2022 Wichita Wind Surge Opening Day Roster Preview

Their two best outfielders are listed as infielders

  On 4/4/2022 at 5:46 PM, DJL44 said:

Their two best outfielders are listed as infielders

Expand  

Yup, and it is one hell of an infield.  Although not certain who will be playing first base, maybe one of the catchers?

Certainly gotta love a starting staff headed by Canterino, SWR and Varland.  Question, Seth, are some of the pitchers starting the year on the IL?  Rosters are what, 25?  See 12 position players and 16 pitchers for a total of 28?  Who will be the other two starters?  Schulfer and X?

  On 4/4/2022 at 5:46 PM, DJL44 said:

Their two best outfielders are listed as infielders

Expand  

Athletic guys.  Means they are the baseball "Dudes" that every team needs .

Looks like a lot of competition for the starting pitcher spots.  Canterino, Funderburk, Gross, Sammons, Schulfer, Vallimont, Varland, Woods-Richardson.  A few of those guys are probably destined for the bullpen long-term anyway, and I'm not sure what kind of workloads Canterino and Woods-Richardson in particular will be able to handle.  Probably some piggy-backing and quite possibly a 6 man rotation to start the season though.

Interested to see what Cruz does out of the pen.  I don't pay too much attention to relief prospects before they make it AA, but you gotta be excited about the velocity.

  On 4/4/2022 at 6:35 PM, nicksaviking said:

I really hope there's no internal memorandum that Canterino, Wallner and Martin HAVE to go to AAA. If any or all of these guys are cruising in June, I'd like to see them leapfrog any AAA options if they look the part.

I also could care less if they haven't had the perceived requisite IPs or ABs at the AA level either.

Expand  

I believe that is a league mandate/rule (still in effect ??) that the player has to be assigned to AAA before being called up to the MLB roster.

So Lewis and Palacios will be starting where?

Jordan Gore, what's his status.

Any news on Steve Berman, Alex Phillips, Zach Neff, Tyler Beck? Are those guys still injured?

Roy Morales didn't make it?

  On 4/4/2022 at 7:36 PM, nicksaviking said:

Not unless it's part of the new CBA. Celestino was called up directly from Wichita last year.

Expand  

There was a rule last year where players could only be called up immediately from AAA due to COVID protocals. There is a report of Celestino added to St. Paul in the window between his last Wichita game and major league debut. He never played for St. Paul but was likely there long enough to pass through protocol (negative test, quarantine?) before making his debut.

I have not seen where those protocols are continuing this year so I would think a player could immediately move from any level to majors the same day.

As for the Twins front office, I am not concerned about them being hesitant to move a player from AA. The last time this was relevant was 2019 and they moved up Arraez after he had spent just three days in AAA.

A lot of guys I plan to follow this year on the team.  Many starters and hitters.  Should be a good team until those guys get moved up. 

Boy, this will be another fun trip.  Martin, Wallner, Julien, Steer, and Keirsey should provide some fireworks.  I am thinking Martin's stay might be short if he does well.  The pitching side is loaded with Canterino, SWR, Vallimont and Varland.  Having reviewed both this roster and the CR roster, the Twins have incredible depth in their minor league system.  Every team has a number of grear prospects.

Blayne Enlow should also be on the Wichita roster. I imagine he is on the injured list?

Lots of 24 y-o and up. Only 5 players under 24. In AA. Seems old to me.

Our annual baseball road trip will be taking us to Wichita this summer, can't wait to see these kids play, and check out our AA affiliate.

  On 4/4/2022 at 7:59 PM, jorgenswest said:

There was a rule last year where players could only be called up immediately from AAA due to COVID protocals. There is a report of Celestino added to St. Paul in the window between his last Wichita game and major league debut. He never played for St. Paul but was likely there long enough to pass through protocol (negative test, quarantine?) before making his debut.

I have not seen where those protocols are continuing this year so I would think a player could immediately move from any level to majors the same day.

As for the Twins front office, I am not concerned about them being hesitant to move a player from AA. The last time this was relevant was 2019 and they moved up Arraez after he had spent just three days in AAA.

Expand  

  On 4/4/2022 at 7:59 PM, jorgenswest said:

There was a rule last year where players could only be called up immediately from AAA due to COVID protocals. There is a report of Celestino added to St. Paul in the window between his last Wichita game and major league debut. He never played for St. Paul but was likely there long enough to pass through protocol (negative test, quarantine?) before making his debut.

I have not seen where those protocols are continuing this year so I would think a player could immediately move from any level to majors the same day.

As for the Twins front office, I am not concerned about them being hesitant to move a player from AA. The last time this was relevant was 2019 and they moved up Arraez after he had spent just three days in AAA.

Expand  

Pretty much exactly what I was going to say .

  On 4/5/2022 at 8:21 AM, h2oface said:

Lots of 24 y-o and up. Only 5 players under 24. In AA. Seems old to me.

Expand  

So?

Sturgeon will jump up to the Saints.

  On 4/5/2022 at 6:49 PM, Mike Sixel said:

Martin should be in MN as the starting LF, or in AAA. I remain baffled he's in AA and Lewis is in AAA. Utterly. 

I agree with your first sentence, completely. 

Expand  

He'll get his chance eventually.  For now, he'll continue to get his work in on a daily basis.  Plus I really don't see him staying in AA too long.  Not because he'll pass up Lewis (or Lewis scuffles), but rather on his own merits.

P.S. - Lewis is a better hitter than you give him credit for and he will be fine as well

  On 4/5/2022 at 7:13 PM, Mike Sixel said:

He will be, but he's never shown it. That's usually how promotions work. I don't doubt Lewis has great potential....

Expand  

Fair... But I would argue that he has shown it.  Perhaps not for an extended run, but he has demonstrated that he can hit (at least some ).

Lewis had an opportunity to show it in summer 2020. We didn’t get to see it but the Twins saw him every day. I trust he should be in AAA. I don’t need to see it for myself.

  On 4/5/2022 at 8:21 AM, h2oface said:

Lots of 24 y-o and up. Only 5 players under 24. In AA. Seems old to me.

Expand  

Remember that minor league guys lost a year!

  On 4/5/2022 at 7:13 PM, Mike Sixel said:

He will be, but he's never shown it. That's usually how promotions work. I don't doubt Lewis has great potential....

Expand  

Expect you will disagree, Mike, because of a small sample, but he tore up the AFL a couple years ago when he was named MVP.  Will admit that the AFL seems to have changed some from what it had been, but still awfully good competition.  

Like many, I was disappointed in his numbers the summer before that AFL performance.  But we don't know what he was dealing with that summer.  Was he playing thru injuries?  Was he working with his coaches on changing some of what he does when at bat?  Was he just plain hitting into some bad luck?  We also don't know what he showed when he spent 2020 at the Alternate site.  The little I heard was that he was looking great.  

Kid seems to have too much going for him to be anything less than a star.  I for one sure as heck hope so, the Twins need their own Derek Jeter at short once Correa moves on and am looking forward to watching tonight's game to see the future left side of the Twins infield.

Watched a lot of the Wichita games on MiLB last summer and to be honest, wasn't that impressed with Martin.  Granted, I only saw maybe 8-10 games after he came over from Toronto.  Liked his speed and hustle.  On the flip side, the kid began his professional career in AA.  Don't remember if the Twins have ever done that, have they?