Article: Twins Winter League Updates (Through 11/4)

[Seth Stohs]

Three winter leagues are up and running now. The Venezuelan Winter League has been going for nearly a month already. They’ve been playing about two weeks in the Dominican Republic, and they have now played just over a week in Puerto Rico. Several players from the Twins organization are already participating and more certainly will in time. Australia has a U23 team playing in the World Cup, and doing well.VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE

 

Let’s start in Venezuela.

 

Young Victor Tademo did not play during the past week. Neither did catcher Jairo Rodriguez.

 

Wilfredo Tovar was limited to three games, and he went 2-13 (.154). Infielder Niko Goodrum played in four games. He went 4-17 (.235) with two walks and a double. Heiker Meneses played in five games and went 5-19 (.263).

 

Reynaldo Rodriguez always hits. He played in five games and went 6-18 (.333) with two doubles.

 

Luis Arraez was terrific again. The 19-year-old hit hits in all four games he played. In face he went 8-18 (.444) with two doubles and a triple. Throughout the season in Cedar Rapids, Arraez was a multi-hit game machine. That has remained the case in Venezuela. Of the four games he played this week, he had multiple hits in three of them.

 

Omar Bencomo made two starts during the week. In the first, he gave up just one run despite eight hits over five innings. The second one didn’t go so well. He gave up seven runs on eight hits in just three innings.

 

Ryan O’Rourke has been slowly working his ERA down after a rough first couple of weeks. He pitched twice during the week. He gave up one run on three hits and a walk in 1.1 innings in his first appearance. In his most recent outing, he gave up just one run on two hits over three innings.He struck out six in his 4.1 innings.

 

Nick Greenwood did not pitch.

 

DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE

 

Leonardo Reginnato, who split 2016 between Chattanooga and Rochester and will play for Brazil in the WBC, played his first game in the Dominican on Friday. He went 0-3 with a walk.

 

Carlos Paulino caught three games. He went 3-9 (.333) in those games.

 

Late last week, Palka was hitting just .182 without an extra base hit. In his past two games, he is 4-10 with a double and two home runs. The home runs came in back-to-back games on Thursday and Friday.

 

Confesor Lara worked in three games over the week. He gave up two runs on two hits and two walks.

 

PUERTO RICO WINTER LEAGUE

 

Lean Marrero, who has played in the GCL the last two years, has played in just one game. He is 0-1. Nelson Molina has played in two games and is 0-2.

 

Juan Centeno has played just three games so far. He is 1-9 (.111).

 

JJ Fernandez has spent the last three seasons in Cedar Rapids. Through three games in Puerto Rico he has gone 4-11 (.364) with two doubles and a home run.

 

Kennys Vargas is playing again this winter. He two hits in 14 at bats (.143) with a double and three walks.

 

Dereck Rodriguez has pitched twice. On Friday night, he pitched one inning of a no hitter for his Puerto Rico team.

 

 

There is your weekly update of how Twins players have performed in the Winter Leagues. In just a couple of weeks, we’ll add the performances from the Australian Winter League.

 

Aaron Whitefield signed with the Twins last summer and played in the GCL this year. After Instructional League, he joined the Australia World Cup U23 team. He was their leadoff hitter. In five qualifier games, he went 8-23 (.348) against teams like Austria, Argentina, Chinese Taipei and Japan. Australia qualified for the championship round this weekend. They did beat Panama in the first round.

 

Feel free to discuss any of these players or leagues. Ask questions if you like.

 

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[clutterheart]

I am enjoying watching the development of Rodriguez as he turns into a pitcher. Hopefully the club pushes him a bit next year

[Seth Stohs]

 

I am enjoying watching the development of Rodriguez as he turns into a pitcher. Hopefully the club pushes him a bit next year

 

They pushed him fast this year. As bad as he was for two months in Cedar Rapids, they pushed him to Ft. Myers after about 3 good starts. He'll be alright, I think. I think patience is key...They'll have a big decision on him next offseason.

[Seth Stohs]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Loosey]

What is Arraez's future position?  Is he Shortstop or 2nd Base?  

[dougd]

Arraez made the BPro Minor League Update today with a 3-4 and BB performance yesterday. They note he has 4 strikeouts in 100 AB in Venezuela. "He’s just an average runner, and there is absolutely no power whatsoever, but his swing is Spud Webb-short to the ball and he’s shown nothing short of elite contact ability in his brief career to date."