Article: Twins Minor League Report (5/26): Gonsalves Dominates Again

[Seth Stohs]

JO Berrios and Kohl Stewart each made 19 starts for Cedar Rapids. Chih-Wei Hu made just nine starts in the second half of the 2014 season for the Kernels. On Tuesday night, Stephen Gonsalves made his 16^th Midwest League start since late last season. It’s hard to imagine, with the numbers that he has put up this year, that he will make too many more starts for the Kernels, if any.Just two games were played on Tuesday night and a couple of transactions occurred, but an interesting day in the Twins farm system.

 

TRANSACTIONS

• JT Chargois has been promoted from Ft. Myers to the Chattanooga Lookouts. The flame-thrower did not pitch in 2013 or 2014 due to elbow problems and eventually had Tommy John surgery. He returned to the Instructional League last fall and reportedly was hitting triple-digits with regularity. The 24-year-old was the Twins second- round pick in 2012 out of Rice University where he was the co-closer with current Red Wings starter Tyler Duffey. He has pitched in 16 games this year for the Miracle. He is 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. In 15 innings, he has walked five and struck out 19.
• To make room for Chargois on the Lookouts roster, Dallas Gallant was sent to the Miracle. Gallant dominated in 2014 in Cedar Rapids and jumped over the Florida State League. The 26-year-old who has also missed quite a bit of time due to injury and also a 50-game suspension has gone 1-1 with a 5.06 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP with the Lookouts. In 16 innings (12 games), he walked eight and struck out nine. Like Chargois, Gallant also throws quite hard, though he tops out at about 96.

To keep tabs on the transactions in the Twins minor leagues, check out our Twins Minor League Transactions thread.

 

 

RED WINGS REPORT

Rochester 1, Durham 2

Box Score

 

The Red Wings went with a bullpen game on Tuesday night in Durham. Casey Fien, in his second rehab appearance, started the game. He needed just nine pitches to get through a perfect first inning. Lester Oliveros came on and went the next 2.1 innings. He gave up one run on two hits. He walked two and struck out four. Logan Darnell was next. The left-hander gave up one hit and walked one over 1.2 scoreless innings. He struck out four. Caleb Thielbar gave up one run on two hits in 1.2 innings. He walked none and struck out three. AJ Achter came on and got the final out on a strikeout.

 

The Red Wings had eight hits, but were able to score just one run. James Beresford was the lone hitter with more than one hit. He went 2-4 with his ninth double of the season. Danny Ortiz went 1-3 with a walk and his 10th double. Oswaldo Arcia played in his first rehab game. He batted third and DHed. He went 0-3, but his sacrifice fly scored the team’s only run. Kennys Vargas, batting fourth, went 0-4.

 

CHATTANOOGA CHATTER

Chattanooga

Box Score

 

The Lookouts had a scheduled off day on Tuesday after getting rained out on Monday. Two days without a Lookouts game is tough on Twins Minor League fans!!

 

MIRACLE MATTERS

Ft. Myers @ Clearwater

Box Score

 

Rain fell throughout the afternoon on the west coast of Florida, and after over an hour delay, the game was postponed. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Thursday.

 

 

KERNELS NUGGETS

Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 1

Box Score

 

Despite the game being delayed for over an hour, the Kernels got an incredibly well-pitched game. Stephen Gonsalves made the start and it was right up there with his best. The left-hander went six innings. He gave up one unearned run on three hits. He walked one and struck out a career-high 12 batters. On the season, he has now walked 11 and struck out 66 batters in 48 innings.

 

Michael Cederoth, who was recently moved back to the bullpen, came in and continued the domination. He struck out three batters in two perfect innings. He has nine strikeouts and only one run allowed in 6.1 innings in relief. Cameron Booser recorded his fifth save with a perfect ninth inning.

 

Tanner English led the offense. The center fielder went 2-3 with two walks. He also stole three bases in the game and has 16 on the season. Nick Gordon went 1-2 with two walks, and he stole his ninth and tenth bases. Jorge Fernandez went 2-4 with his seventh double which drove in a run. Trey Vavra had an RBI double in the first inning.

 

Vavra left the game in the third inning when he hurt his leg sliding for a ball near the tarp. He walked off under his own power, limping noticeably though. Later in the game, catcher Brian Navaretto re-injured the same wrist that caused him to miss about three weeks of games. (UPDATE - Jeff Johnson from the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported after the game that Navarreto's thumb was bent back on a foul ball. It was not his wrist.)

 

The Kernels are now 29-17.

 

 

TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY

 

Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Stephen Gonsalves, Cedar Rapids Kernels

Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Tanner English, Cedar Rapids Kernels

 

WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS

 

Rochester @ Durham (1:05 CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers

Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – RHP Alex Wimmers

Ft. Myers @ Clearwater (DH @ 5:00 CST) – LHP Mat Batts

Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Felix Jorge

 

Feel free to discuss the Twins farm system and the goings on from Tuesday.

 

Click here to view the article

[curt1965]

Seth- you had mentioned in a previous post than Gonsalves would not be the next pitcher brought up to FM because of seniority. Can you please expand on that issue?

Thanks!

[Seth Stohs]

 

Seth- you had mentioned in a previous post than Gonsalves would not be the next pitcher brought up to FM because of seniority. Can you please expand on that issue? Thanks!

 

Yep, I thought that Mat Batts would be promoted first because he was also dominating the level and he is 3-4 years older. Jared Wilson is also pitching well and he recently turned 25. 

 

All that said, Gonsalves is ready to move up soon.

[Steven Buhr]

MSR article can be found by clicking here.

 

Brad Steil and Eric Rasmussen are both in CR.

 

From the article, Steil's response to post-game question regarding what more Gonsalves needs to demonstrate to get a promotion:

 

Steil said after the game that Gonsalves just needs to “keep doing what he’s doing” to earn the coveted promotion to Class High-A Fort Myers.

 

“Trying to get him to throw his curveball more and use that,” Steil added. “That’s one thing he’s going to need as he goes up the ladder here, so that’s one thing we’re working on right now. His opportunity will come in time.”

 

Not included in the article was Jake Mauer's comment immediately after Steil said Gonsalves' "opportunity will come in time."

 

Mauer immediately said, "Next season, right?"

 

Yeah, everyone in the room laughed.

 

Gonsalves said all the right things when asked if he thought he was ready. He has shelved the slider and is working on that curveball with pitching coach Henry Bonilla.

[Steven Buhr]

Also of note in CR, the injury bug bit the Kernels.

 

Trey Vavra left the game in the 3rd inning after his foot got caught in the rolled up tarp as he was chasing a foul ball to LF. Mauer said the swelling wasn't as bad afterward as they feared it might be. Vavra is leading the Kernels in a boatload of offensive categories.

 

Brian Navarreto's return from the DL may be short-lived. He left the game in the 7th after getting his thumb bent awkwardly. 

 

Both guys will get checked up on Wednesday morning before any decisions are made.

[Seth Stohs]

I was just going to come here and link to your game story...

 

It is important that Gonsalves work on that breaking ball. He can get away with it not being great in Low A ball, but as he moves up, he will need it. 

 

Is it better for a 20 year old to work on that pitch at a level that he can succeed, or move him up to a tougher level where he will need it? (I don't think this is a simple answer at all)

 

Either way, I expect him to move up very soon.

[Steven Buhr]

He did tell JJ and I that he has pretty much shelved his slider for now, focusing just on working on the curveball. He's trying different grips, but felt the "spike" curve he used tonight was pretty good early, then it "disappeared" a bit later in the game.

 

Could he get outs at high-A? Yeah, I have little doubt. But you're right, Seth, there's nothing wrong with a 20 year old working on getting that pitch in shape here for a couple more starts.

 

I would point out, however, that it's not at all unusual for roster changes to get made within a few days of Steil spending time here.

[Wyatt1996]

I want to see Chih Wei Hu pitch.. Hasn't pitched in 8 days and in order for him to go up to A+ Hu or Sledgers will have to go to AA.

[Wyatt1996]

In order for Gonsalves to go up..

[clutterheart]

From the game recaps it sounds like Gonsalves is not still not comfortable with his offspeed pitches. Did i read that right? If so we need to keep his success in perspective as if those secondary pitches dont develop he is a bullpen guy.

[benji21]

It is comments like those from Steil that really help tell the while story and shed light on a player's situation. It makes me, for one, a tad less anxious to get him moved up in such a hurry. Thanks for that piece. Also its sad when there are so few games to read about but it will be a great read tomorrow!

[Mike Sixel]

Well, if he can dominate w/o a good breaking ball, I'd think you'd want to challenge him and move him up so he HAD to use the breaking ball. But then, I believe people grow by being challenged in general, not in beating others at games when they are just far superior. It is a philosophical difference I clearly hold with the Twins' approach, imo.

[Steven Buhr]

 

From the game recaps it sounds like Gonsalves is not still not comfortable with his offspeed pitches. Did i read that right? If so we need to keep his success in perspective as if those secondary pitches dont develop he is a bullpen guy.

Replace "offspeed pitches" with "breaking ball" and you've got it pretty much right. Gonsalves is totally comfortable with his change up and it has been very effective.

[drivlikejehu]

The thing is that Ft. Myers is an easy place to pitch. Guys can hang a curve and not really pay the price for it a lot of times because of how hard it is to hit homers there. So they may as well promote Gonsalves to High-A, but he probably should spend the rest of the year there working on his breaking ball. 

 

Taking a step back... fastball command alone is enough to dominate A-ball, and even do pretty well in the high minors (e.g., Kevin Slowey). It's certainly crucial to starting in the Majors, but that also requires secondary stuff. 

 

The downside with Gonsalves is that most scouts think breaking balls are the hardest pitch to improve on, depending largely on natural feel for spinning the ball. The positive aspect is that he probably needs to only throw around 10 per start because he has a quality change-up. 

Edited May 27, 2015 by drivlikejehu

[bsmuvyall]

Just my take from the Kernels game last night ...

 

Gonsalves looked incredible through 3 last night. He struck out 5 of the first 6 batters. The 2nd out of inning 2 was an easy fly ball to left. His defense let him down a bit and seemed to get him out of rhythm. I'm actually surprised he made it 6. He started to lose control of that big curve ball in the 3rd. And he doesn't light up the radar gun. The scoreboard showed him topping out around 87-89. However, one of the scouts consistently clocked about 3-4 mph higher than the scoreboard.

 

Vavra almost got that foul ball but I was surprised he didn't pull up at all before slamming into the tarp. He's been so good this season, I hope he isn't down for long.

 

And Tanner English can flat out RUN!!! And Gordon can play SS, wow!! He made a couple VERY strong throws from deep in the well, very impressive.

 

The Kernels didnt show much offense the last 3 innings because Wisconsin's Ventura has a nasty curve that was on last night. That guy was lights out.

 

 

[nater79a]

Wonder if Steil might be taking a look at a couple Kernels' relievers - Trevor Hildenberger and Cameron Booser? Both putting up some very nice numbers with CR.

[Steven Buhr]

 

 

Gonsalves looked incredible through 3 last night. He struck out 5 of the first 6 batters.

 

 

You aren't giving him his full due. He actually struck out 8 of the first 9 he faced. Struck out the side in the first and third inning.

 

There's one more thing on that game that is probably being overlooked and that was Michael Cederoth's relief work.

 

It was the first chance we've had to see him out of the bullpen at home and the difference was eye-opening. He still didn't have pinpoint control, but since he no longer has to pace himself or try to work on several pitches, he was letting the ball fly. Consistently 95-97 and from a guy as tall as he is, that's a tough pitch to hit.

 

Gonsalves to Cederoth to Booser against the MWL's worst hitting team. It was really unfair. The 3 Kernels errors tried to give Wisconsin a chance, but they didn't have much of one.

[DocBauer]

Lookouts need to play a triple-header

[bsmuvyall]

 

You aren't giving him his full due. He actually struck out 8 of the first 9 he faced. Struck out the side in the first and third inning.

 

 

 

Oh wow, you're right! It was the 4th inning where he started to lose a bit of control. Thanks for correcting me. I even made the comment to my wife that she needed to be aware something special was brewing!

[Cap'n Piranha]

I hate the idea of moving people up based on how old they are, and not how they're producing. If anything, the results gap between Gonsalves and Batts is even larger, given that Gonsalves is that much younger.

 

Additionally, aggressively promoting kids who sign right out of high school (who have earned it) can send a message to other kids like Gonsalves, and get them to sign after being picked in the third or fourth round, instead of going to school for three years. I'm not saying that should be the determining factor, just that it should be taken into account.

[Einstein1]

 

And he doesn't light up the radar gun. The scoreboard showed him topping out around 87-89. However, one of the scouts consistently clocked about 3-4 mph higher than the scoreboard.

 

Should that be of concern as he moves up the system?   

[Steve Lein]

 

Well, if he can dominate w/o a good breaking ball, I'd think you'd want to challenge him and move him up so he HAD to use the breaking ball. But then, I believe people grow by being challenged in general, not in beating others at games when they are just far superior. It is a philosophical difference I clearly hold with the Twins' approach, imo.

 

I agree with this 100%. Whether coaches tell the players to ignore it or not, it's natural for them do what is making them successful. If it's just a good fastball or whatever that is allowing you to strike out over a batter per inning and nobody is hitting it, why would you do something different that could change the success you are having? It's a biological, sociological, and subconscious aspect of the human psyche.

 

If you think about it situationally in a game for example, if it's the fifth inning and your team is up 1-0 or by a run or two, you really think that guy is going ignore what he's done well, and increase the risk of blowing his team's lead by doing something different than what got him there? I don't. These guys still want to win, even as they 'develop.'

 

I agree that to adapt and grow as best as possible, there needs to be that challenge or greater reason to do so. If the challenge is gone or has been met, as it appears it has for Gonsalves in the MWL, it's time to introduce a new challenge.

[Wyorev]

That photo - is that Gonsalves?

Reminds me that these young men are YOUNG. Wow.

We should sometimes cut these guys a bit of slack when they don't behave like 70 year old sages. . . 

[Seth Stohs]

 

 And he doesn't light up the radar gun. The scoreboard showed him topping out around 87-89. However, one of the scouts consistently clocked about 3-4 mph higher than the scoreboard.

 

 

First, thank you for sharing your thoughts from the game. It's always fun to read first-hand perspectives.

 

As for the scoreboard reading of the pitches, the scouts are right. We've written about that several times in these forums before, but the Cedar Rapids scoreboard is 2-3 mph slow. The assumed reasoning is the positioning of the radar gun itself. It was reported last night that his final pitch, a strikeout, came on a fastball that hit 94. 

[Seth Stohs]

 

Wonder if Steil might be taking a look at a couple Kernels' relievers - Trevor Hildenberger and Cameron Booser? Both putting up some very nice numbers with CR.

 

Booser is still learning to pitch, but he tops out at 100.

 

I can't think of one decent reason that Hildenberger remains in Cedar Rapids (other than the playoff thing, which might be it). He's just so good. 22 consecutive scoreless innings. Well over a K per IP. Very good control. He needs to move up. And will.

[Seth Stohs]

JO Berrios turned 21 years old today and he's pitched in AA for almost a year (20 starts maybe?). Hu made 9 starts in Cedar Rapids (and less in Elizabethton) and he's now doing well in Ft. Myers and will likely be up in Chattanooga soon. Stewart is already in Ft. Myers and Gonsalves will be there shortly. I think this concept of being afraid to move pitchers up quickly should go away.We're talking about a max of 3-4 more starts, not another year.

[blairpaul715]

 

Lookouts need to play a triple-header

Everyday!!!!!