2021 Minnesota Twins Minor League All Stars

[Seth Stohs]

Today, we would like to announce our choices for 2021 Minnesota Twins All-Stars. Our Twins Daily minor league report writers were asked to vote for a catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, three outfielders, a DH, four starting pitchers, a left-handed reliever and a right-handed reliever. The player at each position who received the most votes takes the spots.

Read through our choices for each position. Check out how each of our writers voted. And then discuss and cast your votes as well.

Let’s get started.

The Twins Daily 2021 Minnesota Twins Minor League All Star Team

Catcher: Jeferson Morales - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels, Cedar Rapids Kernels
Acquired: international free agent signing in October 2016 from Venezuela.
2021 Stats: .255/.370/.438 (.808) with 24 doubles, 12 home runs and 53 RBI. 

Just 5-8, Jeferson Morales is a really good athlete, especially for a catcher. He also played a lot in the outfield. He began the season with 71 games in Ft. Myers where he displayed a strong approach at the plate, but he also showed some power with 19 doubles and seven homers in the hot and humid conditions in Florida. He ended the season with 25 games in Cedar Rapids where he hit .301 with five doubles and five homers. Combined, he had 12 stolen bases too. 

ETA - May 2023

First Base: Alex Isola, Cedar Rapids Kernels
Acquired: 29th round pick in 2019 from TCU
2021 Stats: .243/.342/.425 (.767) with 15 doubles, 17 home runs and 52 RBI.

Alex Isola began the season with an invitation to Twins big-league spring training. A strong defensive catcher, Isola had a really good season. Early in the year, he produced by drawing a lot of walks and getting on base, but as the season continued, he started really driving the ball well. Because of that, and some injuries, he played a lot of first base when he wasn’t catching. He was also just recently named the Cedar Rapids recipient of the Harmon Killebrew Award for Community Service. 

ETA - July 2023 

Second Base: Spencer Steer - Cedar Rapids Kernels, Wichita Wind Surge
Acquired: Twins 3rd round pick in 2019 out of U of Oregon
2021 Stats:.254/.348/.484 (.832) with 18 doubles, 3 triples, 24 home runs and 66 RBI

The Twins have clearly made versatility a priority throughout the organization, and Spencer Steer certainly is an example of that. He played a lot at second base, third base and shortstop and does a nice job at each spot. He was a late addition to the Twins spring training development camp and played in several games. He even hit a homer in a spring game against Atlanta. It was a sign of things to come. With Cedar Rapids, he hit 10 homers in 45 games and then added 14 more in 65 games for Wichita. 

ETA: May 2023

Third Base: Jose Miranda - Wichita Wind Surge, St. Paul Saints
Acquired: Twins Competitive Balance Pick in 2016 from HS in Puerto Rico
2021 Stats: .344/.401/.572 (.973) with 32 doubles, 30 home runs and 94 RBI.

Always full of potential, Jose Miranda put together one of the most impressive seasons in recent minor league history. He hit for average. He had 62 extra base hits including 30 home runs. He drove in runs. The 23-year-old always had great bat-to-ball skills, but by working to avoid swinging at pitches outside the zone, he was able to make himself into one of the team’s top prospects and a big-league debut should be coming soon. 

Miranda’s rankings among all minor league (full season) players:
Batting Average: 1st (.343)
Slugging Percentage: 15th (.563)
OPS: 8th (.960)
Hits: 1st (184… 19 more than #2 on the list!)
HR: Tied 11th (30)
Total Bases: 1st (306… 20 more than #2 on the list!)
Runs: 5th (97)
RBI: 5th (94)

ETA: May 2022

Shortstop: Drew Maggi - St. Paul Saints
Acquired: signed as minor league free agent.
2021 Stats: .252/.354/.456 (.810) with 13 doubles, 2 triples, 16 homers and 50 RBI

Drew Maggi returned to the Twins for a third straight season. The 32-year-old put together one of his best seasons as a pro, including his career-high 16 homers. Over the years, he has played all over the infield (and some outfield). This year, he played in 50 games at shortstop. He earned a September call-up to the big leagues, his first after 11 seasons in the big leagues. He spent two days on the Twins active roster, and inexplicably did not get into either of them before being optioned back to St. Paul. 

ETA: September 2021

Outfielder: Trey Cabbage - Cedar Rapids, Wichita Wind Surge
Acquired: Twins 4th-round draft pick in 2015 out of HS in Tennessee.
2021 Stats: .264/.346/.535 (.881) with 20 doubles, 27 home runs, 82 RBI.

Trey Cabbage has long been filled with power potential, and in 2021, it was on full display. He combined to hit 27 home runs (9 in Cedar Rapids and 18 in Wichita), which ranked in the Top 25 in minor league ball. Cabbage becomes a free agent when the World Series ends and should have several options available to him as the Tennessee native is still just 24-years-old. I’m certain the Twins would like to bring him back and see him take yet another step forward.  

ETA: August 2022

Outfielder: BJ Boyd - Wichita Wind Surge, St. Paul Saints
Acquired: signed as minor league free agent in May 2021
2021 Stats: ..291/.349/.484 (.830) with 16 doubles, 16 home runs and 73 RBI. 

A former draft pick of the A’s, Boyd reached Triple-A in 2018. However, he decided to turn to football. He spent a year playing running back at a junior college and had scholarship offers from some Power 5 programs, but then came the pandemic. He began 2021 working with an independent team, but the Twins signed him in May, and he quickly joined Wichita’s roster. After hitting .319 with 13 doubles and 15 home runs in 66 games. He moved up and spent 26 more games with St. Paul. The 28-year-old is also now a free agent. 

ETA: August 2022

Outfielder - Mark Contreras - Wichita Wind Surge, St. Paul Saints
Acquired: Twins 9th-round draft pick in 2017 out of UC-Riverside
2021 Stats: .251/.338/.485 (.824), with 30 doubles, 3 triples, 20 home runs and 74 RBI. 

Mark Contreras struggled with the bat in 2019. He hit just .186, but in his time in Double-A Pensacola, he started showing some power. After a missed 2020 season, Contreras came back strong in 2021. He started the season in Double-A with 19 games before finishing with 95 games in St. Paul where he hit 26 doubles and 18 home runs. He won a minor league Gold Glove Award in 2019, and continued to play strong defense in 2021. At 26, could he get a big-league shot in 2022? 

ETA: June 2022

Designated Hitter: Edouard Julien - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels, Cedar Rapids Kernels
Acquired: Twins 18th-round draft pick in 2019 out of Auburn
2021 Stats: 266/.434/.480 (.914) with 28 doubles, 1 triple, 18 home runs and 72 RBI

Though he was drafted in 2019 after playing in the College World Series, Edouard Julien made his professional debut in 2021 because he had Tommy John surgery that summer. Even after a missed season in 2020, the 22-year-old from Canada immediately produced in Ft. Myers. In 47 games, he hit .299 with an incredible .490 on-base percentage. He moved up to Cedar Rapids for another 65 games where he continued to get on base but added 15 home runs. He combined to steal 34 bases in 39 attempts. His 110 walks led all of minor league baseball, finishing 18 walks ahead of #2 on the list, Aaron Sabato.  

ETA: August 2023

Starting Pitcher: Louie Varland - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels, Cedar Rapids Kernels
Acquired: Twins 15th-round draft pick in 2019 out of Concordia-St. Paul  
2021 Stats: 10-4, 2.10 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 103.0 IP, 2.6 BB/9, 12.4 K/9

After being drafted, Louie Varland pitched in just three games at Elizabethton.So coming into 2021, there was no way to know what Varland would do. It didn’t take long for Varland to show out. In 10 games for Ft. Myers, he went 4-2 with a 2.09 ERA and had 76 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings. He moved up to Cedar Rapids and was 6-2 with a 2.10 ERA. In 55 2/3 innings, he struck out 66 batters. He showed a big fastball and a strong slider throughout the year. He was the Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year.  

ETA: June 2023

Starting Pitcher: Cole Sands - Wichita Wind Surge
Acquired: Twins 5th-round draft pick in 2018 out of Florida State 
2021 Stats: 4-2, 2.46 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 80.1 IP, 3.9 BB/9, 10.8 K/9

Cole Sands pitched at three levels in 2019, ending the season with one start in Pensacola. After a lost 2020, he began 2021 with the Wind Surge. While he missed time twice with injury-list time, when he pitched, he pitched really well. He struck out 96 batters in his 80 1/3 innings. He’s got a good fastball that reaches into the mid-90s, but he has a very good curveball. 

ETA: August 2022

Starting Pitcher: Josh Winder - Wichita Wind Surge, St. Paul Saints
Acquired: Twins 7th round draft pick in 2018 out of Virginia Military Institute
2021 Stats: 4-0, 2.63 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 72.0 IP, 1.6 BB/9, 10.0 K/9

After going 7-2 with a 2.63 ERA in 21 starts in Cedar Rapids in 2019, Josh Winder did not pitch in 2020. Then he went to Instructional League and was throwing 97 mph, and his name was on the radar. He was invited to big-league spring training and then skipped High-A ball, jumping straight to Double-A Wichita. He dominated the level. In 10 starts, he went 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA. He had 65 strikeouts and just 10 walks over 54 2/3 innings. On July 1, he was promoted to St. Paul with Jose Miranda. His first Triple-A start started with a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He then pitched at the Futures Game. When he came back, he wasn’t the same and his season ended early with a shoulder issue. Winder is definitely on the radar for the 2022 Twins. 

ETA: June 2022

Starting Pitcher: Jordan Balazovic - Wichita Wind Surge
Acquired: Twins 5th-round draft pick in 2016 out of high school in Ontario. 
2021 Stats: 5-4, 3.62 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 97.0 IP, 3.5 BB/9, 9.5 K/9

After a fantastic 2019 between Low-A and High-A, Jordan Balazovic solidified him as a top pitching prospect in the organization. He spent the final month of the 2020 season working at the Twins alternate site in St. Paul. He was added to the 40-man roster soon after. He went to big-league spring training but his season was delayed a few weeks by an oblique strain. He had a streaky season. It took him a couple of starts to get adjusted, but soon after, he had a stretch of four starts in which he did not allow a run. That was followed with some struggles, but he ended strong. 

ETA: July 2022 

Right-Handed Relief Pitcher: Jordan Gore - Cedar Rapids Kernels, Wichita Wind Surge
Acquired: Twins 19th-round draft pick in 2017 out of Coastal Carolina
2021 Stats: 8-2, 7 saves, 2.39 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 3.7 BB/9, 11.7 K/9

For the first three years of his pro career, Jordan Gore played primarily shortstop. In 2019, he spent the first half of the season as the Pensacola shortstop. Late that season, after Royce Lewis arrived, Gore was a utility infielder until the decision was made for him to become a pitcher. Blessed with a big arm, he was able to work throughout 2020 on how to be a pitcher and on developing secondary pitches. He began 2021 at Cedar Rapids where he went 5-1 with a save and a 2.95 ERA. He had 58 strikeouts and 17 walks in 39 2/3 innings. He moved up to Wichita and was even better. He went 3-1 with six saves and a 1.61 ERA. He consistently showed a mid-90s fastball, but he also had developed a solid slider and a changeup. He is now a sleeper pick for a spot on the Twins 40-man roster this offseason.  

ETA: August 2022

Left-Handed Relief Pitcher: Jovani Moran - Wichita Wind Surge, St. Paul Saints
Acquired: Twins 7th-round pick in 2015 out of high school in Puerto Rico
2021 MiLB Stats: 4-2, 3 saves, 2.54 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 4.3 BB/9, 14.6 K/9

We know where his season ended, with a spot on the Minnesota Twins roster. But Jovani Moran had a terrific season in the minor leagues to earn that spot. He began the season in Wichita where he dominated. In 37 2/3 innings, he posted a 1.91 ERA and had 64 strikeouts to go with just 14 walks. He was promoted to St. Paul where he still pitched well, despite some control issues. In 29 2/3 innings, he had a 3.03 ERA and 45 strikeouts. However, he also had 18 walks. However, since he signed in 2015, he would have become a minor league free agent at the end of the World Series if not added to the 40-man roster. He has a future with the Twins, so getting him some innings in the big leagues will be beneficial. He was the Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. 

ETA: September 2021

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PREVIOUS Twins Daily Minor League All Stars

Looking Back: 2016 Twins Daily Minor League All Stars

C : Mitch Garver, 1B: Zander Wiel, 2B: Luis Arraez, 3B: Nelson Molina, SS: Nick Gordon, OF: LaMonte Wade, Zack Granite, Daniel Palka, DH: Adam Brett Walker, RH SP: Fernando Romero, LH SP: Stephen Gonsalves, RH RP: Trevor Hildenberger, LH RP: Michael Theofanopoulos.

Looking Back: 2017 Twins Daily Minor League All Stars

C :Mitch Garver, 1B: Jonathan Rodriguez, 2B: Travis Blankenhorn, 3B: TJ White, SS: Jermaine Palacios, OF:LaMonte Wade, Zack Granite, Akil Baddoo, DH: Brent Rooker, RH SP: Clark Beeker, LH SP: Stephen Gonsalves, RH RP: John Curtiss, LH RP: Andrew Vasquez.

Looking Back: 2018 Twins Daily Minor League All Stars

C :Taylor Grzelakowski, 1B: Zander Wiel, 2B: Luis Arraez, 3B: Jose Miranda, SS: Royce Lewis, OF: Alex Kirilloff, Jaylin Davis, Akil Baddoo, DH: Brent Rooker, RH SP: Tyler Wells, LH SP: Stephen Gonsalves, RH RP: Cody Stashak, LH RP: Andrew Vasquez.

Looking Back: 2019 Twins Daily Minor League All Stars 

C :Ryan Jeffers, 1B: Zander Wiel, 2B: Travis Blankenhorn, 3B: Spencer Steer, SS: Nick Gordon, OF: Trevor Larnach, Jaylin Davis, Brent Rooker, DH: Gabe Snyder, RH SP: Randy Dobnak, LH SP: Devin Smeltzer, RH RP: Moises Gomez, LH RP: Zach Neff

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The Votes

So there you have it. The fifth annual Twins Daily Minor League All Star team, though obviously we skipped a year with no 2020 season. What would your ballot look like? Below are the votes/selections of our 2021 Twins Daily minor league writers:

Seth: C :Alex Isola, 1B: Tomas Telis, 2B: Spencer Steer, 3B: Jose Miranda, SS: Jermaine Palacios, OF: Trey Cabbage, Mark Contreras, BJ Boyd, DH: Edouard Julien. SP: Louie Varland, Cole Sands, Josh Winder, Jordan Balazovic, RH RP Jordan Gore, LH RP: Jovani Moran.

Nash: C :Tomas Telis, 1B: Alex Isola, 2B: Spencer Steer, 3B: Jose Miranda, SS: Drew Maggi, OF: BJ Boyd, Jimmy Kerrigan, Matt Wallner, DH Brent Rooker. SP: Louie Varland, Cole Sands, Josh Winder, Jordan Balazovic. RH RP: Ian Hamilton, LH RP: Zach Featherstone. 

Lucas: C :Jeferson Morales, 1B: Alex Isola, 2B: Edouard Julien, 3B: Jose Miranda, SS, Drew Maggi, OF: Gilberto Celestino, Mark Contreras, BJ Boyd, DH: Trey Cabbage, SP: Louie Varland, Cole Sands, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Jordan Balazovic, RH RP: Jordan Gore, LHP: Jovani Moran.

Cody: C :Jeferson Morales, 1B: Alex Isola, 2B: Spencer Steer, 3B: Jose Miranda, SS: Jermaine Palacios, OF: Trey Cabbage, Brent Rooker, Gilberto Celestino, DH: BJ Boyd. SP: Louie Varland, Cole Sands, Josh Winder, Jordan Balazovic. RH RP: Jordan Gore, LH RP: Jovani Moran. 

Tom: C :Alex Isola, 1B: Edouard Julien, 2B: Spencer Steer, 3B: Jose Miranda, SS: Drew Maggi, OF: Trey Cabbage, Mark Contreras, Jeferson Morales, DH: Yunior Severino. SP: Louie Varland, Cole Sands, Tyler Beck, Austin Schulfer. RH RP: Jordan Gore, LH RP: Jovani Moran. 

Ted: C :Roy Morales, 1B: Andrew Bechtold, 2B: Edouard Julien, 3B: Jose Miranda, SS: Jermaine Palacios, OF: Trey Cabbage, Mark Contreras, Jimmy Kerrigan, DH: Matt Wallner. SP: Louie Varland, Cole Sands, Kody Funderburk, Jordan Balazovic. RH RP: Ryan Mason, LH RP: Jovani Moran. 

Steve: C :Alex Isola, 1B: Aaron Sabato, 2B: Edouard Julien, 3B: Jose Miranda, SS: Jermaine Palacios, OF: Trey Cabbage, Mark Contreras, Brent Rooker, DH: Spencer Steer. SP: Louie Varland, Cole Sands, Josh Winder, Jordan Balazovic. RH RP: Jordan Gore, LH RP: Jovani Moran. 

Matt: C :Jeferson Morales, 1B: Aaron Sabato, 2B: Edouard Julien, 3B: Jose Miranda, SS: Drew Maggi, OF: Trey Cabbage, Matt Wallner, Gilberto Celestino, DH: Brent Rooker. SP: Louie Varland, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Ben Gross, Andrew Albers. RH RP: Jordan Gore, LH RP: Jovani Moran. 

David: C :Jeferson Morales, 1B: Aaron Sabato, 2B: Edouard Julien, 3B: Jose Miranda, SS: Drew Maggi, OF: Gilberto Celestino, Aaron Whitefield, BJ Boyd, DH: Trey Cabbage. SP: Louie Varland, Cole Sands, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Jordan Balazovic. RH RP: Jordan Gore, LH RP: Jovani Moran. 

Allen: C :Tomas Telis, 1B: Aaron Sabato, 2B: Jose Miranda, 3B: Spencer Steer, SS: Drew Maggi, OF: Jimmy Kerrigan, BJ Boyd, Brent Rooker, DH: Trey Cabbage. SP: Louie Varland, Cole Sands, Ben Gross, Jordan Balazovic. RH RP: Ryan Mason, LH RP: Jovani Moran. 

 

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[mikelink45]

That was really good.  I am disappointed to see Drew Maggi the top SS.  We need a SS, but a player who will be 33 and never a MLB starter is not what I am hoping for.  Overall it is not a strong group until you get to pitching and I really like what the arms look like.  Other than Miranda we will have to wait on the bats, but Miranda looks like he might be the real deal for the Twins and if we have one big bat make it that will be a success as long as those pitchers come through.

[roger]

Thanks for bringing us this report, Seth.

Find it interesting that there is a real chance that all three of the outfielders could be out of the Twins system within the next five weeks, Contreras in the Rule 5 and the other two as MiLB free agents.  

After Miranda, the position player I am most excited to watch the next few years is Julien.  Kid sure as heck stood up and made us take notice with his play in his first professional season.  He sure could end up being special.

The biggest surprise to me was that Winder wasn't a unanimous choice for one of the four starting pitchers.  Watched several of his starts at Wichita and no one was pitching any better than this young man before he wore down late in the year.  

[PDX Twin]

Surely you mean 2022 rather than 2023 as ETA for Miranda? (Unless of course the 2022 season is canceled due to labor strife.)

[DocBauer]

As someone who follows the Twins milb system very close, I'm embarrassed to admit I hadn't realized how good of a season Morales had as the catcher selection. I'm going to assume Isola was chosen at 1B not only because he qualified there, but because you couldn't select 2 catchers?

Maggi deserves the choice at SS, only mildly surprised Palacios wasn't the final choice.

I'm very excited about both Steer and Julien. Both could be outstanding bench players within the next couple of years with bats and defensive versatility. I keep wondering about defense, especially in regard to Steer. I keep wondering just how well he can play SS. I've seen guys grow in to the position and become solid, if not very good there. Could he, possibly, be a darkhorse candidate down the line?

Would really like to Cabbage and Contreras in the organization. Just don't know if there is room on the 4p man for either, much less both.

[Rosterman]

Fun to see the winners in previous sesaons and thinking about where they are now.

[Seth Stohs]

7 hours ago, roger said:

Thanks for bringing us this report, Seth.

Find it interesting that there is a real chance that all three of the outfielders could be out of the Twins system within the next five weeks, Contreras in the Rule 5 and the other two as MiLB free agents.  

After Miranda, the position player I am most excited to watch the next few years is Julien.  Kid sure as heck stood up and made us take notice with his play in his first professional season.  He sure could end up being special.

The biggest surprise to me was that Winder wasn't a unanimous choice for one of the four starting pitchers.  Watched several of his starts at Wichita and no one was pitching any better than this young man before he wore down late in the year.  

I believe as of tonight both Trey Cabbage and BJ Boyd are free agents. But I think they'll bring a couple of their free agents back, Jermaine Palacios, hopefully Cabbage... maybe Leobaldo Cabrera. We'll see, I guess. 

Julien is legit. I mean, he only dropped in the draft because he had the ability to go back to Auburn, for two years. What he showed this year was the approach to go with the power, and then the speed was a factor too. He's got a chance. 

Winder would have been unanimous if he had pitched another month. His innings count made him non-unanimous. For me, the guy I wish I had ranked, probably ahead of Balazovic, in Sawyer Gipson-Long. He had 2-3 rough starts at the beginning of the season, but after that was really good, and ate innings and had a ton of strikeouts. He's the one MISS I feel like I had. 

[Seth Stohs]

5 hours ago, PDX Twin said:

Surely you mean 2022 rather than 2023 as ETA for Miranda? (Unless of course the 2022 season is canceled due to labor strife.)

Absolutely 2022... Ha! I made the change. Thank you for pointing it out. 

[Seth Stohs]

10 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

That was really good.  I am disappointed to see Drew Maggi the top SS.  We need a SS, but a player who will be 33 and never a MLB starter is not what I am hoping for.  Overall it is not a strong group until you get to pitching and I really like what the arms look like.  Other than Miranda we will have to wait on the bats, but Miranda looks like he might be the real deal for the Twins and if we have one big bat make it that will be a success as long as those pitchers come through.

Maggi had a terrific year, making him the All Star. Palacios got a couple of votes too, and obviously is more of a prospect. And obviously Royce Lewis missing the year didn't help. 

And, if there is one potentially difference-making bat to look ready each year, that's pretty good! Add in Larnach and Jeffers and Kirilloff and maybe Gordon and that's a really good two-year stretch, especially with Lewis and Martin probably within a year or year-and-a-half away, that's good. 

[mikelink45]

8 hours ago, Seth Stohs said:

Maggi had a terrific year, making him the All Star. Palacios got a couple of votes too, and obviously is more of a prospect. And obviously Royce Lewis missing the year didn't help. 

And, if there is one potentially difference-making bat to look ready each year, that's pretty good! Add in Larnach and Jeffers and Kirilloff and maybe Gordon and that's a really good two-year stretch, especially with Lewis and Martin probably within a year or year-and-a-half away, that's good. 

I agree, but the players on this all-star team do not have the feeling  of future MLB stardom except for Miranda and a couple pitchers and of course a few pitchers would really make a difference.  In fact, since the Tampa Bay team is always a model - they do not sign FA, they keep bringing up young pitchers and succeed. 

 

[2wins87]

14 hours ago, DocBauer said:

As someone who follows the Twins milb system very close, I'm embarrassed to admit I hadn't realized how good of a season Morales had as the catcher selection. I'm going to assume Isola was chosen at 1B not only because he qualified there, but because you couldn't select 2 catchers?

I did notice him midseason.  I can only surmise that the reason he seems so underappreciated is that the organization doesn't actually view him as a catcher going forward.  That's just speculation based on the fact that he played more outfield than catcher, but I haven't heard anything about his defense at catcher.  He did play a bit more there (relatively) after his promotion to Cedar Rapids.

At any rate he's got great very good plate discipline numbers with a bit of pop already.  Enough to be a sleeper even as an outfield prospect, and he probably ought to be in the conversation for the top 20 if there is any confidence that he can be a decent defensive catcher.  I'd love some information on this.

[Seth Stohs]

Here is the MiLB.com Twins Minor League All Star article: 

 https://www.milb.com/news/2021-minnesota-twins-organization-all-stars-jose-miranda-louie-varland