3): Fireworks In Chattanooga

A former first round pick delivered a walk-off victory in Chattanooga on Sunday afternoon, in a game where both teams combined for thirty-hits and twenty-seven runs to provide the most entertaining game of the year. Elsewhere, there were three quality starts from starting pitchers, and standout games from several hitters.   Read on to hear all about the slugfest in Chattanooga, and everything else that happened in Sunday’s action!   RED WINGS REPORT Norfolk 3, Rochester 7 Box Score   Rochester
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

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Twins Minor League Report (7/24): Kirilloff Keeps Hitting

The Minnesota Twins were unable to complete their comeback against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon, but there were still five other games to be played in the minor leagues for the organization.   Lefthander Stephen Gonsalves was on the mound for the Lookouts, and put zeroes on the board for the first five innings of a game that went into extras. How did he and Chattanooga finish? Rochester got little offense and Elizabethton traded blows with their Appalachian League rival, Johnson City.
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

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Twins Minor League Report (4/24): Palka's Power and Pitching Shutouts

As their parent club was playing nearly two games in one day, all four affiliates of the Minnesota Twins were in action on Sunday afternoon. Three of those teams got strong starting pitching performances in wins, including a couple of shutouts, while another put up nearly as much offense as the other three combined, but came out on the losing end of back and forth slugfest.   To find out where and how it all went down in Sunday’s games, keep reading!   RED WINGS REPORT Buffalo 3, Rochester 6 Box
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

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AFL Recap - Week 3: Garver Powers Saguaros

Twins prospects playing with the Surprise Saguaros helped them to a 4-2 record on the week, and they currently sit in second place in the West Division with a 9-7-1 overall record, one-and-a-half games behind the Peoria Javelinas.   Stephen Gonsalves remained sidelined this week, but it was one for the hitters anyway. One prospect collected at least one hit in all four games he played while another continued to show an all-around game, but the biggest week came from a player at a position the pa
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

2

AFL Recap - Week 1: Gordon and Garver Come Out Hitting

Twins prospects in the Arizona Fall League are playing for the Surprise Saguaros this season, and they started off in week one with two wins, two losses…and an extra-innings-tie. Both victories were of the blowout variety, and they also experienced a blowout loss among those games.   Two of the Twins position prospects had big weeks with their bats, and sit near the top of AFL leaderboards in several categories after five total games. Stephen Gonsalves passed his first test with flying colors, w
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

0

Twins Minor League Report (5/31): Everybody's In First Place! (almost)

The calendar of the year 2015 is turning to June, and the Minnesota Twins have the best record in the American League.   Wait…what?!   There were few who believed that might be case this season, except maybe Terry Ryan, but it’s true and this team has certainly been fun to watch again!   Like their parent club, many of the teams in the Minor Leagues are having great seasons as well as both Rochester and Chattanooga lead their divisions while Cedar Rapids is 33-18 and in second place. Fort Myers
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

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Twins Minor League Report (6/28): Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better...

There was plenty of action on Sunday, as both the Rochester Red Wings and Elizabethton Twins played double-headers. There was a walk-off blast in one game, a few stellar pitching performances, and an ongoing winning streak on the line.   There was also an incredible display of power from the middle of the lineup for one affiliate (I’ll let you guess which one…), as the players involved continue to one-up each other.   There was so much action I couldn't limit the players of the day to just one n
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

5

Twins Minor League Report (6/26): Early Leads Evaporate

Brian Dozier put the Minnesota Twins out front 1-0 immediately in the series opener with their cross-state rival Milwaukee Brewers, leading off the game with his fifteenth home run of the season. It was the eleventh time in his career he has led off a game in such fashion.   Four of their six minor league teams also jumped out to leads after the first inning, but what happened next for the parent club after Dozier’s home run was telling throughout the MiLB action on the night.   To find out how
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

1

Twins Minor League Report (7/20): Pitching Leads the Way

The Twins had the day off on Monday as they travel down the west coast of California from Oakland to Los Angeles to face the Angels of Anaheim on Tuesday. Kyle Gibson will make the start and look to get Minnesota back in the win column after the drubbing yesterday.   But in the minors on Monday, it was a full slate of games with each affiliate in action. There were several strong starting pitching performances including a late bid for a combined-no-hitter, a big home run from a familiar name in
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

0

Twins Minor League Report (8/21): Strong Pitching Comes Up Short

The Twins minor league affiliates got (nearly) eight full innings of pitching from each of their starting pitchers on Sunday afternoon, but just one of those starters ended the day with a notch in the win column. That was thanks to a lackluster display of offense throughout as two of the lineups were shut out, and the other two totaled just four runs on the day.   In Transaction news, the Minnesota Twins optioned one-day callup Adalberto Mejia back to Rochester after his 2.1 inning MLB debut on
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

0

AFL Recap - week 6: Surprise Plays For AFL Championship

The Surprise Saguaros headed into the final day of the AFL season needing to win their game with the Salt River Rafters to clinch a spot in the AFL Championship game, and were able to do so with contributions from four of the Twins players.   Stephen Gonsalves punctuated his shortened time in the AFL with a six strikeout effort in his start on Tuesday, Nick Gordon finished the year near the top of several statistical categories, and a couple of the bullpen arms closed out their showings with goo
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

0

Twins Minor League Report (8/2): Three-Headed Monsters...

In the majors, Minnesota Twins starter Yohan Pino ran into trouble in the seventh inning, and it led to four runs and a 6-4 Chicago White Sox lead. The Twins were able to make an immediate comeback with a three fun eighth inning however, punctuated by a two-RBI double off the bat of Oswaldo Arcia. They would add an insurance run in the ninth, courtesy of Danny Santana’s fifth home run, and Glen Perkins shut the door on the White Sox to pick up his 27th save on the year.   In the minors, one af
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

0

Twins Minor League Report (8/11): Gonsalves Aces Barons

As you will find out reading the rest of this report, I don’t have to say much more in this opening other than pitching was fantastic on this night throughout the Twins’ affiliates after the clunkers the MLB team put on display in their double-header.   They were 6-0 on the day (7-0 if I include the DSL), and you can check out all the standout pitching performances, including Stephen Gonsalves achieving “Ace” status by taking down his fifth Southern League opponent in the Birmingham (Red) Barons
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

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Twins Minor League Report (8/23): Gonsalves Struggles

The Minnesota Twins got to Orioles closer Zach Britton on Sunday, and stole a 4-3 win in extra innings thanks to some early help from the bat of Miguel Sano (11th HR in first inning), and late help from the defense of Baltimore (2 errors in the 12th inning) to move back to .500.   In the minors on Sunday two affiliates had trouble producing offense, starting pitching was a struggle throughout, including one game from a top lefty, and one game was rained out. Overall the Twins affiliates were jus
Steve Lein

Steve Lein

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