Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month - August 2022

[Seth Stohs]

We have reached September, and the minor-league seasons will be coming to an end in just a couple of weeks. At that point, a couple of Twins affiliates will be participating in the playoffs. But today let's celebrate the top hitters from the month of August. 

Before jumping into the top five hitters of the month, here are some of the honorable mentions.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• IF/OF Michael Helman - St. Paul Saints - 26-101, .257/.321/.465 (.786) with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs, 23 R, 10 RBI, 10 BB, 21 K.
• C Jair Camargo - Wichita Wind Surge - 23-82, .280/.344/.561 (.905) with 2 doubles, 7 home runs, 14 R, 18 RBI, 9 BB, 26 K.
• IF/OF Anthony Prato - Wichita Wind Surge - 21-83, .253/.431/.422 (.853) with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 18 R, 12 RBI, 24 BB, 24 K.
• C Alex Isola - Wichita Wind Surge - 20-68, .294/.351/.500 (.851) with 5 doubles, 3 home runs, 11 R, 13 RBI, 5 BB, 11 K. 
• IF Jake Rucker - Cedar Rapids Kernels - 27-101, .267/.330/.455 (.785) with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 13 R, 17 RBI, 8 BB, 28 K.
• OF Misael Urbina - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - 29-100, .290/.372/.460 (.832), 8 doubles, 3 home runs, 15 R, 10 RBI, 13 BB, 26 K. 
• OF Yasser Mercedes - DSL Twins - 20-49 - .408/.453/.633 (1.086), 4 doubles, 2 triples, one home run, 14 R, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K, 13-14 SB. 

THE TOP FIVE AUGUST HITTERS

Number 5 - Wichita Wind Surge - 2B Edouard Julien - 27-93, .290/.426/.573 (.899), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 18 R, 13 RBI, 21 BB, 30 K.

Julien’s background is pretty unique. He grew up in Quebec where he spoke French and went to a secondary school that also taught Spanish. He became well known in scouting circles playing on the Canadian national teams. He was drafted out of high school, but he went to Auburn University. It was there that he learned English. In 2019, he helped lead the Tigers to the College World Series. He was a draft-eligible sophomore, and the Twins used their 18th-round pick to select him. He fully intended to go back to school, but as the deadline to sign, the Twins ponied up and gave him fourth-round money and he signed. However, he did not make his pro debut until 2021 after Tommy John and the lost 2020 season. Between Ft. Myers and Cedar Rapids, he hit .267/.434/.480 (914) with 28 doubles, 18 homers, and 72 RBI. He also had 34 stolen bases in 39 attempts. He led all of minor-league baseball with 110 walks. 

He began the 2022 season with Wichita, and he remains hitting near the top of the Wind Surge lineup. In 99 games, he has hit .293/.436/.501 (.938) with 16 doubles, three triples, and 17 home runs.  In other words, he had a fantastic month of August, but it was actually a little below his season average. His .438 on-base percentage ranks fifth in minor-league baseball, just .015 behind the top spot. His 88 walks rank 10th in the minor leagues, just two behind Matt Wallner for the organization lead. 

Julien’s combination of approach at the plate, power, and speed are incredibly exciting. As a 2019 draft pick, he would appear to be a given to get added to the 40-man roster in November. He is the #14 Twins Prospect on this site.  (For more past Edouard Julien content from Twins Daily, click here.) 

Number 4 - St. Paul Saints - C/1B Chris Williams - 13-54, .241/.368/.667 (1.035), 3 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs, 12 R, 19 RBI, 12 BB, 21 K.

Like many Twins, Williams didn’t hit for average for the Saints this past month, but he continues to take strong at-bats, walks a lot, and his power just continues to be immense. 

Williams was the Twins' eighth-round pick in 2018 out of Clemson. That summer, he was the Twins Daily short-season Minor League Hitter of the Year. Following the missed 2020 season, Williams went to High-A Cedar Rapids where, in 17 games, he went 5-for-50. Yes, he was hitting .100 when he was promoted to Wichita. In 28 games with the Wind Surge, he hit .225/321/.405 (.935) with five doubles and three home runs. He began this season with the Wind Surge again. In 75 games, he hit .277/.372/.542 (.915) with 16 doubles, 18 homers, and 58 RBI. Something had clicked and his massive power was showing. And his seven August homers came in his 17 games with the Saints.

A catcher, he also plays a lot of first base. He’s got a strong arm. He has worked really hard and is in better shape, and with that, improved stats and his power is back. It will be very interesting to see if he is added to the team’s 40-man roster this offseason. (More Chris Williams content at Twins Daily, click here.)

Number 3 - Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels - C Noah Cardenas - 23-71, .324/.467/.507 (.974), 4 doubles, 3 home runs, 11 R, 9 K, 18 BB, 9 K.

The Twins drafted Noah Cardenas out of UCLA in the eighth round of the 2021 draft. After signing, he played in 13 games in the FCL last summer and hit .300/.400/.500 (.900) with a double and a homer. The 22-year-old has played in 94 games this season for Ft. Myers. He has hit .253/.417/.403 (.820) with 15 doubles, nine homers, and 38 RBI. 

So, as you can see, his approach and power in August really shone through. First, as you see, he had 18 walks to go with just nine strikeouts (on the season, he has 70 walks to go with 68 strikeouts). That’s a strong knowledge of the strike zone, an ability to see pitches well, and an ability to put the ball in play. But he also has displayed the ability to drive the ball, for doubles and over the fence. 

Cardenas is a good athlete, especially with the “especially for a catcher” mantra. He’s got good speed and runs the bases well. He is well respected behind the plate and has done a really nice job receiving. He is definitely a catching prospect to watch. (For more Noah Cardenas content on Twins Daily, click here.) 

Number 2 - St. Paul Saints - OF Matt Wallner - 25-95, .263/.412/.495 (.907), 8 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 18 R, 15 RBI,  21 BB, 32 K.

You know the story. Minnesota’s top high school player in 2016 from Forest Lake, drafted by the Twins in the 32nd round as a pitcher. Went to Southern Mississippi and became an All-American outfielder. In 2019, he was the 39th overall pick in the draft by his home team Twins again. He was also the short-season hitter of the year in 2019. 

You know about his season. He has been a finalist for this award throughout the 2022 season. After a slow start, Wallner hit .299/.436/.597 (1.033) with 15 doubles and 21 homers in 78 games. In 37 games since joining the Saints, he has hit .245/.379/.453 (.832) with 10 doubles and five home runs. 25 doubles and 26 home runs. Yes, he’s still striking out a lot, but he’s also walking at an incredible clip. Only seven players in minor-league baseball have walked more than he has (89). He ranks #23 in home runs, #17 in RBI, #23 in OBP, and #19 in OPS. 

Yes, he got off to a slow start in Wichita. Yes, he got off to a slow start in St. Paul. But, the Twins #9 prospect has shown an ability to make adjustments and start hitting the ball really hard quickly. And, he has some impressive exit velocities, including the 117 mph home run that he crushed in the Futures Game. Is Wallner ready for the big leagues? I don’t know. There may be a ton of strikeouts, but if he can also take some walks, we know that he’s going to hit some lasers. It is likely he will debut early in the 2023 season after being added to the 40-man roster in November. 

For more Matt Wallner content on Twins Daily, click here. 

And the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is:
Cedar Rapids Kernels/Wichita Wind Surge - OF Will Holland - 24-73, .329/.427/.589 (1.017), 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 15 R, 12 RBI, 14 BB, 20 K.

Will Holland and Edouard Julien comprised the left side of the infield for the 2019 Auburn Tigers team that played in the College World Series. Julien was taken in the 18th round due to questions of whether he would sign. Holland, a tremendously athletic player from Atlanta, was the Twins fifth-round pick. He fell in the draft after a disappointing junior season which followed an incredible 2018 season in college. The Twins were thrilled to see a player that was projected as a first or second-round pick just six months earlier in the fifth round. 

Things haven’t gone really smoothly for Holland in his pro career. Like others, he did not have a 2020 season. In 2021, he spent the full season in Low-A Ft. Myers. In 76 games, he hit just .214/.336/.401 (.736) with 15 doubles and 10 homers. He also stole 19 bases. Even with the struggles, you could see that he does have pop in his bat and that he has elite speed. It is unlikely that you would find a faster player in the Twins' minor leagues. While he missed some time with injury, he showed an ability to play a very good center field. He’s got a strong arm and incredible range. But, he also showed some very good instincts out in center, especially someone who hasn’t played there a lot. 

Holland began the 2022 season with Cedar Rapids. In 85 games, he hit .225/.331/.362 (.694) with 12 doubles, four triples, and six home runs. He also stole 21 bases in 25 attempts. On August 9th, he started in center field for the Kernels at the Field of Dreams ballpark. The next day, he was promoted to the Wind Surge. In his seven games for the Kernels in August, he had 10 hits. In his first five games with Wichita, he had eight hits including a double, a triple, and three homers. He had a five-RBI game in which he was 2-for-2 with three walks, a double, and a homer. Just as interesting, he played center field the first time games and then just twice more over the remaining 15 games of the month. For the first time, he played in left field and right field. With Holland and DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. in the outfield, they can cover some major ground. 

It has been a breakout season for Will Holland. Will it be enough to get him a spot on the Twins' 40-man roster? He has great speed, is a great athlete, has shown some pop, and can really play strong defense in the outfield as well as at shortstop.  (For more Will Holland content at Twins Daily, click here.) 

Join us in congratulating Wind Surge outfielder Will Holland, Twins Daily’s choice for Minor League Hitter of the Month for August 2022. Feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions.

PREVIOUS 2022 WINNERS
April 2022: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Cedar Rapids Kernels
May 2022: Spencer Steer, Wichita Wind Surge/St. Paul Saints
June 2022: Matt Wallner, Wichita Wind Surge
July 2022: Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Cedar Rapids Kernels/Wichita Wind Surge  

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[gman]

It's really great to see that we have 4 catching prospects among this group of hitters. We appear to have steady stream of hitting prospects throughout the system. It looks like we can have 2-3 prospects per year pushing for spots on the major league roster.

[FlyingFinn]

Looked at Julien at #5, Williams at #4, and Cardenas at #3 and was thinking they would be the top 3. Didn't realize Wallner's hot streak extended to a month, or was so good at the end that it made the entire month look good. I still think he starts too slow at each level for the Twins to try call him up and give good production for a playoff run. Will Holland at #1? Wow, I knew he was doing good after moving up but not this good. Great for him. But, no, he will not be added to the 40 man roster.

[mikelink45]

Steer might be on this list if not traded.  It was fun to see his HR for the reds  .  

[mikelink45]

I do expect Wallner in MLB next year.  Nice to see the others on this list.  What is the expectation for them getting to the majors - and when?

[Seth Stohs]

Quick note - I edited the intro paragraph. I had said that while the Saints will play like 3 more weeks, the other three affiliate's season will come to an end on Labor Day. That's is when the seasons have always ended, but I was reminded that they changed that this year, and the other affiliates will also continue their regular season for a couple more weeks before the playoffs. 

[Seth Stohs]

46 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

I do expect Wallner in MLB next year.  Nice to see the others on this list.  What is the expectation for them getting to the majors - and when?

Holland: Could be later next year, certainly a speed option for a playoff run. 

Wallner: Yeah, sometime next year. 

Cardenas: 2023 in CR and Wichita. 2024 in Wichita, maybe SP. Things go well, Could be sometime in 2025. As others have mentioned, there are some other catchers above as well including fellow 2021 draft pick Pat Winkel who has spent this season in CR. 

Williams: Anytime there is a need for a right-handed power bat in 2023. He can catch and play first base, as well as DH and PH. 

Julien: Sometime in 2023, whenever a need. Great approach at the play, good speed/power combo. 

 

[roger]

Interesting, Seth, that two of the three previous winners are no longer with the Twins.

Of the four catchers, are any really good defensively?  Or are they all a bat first project behind the plate?

How does a player who hit .408 average with a 1.083 OPS not make it into the top 5 if not #1?  Was it because he is in the DSL?  Or had less at bats than the rest?