Tibs

At the time, it made perfect sense. Even Auburn couldn’t figure out exactly where to play Edouard Julien on the field. As a freshman, he started 59 games between designated hitter, first base, and second base. As a sophomore, he started 62 games at third base. There was no question about his bat, though. That belonged in the lineup.
His final game as a Tiger saw these worlds collide. Against Mississippi State in the College World Series, Julien hit a massive two-run home run in the top of the second inning to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. It was a 429-foot blast to right field that, at the time, was tied for the longest in the history of TD Ameritrade Park. He later singled in another run to push the lead to 3-0. In the bottom of the final frame, the Tigers gave up two run, but still had the lead.
 
One out away. Tying run 90 feet from home. And a routine ground ball to third base. Three batters later, Mississippi State was celebrating their walk-off victory.
No one would have blamed Julien for going back to Auburn to try to help his team back to Omaha. But money - nearly a half million dollars - talks and the Twins now have one of the best guys at getting on base in all the minor leagues.
Age: 23 (DOB: 4/30/1999)
2022 Stats: (AA): 508 PA, .300/.441/.490, 17 HR, 67 RBI, 19 SB, 98 BB, 125K. (AFL) 96 PA, .400/.563/.686, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 6 SB, 23 BB, 22K.
ETA: 2023
2022 Ranking: 19

National Top 100 Rankings
BA: NR | MLB: NR | ATH: NR | BP: NR
What's To Like
The bat. The eye. The legs. Julien's entire offensive arsenal is loaded. In an offseason that saw the Twins offload Luis Arraez, the organization has a ready-made replacement. 
Julien has been able to get on base in almost 44% of his minor-league plate appearances. You could make a pretty good argument that no one is better suited to bat lead-off. He's stolen 53 bases over the last two seasons.
He has slugged nearly .500, you could argue that his bat belongs right in the middle of the lineup.
You could literally make any argument you wanted about getting Julien in the lineup because he is prolific with the bat in his hands and a lineup with him in it is better than one without.
What's Left to Work On
If you're talking about someone with an elite offensive package and he's only #5 on the team's prospect rankings, you've either got the best system in baseball (it's not that) or there is something significant that sticks out that needs to be talked about here.
The Twins - like Auburn - have used Julien all over defensively. He's started double-digit games in his career at first base, second base, third base, and left field. And as you slide down the defensive totem pole as Julien has (and Arraez did), it makes the presence of elite offensive skills even more important. Because the last stop is as a designated hitter. 
Ideally, Julien either finds a comfortable home (second base? left field?), but the most likely scenario involves him being used all over the infield and in left field. There's a lot of work to do here yet, but the reality remains that Julien is a low-ceiling defender.
What's Next
After a successful full-season run at Wichita followed by an outstanding fall in Arizona, Julien will almost assuredly start his season in St. Paul. From there, what happens in 2023 is going to be dependent on a handful of things. Assuming the bat doesn't regress, Julien will get ample opportunities to hone his defensive skills in the infield and, likely, in the outfield. But the performance and health of those above him will be the biggest factor. 
Before all that, though, Julien will compete for Team Canada in the WBC. Julien figures to get plenty of plate appearances and will likely find himself playing second base. Will he use this opportunity as a springboard for his upcoming season?
Luis Arraez got an opportunity and ran with it all the way to a batting title. Maybe that's all Julien needs too... and the defensive side will sort itself out in time.
Previous Installments
Honorable Mention
Prospects 21-30
Prospects 16-20
Prospects 11-15
Prospect #10: Austin Martin, SS
Prospect #9: Louie Varland, RHP
Prospect #8: Jose Salas, INF
Prospect #7: Connor Prielipp, LHP
Prospect #6: Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP
Prospect #5: Edouard Julien, 2B

Age: 22 (DOB: 1/10/2001)
2022 Stats (Alabama): DNP
ETA: 2025
2022 Ranking: NA

National Top 100 Rankings
BA: NR | MLB: NR | ATH: NR | BP: NR

What's To Like?
Video games have the ability to build players. You get so many attribute points that you can disperse into the creation of a player. Connor Prielipp might be a great example of that player you would build. 
 
Naturally, you'd love to probably make that perfect pitcher 6' 5' and 230 pounds, but you don't want to use too many of your points there, so you make him Prielipp's size (6' 2", 210) to avoid the stigmatism of only being six feet tall. And you make him left-handed because the lefty is always going to get a few more chances than a right-handed pitcher.
Then you start dabbling with pitch-mix. While a 100 mph fastball might be nice, you've realized it's not all about velocity anymore. So you bump that down to the low-to-mid 90s with deceptive movement because you're smart enough to know that the results will be better anyway. Since it's a video game and the only way you're really fooling anyone is with a breaking ball, you take all the attribute points you saved on your (sneaky good) fastball, and put them into your slider. With a speed that nears 90 mph and a spin rate over 2,900 rpm, you've equipped your build-a-prospect with an elite pitch. You're not crazy, so you kept some points to give your guy a change-up because if you're going to make it to The Show as a starter, you need that third pitch.
You also know that through development, you'll get plenty of time to work on the finer points of pitching - control, fastball command, and working on that third pitch. Your ceiling is super high. So high, in fact, that Baseball America has your prospect as their projected #1 starter of your team three years into the future.
That last part isn't even some trick. It's the truth. Connor Prielipp has the tools and potential to be the real deal.
What's Left to Work On
Yeah, so what I didn't tell you was you got extra attribute points because I saddled your build-a-prospect with a few less-than-ideal traits.
Connor Prielipp has a "grew up in the cold of the midwest" background. The track record of those types isn't long or great. While Wisconsin isn't a hotbed for pitchers, it's not a death wish either. There are actually three pitches in the Hall of Fame who were born in Wisconsin. (So what they were all born in the 1800s?) And Brad Radke too! It's entirely possible that baseball hasn't advanced to the point (yet) to realize that beer and cheese are actually what helps pitchers develop. But, whatever, Wisconsin is great. So are the people.
The biggest question mark about Connor Prielipp is his left elbow. Between the COVID shutdown and Tommy John surgery, Prielipp threw a grand total of 28 innings over seven starts since graduating from high school. At a minimum that will make you pause. At a maximum, you realize this prospect is almost entirely about projection.
Because while the tools are present, there is no track record; no sustained success. So there's literally nothing to not work on.
What's Next
To throw. In a game. To live hitters of another team.
Prielipp participated in Instructional League, which, to my knowledge has taken on a more development-type camp than game-play. But for all intents and purposes, there were no setbacks and he was full-go.
With the restructuring of the minor league system and what I'm sure will be a slow play to increase innings, it would be hard to believe that Prielipp will be throwing every five days all season. What would make sense is a slow build-up, staying in Ft. Myers after the teams break to keep working his way back. A piggyback approach where he throws three innings regularly and throws 60-65 innings between low-A and high-A over the course of the year would make a ton of sense. If the development stays on track and the arm stays healthy, maybe there's a discussion to open it up a little more for a late-season promotion to Wichita. 
The Twins can and absolutely should do everything they can to develop Prielipp into an important member of their big-league starting rotation, but that's going to require a ton of patience and good health.
And if those things happen, Prielipp isn't the Twins #7 prospect next year. He's going to be a Top 20 prospect globally.
Previous Rankings
Honorable Mentions
Prospects 21-30
Prospects 16-20
Prospects 11-15
Prospect 10 (Austin Martin)
Prospect 9 (Louie Varland) 
Prospect 8 (Jose Salas) 
 
   

In the past, we have presented our selections for the Top 20 Twins prospects before each season. In 2022, that list was the starting point for the Prospect Tracker which we updated at the beginning of each month and after the trade deadline, and then at the end of the season. 
Since the season’s end, there have been several changes. Several players became free agents. The Twins lost a couple of pitchers in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft. They made a couple of trades to bring in new talent from the Angels and Marlins while sending two upper-level relievers to the Royals. In addition, our minor-league writers have learned more and more about several prospects, particularly those drafted or signed most recently. 
With all that said, this year, we are moving to a Top 30 Twins prospect rankings for a couple of reasons. First, ten of our minor-league writers provided a list of their Top 30 Twins prospects. Second, why not recognize another ten Twins prospects at this time of year? Now, we are going to do that by adding just one more article. Tomorrow, we will share our choices for Twins Prospects 21-30. With the current schedule, starting next week, we will be jumping into the Top 10 prospects. 
However, today, we will be starting this series by sharing a list of Honorable Mentions, or Also Received Votes, if you prefer. Even within this group, which could make up our prospects from around 31 through around 45, there are several future big-leaguers in the group, a couple that we could see in 2023. 
I’ve really enjoyed writing this Honorable Mention article because it can show the organization’s depth. If we are being honest, it can also show the limitations of prospect ranking. This can be former prospects coming off of bad years. It can be recently-acquired players (via trade or draft) that may not be the top picks but there is something intriguing. There may be players who have never been looked at as top prospects but continue to consistently get moved up and keep themselves in the conversation. 
In 2019, Luis Arraez and Jordan Balazovic appeared in this range of the list. The 2020 Honorable Mention article named players such as Jorge Alcala, Bailey Ober, and Akil Baddoo.) 
Last year’s Honorable Mentions were quite interesting. It included 2021 picks that have been traded in key trades such as Cade Povich and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. It also contained 2019 pick Sawyer Gipson-Long who was traded to the Tigers at the deadline. Casey Legumina was traded to the Reds for Kyle Farmer after being added to the Twins' 40-man roster. Oh, and wait until you see which players jumped from Honorable Mention last year into the Top 10 this year. 
Before we start, the following players are no longer “prospects” according to Baseball-Reference: Jose Miranda, Gilberto Celestino, Joe Ryan, Jovani Moran, Josh Winder, and Jhoan Duran. 
FIRST-ROUND FEATURE  
2019 first-round pick Keoni Cavaco fell out of the top 20 last year and this year, out of the top 30. Honestly, the tools, speed, power, and arm strength are all still there. He returned to the Mighty Mussels in 2022 but made the move to third base. In 99 games, he hit .231/.275/.397 (.672) with 18 doubles, five triples, and 11 home runs. He missed a little time. He should move out of the Florida State League, so don’t give up on him yet. 
UTILITY TYPES IN UPPER LEVELS 
They may not be top prospects, but you have to have noticed that this organization places a lot of value on versatility and being able to play multiple positions. That becomes more valuable as guys reach the upper levels.  
Michael Helman’s ‘stock’ soared in 2022 when he split his season between Wichita and St. Paul. In 135 games, he hit .258/.337/.432 (.769) with 23 doubles and 20 homers while stealing 40 bases in 45 attempts. Drafted as an infielder, he has played all three infield and outfield spots over the past two seasons. 
Anthony Prato was a 7th-round pick from UConn in 2019. He split 2022 between Cedar Rapids and Wichita. Combined, he played 60 games in left field, 34 games at second base, 22 games at third base, and 12 games at shortstop. He also made starts, and first base and in right field. He played a combined 132 games and hit .285/.383/.444 (.827) with 30 doubles, eight triples, and 10 homers. He also stole 22 bases. 
Will Holland was the Twins 5th round pick in 2019 from Auburn. While he was drafted as a shortstop and made 15 starts at that position in Cedar Rapids, he has made a pretty clear transition to the outfield. He is arguably the fastest player in the organization and has played a lot of center field. After a late-season promotion to Wichita, he played solely in the outfield, playing more in the corners with DaShawn Keirsey in center. In 116 games, he hit .227/.339/.366 (.705) with 13 doubles, six triples, and nine homers. He also stole 32 bases in 38 attempts. 
BACKSTOPS  
The Twins added Christian Vazquez this offseason to team with Ryan Jeffers behind the plate. They have also added several veteran backstops, including Tony Wolters , Grayson Greiner and Chance Sisco, to play in St. Paul along with David Banuelos. While the Twins don’t have any high-ranking catcher prospects, there are a few intriguing guys who can catch if needed. 
Chris Williams was the team’s 8th-round pick in 2018 from Clemson. He played 117 games between Wichita and St. Paul. He hit .246/.343/.500 (.843) with 21 doubles and 28 home runs. While he made 81 starts at first base, he continued to get time behind the plate with 21 starts. 
A 29th-round pick in 2019 from TCU, Alex Isola, missed time in 2022 with an injury. However, he made 17 starts at first base and 17 more behind the plate. He got a few at-bats and continued to work in the Arizona Fall League where he caught three times and played 12 games at first base. 
Noah Cardenas was the team’s 8th-round pick in 2021 out of UCLA. He was the Twins Daily Minor league All-Star catcher in 2022 when he hit .261/.421/.413 (.834) with 18 doubles and nine homers. He started at first base 25 times and at catcher 56 times. He has thrown out 29% of would-be base stealers. 
WE HARDLY KNOW YE, YET
There are several players that we just need to learn more about, and they fit in this category. 
Alejandro Hidalgo is the 19-year-old right-hander that the Twins received in the Gio Urshela deal. In Low-A in 2022, he made ten starts and went 0-3 with a 4.62 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. In 39 innings, he walked too many (19) but had an impressive 58 strikeouts (13.4 K/9). He currently has a low-90s fastball, but a changeup that can be really, really good. He is definitely one to watch in 2023. 
Brayan Medina was part of the Opening Day trade between the Twins and Padres. The 20-year-old pitched in just 10 games for the FCL Twins in 2022. It didn’t go well. In 23 2/3 innings, he struck out 24 batters, but he also walked 20 batters. 
Ariel Castro signed with the Twins about two weeks ago as a 16-year-old from Venezuela for $2.5 million. He hits left-handed, and he’s from Cuba. He’s got a sweet swing, but it’ll be fun to start following his career, which is likely to start in the DSL this year. 
Players from the 2022 draft to get some Top 30 recognition include right-handed pitcher Andrew Morris (4th round, Texas Tech) and Cory Lewis (9th round, UC-Santa Barbara), and infielders Ben Ross (5th round, Notre Dame College, OH), and Omari Daniel (14th round, The Walker School in Georgia). The reports are very interesting on both Lewis and Ross. 
INTERESTING ARMS
Cody Laweryson’s 2022 season started a little late, but it ended spectacularly. The 2019 14th-round pick from Maine played in the Arizona Fall League in 2021. He began with 16 games (2 starts) in Cedar Rapids and posted a 2.57 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. He finished the season with 19 games, including eight starts, in Wichita. He dominated to the tune of a 1.06 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. In 94 2/3 innings, he had 111 strikeouts. He doesn’t throw really hard, but he’s got a funky delivery and hides the ball well.  (See Laweryson's episode of Twins Spotlight.)
Sean Mooney had Tommy John surgery in 2019 and the Twins selected him with their 12th-round pick that year. Since his return, he’s struggled to pitch consistent innings, but he has been a strikeout machine. In 2022 in Cedar Rapids, he posted a 3.30 ERA, and in 60 innings, he walked 30 but struck out 82 batters. 
Travis Adams split the 2022 season between Ft. Myers (15 starts) and Cedar Rapids (7 starts). He went a combined 6-8 with a 3.93 ERA. He had 108 strikeouts in 100 2/3 innings and had just 26 walks. While the numbers don’t jump out, the 2021 sixth-round pick is incredibly intriguing and could jump into the Top 20 a year from now. 
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That is a lot of talent, and those are guys who rank outside of the Twins Daily Top 30 prospects. Check back over the next two weeks to see who our 2023 Top 30 Twins Prospects are.
 
 

May 2-4 @ Chicago White Sox (3 games)
Guaranteed Rate Field - capacity  40,615  -  2022 attendance was 1,976,344 (ranked 8th out of 15 AL teams, 19th overall MLB)
The artist formerly known as New Comiskey Park & The “Cell” has been around since 1991, but South Side Chicago baseball has been cooking since 1910. While the new stadium resides in a residential area, it carries a “big” stadium vibe compared to its North Side counterpart. Sharing an owner allows you to also buy Bulls gear at the ballpark, which works for me. 
The upper deck leans into the “upper” definition, while the bleachers get hot…but probably not in May. In the 2000s, a person could shower on the outfield walkway. I’m not sure who thought that was a great idea, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t try it out one blistering August afternoon. 
The pinwheels will be lightless and pinwheel-less for this series. I like a good Minnie & Paul handshake with fireworks for a Target Field Twins home run, but those pinwheels #@$@%@&...
I’ve been to this away ballpark the most, with four games watched. I’ve only sat in the right field corner, near the visiting bullpen, so I’m looking forward to branching out into new territory. See my earlier “first timer” blog for the details of these trips, but know that it doesn’t contain everything. 
I caught a throw from Big Papi when he was still wearing the correct uniform. I was in the right field foul seating with my trusty glove (no shame), and Ortiz had just tossed a ball to a kid, only to have a White Sox jersey-wearing adult rip it away from him. The look of disgust on Papi’s face was priceless. So I did what any overaged fanboy would do; I waived my glove at the future HOF and mouthed that I would get the ball to the kid if he threw it up a few rows to me. Papi nodded and threw a strike; I caught it and ran for the exits! JK…I nodded thanks and handed it to the kid—baseball memory-making 101.  
I’m also ready to hang out at my old stomping grounds, Garrett Seminary & Evanston area. Specific memories and tastes call out to me: Giordano's pizza, the NU library (nerd out zone), Lake Michigan, Soldier Field and the Museum campus, Sears tower, and the Magnificent Mile. The smell of the L-Train platforms wandering in the Lake Shore breeze. The early-season angst of White Sox fans. With this being a Tuesday-Thursday series in May, I’m guessing there should be quite a few good seats available.
Getting to Guaranteed Rate Field involves most likely car and parking for me, and sneaking to the South Side before rush hour is a “mandatory” event. I have plenty of folks to visit throughout the 2.5 days, so coming in from the western suburbs won’t be an issue. I’ve contemplated re-enacting my 2 hr. L-Train ride for old-time’s sake, but I will save that for the next trip to town since I’ll most likely be carless for that one.
Mitchell, SD, to Guaranteed Rate Field gates is 645 miles. This is a driving road trip, for sure! The distance between the series of destinations determines the options available to me for travel, and this trip presents one of the shortest get-away-day trips.
May 5-7 - @ Cleveland Guardians (3 games)
Progressive Field – 35,401   -  2022 attendance was 1,295,869  (ranked 12th out of 15 AL parks, 25th overall MLB)
Baseball in Cleveland began in 1894. This trip takes me to the most current iteration of Cleveland baseball, Progressive Field. I grew up memorizing Major League and even parts of Major League 2 (no shame).  This stadium isn’t Municipal Stadium, but it’s been around a while nonetheless.  1994 saw the building of the current iteration of the ballpark, and 2019 brought an extensive concourse renovation at the 200 level with entertainment and open walkways.
I’m curious to see the home crowd and to analyze the success of the Guardians rebrand. I’m guessing not everyone has bought a new jersey yet, but then again, they had success last year, so that might have boosted the speed of the transition. 
I don’t think I’ve ever been to Cleveland, but a significant branch of my kids’ family tree has its roots in the area.  My wife was born in Canton, OH, due to a death in the family and a trip back for her grandpa’s funeral.  Besides being a great way to trick people in a workplace “something you didn’t know about me” game, the ties to Canton and family have played a role in some of our best early family trips with the boys.
The football Hall of Fame carries memories and annual gifts from our Aunt Susie and Uncle Dick (who will be hosting me whether they like it or not).  Uncle Dick texted me throughout the “debacle” series in Cleveland last year as we witnessed it live in the Progressive stands. He texted me that it would be ok. He wasn’t right.
But I can’t wait to build new memories with them again this summer. This is one family connection that got untethered due to Covid. I also have some partner churches and current/former students in the area that I’m looking forward to meeting in person over the weekend series.
Built downtown, with plenty of surrounding neighborhood options for food and drink and a consistently winning team, Progressive Field strikes me as a ballpark that should have more fans in attendance. Will 2023 be the year for a resurgence in fan support?
One unique attribute that I’m curious to see is John Adam’s Drum. This dedicated fan brought the “thump” to every game since 1973 but hasn’t been in attendance since Covid started. So does somebody still drum? Are they just waiting for his return?
Sights include the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, East 4th St., and the House of Blues. Need a unique place to stay? How about the actual “A Christmas Story House.” Seriously. Leg lamp and all.
Mitchell, SD, to Progressive Field gates is 980 miles. Guaranteed Rate Field gates to Progressive Field gates is 340 miles. I was driving all the way! More fun “on the way” than “on the way back” for sure because I’m hoping to catch a Cedar Rapids vs. South Bend minor league game Thursday night (5/4) between towns!
Now it's your turn to plan!
If you have been to either Guaranteed Rate Field or Progressive Field, please post your list of "best seats" and "must-sees."  Is anyone else planning on going to this series?
Grace and peace, Twins Territory!  Thanks for the help!
Previous Road Trip stories:
Road Trip #1 (Kansas City and Miami) Road Trip #2 (New York and Boston)

1. Never underestimate the draw of the Brewers series, Blue Jays series, and Prince Night. By the eye test and official numbers, these games drew the largest crowds of the year by far- even more than Opening Day (which was quite chilly this year). It is incredible how well Brewers and Toronto fans travel, which is likely because Target Field is closer for many members of the “Brew Crew” and Toronto fanbases than Miller Park in Milwaukee or Rogers Centre in Toronto.
When I arrived for these games, I was shocked at how difficult it was to find parking, how packed the concourses were, and how much Brewers and Blue Jays Blue filled the seats. Make a mental note to leave lots of extra time if you plan on attending one of these games next season.  
2. But otherwise, attendance was lackluster this year. Even with the Twins battling for the top of the division for much of the season, in 2022, the Twins finished 20th in MLB attendance, averaging 22,514 fans per game. In 2019, the Bomba Squad season, the Twins brought in about 28,000 fans per game. Truthfully, many games felt much emptier than that 22,000 figure, especially weekday games and games in the spring and September. However, entire seating sections were empty on beautiful summer nights, too.   We know that team performance impacts attendance, but with the Twins playing competitive baseball the majority of the season, I was often surprised just how empty Target Field felt for many games. There were almost never any security or bathroom lines, and there was always plenty of space in the concourse, so that when games were busy, it was almost jarring.   The Twins tried to compensate for the low attendance by running a myriad of bargain ticket deals at various points during the season. These included a limited-time sale in which fans could buy $4 upper level tickets to any weekday game during the season, and expanding college ticket night to every night in September. 3. Fans love post-game concerts, and the Twins should do more in the future. Maybe the most fun idea the Twins had all season was to host a free full-length concert after one of their games. In August, Twins fans who hung around after a Twins- Blue Jays game sang along to a 75-minute show by country music artist Cole Swindell.
Even though I’m not a country music fan, the show quality was excellent, and the reviews from fans were almost universally positive (except from the Twins fans who were annoyed by the sudden influx cowboy hat-clad music fans traipsing up and down the aisles during the game). Because the Twins have not done much to whip up excitement among their fans via trades and the free agent market this offseason, they should consider treating fans to more shows or promotions in the future to get them in the doors.
4. This season had two of the craziest weather games in recent memory. The most memorable game I went to all year was only three innings: the Twins rainout vs. the Houston Astros on Star Wars Night, May 11. I remember evacuating into the lower level concourse and watching the wind blow the rain in sheets with a ferocity I had never before seen.
I jotted down everything I noticed and heard using my cell phone notes app. I sloshed back to my car, arrived at my apartment, and found that the power was out, so I wrote my narrative account of the game’s chaotic events while sitting in the dark. The result was perhaps my favorite piece I wrote this year.
To be fair, I attended the game knowing that some wild weather was going to blow in, and I wanted to see what happened. I was surprised they chose to play the game at all.
After this, I thought I would not see such severe weather at a game for a long time, but similar severe weather blew in on July 12, seemingly out of nowhere and on the first night of the Brewers series. I remember being trapped on the upper-level concourse (people packed into the stairwells, bathrooms, and indoor areas seeking shelter from the wind and blowing rain) while being sprayed with cold rain blown by the high winds.
A major takeaway I had from these rainy games is how unbelievable Target Field's water drainage system is; the Twins were able to resume the game after about an hour delay. No one likes rain delays, but everyone loves Club Rayne. 

Calm after the storm as seen from Target Field during rain delay on July 12
5. Target Field upped the fanfare this season. Late in the 2022 season, Target Field began dimming the lights during Jhoan Duran’s entrance song. To my knowledge, the Twins have never done that for a pitcher, especially one who is not a closer. Jorge Lopez also got the dimmed lights treatment with his horror movie-themed walkout. Walkout songs have always been a bit of a show (remember Fernando Rodney's electric entrance?), but they became their own spectacle this season due in part to the Mets’ Edwin Diaz’s viral walkout song "Narco." Pitcher entrances across the league became their show within the show this season, and the Twins kept pace.  
In addition, 2022 was the first season in which TC Bear drove around the perimeter of the field in an ATV after every win carrying a "Twins Win!" flag. The Twins also premiered a giant t-shirt cannon called the "Mall of America Blaster," which they shot from the same place on the rightfield concourse every game.
6. The “5 Lookalikes” bit was the best new thing at the stadium. Whether it’s Chubbs Peterson from “Happy Gilmore,” Captain Kangaroo (ask your parents), Jay Leno/Paul Allen, or Iceman from Top Gun, it is incredible how Twins staff can spot fans in the crowd and accurately match them up with a celebrity or fictional character that they resemble. Though some comparisons are closer than others, many of the lookalikes were borderline uncanny. Seeing the unsuspecting doppelganger’s reaction to noticing themselves up on the big screen was priceless.
7. Seeing the Twins play at an away ballpark is unbridled joy. Perhaps my favorite experience of this year, baseball or not, was seeing the Twins play the Chicago White Sox on October 3 at Guaranteed Rate Field. I have been to Twins spring training several times, but this was the first time I had seen the Twins play in another city. Being a visiting fan in an opposing ballpark, “enemy territory,” was a unique and exhilarating feeling.
I was proud to wear my Twins jersey and hat even though the Twins were way out of the division race by that point, and it was fun high-fiving other Twins fans I came across in the stadium. I thought Guaranteed Rate Field was beautiful. Before the game, we went and got Chicago-style pizza at a place called Ricobenes near the stadium and tailgated outside the stadium in Lot B.
8. The Twins should consider doing Hall of Fame ceremonies before the game or at least clearly advertise when the game is actually going to start. Look, I get it; the Twins do not want an empty house when Twins greats like Dan Gladden and Ron Gardenhire walk up to take the podium at their Twins Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies. At the same time, it makes for an exceptionally long day for fans, especially those with children, when the game starts an hour after it was advertised.
Watching Dan Gladden’s acceptance speech on a sunny Sunday, Kids Day, at Target Field, I was surrounded by squirming children. Hall of Fame ceremonies are not a regular occurrence for the Twins, but maybe in the future, the Twins should clearly state that the listed start time of the game is actually the start of the ceremony.
9. The Twins have its littlest fans to thank for their packed attendance during day games. If you’re not a fan of little kids, and lots of them, day games during the summer are probably not for you. The entire upper deck at many day games consisted almost solely of kids’ day camps, all wearing their matching camp t-shirts. Their unified “Let’s Go Twins!” chants were adorable and impressive. 
10. Some of the favorite moments I saw at Target Field in 2022: Royce Lewis' first MLB home run- a grand slam- on May 13; Gary Sánchez's grand slam on April 10; the Twins' walkoff win vs the White Sox in the 10th inning on April 24; Max Kepler's grand slam on May 23, which was the 1000th home run hit by a Twins player at Target Field; the Twins hitting back-to-back-to back home runs on June 9; Louie Varland's home debut on September 23.
11. There are some really special people at Target Field. From the more visible figures like Target Field staple Sue Nelson on organ and the local artist Kickliy to those behind the scenes, like Bally Sports audio engineer Chris Tveitbakk, who mixes the sound for every Twins home game broadcast from the Bally truck behind Target Field, we are lucky to have so many unique, interesting, and passionate people working at the ballpark. 
12. No matter how the Twins are playing, there is no better place to be than Target Field on a summer night. You’re reading Twins Daily; it’s evident that you care deeply about the success of the team. I do too. But every season, no matter where the team is in the standings, I stand by the fact that Target Field is the best place to be on a beautiful summer night.
Despite going to 56 games at Target Field, sometimes as many as six in a week, I never got tired of going. I never grew bored of the skyline views, the post-game fireworks, Sue Nelson on the organ, Minnie and Paul shaking hands after a win, or the Dollar Dogs. There is just so much to love about Target Field, and time spent with friends and loved ones at a baseball game is never time wasted. 
Happy 2023! Thank you much for reading my work this year and all your kind and thoughtful comments. Joining Twins Daily had been such a joy. Here's to a year filled with lots of baseball, Twins wins, and for me, maybe 60 in-person games!
 

Derek Falvey and Thad Levine took over Minnesota's baseball operations department leading into the 2017 season. Each season has taken on a different feel, but they have a track record of making moves at the trade deadline. This series will look back at each trade deadline under this regime. 

Minnesota surprised many by being in contention during the 2017 season, with their front office shifting between buying and selling at the deadline. The 2018 season was a little easier because the team was below .500 but ended up in second place in the AL Central. The Twins made multiple moves before the deadline, and the big-league roster still feels these trades' impacts. 

Trade 1 (July 27, 2018)
Twins Receive: OF Ernie De La Trinidad, P Jhoan Duran, OF Gabriel Maciel
Diamondbacks Receive: INF Eduardo Escobar 
Escobar was on an expiring contract, so it made sense to deal the veteran who was in the middle of a tremendous season. Duran has turned into the team's dominant high-leverage reliever, which is more than enough for a couple of months of Escobar. De La Trinidad topped out at Double-A last season with the Twins, where he posted a .759 OPS in 80 games. Maciel played 73 games at Cedar Rapids last season with a .621 OPS. In December, he was selected in the minor-league Rule 5 draft by the Athletics organization and has a .733 OPS as he repeats High-A.   

Trade 2 (July 27, 2018)
Twins Receive: P Jorge Alcala, OF Gilberto Celestino
Astros Receive: P Ryan Pressly
It was tough to see the Twins part with a reliever that wasn't on an expiring contract, but both prospects in the deal were viewed highly by evaluators. Pressly has stayed in Houston for the remainder of his career while turning into one of baseball's best late-inning arms. Alcala posted decent numbers as a reliever last season, and the team hopes he can return this year to help a struggling bullpen. Celestino has proven his value to the club as a strong center-field defender to complement a decent bat. Minnesota acquired two big-league assets for 14 months of Pressly, so this deal looks great for both teams. 

Trade 3 (July 30, 2018)
Twins Receive: P Chase De Jong, 1B/3B Ryan Costello
Seattle Receive: P Zach Duke
Duke was a strong left-handed specialist at a time when relievers could face fewer than three batters. Following the trade, he posted a 5.52 ERA in 27 appearances. De Jong made five appearances with the Twins and allowed 11 earned runs in 18 2/3 innings. During the 2022 season, he found a role in the Pirates bullpen, having a 2.25 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in 32 innings. Costello posted a .755 OPS between High- and Double-A during the 2019 season. Tragically, he passed away on November 18, 2019, from a sudden cardiac arrhythmia. (Learn more about The RC13 Foundation here.) 

Trade 4 (July 30, 2018)
Twins Receive: 1B/OF Tyler Austin, P Luis Rijo
Yankees Receive: P Lance Lynn
Lynn has evolved into one of baseball's best pitchers over the last four seasons, but he was terrible for the Twins in 2018. It made sense to deal with his expiring contract, and the returning players offered some intrigue. Austin played parts of two seasons with the Twins and posted a .786 OPS. Rijo has been limited to nine appearances over the last two seasons as he dealt with right elbow UCL reconstruction. He is currently rehabbing with the FCL Twins. 

Trade 5 (July 31, 2018)
Twins Receive: 2B Logan Forsythe, OF/1B Luke Raley, P Devin Smeltzer
Dodgers Receive: 2B Brian Dozier
One year after being vocal about the team trading away veterans, Dozier found himself dealt to a contender. After leaving the Twins, Dozier only played one more full season, but he won a World Series with the Nationals. Forsythe was included in the deal, so the Twins had someone to fill second base for the season's remaining games. Raley eventually was part of the Kenta Maeda trade as he returned to the Dodger organization. Smeltzer has been a surprise contributor to the Twins rotation in 2022. 

What do you remember about this trade deadline? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

OTHER POSTS IN THE SERIES
-2017 Trade Deadline
 

The inaugural Twins-mock was posted in 2014. Nick Gordon (Round 1) and Max Murphy (Round 9) were hits. But only three (including Gordon) ever made a major league appearance.
There were two more hits in 2015 (Kyle Cody and Trey Cabbage), but the story here is the other names that I drafted. Dillon Tate hasn’t lived up to the high draft status, but he’s been a productive reliever. Logan Allen has bounced around a little bit over his four seasons in the MLB. Joey Bart probably wouldn’t have signed in the sixth round. (He was drafted in the 27th round.) Bart became the second overall pick in 2018. I was taking Jake Cronenworth in the seventh round - which was where he was selected - but as a pitcher. Cronenworth went on to finish runner-up in the 2020 Rookie of the Year race and made the All-Star game in 2021.
My streak of multiple correct picks came to an end in 2016, when I only correctly predicted Alex Kirilloff. Will Smith went much higher in real-life (deservedly so). Daulton Jefferies was in the A’s starting rotation before getting injured. Keegan Akin has made the majors. (And I’ve hit on pretty much everyone to play in Baltimore’s bullpen.) As has Stephen Nogosek with the Mets. 
My final attempt came all the way back in 2017, when I incorrectly projected the Twins to select Kyle Wright. After a mostly down major league career, Wright has had a really good 2022. My streak continued as I correctly pegged Blayne Enlow going to the Twins, though he hasn’t debuted due to injury. Riley Adams (Washington) has made the majors, as has Michael Baumann with, you guessed it, Baltimore! 
Now after a four-year absence, I’ll see if I can correctly predict any of the Twins first 10 picks. It’s 10 picks because, despite forfeiting one to sign Carlos Correa, the Twins received a competitive balance pick. 
Note: This is my third attempt after not liking my first two projections. And that starts with my first pick. 
Round 1 (Pick 8 - $5,439,500): Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech. Cross has been the name most frequently connected to the Twins at #8. I think the Twins would be very likely to take almost any of the Top 7 names if they fell to them, though Termarr Johnson and Cam Collier seem to be the two they’d be happiest to see fall. The other side of that coin is that the Mets are lurking at #11 and may try to force someone to slide down to them. (BA: 10; MLB: 10; ESPN: 10; Athletic: 10)
Round 2 (Pick 48 - $1,621,900): Jacob Miller, RHP, Liberty Union (Ohio) High School. When you take a high school pitcher early, you’re betting on upside. The floor is going to be low. Miller has a powerful arm as well as showing a feel for spinning the ball. Bonus points for being from the Midwest. (BA: 34; MLB: 37; ESPN: 43; Athletic: 42)
Comp Round B (Pick 68 - $1,001,500): Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Crowder JC. The Twins have added a number of guys who throw in the low-to-mid-90s and then they unlock a few more MPHs on their fastball. Misiorowski already throws over 100, so maybe it’s time the Twins take a hard thrower and help refine his command and secondary pitches. (BA: 68; MLB: 78; ESPN: NR; Athletic: 95)
Round 4 (Pick 114 - $533,100): Henry Williams, RHP, Duke. The first of two Duke picks, Williams just had Tommy John surgery in December and will probably require a dip into the bonus pool to get this done. Hasn’t thrown a ton of college innings, but has shown plenty of upside. May bet on himself and return to Duke for another season. (BA: 179; MLB: 81; ESPN: 109; Athletic: 62)
Round 5 (Pick 144 - $398,200): Dom Keegan, C/1B, Vanderbilt. Keegan has a great bat and a chance to stick behind the plate. But there’s a wide range on where he could go. It’s tough to get a read on “seniors” as they have an option to go back to school for an extra (COVID) year. (BA: 227; MLB: 97; ESPN: 128; Athletic: 76)
Round 6 (Pick 174 - $301,000): Marcus Johnson, RHP, Duke. Johnson moved from a bullpen role to the rotation this year for the Blue Devils. He has a mid-to-high 90s fastball and a slider with a high-spin rate. With less than 130 college innings under his belt, there is reason to believe that Johnson’s trajectory could continue to climb. (BA: 129; MLB: 139; ESPN: NR; Athletic: NR)
Round 7 (Pick 204 - $235,400): Michael Knorr, RHP, Coastal Carolina. Knorr looks the part of a starting pitcher but is somewhat of a project. He’s equipped with a big-time fastball, yet lacks great command of it and doesn’t have great feel for throwing a breaking ball. The Twins have had success in leveling up college pitchers recently and should continue to roll the dice in that area. (BA: 128; MLB: 176; ESPN: NR; Athletic: NR)
Round 8 (Pick 234 - $187,700): Steven Zobac, RHP, Cal. New to full-time pitching, Zobac looked the part after moving exclusively to the mound. Equipped with a low-90s fastball and a good slider, there’s still potential to develop a third pitch and continue to improve while keeping his focus on the mound. (BA: 252; MLB: 241; ESPN: NR; Athletic: NR)
Round 9 (Pick 264 - $164,000): Alex Kachel, 3B, Fresno State. Instead of spending the 8th overall pick on a great bat with a questionable defensive home, we’re going that direction in the 9th round. Kachel can hit, but can he field? (BA: 228; MLB: NR; ESPN: NR; Athletic: NR)
Round 10 (Pick 294 - $153,700): Derek Diamond, RHP, Ole Miss. Diamond really struggled this past year - allowing multiple earned runs in 14 or 16 appearances. But he showed plenty of signs of having draftable characteristics last year. If a team is able to unlock that, they’ve found a prospect. (BA: 212; MLB: NR; ESPN: NR; Athletic: NR)
 

What we have gotten to is a point where there are names that are more connected to the Twins than others. It doesn't necessarily mean anything, but it could. 
Take a look at the various mock drafts up to this point.

TWINS MOCK DRAFTS Baseball America Mayo McDaniel TwinsDaily Law Callis Cam Collier
3B
Chipola JC
(5/26) Gavin Cross
OF
Virginia Tech
(5/18) Jacob Berry
RF
LSU
(6/1) Cam Collier
3B
Chipola JC
(5/26) Cole Young
SS
Pennsylvania HS
(5/19) Jace Jung
2B
Texas Tech
(5/11) Jacob Berry
3B/1B
LSU
(4/1) Jacob Berry
3B/OF
LSU
(4/27)         Chase DeLauter
OF
James Madison
(2/10)           The name most-prominently connected to the Twins is LSU switch-hitter Jacob Berry. He doesn't have a defensive home and don't confuse the various positions listed as versatility... his value is 100% tied up in his bat. 
But a bat that is in play at pick #1 and rarely gets by the Twins at #8 is a bat that experts think will surely play, regardless of where he will stand defensively (or sit, potentially, in the dugout as a designated hitter). 
Another name with helium towards the Twins is Chipola JC 3B Cam Collier. Collier is about to make his debut in the wood-bat Cape Cod League as a 17-year old.  He's been taking parts in scrimmages and has been very impressive. It's entirely believable, at this point, that Collier could be both the Twins main target at #8 and gone well before they have the opportunity to select him. 
The most noteworthy draft news from the past week has been the return of Kumar Rocker. Rocker is originally best known for playing superhero in Vanderbilt's run to a national title in 2019. Then well-known for not signing with Mets last summer and not even getting an offer after initially agreeing to a $6 million signing bonus. 
But he's back now for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League. He looked the part of a first-round pick, reaching 99 mph with his fastball and showing off his devastating slider. It certainly could have gone better as Rocker appeared to tire in his fourth inning, his command wavering enough to hit a batter before giving up a home run. But it also could have gone much, much worse. Rocker appears to be very much the guy we watched pitch for Vanderbilt. He should continue to throw regularly as he looks to answer the questions that have been asked of him over the last 12 months. 
JEREMY’S TOP 10 PROSPECTS
A few changes as we march forward into mid-June
1.) Druw Jones, OF, Georgia prep (Vanderbilt commit)
2.) Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly (previously: 4)
3.) Elijah Green, OF, Florida prep (Miami commit) (Baseball America breaks down his game.)
4.) Jackson Holliday, SS, Oklahoma prep (Oklahoma State commit) (previously: 6)
5.) Termarr Johnson, 2B, Georgia prep (previously: 2)
6.) Cam Collier, 3B, Chipola JC (previously: 7)
7.) Kevin Parada, C, Georgia Tech (previously: 5) 
8.) Connor Prielipp, LHP, Alabama
9.) Jacob Berry, Hitter, LSU (previously: unranked)
10.) Jace Jung, 3B, Texas Tech 
Dropped out: Dylan Lesko, RHP, Georgia prep (Vanderbilt commit) (Baseball America breaks down his game.) (previously: 9)
MOCK DRAFTS / PROSPECT BOARDS
Baseball America - v4.0 (5/26/22) the draft changed but the link stayed the same / v2.0 (4/1/22) /  v1.0 (2/10/22) / Top 300 (4/27/22) / Staff Draft v.1.0 (4/20/22)
MLB.com - Mayo Mock Draft (5/18/22) / Callis Mock Draft (5/11/22) /  Mock Draft (4/27/22) / Callis - Top 10 (12/15/21), Mayo - Top 20 (7/20/21) / Top 150 (4/25/22)
The Athletic - Bowden Top 10 ( 6/1/22) / Law Mock Draft (5/19/22) /  Law Top 100 (5/5/22) / Law Top 30 (3/10/22)
ESPN - McDaniel Mock Draft (6/1/22) / Draft Rankings 2.0 (4/27/22) / McDaniel’s Draft Rankings (2/24/22) / Early Draft Rankings (7/26/21) ($$$ - ESPN+)
Fangraphs - The Board / 2022 MLB Draft Rankings and Offseason List Primer (11/30/21) 
Prospects Live - v2.0 (4/21/22) / v1.0 (1/4/22) 
Just Baseball v1.0 (2/10/22)
My MLB Draft (1/18/22)
 

Transactions:
RHP Ben Gross placed on Injured List by Wichita SAINTS SENTINEL 
St. Paul 8, Indianapolis 1
Box Score

St. Paul gave the ball to Mario Sanchez tonight and he was great. Working six innings, Sanchez allowed just one run on four hits while striking out five and walking none. Even without the offensive explosion, he’d have kept the good guys in it.
Getting behind 1-0 on some poor throwing in the 1st inning, St. Paul charged back in the 4th inning. Alex Kirilloff flashed some much-needed power with a two-run homer to right-center that also brought in Royce Lewis. Tonight was Lewis' second game at the hot corner for St. Paul and he quickly saw the opportunity for a web gem.
In the 5th inning the Saints continued to add and did so in a big way. First Lewis drove in Derek Fisher with a single. Then Kirilloff singled to right scoring Lewis, and Spencer Steer followed with his first Triple-A home run, a two-run blast plating Kirilloff. 
The Saints weren’t satisfied with their lead and Jose Godoy drove in a run with Jermaine Palacios scoring on his ground out in the 6th inning before Mark Contreras drove in Kirilloff with a single of his own. Now up by seven runs, St. Paul had seen plenty of production from their 10 hits tonight.
Lewis, Kirilloff, and Steer all had multi-hit games tonight for St. Paul.
WIND SURGE WISDOM
Corpus Christi 9, Wichita 5
Box Score
Twins pitching prospect Blayne Enlow was making his third start since returning from Tommy John surgery tonight. It was a rough one as he allowed five runs on five hits in just three innings. Although Enlow struck out three batters, he walked four and his season ERA is up to 7.59.
Wichita jumped out to an early lead with Chris Williams launching a three-run blast in the top of the 1st inning. It was his second dinger of the year. Corpus Christi immediately answered with two of their own in the bottom half.
Matt Wallner, who’s been going very well at the plate of late, launched his 9th home run in the 3rd inning. With Austin Martin on base, Wallner’s homer was a two-run blast and erased the two earlier Corpus Christi runs. Although Martin is going through it offensively, he did swipe his 19th base of the season tonight.
Unfortunately that’s where the momentum shifted as the home team grabbed three runs in the bottom half of the third inning and then a two-run homer in the 5th inning put them on top for their first lead of the game. In the 7th inning Corpus Christi pushed across two more and the Wind Surge were looking at a four-run deficit.
Scoring four runs on five hits was nice, but that wasn’t going to get it done for Wichita this evening.
KERNELS NUGGETS
Cedar Rapids 9, Wisconsin 0
Box Score
Sawyer Gipson-Long worked six innings tonight for the Kernels and he was sharp. Allowing no runs on just two hits, Gipson-Long worked around four walks and punched out seven. His season ERA drops to 2.15 with this performance.
Neither team jumped out to an early lead, but Cedar Rapids was able to break the zeroes in the 5th inning. Recently promoted Kyler Fedko reached on a fielder’s choice with Jair Camargo scoring on a throwing error. Wander Javier then roped his 6th double of the season to score Seth Gray and Fedko before an Alerick Soularie ground out brought Javier home.
Things again got quiet until the 7th inning when Aaron Sabato stepped in and grounded a single to center, scoring Anthony Prato. Cedar Rapids had a five-run lead and with Wisconsin generating just two hits on the night that seemed like plenty of breathing room.
Still not content, the Kernels went back to work in the 8th inning. A Will Holland single plated Fedko again before a Prato single scored Alerick Soularie. Christian Encarnacion-Strand made his presence felt hustling down the line and giving Holland a chance to score on an errant throw. Then with two on, Sabato came through again and his 5th double of the season drove in Prato. Adding four more runs in, this one was over before Wisconsin would even get their last raps. Despite the run production, Prato was the only Cedar Rapids batter with a multi-hit effort on the evening.
MUSSEL MATTERS
Fort Myers 8, Bradenton 0
Box Score
Fort Myers turned to prospect Steven Hajjar tonight and he was nothing short of exceptional. Working 5 2/3 innings, Hajjar allowed just two hits and a walk. He punched out a whopping ten hitters and lowered his ERA to 2.17 on the season.
Jumping on the board early, Fort Myers tallied their first run when Noah Cardenas put a ball in play to score Mikey Perez. Cardenas was doubled up on the grounder so no RBI was recorded, but it started the cascade in the run column.
The 5th inning was highlighted in a big way when Kyle Schmidt went out deep to centerfield for a grand slam. Cardenas, Kala’i Rosario, and Dylan Neuse all touched home plate with him on the big fly. Two more came across in the 7th inning when a botched play at shortstop allowed both Emmanuel Rodriguez and Cardenas to scamper home.
Rosario made sure the Mighty Mussels weren’t done when he pushed Keoni Cavaco across the plate on a force out. Following up his earlier grand slam, Schmidt added a solo shot in the 9th inning to push the lead back to seven. Giving up two runs to Bradenton in the bottom of the 8th inning, the six-run deficit was as close as they’d get.
Tonight’s run production was a team effort as the lone batter for Fort Myers with two hits was Schmidt.
TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Hitter of the Day – Kyle Schmidt (Ft. Myers) - 2-5, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR(4)
Pitcher of the Day – Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - 5.2 IP 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
PROSPECT SUMMARY
We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. 
Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed:
#1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-3, R, BB, K
#2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 2-5, 2 R, RBI
#3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 2-4, R, 2B
#4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch
#5 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - Covid-IL
#6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch
#7 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch
#8 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch
#9 - Josh Winder (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch
#10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, 2 K
#11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) - 1-2, RBI
#12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 1-3, R, 2 RBI, BB, HR(9)
#13 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch
#14 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch
#15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, R, 3 K
#16 - Ronny Hendriquez (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch
#17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 3.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
#18 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR(1)
#19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - IL
#20 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - 5.2 IP 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS
Indianapolis @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - RHP Dereck Rodriguez
Wichita @ Corpus Christi (7:05PM CST) - RHP Matt Canterino
Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP John Stankiewicz
Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:300PM CST) - TBD
Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates back and playing.
 

With the Minnesota Twins holding a surprisingly sturdy lead in the American League Central, it’s no wonder that the team’s fans have some strong words about their unexpected success.
“It is absurd to me that they treat Byron Buxton with kid gloves,” said Hank Winters, 67, a retired bank executive. “Harmon Killebrew played every day and he’s in the Hall of Fame. Buxton may as well just work for the government. Sick of this.”
The Twins lead the heavily favored and godless Chicago White Sox by three games after a rocky 4-8 start. They're on pace to win a stunning 94 games. This playoff-worthy effort has given the fanbase plenty to talk about.
“Royce Lewis hits the cover off the ball and you send him to Triple-A,” said Beck Bradford, 41, a youth volleyball coordinator from Castle Rock Township. “Miranda can’t hit a bull in the ass with a handful of sand and Correa won’t even be here next year. But the boy geniuses (Twins executives Derek Falvey and Thad Levine) looked at the algorithms and said, ‘Nope, Royce, you go over to St. Paul, grab a stool at Alary’s, get comfortable. Don’t call us, we’ll call you.’
“I’ve never been more angry,” added Bradford.
Minnesota’s 22-16 record can be chalked up to several factors, perhaps none more important than the bullpen, which has been asked to do a lot with the starters still rounding themselves into shape after the lockout-shortened spring. This has not gone unnoticed.
“Chris Paddack is already going under the knife for Tommy John and we have no consistent closer,” said Tamara Kapsner, 49, a car salesperson in Robbinsdale. “Meanwhile, Taylor Rogers is going to the All-Star Game. If I made that kind of deal at my job they wouldn’t have to fire me, I’d just throw my [EXPLETIVE] in a box and go. Great call. Super.”
With the team’s schedule remarkably soft over the next couple weeks, the chance for Minnesota to put some space between them and the rest of the Central has people talking.
“I never took PTO in 27 years at TCF (Bank),” said Winters. “Because I had a work ethic. Did I miss birthdays and graduations and custody hearings and my third marriage? Yes. All of them. Cry more, Byron.”
“Spreadsheet oughta be manager, not Rocco (Baldelli),” said Bradford. “Bleep boop, pivot table, bench Correa, he’s played one game in a row, might hurt himself again.”
“May as well just trade (Jhoan) Duran for (retired former Twin) Mike Pelfrey,” said Kapsner. “Disgusting. Pohlads should’ve contracted them when they had the chance.”
 

Most of the Twins affiliates have played 15 games now while the St. Paul Saints have played 18 games. Top prospects are reaching 50-60 plate appearances. That's not enough to make any grand stances on players, but we'll get there. Starting pitchers will be making their third and fourth starts. Pitch counts may increase, and we might soon be able to find tendencies for players. and we will be here to cover it all. Let's take a look back at Week 3 in the Twins minor leagues. 
If you missed it, read Nick's Twins Week in Review after you've read about the minor league week.
Please note that the hyperlinks on player names will show you past articles in which that player has been tagged. Click around a bit and see how much some of these players have been written about over the years. 
RESULTS
Tuesday: The Arrival of Raya  Wednesday: Wind Surge Win a Wild One  Thursday: Double Walk Offs and Shoving Smeltzer  Friday: St. Paul Completes Twin Cities Sweep  Saturday: Emmanuel Rodriguez Does It Again  Sunday: Kernels and Surge Strike Large in Series Finales on Sunday MORE TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE CONTENT 
Twins Minor League Week in Review (4/12-18)  Twins Have Important Reinforcements Close  Unheralded Twins Prospects to Watch  Twins Complete Padres Trade with Pitching Prospect Brayan Medina  Emmanuel Rodriguez: A Star in the Making?  Three Questions With… Emmanuel Rodriguez (Video)  WEEK IN REVIEW 
Triple-A: St. Paul Saints: 
Week: 2-4 at Toledo
Season: 10-7 overall, 3rd place in the International League West. They are 2 1/2 games behind Nashville. 
The Saints scored nine runs in one game last week. In their other five games, they scored a combined ten runs. In the first game of the week, they lost 11-0. That’s not to say that there weren’t some highlights. 
Ten Saints pitchers worked and did not give up an earned run. Sure, that includes catcher David Banuelos who retired the only batter he faced. 
The highlight was Ronny Henriquez. He made his first appearance of the season, his first appearance in the Twins organization, and his first Triple-A appearance. It went quite well. He worked three scoreless, hitless innings. He walked one and struck out four batters.  Yennier Cano worked three scoreless innings over two appearances. He gave up two hits and hit a batter, and he struck out three batters.  Dereck Rodriguez returned to the Saints after one appearance with the Twins. He gave up two unearned runs on two hits over three innings. He struck out five batters without issuing a walk.  As you’d expect, it wasn’t all good. As terrific as Cole Sands was in his first two Triple-A starts, this wasn’t a good week. Combined, he gave up ten runs on ten hits in just 2 2/3 innings. He walked three and didn’t have a strikeout. He had a short start early in the week and came out of the bullpen on Sunday.  No surprise that the Saints didn’t have any hitting standouts in such a frustrating week. 
Jose Miranda led the offense, hitting .250/.321/.458 (.779) with five doubles and three walks.  Royce Lewis hit just .190 over six games. He had five walks, a double, and an absolutely mammoth home run. Daniel Robertson went 2-for-17 (.118) last week. Jake Cave was 3-for-23 (.130) with ten strikeouts. It was also a rough week for the catchers. Chance Sisco went 1-for-9 (.111). Jose Godoy went 1-for-8 (.125), though he got called up, and on Sunday had two incredibly huge walks. Caleb Hamilton went 0-for-5, and David Banuelos went 0-for-3.  What’s Next? The Saints come home to host the Nashville Sound, the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. (Go to SaintsBaseball.com for tickets!) 
Pitching Probables: (RHP Dereck Rodriguez, LHP Devin Smeltzer, RHP Ronny Henriquez, RHP Jake Faria, TBD, TBD) 
Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge 
Week: 4-2 at home vs. Midland 
Season: 8-7 overall, tied for 2nd place in the Texas League South Division. They are 2.0 games behind Tulsa. 
The Surge had a fantastic week offensively. In six games, they scored 52 runs. That includes a 15-1 win on Thursday, but they also had games with 10, nine, and eight runs. However, it was a rough week for their pitching staff. They gave up 45 runs. They had games in which they gave up 15, 10, eight, and seven runs. 
With that as the background, let’s start with the hitters. Six Wichita hitters posted an OPS over 1.000 for the week.  
Andrew Bechtold had a really nice week. In four games, he hit .364/.556/.727 (1.283). He had a double and a home run. He also walked six times with just two strikeouts.  Kevin Merrell also played in four games. He hit .313/.333/.938 (1.271) with a double and three home runs.  Michael Helman played all six games and hit .348/.429/.783 (1.212) with two doubles, a triple, two home runs and eight RBI. He also walked four times.  Spencer Steer also played all six games. He hit .409/.567/.591 (1.158) with four doubles. He had eight walks to go with just three strikeouts. Steer was the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. Was he also Twins Daily's hitter of the week?  Edouard Julien returned the second half of the week from the Injured List. He went 4-for-11 with a double and a triple. He also stole two bases in three games.  Dennis Ortega signed with the Twins late in spring training. He played last year with the Triple-A affiliate of the Cardinals, the organization he began with in 2014. In five games last week, he hit .478/.500/.696 (1.196) with three doubles, a triple, and seven RBI. Despite his years of professional experience, he is still just 24 years old.  On the other side of the spectrum, Leobaldo Cabrera went 0-for-15 during the week. Matt Wallner had two hits on Sunday, but he was 2-for-14 (.143) for the week.  For the Wind Surge pitching staff, there were certainly extremes. 
Matt Canterino started on both Monday and Sunday. Combined, he threw six scoreless, hitless innings. He walked two batters and struck out nine. After missing most of the 2021 season with elbow issues, the Twins will be immensely cautious with Canterino this year, likely putting him on a plan similar to what the team did with Bailey Ober a year ago.  Simeon Woods Richardson was incredible again in his start this week. The right-hander tossed six scoreless innings. He gave up two singles, walked no one, and struck out six batters.  Austin Schulfer tossed four scoreless innings over his two appearances. He gave up three hits, walked none and struck out five batters. He recorded one save.  While it wasn’t a great outing, Chris Vallimont had a nice, bounce-back start. He gave up one run in four innings. He gave up three hits, hit a batter, and walked three batters. He had six strikeouts.  On the other side, Brandon Lawson gave up six earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. Steven Cruz pitched twice. In 1 2/3 innings, he gave up six runs on four hits, a hit batter, and four walks. All of that came in the ninth inning when he came in with a 7-0 lead. Zach Featherstone also pitched twice. He gave up seven runs on four hits (2 homers), and three walks in two innings. Bryan Sammons gave up four runs on four hits and three walks in two innings.  What’s Next? The Wind Surge will be traveling to Arkansas for the week. 
Pitching Probables: (RHP Chris Vallimont, RHP Louie Varland, RHP Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP Matt Canterino, TBD, TBD)   
High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels: 
Week: 5-1 at home vs Peoria)
Season: 12-3 overall, 1st place in the Midwest League, 1.0 game ahead of Wisconsin. 
The Kernels won five of six games despite leading the run differential just 25-23. The first three games of the week were one-run games. They were postponed on Wednesday and then won both games of a doubleheader in walk-off fashion. The Kernels week (and season so far) has been largely successful due to some great work out of the bullpen.  
Eight relievers combined for 20 innings of zero unearned runs. Melvi Acosta, Denny Bentley, Osiris German, Bradley Hanner, and Bobby Milacki each pitched twice during the week and worked between 2 2/3 and 3 2/3 innings. Hanner was given the Win in both of his games. He walked and batter and hit a batter, but he did not give up a run or a hit during the week.  Sean Mooney went five innings in his start. He gave up one run on four hits.  Lefty Cade Povich gave up two runs (1 earned) on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out nine batters. Casey Legumina also worked 4 2/3 innings and gave up two runs.  The Kernels got several solid performances from their hitters last week against Peoria. 
After a middling first full week of the season (after an amazing first weekend), Christian Encarnacion-Strand had another strong week against Peoria. Over six games, he hit .400/.400/.560 (.960) with two doubles and a triple. The only blemish was nine strikeouts in 25 plate appearances.  Will Holland played in five games. He hit .375/.474/.438 (.912) with a double.  In five games, Jeferson Morales hit .313/.429/.438 (.867) with two doubles.  Outfielder Willie Joe Garry hit .294/.333/.529 (.862) with two doubles and a triple.  What’s Next? The Kernels will be traveling to southeast Wisconsin to take on the Beloit Sky Carp. 
Pitching Probables: (RHP Cody Laweryson, RHP Casey Legumina, LHP Brent Headrick, RHP Sean Mooney, RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long/LHP Aaron Rozek, LHP Cade Povich)   
Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels
Week: 3-3 at Dunedin
Season: 10-5 overall, 1st place in the Florida State League West, 2.0 games ahead of Bradenton. 
The Mighty Mussels scored 20 runs over their six-game week. Fortunately, their pitching staff only allowed just 18 runs on the week. No surprise, it was a tightly-contested week. Three of the six games were settled by one run. There was also a two-run game, a three-run game, and a four-run game. No laughers in Florida this week, at least not in Dunedin. 
The Mighty Mussels starters continued to pitch really well. The six starters worked a combined 28 1/3 innings and gave up just four runs (2 earned) on 11 hits and eight walks. They struck out 39 batters. 
John Stankiewicz had another great start last week. He struck out nine batters over five scoreless innings. He gave up one hit and walked two batters.  Marco Raya’s second professional start was pretty incredible. He struck out 10 batters over six innings. He gave up one hit and struck out none.  Steve Hajjar was good in his second pro start. He struck out 10 batters over 4 1/3 innings. He gave up an unearned run on two walks and a hit batter. No hits.  David Festa also went four scoreless frames in his start. He gave up three hits, walked two, and struck out four batters. The big news to come out of this start was that he hit 98.6 mph with a fastball.  On Sunday, Travis Adams gave up one run on one hit over five one-run innings.  Two relievers worked twice and got at least 12 outs. Hunter McMahon walked one and struck out one over four hitless innings. Mike Paredes gave up just one hit over 4 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out five batters.  It was a good week for a few 2022 draft picks.  
Eighth round pick from UCLA, catcher Noah Cardenas played in four games. He hit .273/.471/.545 (1.016) with a homer and three walks.  Dylan Neuse was the Twins 17th round pick from Texas Tech. He also played in four games and hit .273/.385/.545 (.930) with his first professional home run.  12th round pick Kyler Fedko, an outfielder from U Conn had another solid week. Over six games, he hit .286/.407/.476 (.883) with a double and a home run.  What’s Next? The Mighty Mussels are back at Hammond Stadium this coming week to face Clearwater. 
Pitching Probables: (LHP Steve Hajjar, RHP Pierson Ohl, RHP John Stankiewicz, TBD, RHP Travis Adams, TBD) 
PROSPECT SUMMARY

This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week (April 19-24). 
#1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 6 G, 7-for-24 (.292), 2-2B, 2 RBI, 5 BB, 4 K (Season: 15 G, .262/.392/.344 (.736), 5-2B, 15 R, 4 RBI, 10 BB, 12 K)
#2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 6 G, 4-for-21 (.190), 3-2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 3 K (Season: 16 G, .288/.394/.542 (.937), 7-2B, 1-3B, 2-HR, 15 R, 9 RBI, 9 BB, 15 K)
#3 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 5 G, 5-for-19 (.263), 3-2B, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K (Season: 16 G, .235/.280/.397 (.677), 8-2B, 1-HR, 8 R, 10 RBI, 4 BB, 13 K)
#4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - IL (knee)
#5 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - 1 GS, 6 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 5 K (Season: 3 GS, 16 IP, 3 R, 9 H, 5 BB, 16 K, 2-1, 1.69 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 2.8 BB/9, 9.0 K/9)
#6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - 2 GS, 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, 9 K (Season: 4 GS, 9.2 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 8 BB, 14 K, 0-1, 2.79 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 7.4 BB/9, 13.0 K/9)
#7 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - 2 G, 3.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 4 K  (Season: 6 G, 9.0 IP, 4 R, 8 H, 2 BB, 15 K, 0-0, 4.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 2.0 BB/9, 15.0 K/9)
#8 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - 1 GS, 6 IP,  0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 K (Season: 3 GS, 16.2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 14 K, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.54 WHIP, 2.2 BB/9, 7.6 K/9)
#9 - Josh Winder (Minnesota) - 1 G, 4.0 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 0 BB, 4 K  (Season: 3 G, 10.1 IP, 4 R, 7 H, 3 BB, 5 K, 0-0, 3.48 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 2.6 BB/9, 4.4 K/9)
#10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 6 G, 5-for-21 (.238), 1-2B, 5 BB, 6 K (Season: 14 G, .200/.353/.218 (.571), 1-2B, 8 R, 1 RBI, 12 BB, 20 K)
#11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) - 5 G, 0-for-3 (.000), 0 BB, 0 K (Season: 9 G, .100/.250/.100 (.350), 2 R, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K)
#12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 4 G, 2-for-14 (.143), 5 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K.(Season: 12 G, .111/.222/.178 (.400), 1-HR, 4 R, 7 RBI, 7 BB, 24 K)
#13 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - 2 G, 1 GS, 2.2 IP, 10 ER, 10 H, 1 BB, 0 K (Season: 4 G, 3 GS, 12.2 IP, 11 R, 14 H, 4 BB, 12 K, 0-3, 7.82 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 2.8 BB/9, 8.5 K/9)
#14 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 1 GS, 5.0 IP, 6 R, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K  (Season: 3 G, 2 GS, 15.1 IP, 10 R, 7 ER, 11 H, 8 BB, 18 K, 1-1, 4.11 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 4.7 BB/9, 10.6 K/9)
#15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 6 G, 3-for-20 (.150) , 2-2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 11 K (Season: 14 G, .267/.469/.667 (1.136), 3-2B, 5-HR, 12 R, 8 RBI, 16 BB, 17 K)
#16 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) -  (Week/Season: 1 G, 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP, 3.0 BB/9, 12.0 K/9)
#17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - IL (elbow)
#18 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 6 G, 9-for-22 (.409), 4-2B, 6 RBI, 8 BB, 3 K (Season: 15 G, .322/.429/.542 (.971), 8-2B, 1-3B, 1-HR, 12 R, 12 RBI, 9 BB, 12 K)
#19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 3 G, 4-for-11 (.364), 1 BB, 2 K, 2 SB (Season: 7 G, .318/.385/.455 (.839), 1-2B, 1-3B, 4 R, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 4 K)
#20 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - 1 GS, 4.1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, 10 K.  (Season: 2 GS, 7.1 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 16 K, 0-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 4.9 BB/9, 19.6 K/9)
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK 

Hitter of the Week: Super Utility, Michael Helman, Wichita Wind Surge  

Last week, Michael Helman played in all six games for Wichita. He hit .348/.429/.783 (1.212) with two doubles, a triple, two home runs and eight RBI. He also walked four times. In 15 games on the season, he has hit .286/.379/.554 (.933) with two doubles, two triples, and three home runs. As important in his development, he has nine walks to just six strikeouts on the season. He is also 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts. 
The Twins drafted Helman in the 11th round of the 2018 draft as a second baseman out of Texas A&M. That is the position he played most of the time pre-pandemic. When he returned to the field in 2021, versatility became a huge part of Helman’s game. In fact, I think it is a trait that will help him get a shot in the big leagues at some point. Last year, he played 42 games in left field, 27 games in right field, 26 games in center field, 16 games at second base and four games at shortstop. He went to the Arizona Fall League where he played eight games in center but also played games in left, second and third base. This season, Helman has started ten games in center, four games at third base, and one game at second base. 
After struggling offensively in Ft. Myers in 2019, hitting just .197 before an injury ended his season. It was in Cedar Rapids in 2021 where his bat, and specifically his power arrived. In 111 games, he hit 21 doubles, four triples and 19 home runs (50% more than previously as a pro). He always took quality at-bats and knows the strike zone well, but after being a top of the order or bottom of the order hitter, he has become a middle of the order hitter in a very strong Wichita Wind Surge lineup in 2021. 
Pitcher of the Week: Marco Raya, Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels 

In just his second professional start, Raya shut down the Dunedin Blue Jays for six innings. He faced the minimum of 18 batters. He gave up one hit, walked none, and struck out ten batters. The one batter who got a hit was soon thrown out attempting to steal a base. It was a nice jump forward after his first start in which he gave up three runs (2 earned) on seven hits, a walk, and a hit batter. 
Raya was the Twins' fourth-round draft pick in 2020 out of United South High School in Laredo, Texas. Of course, there wasn’t a season for him to begin his career then. He made a strong showing in the instructional league that fall. He was excited to begin in 2021 but a minor injury cost him the season. However, reports from last year’s instructional league had him hitting 96-97 mph with a fastball. That’s especially impressive when he was selected as a prep pitcher with four quality pitches and good control. Add in the big fastball and Raya has a chance to be really good.
What were your favorite storylines from the past week, and what will you be following in the coming week. 

Over the past week, the Twins went 2-4, but all four of their minor-league affiliates had a winning record. There were postponements and a no-hitter. Games were played in snow. There were some great comebacks, and some absolutely dynamic pitching performances by some top prospects, but also by several that you may not have heard of… yet. And there were some really big offensive performances by prospects and others that are less known. Our purpose here, in large part, is to update you and introduce you to Twins prospects by giving them the credit they deserve. 
If you missed it, read Nick's Twins Week in Review after you've read about the minor league week.
Also note, hyperlinks on player names will show you past articles in which that player has been tagged. Click around a bit and see how much some of these players have been written about over the years. 
WEEK IN REVIEW
In case you missed a daily report: 
Tuesday: Povich Nearly Perfect (Video)  Wednesday: Streak Continues, No-No in St. Paul (Video)   Thursday: Varland Victorious and Mussels Mighty (Video)   Friday: Bats Bring the Boom, Pitchers the Brooms (Video) Saturday: The Bats are Sizzling (Video) Sunday: Saints, Wind Surge, Kernels Conclude Week with Wins (Video)   Jhoan Duran is What the Twins Have Always Needed  Triple-A: St. Paul Saints: Week (vs. Indianapolis) 3-2 (8-3 overall)
The Saints played their home-opening series and got a brutal look at what baseball in Minnesota in April can look like. After dropping the first two games of the week, including being no-hit on Wednesday, the team was snowed-out on Thursday. They came back to play the coldest game in team history on Friday, got the win, then had a crazy come-from-behind win on Saturday, and finished off a series win on Sunday. 
The Saints scored 28 runs over their five games, and 16 of them came on Saturday. Here are the top offensive performers from the past week: 
Curtis Terry played four games. He went 4-for-14, hitting .286/.333/.786 (1.119) with a double and two home runs.  Royce Lewis played in all five games. He hit .412/.389/.706 (1.095) with three doubles and a triple. (Yes, he had a sacrifice fly.)  Jermaine Palacios has played around the infield, and in four games last week, he hit .385/.467/.615 (1.082) with a home run.  On the pitching front, there was a lot of solid pitching. Nine pitchers threw in one game and did not allow a run. In that group includes:
Devin Smeltzer who gave up three hits over five scoreless in his start of the week.  Chi Chi Gonzalez tossed three scoreless, hitless innings in his outing.  Cole Sands had a second strong start. He gave up one run on three hits over five innings.  Finally, Jake Faria stretched out to four innings and gave up just one run.  What’s Next?
The Saints travel to Toledo to take on the Mudhens. Here are their pitching probables:  
Pitching Probables (RHP Cole Sands, RHP Mario Sanchez, TBD, TBD, TBD, RHP Cole Sands) 
Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge: Week (@NW Arkansas) 4-2 (4-5 overall)
The Surge began their 2022 season with three home losses to Tulsa. This past week, they traveled to NW Arkansas and lost the first two games against the Royals’ affiliate. On Thursday, they grabbed their first win of the season and finished the weekend with four straight wins.
Things started a bit ominously for the team. In their first game of the week, Edouard Julien walked in the first inning. He stole second, but he hurt his ankle on the play and went on the Injured List the next day. Here are a couple of offensive highlights for the week: 
Spencer Steer played in all six games. He hit .269/.321/.538 (.859) with two doubles, a triple, and a home run.  Alex Isola hit .286/.353/.500 (.853) with a homer over four games played.  Veteran Kevin Merrell joined the roster this week. He hit .385 in three games (5-for-13).  Austin Martin got off to a rough start, but over the past few games, he has returned to on-base machine status. This week, he hit .292 with a .433 OBP. He had seven hits and five walks, and when he got on base, he was running. He went 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts.  On the other side of the spectrum, Matt Wallner went 2-for-22 (.091) with 12 strikeouts. He did hit his first Double-A homer.  Like the Saints, the Wind Surge got some really strong bullpen performances and a couple of standout starter performances. 
Eight relievers pitched twice and did not give up an earned run. Among them:  Steven Cruz tossed four hitless innings.  Tyler Viza struck out nine batters in 4 1/3 scoreless innings without issuing a walk.  Austin Schulfer struck out four batters over three, one-hit innings. He recorded one save.  Argenis Angulo struck out six batters over three scoreless innings.  Lefties Bryan Sammons and Evan Sisk each threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings.  Louie Varland got a Win in his start last week. He struck out ten batters over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He gave up two hits and walked one.  Simeon Woods Richardson backed up his strong first start with another very good start. He gave up only an unearned run on two hits over five innings.  On the other side, in Brandon Lawson’s second start of the week, he gave up eight runs without recording an out.  What’s Next? The Wind Surge will be hosting Midland. 
Pitching Probables (RHP Matt Canterino, RHP Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP Chris Vallimont, RHP Louie Varland, RHP Brandon Lawson, RHP Matt Canterino)   
 
High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels: Week (@ Quad Cities) 4-2 (7-2 overall)
Christian Encarnacion-Strand had a solid week at the plate, a couple of home runs, and still leads all of minor-league baseball in RBI. This week, his OPS ranked sixth among Kernels hitters. The team scored 38 runs in their six games despite playing two, seven-inning doubleheaders. The team hit nine home runs in those six games. 
Charles Mack has adapted well to playing behind the plate. The team may need to find ways to get his bat in the lineup more. In three games last week, he went 7-for-12 (.583) with two doubles, a homer, and five RBI. He posted a 1.583 OPS. Another catcher, Jair Camargo, played in four games and hit .375/.412/1.000 (1.412) with a double, three homers, and five RBI.  Seth Gray played five games. He hit .429/.600/.786 (1.386) with two doubles and a triple. He also reached five times on walks. Anthony Prato did a great job setting the table from the leadoff spot. In six games, he hit .348/.448/.565 (1.013) with a triple, a homer, five walks, and seven RBI.   Aaron Sabato had a nice week. He played in four games, but he hit .313/.421/.563 (.984) with a double and a home run. He drove in six runs. Maybe more important, he had just three strikeouts in 19 plate appearances.  Alerick Soularie was the only other player with six games played. He went just 2-for-21 (.095) The Kernels got some terrific performances from their starting pitchers last week in Quad Cities. 
Sawyer Gipson-Long had a strong first start. He was even better in start number two. The right-hander tossed five shutout innings. He gave up three hits, walked none, and struck out nine batters.  Lefty Cade Povich went five shutout innings in his start. He gave up just one hit, walked one, and struck out eight.  Brent Headrick is healthy and put together a second strong start. In four innings, he gave up just one hit. He struck out eight batters and walked none.  A third left-hander, Aaron Rozek, gave up only an unearned run over five innings in his start. He gave up three hits and struck out seven batters without issuing a walk.  Derek Molina worked three scoreless innings over two outings in relief. He struck out five batters.   What’s Next? The Kernels will be hosting Peoria for six games this week. 
Pitching Probables (LHP Cade Povich, RHP Sean Mooney, RHP Casey Legumina, LHP Brent Headrick, RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long, LHP Aaron Rozek)   
 
Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels: (vs. Jupiter) 4-2 (7-2 overall)
After winning their first four games of the week, the Mussels were 7-0. However, they lost their final two games of the week. The Mighty Mussels had a couple of big comeback wins, along with a nice 12-0 blowout. They scored 37 runs in their six games last week. 
A top prospect is making the large Florida State League ballparks look small. And a 2021 All-American showed again that he can flat-out hit. 
Emmanuel Rodriguez played in five games last week. He went 7-for-16, hitting .438/.591/1.000 (1.591) with three homers. He also walked six times. He heads into this week with just one minor leaguer having more walks than him.  Kyler Fedko had another really good week. He played in all six games. He hit .500/.577/.727 (1.304) with two doubles, a homer, and four RBI. He went 11-for-22.  Dillon Tatum was drafted last year as a catcher, but he’s been spending time at first base too. In four games this week, he went 3-for-12 (.250), but he walked five times in 17 plate appearances.  Another catcher, Kyle Schmidt, played in all six games. He hit .278/.316/.611 (.927) with two homers and nine RBI.  On the flip side, top pick Noah Miller played in five games and went 2-for-20 (.100). He did walk six times. Fellow 2021 draft picks Mikey Perez (2-for-14, .143) and Noah Cardenas (1-for-12, .083) also struggled in the small sample size of one week.  Like the other affiliates, the Mighty Mussels got strong pitching from starters and relievers this week. 
John Stankiewicz had a very impressive start. The right-hander struck out 11 batters over six shutout innings. He gave up three hits and didn’t issue a walk.  Travis Adams also had a really good start last week. In his start, he struck out seven batters over five scoreless innings. He gave up just two hits and walked one batter.  Lefty Sam Perez struck out five batters in three relief innings. Malik Barrington, Jackson Hicks, Mike Paredes, Matthew Swain, and John Wilson all tossed two scoreless innings in their relief outings.  What’s Next? The Mighty Mussels will head up north to play six games against Dunedin. 
Pitching Probables (RHP Marco Raya, LHP Steve Hajjar, RHP Pierson Ohl, TBD, RHP Travis Adams, TBD) 
 
PROSPECT SUMMARY
This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings and how they performed last week (April 12-18). 
#1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 6 G, 7-for-24 (.292), 2B, 2 RBI, 5 BB, 5 K
#2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 5 G, 7-for-17 (.412), 3-2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 0 BB, 3 K
#3 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 5 G, 5-for-19 (.263), 3-2B, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K
#4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - IL
#5 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - 1 GS, 6 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 7 K
#6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - 1 GS, 1 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 2 K
#7 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - 3 G, 4 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K 
#8 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - 1 GS, 5 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K
#9 - Josh Winder (Minnesota) - 2 G, 6.1 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K 
#10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 5 G, 2-for-20 (.100), 1 RBI, 6 BB, 8 K. 
#11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) - 4 G, 1-for-7 (.143), 2 BB, 4 K
#12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 5 G, 2-for-22 (.091), HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 12 K.
#13 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - 1 GS, 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K
#14 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 1 GS, 5 2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 10 K
#15 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 5 G, 7-for-16 (.438) , 3 HR, 3 RBI, 6 BB, 4 K
#16 - Ronny Hendriquez (Development List) - DNP
#17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - IL 
#18 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 6 G, 7-for-26 (.269), 2-2B, 3B, HR, 4 RBI, 0 BB, 7 K
#19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1 G, 0-for-0 (.000), 1 BB, 1 SB
#20 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - 1 GS, 3 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K. (pro debut) 
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK 
Hitter of the Week: Outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez, Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels 

Rodriguez is a 19-year-old outfielder that the Twins signed on July 2, 2019, out of the Dominican Republic. It sure took some time for his career to begin. The 2020 season was canceled in the Dominican Summer League too. He made his professional debut in 2021 in the FCL. In 37 games, he hit .214/.346/.524 (.870) with five doubles, two triples, and 10 home runs. He also stole nine bases and is a solid defensive outfielder. He has spent all of his time in centerfield early this season, with a couple of games as DH too. Overall in his eight games this season, he has hit .360/.568/.880 (1.448) with a double and four home runs. More impressive, to this point, he has 12 walks to go with just six strikeouts. In 153 plate appearances a year ago, he walked 15% of the time and struck out nearly 37% of the time. Through just 37 plate appearances this season, Rodriguez has walked an unsustainable 32% of the time and struck out just 16% of the time. That number will certainly go up, but to this point, it is a nice sign of an improved process at the plate. The Florida State League is notoriously tough on hitters, so it will be very interesting to see if he is able to maintain his early-season power too. 
Pitcher of the Week: John Stankiewicz, Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels

The Twins signed Stankiewicz following the 2020 draft. As you recall, there were just five rounds in the 2020 MLB draft. After it was complete, teams could sign other draft-eligible players for up to $20,000. Stankiewicz signed with the Twins following three solid seasons at Fordham University. Between the 2019 and the four-game 2020 season, he went 10-5 with a 1.56 ERA. In 2021, he spent time at the Florida Complex in the first half of the season. He made one start in the FCL when that season started and struck out six batters in two innings. He then finished with seven games (4 starts) with the Mighty Mussels. He was 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA. He had 24 strikeouts and just eight walks over 23 1/3 innings. 
In his first start of the season, he went five innings. He was charged with two runs on two hits and two walks. He also struck out eight Clearwater batters. Coupled with his six shutout innings in his second start, he has now struck out 19 batters, and walked just two, over 11 innings. He has been a strike machine so far this season. Over those two starts, he has thrown 145 pitches (11 innings) and thrown 72% strikes. 
 
Congratulations to our Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, and to all those who have started the 2022 season strong. Check back at Twins Daily at least daily to see our minor league reports, game recaps, and usually some video highlights from the minor league games. 

10. Jorge Polanco - “Te Siento en Para” by Liro Shaq, Ceky Viciny, Bulin 47
Is this song actually good, or has it just been around long enough that we can’t live without it? The number of times I’ve hummed the hook to myself in the past few years was enough to secure a spot for this tune, tattooed forever in our eardrums. This music video has a modest 8.8M views on YouTube, with at least half contributed to the Twins’ gameday staff themselves. We do not recommend watching this video at work or in public. 
9. Max Kepler - “London Calling” by The Clash
This song was re-released twice before Kepler himself was born. This was the highest-charting single by The Clash until their monstrous hit, “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” Rolling Stone has it ranked as one of their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” I can’t argue with greatness, but this tune doesn’t have the average fan busting out of their seat quite like some of the others on this list. Or at least this fan, who is under the age of 50 (sorry). The intro is catchy, though. 
8. Nick Gordon - “Came and Saw (feat. Rowdy Revel)” by Young Stoner Life & Young Thug
Full disclosure, I didn’t know this song or any of these artists before today. However, this made me root for more Gordon at-bats. The background trumpets and strong beat bring any couch potato to their feet. 
7. Bailey Ober - “Public Service Announcement” - Jay-Z
“Public Service Announcement” was one of the many hits from Jay-Z’s 2003 album, “The Black Album,” which included other hits such as "Encore" and "Dirt off Your Shoulder." As YouTube user NATO FORCE RECORDS said three months ago, “2022 and I’m still here.” Allow Ober to reintroduce himself this season as one of the aces of this pitching staff. 
6. Luis Arraez - “Ojos Colorau” by Mora
“Ojos Colorau”, which translates to “colored eyes”, starts off as a slow ballad but abruptly picks up the pace after the first chorus. Mora is a young artist, hailing from Bayamón, PR, the hometown of José Berríos. May all of our young rookies who start the season off slowly also abruptly pick up the pace.
5. Josh Winder - “Please Take Me Home” by Blink 182
Like many others born between 1990 and 1998, Winder is an elder millennial who stomped around their bedroom listening to the greatest genre of all time, emo pop. Although this isn’t one of Blink 182’s bigger hits, “Please Take Me Home” has everything you’d need in one stop. With Travis Barker drum riffs and “my” pronounced like “moye”, your head will uncontrollably bop when Winder takes the mound. 
4. Caleb Thielbar - “Wake Up” by Rage Against the Machine
Great alarm clock song. Great tune all around by an all-time band. Fun fact, this song was never released as a single, but it is usually played as the final song of every Rage Against the Machine show. All Thielbar needs now is a trench coat and black sunglasses. Kashmir is a no-go for that trench coat. 
3. Danny Coulombe - “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone
Even if you don’t think you know this one, you absolutely do. This kid-friendly tune will bring a smile to every face in the ballpark, and how can you not love that? Thank you, Danny…and Starlord. 
2. Carlos Correa - “25/8” by Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny was the most streamed artist on Spotify in the last two years and is one of the best-selling Latin artists of all time. Unfamiliarity with Bad Bunny is a character flaw, and Correa’s pick of "25/8" brings us one of his best sleeper hits. This music video has 88.3M views on YouTube, and while I didn’t do the math, that is probably more views than most of this list combined.  
1.5 Chris Archer - “Voodoo Child” by Jimi Hendrix
Full disclosure, the announcement of this walk-up song came after I was already done writing this. I couldn’t pick a tune to remove from the list nor disrespect Hendrix. Therefore, I made an executive decision to put him here. Please send all complaints to renabanenacomplaints@gmail.com. 
Honorable Mentions: 

Joe Ryan - “Fire on the Mountain” by the Grateful Dead 
Self-explanatory. 
Kenta Maeda - “Hikoutei” by King Gnu
This song would’ve topped the list if Maeda was in the rotation this season, but it didn’t feel right putting this one in if it couldn’t be heard at a ballpark. Spotify just isn’t the same. 
Jorge Alcala - “Entro Con la U” by Monkey Black
This one has arguably the most catchy beat out of this entire list, but the repetitiveness took it out of the top ten. 
1. Tyler Duffey - “Electric Feel” by MGMT
I didn’t read into the lyrics until I had to take a deep dive into the list of walk-up songs, and I’d recommend against doing so. Your toes will uncontrollably tap, and your mood will instantaneously lift anytime this tune comes on. It’s the perfect vibe for a Sunday afternoon at the ballpark. 
Check out the full list of all the Twins’ 2022 Walkup music: 
And teammates supporting one another is always good! 
 

Triple-A: St. Paul Saints: Week (@ Louisville) 5-1 (5-1 overall)
It was an awesome opening week for the Saints. The team scored 47 runs and won five of their six games. Royce Lewis is off to a great start, going 7-for-21 with three doubles and a homer. Lewis stole three bases and reached base in 48% of his plate appearances. He also made numerous strong plays at shortstop. 
Mark Contreras picked up right where he left off in 2021, going 6-for-17 with two doubles and two homers. The player of the week, though, was Jake Cave, who went 9-for-19 with three doubles and a triple. Cave posted a 1.320 OPS and is undoubtedly itching to join the Twins in Minneapolis. 
On the pitching front, Cole Sands dazzled with five scoreless innings in Thursday’s loss. Sands struck out seven, walked none, and allowed one hit. He’s a key part of what the Twins hope will be adequate starting pitching depth this season. Several Saints relievers had strong weeks, including Wladimir Pinto (4 IP, 0 ER), Juan Minaya (3 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 5 K), and Yennier Cano (3 IP, 0 ER, 4 K).
Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge: Week (vs. Tulsa) 0-3 (0-3 overall)
The Surge had a rough first go at the plate, hitting .167/.264/.250 with one homer in 110 plate appearances. Austin Martin went 2-for-13 with multiple errors and Matt Wallner went 1-for-9 with five strikeouts. Spencer Steer had a nice weekend with three hits, including two doubles and two RBI. 
Matt Canterino started the opener and battled through a tenuous first inning. The second was much better, but with the Twins monitoring his workload closely, Canterino lasted two innings and 45 pitches. Twins’ 2021 Minor League Pitcher of the Year Louie Varland made his debut in relief, walking five in a rough 4 2/3 innings. 
Simeon Woods Richardson pitched very well in his season debut, striking out five and walking two in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. SWR threw 46 of 66 pitches for strikes, an awesome sign after command issues last year. Austin Schulfer, Steven Cruz, and the Surge bullpen was fairly solid all weekend. The bats were the issue. 
High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels: Week (vs. Beloit) 3-0 (3-0 overall)
What an insane week for Twins’ 2021 fourth-round pick Christian Encarnacion-Strand. He went 10-for-14 with two doubles, three homers, and 15 RBI. Those 15 RBI are four more than the next high total for all minor leaguers despite Triple-A teams having played six games instead of three. It is six more than anyone below Triple-A. 
Sawyer Gipson-Long quietly had a solid season in 2021, striking out 32% of hitters across both A-levels. He is off to a nice start this year, pitching four scoreless innings with five strikeouts in his season debut. Brent Headrick and Aaron Rozek also turned in solid starts. 
Outscoring Beloit 23-8, the Kernels could have a potent offense with Encarnacion-Strand, Alerick Soularie, and Aaron Sabato in the heart of the order. The bullpen was also fantastic, headlined by Osiris German, Cody Laweryson, and Bradley Hanner. 
Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels: (@ Clearwater) 3-0 (3-0 overall)
Emmanuel Rodríguez will be a must-follow prospect all summer long. The 19-year-old showed elite plate discipline and power in his 2021 debut. Rodríguez walked six times over his first three games this weekend, adding a homer and a double. He also stole a base in Sunday’s win. Rodríguez could move quickly.
Outfielder Kyler Fedko, the Twins’ 12th round pick in 2021, is off and running with a double, triple, and four RBI. Kala’i Rosario went 2-for-8 with a triple and Keoni Cavaco had a monster Opening Day, going 3-for-5 with a double. Cavaco walked twice Saturday and once more Sunday, but he struck out six times in 15 plate appearances. 
Starters David Festa, Travis Adams, and John Stankiewicz combined to allow three runs in 15 innings. They struck out 16 and walked only two. The Mighty Mussels lead the league with a 3.00 ERA after the first weekend. They led the Florida State League with a 3.96 ERA and tied for first with 1,288 strikeouts in 2021. 
Complex League FCL Twins: 2021 Regular Season (21-38)
The FCL Twins start their season in Mid-June. Players not currently on a full-season affiliate's roster are in Ft. Myers at the complex for what amounts to Extended Spring Training. Several of those players will move back and forth between the Complex roster and the Mighty Mussels roster, or even the other rosters depending on need. 
PROSPECT SUMMARY
This Prospect Summary shows our current Twins Top 20 Prospect Rankings. 
#1 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 2-for-13, 2 2B
#2 - Royce Lewis (St. Paul) - 7-for-21, 3 2B, 4 BB, 3 SB
#3 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 5-for-25, HR
#4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - IL
#5 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - 4 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP (70 pitches, 42 strikes)
#6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K (45 pitches, 26 strikes)
#7 - Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (31 pitches, 22 strikes) 
#8 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - 5 ⅔ IP, H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 K (66 pitches, 46 strikes)
#9 - Josh Winder (Minnesota) - Did Not Pitch
#10 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 4-for-14, SB
#11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) - Did Not Play.
#12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 1-for-9, 3 BB
#13 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - 5 IP, H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 7 K
#14 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 4 2/3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 4 K, (86 pitches, 49 strikes)
#15 - Emmanuel Rodríguez (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-9, 2B, HR, SB
#16 - Ronny Hendriquez (Development List) - DNP
#17 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - IL 
#18 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 3-for-11, 2 2B
#19 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 3-for-11, BB
#20 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch
Feel free to discuss the teams or players, and ask questions in the COMMENTS below. 

There is nothing more exciting to me than newcomers to baseball. Having new fans in a sport when many people are starting to turn away shows that baseball truly is America's favorite pastime. Her introduction to baseball was not from growing up in Minnesota; she had never really watched it, period. Her boyfriend is from Canada and is a life-long Blue Jays fan. He would have the game on every time they played and even traveled to watch them in the playoffs in Kansas City in 2016. He did not miss a game, and consequently, neither did Rena. 
At the beginning of our interview, she makes an accurate, bold statement, "As a new fan, the game is boring. You don't know what's going on, and you don't know the teams." 
She is not wrong. So what made her change her mind? Like me, she started by watching the pitcher when I started watching. The pitcher is one of the unique players on the team. The game is centered around the pitcher and how they perform, so watching them can put many pieces together.  
Over time, from watching the game with her boyfriend, she started to see little things that pitchers did, their delivery and mechanics. This led to her watching the other players, why each player is essential, how they play their position and how they interact. 
Rena was so intrigued by what she was watching that she eventually her fandom moved from watching with her boyfriend, to having it on in the background, to watching games when she was by herself. The first time she turned on the TV to watch by herself and immerse herself in her new hobby, the catalyst to her love of baseball was the 2017 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros. 
She loved the excitement of the game, but her excitement came because she had no dog in the fight and could see the rigors of competition. Rena watched intently and learned who the players were and the strategies that they were using in the games to get an advantage over the other team. She figured out quickly by watching that they use certain players in the lineup based on their ability to hit singles, doubles, clean up, or even strikeout. There was a strategy to the game, and she loved that. 

As frustrating as that was to hear that the 2017 Astros are what got her interested in the game, at least Minnesota and Twins baseball got something good out of that series, a new baseball fan. She went in full throttle with her newfound hobby and listened to the "Baseball Tonight" podcast. She would listen to the podcast and then watch a clip or game to soak in what they explained in the episode she had just heard. 
As Rena began to understand what they were talking about, she took to Twitter, where she (and many of us) began to voice her thoughts and feelings about baseball in a segment called "Bleacher Tweets" through Baseball Tonight at the end of their show. 
"Since it was a new hobby, I had many questions," Rena explains, "I wanted to know their perspective, and eventually, I befriended the host." 
Because she was a new fan and stats were huge in the baseball community, the host appreciated the banter and questions she was bringing to the table. Even though she liked the stats and understood them, she was more a fan of the game and brought a fresh perspective to the host. They appreciated her perspective so much they brought her onto the podcast to talk about her insights on baseball. She stayed there for a year, and that's when Twins Daily noticed and came knocking on her twitter door. They noticed that she was from Minnesota and savvy in baseball; she also now was tweeting about the Twins. 
Even though she loved baseball initially because of Bally Sports North (formerly FSN), she watched more Twins games, and her love and allegiance were solid with the Twins. 
Because she is passionate about the game, she cares about the players. She wanted something and someone to root for. She is quick to defend her favorite players and loves to cheer for those who have moved on, like Eddie Rosario and Nelson Cruz. She is an Eddie Rosario stan and his biggest fan no matter where he goes. 
Rena enjoyed the growth being on the podcast brought her. She also really loved the idea that the podcast host had a lot of diversity in his program; he had a lot of different perspectives, demographics, and women on the show. We discussed the tremendous growth of women in baseball. Rena wanted to bring a new face to content instead of the day-to-day stats and numbers. She likes to stray away from the norm, writing about what she would want to read or see. That stuck with me. As a baseball fan and writer, I struggle with the "norm" and write what I want to see, whether that is an op-ed or being Jake Cave's biggest fan. There is room for all fans, and plenty of talented writers have unique perspectives and voices. 
Rena and I both write for Twins Daily. She is one of the reasons I was excited to contact Nick Nelson in a brave DM and ask him for an opportunity to write for them. I watched her tweets and articles over the past two seasons. She has a great tone in her writing and an insatiable knowledge of the game. She loves to write about the fun stuff, or as she calls it, the "fluff," and she does indeed write about the fun stuff. 

During the lockout, Rena had a series called "Things Twins Players Did This Week," It was full of fun, cute tweets and pictures of the players and their families during the holidays or doing charitable work. We both love to get people to think outside the box and challenge people to see different angles of baseball when it comes to the game, players' lives, and the Twins organization. 
I was shocked to find out that Rena does not work for Twins Daily all the time. Her knowledge of the game, the players, and the numbers would lead me to believe otherwise. She helps promote the website on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. She loves getting behind the promotion part of the job and bringing attention to Twins Daily. 
One of the goals of Twins Daily social media is growing. Rena, along with the rest of the team, wants Twins Daily to be the go-to website for Minnesota Twins news. So how do they do that? By giving the collective a voice, promoting articles in a fun, exciting manner.
The social media team has indeed done that. Twins Daily has been successful with traffic and followers, a considerable concern we had during the lockout. It's hard to write about baseball when there is none, so brainstorming what to write is just as important on how to promote the writing. Rena loves to create a voice for Twitter because that's where the most activity is for Twins Daily followers and Twins fans. Creating content and discussion is one of the things that Rena is good at. 
We discussed the journey through journalism as women and having a voice as baseball fans and writers. I told her that my biggest fear is being professional, and I am known for my loud voice and perspective on not always loving players and having to behave and respond with information and no profanity (!!). Being a fan opens you up for ridicule, but being a female baseball fan on social media carries its responsibility because ridicule can be far worse as women's knowledge of sports is held to a standard of knowing stats from 1983 and "name five players." She admits there are times when she is ready to send out a tweet and goes back and double-checks it because she knows that the scrutiny is more vigorous for females than it is for males in the industry. 
As an Asian-American female, she is also very aware of representation. She and I had a heart-to-heart about her desire to hopefully bring more awareness to Asian-American women in sports and the players. One of her favorite players is Shohei Ohtani. She loves seeing the Asian representation in baseball and hopes it continues to grow. I loved her honesty with me about her strength in being a minority writer and fan in our favorite sport. While she knows sometimes she has to check her tweets twice, she also is confident in her understanding and knowledge of the intricacies of baseball. 
She combines her love of baseball and her heritage in this astounding article where she interviewed Tzu-Wei Lin, who was an MVP at the age of 16 from Taiwan. She got a chance to speak in her native language of Mandarin, to one of her favorite ball players about their favorite game. The article is inspiring and she is proud of the opportunity she had to get to know Lin. 
Rena makes me want to be a better writer, fan, and person. To know that there are women out there that love the game as much as I do is motivating. We can carry on a conversation about the game, and having a desire for the game to grow in representation (as well as fandom around the world) gives me hope that this game will never indeed die. 
Rena is one of the strongest baseball minds I know. She is intelligent, funny, intuitive, and full of insight and ideas that bring Twins Daily new followers and readers. Rena is also one of my closest friends and will do anything for me at the drop of a hat. She is a force to be reckoned with if you go up against her in baseball knowledge, but she is compassionate and loving and genuinely wants everyone to love the sport that brings her happiness. She brings so much fun to Twins Daily, its followers, and Twitter; if you don't follow her, you are truly missing out. 

Make sure to check out Rena's Twins Daily Page below! 
@renabanena
Find her on social media:
Twitter: @renabanena
 

The Twins hired Derek Falvey (who hired Thad Levine) in the wake of a disastrous 103-loss season in 2016. By that point, the Twins had gone six straight years without making the playoffs, and during that span they lost more games than any team in baseball. 
The following year, Minnesota stunningly reached the postseason as a wild-card team. Then they missed out in 2018, still finishing second, before rebounding in 2019 with one of the greatest seasons in franchise history. The Twins followed in 2020 with another division title. 
To run all that back: this front office took over a team that had gone 407-565 (.419) with zero playoff appearances in its previous six years, and went 300-246 (.549) with three playoff appearances in the next four. 
Does their success owe somewhat to the foundation built before they arrived? Of course. No one would deny that Terry Ryan and Co. had cultivated an impressive nucleus before being ousted. But during those years, the Twins repeatedly failed in the draft, failed in acquisitions, and failed in player development. The results bore that out.
Let's be clear about something here: This current regime was so successful and so impressive through four years that they were repeatedly poached of talent, both in the front office and the coaching staffs they assembled. Not only that, but Falvey and Levine themselves have been courted by big-name franchises like the Red Sox and Phillies. 
What did they say, according to publicized reports on the matter? 
"No thanks, we're going to see through what we're building here."
And so, to see flocks of fans calling for their heads because of one bad season, which is no worse than the ones we saw repeatedly before they arrived ... it's a little hard to take. 
Falvey became the youngest head exec in the league when he took Minnesota's top job. Currently he is 38 years old, which is three years younger than the DH he traded to Tampa Bay last month. Up until now he never experienced serious adversity during his tenure, which speaks to how smoothly things have gone in the first four years. 
The same could be said, by the way, for his managerial choice Rocco Baldelli, who was named Manager of the Year in 2019 (as the youngest skipper in baseball, with no experience in the role) and then won a second straight division title in his second season.
These people have shown their mettle. They've won. A lot. I realize they haven't won in the playoffs, and that sucks, but they haven't had nearly the opportunity of their predecessors. 
Are we not going to give them a chance to learn from failure?
Obviously the free agent pitching additions from the past winter have failed at every level. But this front office has made plenty of good and savvy pickups in the past, which helped fuel the success of high-quality staffs the last two years. And in any case, Falvey wasn't really hired to sign pitchers. He was hired to develop them.
On that front, the jury is still out. This operation was four years in when a pandemic came along and wiped out an entire minor-league season. The fact that Minnesota's upper minors are currently loaded with intriguing high-upside arms would suggest the mission was on track, and is just now getting back on the rails. 
Soon we'll start seeing those arms (along with the ones acquired at the deadline this year) ushered into majors, and at that point we'll be able to make real assessments. But until then, you're judging an incomplete project. 
This reassembled baseball ops department has been working ahead of schedule basically since they took over a moribund franchise in despair. They hit a setback this year, and it's been painful. Let's give them a chance to get back on track in the wake of a major disruptive event and humbling follow-up season.
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25. RHP Chris Vallimont (24-years-old)
Season Stats (High-A + Double-A): 4-4, 4.76 ERA, 64 1/3 IP, 102 K, 40 BB, 6 HR
Previous Rankings: 2021 Midseason: 20, 2021 Preseason: NR
Chris Vallimont has the physical profile of a modern day pitcher. He stands nearly 6-foot-6-inches tall with an athletic 220 pound frame that he uses to generate fastballs in the mid-90s to go along with a hammer curve (as well as the occasional slider and changeup). When he's on, there's a strong argument to be made that he has some of the most dynamic stuff in the Twins' system. However, he is a bit of an enigma. His peripheral numbers suggest that he is a better pitcher than what the surface-level stats say, the main anchor dragging him down being his walks. If he hones his command, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he develops into, say, a No. 3 starter. If he doesn't, he may wind up in the bullpen long-term. There are few prospects in the Twins' system with more future outcome variance than Vallimont. 
24: RHP Louie Varland (23-years-old)
Season Stats (Low-A + High-A): 6-2, 1.70 ERA, 69 IP, 98 K, 25 BB, 2 HR
Previous Rankings: 2021 Midseason: Honorable Mention, 2021 Preseason: NR
Louie Varland is one of those Twins prospects who has shot up the rankings this season due to sustained dominance. Varland was an unknown prospect when the Twins selected him in the 15th round of the 2019 draft out of Concordia-St. Paul. He started out the 2021 season with the Low-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels before earning a promotion to the High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels where he rattled off nearly 20 straight innings of scoreless ball to begin his run at that level. Varland primarily relies on a fastball-curveball pitch mix. His fastball plays well both up and low in the zone; it presents with decent rise when elevated and greater sinking action when down. His most likely future role is as a reliever, but he has the raw stuff — and performance, to this point — to suggest he'll be effective in the high minors and, possibly, the big leagues.
23: UTIL Nick Gordon (25-years-old)
Season Stats (MLB): .250/.301/.333, 37 G, 3 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 SB, 26/5 K:BB
Previous Rankings: 2021 Midseason: NR, 2021 Preseason: NR
To say that Nick Gordon was an after thought on the minds of Twins' fans entering the 2021 season would be an understatement. However, a strong showing at Triple-A combined with a fast start when promoted to the parent squad quickly got him back into people's minds. Gordon primarily played shortstop in the minors; however, the rash of injuries suffered by Twins' outfielders thrust Gordon into some minutes in centerfield. While he didn't provide Gold Glove caliber defense, he did show enough to suggest that he may have a brighter future as a true utility man than most thought. Gordon doesn't do anything great, but also doesn't do anything well-below average. He may not be an everyday-type of player, but he should find himself with a role in the majors — though perhaps ultimately not with the Twins — for years to come.
22: 1B/DH Aaron Sabato (22-years-old)
Season Stats (Low-A): .181/.365/.309, 75 G, 13 2B, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 101/67 K:BB
Previous Rankings: 2021 Midseason: 9, 2021 Preseason: 8
The tale of Aaron Sabato is virtually the opposite of that of Varland and Gordon. Sabato was known as a bopper with a good eye at the plate when the Twins selected him with the 27th overall pick in the 2020 draft but so far only his peepers have translated. Sabato has struggled to keep pace with Low-A pitching. His strikeout numbers are through the roof and his power has evaporated compared to what he displayed while with the Tar Heels. To put it bluntly, not many minor leaguers have struggled as much as he has to date and proceeded to carve out a productive major league career. Sabato's walk totals are encouraging, but he needs to show more the rest of the way.
21: INF Edouard Julien (22-years-old)
Season Stats (Low-A + High-A): .251/.423/.449, 78 G, 21 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 47 RBI, 25 SB, 98/73 K:BB
Previous Rankings: 2021 Midseason: Honorable Mention, 2021 Preseason: NR
Alright, back to being positive. Edouard Julien is an on-base machine with some pop who has displayed the ability to play multiple positions defensively, though he is probably best at second base. He's also stolen far more bases this year than many thought possible when he came out of Auburn University. Julien's overall productivity has declined some since his promotion to Cedar Rapids — and, thus, the removal of Robo-umps — however, he has done more than enough to justify his placement on this list. Not bad for a former 18th round pick.
 
What do you think of this set of five prospects? Future big-leaguers? 
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5. Jose Miranda, 3B/2B
Age: 23
ETA: 2022
2021 Stats (AA/AAA): .350 AVG, .409 OBP, .614 SLG, 16 HR, 46 RBI
2021 Ranking: 19
When we ranked him No. 19 on our preseason top prospects list, the short synopsis on Miranda was a familiar one: "High-contract righty-swinging infielder needs to find power stroke." The former second-round draft pick has long sat on the fringes of our top-20 rankings because of his many intriguing traits, but the production just wasn't there to justify ranking him much higher. Through his first 379 games in the minors, he slugged .394 with 37 home runs.
This year, he found his power stroke. Miranda came out of the gates red-hot at Double-A, opening with a seven-game hitting streak that included three home runs, and he never really slowed down. Miranda slashed .345/.408/.588 with 13 home runs in two months at Wichita, then earned a late-June promotion to St. Paul, where he put together an unforgettable Triple-A debut: 5-6, 3 HR, 6 RBIs.
It all came together in a hurry for Miranda and there's not much reason to think his breakthrough isn't legit. He's got a smooth, compact swing from the right side that was always produced high contact rates, and he's clearly turned a corner with his ability to drive the ball. He projects as a third baseman in the big leagues, and perhaps pretty soon, depending on what happens with Josh Donaldson.
4. Matt Canterino, RHSP
Age: 23
ETA: 2022
2021 Stats (A+): 18 IP, 1.00 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 1.14 FIP, 51.5 K%, 4.4 BB%
2021 Ranking: 9
Canterino drew considerable hype coming into this season after reports emerged of him touching 100 MPH in a side session. A second-rounder out of Rice University in 2019, he made a strong impression by dominating in his first stint as a pro (1.44 ERA, 11.2 K/9 between rookie and A-ball), but plenty of highly-drafted collegiate players have done that. Taking the next step is the differentiator. Canterino's velo jump, and the behind-the-scenes work it reflected, were seemingly positive indicators. The righty needed to show it on the field.
He has. Canterino was brilliant through four starts for Cedar Rapids, now the Twins' High-A affiliate. I mean, we're talking stupid good numbers. Thirty-five strikeouts in 18 innings? A 17.5 K/9 rate?? Canterino was striking out literally more than half the batters he faced. Beyond overpowering.
He was likely in line for an imminent promotion to Double-A, but unfortunately the 23-year-old developed a sore elbow and hasn't pitched since May. He is currently on the comeback trail and the Twins hope he'll be able to return to the mound soon – probably in Wichita once he's fully back on track.
3. Jordan Balazovic, RHSP
Age: 22
ETA: 2022
2021 Stats (AA): 21 1/3 IP, 4.44 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 3.86 FIP, 29.5 K%, 7.1 BB%
2021 Ranking: 6
After getting a late start to his season while healing from injury, Balazovic's results through six starts at Double-A have been ... uneven. His 4.44 ERA is nothing to write home about, and he has yet to get through six innings in an outing. With that said, he's been building up – his best, and longest, start was also his most recent – and the signs of that big potential have been on display.
In 24 ⅓ innings, he has piled up 33 strikeouts with a 14% swing-and-miss rate. While hitters have had success against him at times, they haven't hit for much power (3 HR and 7 XBH total) and Balazovic's control hasn't really eluded him at any point. For now the key is to continually advance his workload and consistency.
2. Jhoan Duran, RHSP
Age: 23
ETA: 2022
2021 Stats (A/AA): 34 1/3 IP, 3.41 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 2.64 FIP, 38.2 K%, 9.0 BB%
2021 Ranking: n/a
Like Balazovic, Duran's start to the 2021 campaign was delayed by injury following a lost pandemic season. When he took the mound on May 22nd at CHS Field, it was Duran's first time pitching in a minor-league game since August 29th of 2019. He was worth the wait. 
Unleashing triple-digit heat, Duran dazzled, striking out six over three innings of one-run ball. His next time out he allowed only one hit while fanning eight over four scoreless frames. However, things took a downward turn at this point, as Duran was tagged with losses in his next three appearances (one a long-relief outing), surrendering 8 earned runs with an 8-to-12 K/BB ratio in nine innings. Then, he went on the Injured List with an elbow strain. For now, the Twins hope and believe he'll avoid surgery.
Duran has the best stuff in Minnesota's system and some of the best in the minors. He's the real deal talent-wise and the Twins have done a stellar job in targeting, acquiring, and developing him. His biggest barriers are control and health, and we've seen both fully presented this year, with the latter currently sidelining him indefinitely. He's as boom-or-bust as they come, but the ceiling is game-changing and within reach.
1. Royce Lewis, SS
Age: 22
ETA: 2022
2021 Stats: n/a
2021 Ranking: 2
Losing two consecutive full seasons – one to a global pandemic and the next to a torn ACL – in the very crux of one's development is an ordeal many baseball prospects would be unable to overcome. I'd bet on Royce Lewis not being one of them.
His much-lauded character and makeup have always positively affected the view and evaluation of Lewis, in certain intangible ways, but these qualities can have a very real impact in how he responds to this challenge. He'll be more than two years removed from playing competitively when he takes the field next spring – or maybe this winter – but has the natural talent to get back up to speed quickly. And "speed" really is the key word: even after knee surgery, he'll be one of the fastest and most athletic prospects in the game.
Lewis is a dynamic talent who will likely end up at one of the most important defensive positions on the field – shortstop or center – and should be relatively productive at one of those spots even if his offensive shortcomings are not fully resolved. 
If the Twins do hope to rebound back into contention next year, they may need to ask quite a bit of their No. 1 prospect, as well as the other four we just profiled. One commonality you will notice among this reshaped top five: They're all 22 or 23 years old, with ETAs of 2022. These players are all verging on big-league ready and in most cases, health is the only significant barrier to surpass. 
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As always, I welcome your feedback on what you would like to see from these Week in Review articles, so let me know in the comments below. Of course, I also encourage you to read Nick’s Twins Week in Review from yesterday. 
Before we get started, the Twins made a flurry of pretty big transactions throughout the system on Monday: 
RHP Josh Winder promoted from Wichita to St. Paul. IF Jose Miranda promoted from Wichita to St. Paul. LHP Bryan Sammons sent from St. Paul to Wichita.  OF/1B Trey Cabbage promoted from Cedar Rapids to Wichita. IF Spencer Steer promoted from Cedar Rapids to Wichita. IF Yeltsin Encarnacion sent from Wichita to Cedar Rapids. IF/LF Edouard Julien promoted from Ft. Myers to Cedar Rapids.  With that, let’s look at Week 8 in the Twins minor leagues: 
 
RESULTS
Triple-A: St. Paul Saints: Week (2-4 at Columbus), overall (21-26)
Double-A: Wichita Wind Surge: Week (5-1 at Midland), overall (28-20)
High-A: Cedar Rapids Kernels: Week (4-2, hosting Lansing), overall (26-22)
Low-A: Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels: Week (3-3 at Palm Beach), overall (28-20) 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Here are the week’s Twins minor league-related articles. 
Twins Minor League Week in Review: Kernels Jump Over .500 Twins Claim RHP Beau Burrows off Waivers  Tuesday: Mark and Miranda Mash  Wednesday: Winder Wows, Rooker Rakes, Bechtold Blasts  Thursday: Cabbage Crushes, Miranda Continues Success  Friday: A Dismal Day on the Farm  Confidence and Patience are Keys for Wander Javier  Saturday: Contreras Crushes for Saints  Sunday: The Surge Goes On for Wichita   
Highlights
We will start with the Twins choices for the organizational hitter and pitcher of the week, and then mention several other Twins prospects who had good Week 8 performances too. However, kind of cool to see both of the Twins choices get promoted to Triple-A. 
Twins Player of the Week: Jose Miranda, Wichita Wind Surge    
Miranda just continues to rake, and he may have had his best week of the season. In six games and 29 plate appearances, he hit .481/.517/.778 (1.295) with two doubles and two homers. 
Miranda has played in 47 of 48 Wind Surge games. He has hit .345/.408/.588 (.996) with eight doubles and 13 homers. He also leads the organization with 38 RBI.  
Twins Pitcher of the Week: Josh Winder, Wichita Wind Surge    
Another repeat choice, Winder is back on the list. In his start this week, he gave up one run on four hits over seven innings. He struck out seven without issuing a walk.  
On the season, Winder has made 10 starts. He is 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA. In 54 2/3 innings, the 24-year-old has struck out 65 batters and walked just ten. 
Other Strong Performances this Week
St. Paul Saints
Mark Contreras was a minor league Gold Glove outfielder in 2019. This week, he put up huge numbers for the Saints. In six games and 25 plate appearances, he hit .409/.480/.909 (1.389) with two doubles and three homers. In the series in Columbus, Contreras had 20 total bases and three homers. Brent Rooker continues to hit for a low average while bashing the ball and getting on base. In five games, he hit .235/.435/.588 (1.023) with three doubles and a home run. He currently has a streak of reaching base safely in 15 consecutive games. 
Lefty Andrew Vasquez pitched twice and tossed 4 1/3 innings. He gave up zero runs, zero hits, walked none and struck out six batters. Long-time MLB veteran Nick Vincent joined the team and pitched twice, working a scoreless inning each time. Bryan Sammons went five innings in his start this week. He gave up just one run on two hits over five innings. However, he did walk four and struck out three. Ian Hamilton hasn't allowed an earned run since May 18th. That covers 11 games and 16 innings. The 11 outings rank tied for fifth-longest in the Triple-A East. 
Wichita Wind Surge
Along with Miranda, BJ Boyd had a big week. The “outfielder-turned football player-turned back to the outfield” played in all six games. He hit .381/.480/.619 (1.099) with two doubles and a homer. Aaron Whitefield had a strong week. He hit .407/.429/.556 (.984) with a double and a homer. He also stole four bases. He is now hitting .314 on the season. Andrew Bechtold has really come on after a slow start. During this week, he hit .261/.320/.609 (.929) with two doubles and two homers. In four games, David Banuelos hit .385/.529/.385 (.914). 
While Winder had one terrific start, Austin Schulfer had two terrific starts. Over 11 combined innings, the righty from Wisconsin-Milwaukee did not allow a run. He gave up seven hits, walked four and struck out 13 batters. What a week! On Sunday, Chris Vallimont tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out nine. 
Cedar Rapids Kernels
If we’re looking for highlights, Gabriel Maciel was certainly one. In five games, he hit .357/.438/.571 (1.009). And...how about his walk-off grand slam this week? 
 
Also nice to see outfielder DaShawn Keirsey return from his hamstring injury. He went 2-for-3 on Sunday with a double and a three-run inside-the-park home run. 
 
Trey Cabbage led the offense this week. In six games, he hit .300/.348/.700 (1.048) with two doubles, two homers and six RBI. 
The Kernels got some big hits this past week, but man, did they ever get some great pitching performances! Tyler Beck tossed four scoreless innings (2 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts). Andrew Cabezas tossed five scoreless innings (4 hits, 2 walks, six strikeouts). Ben Gross gave up two unearned runs over five innings (4 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts. Jon Olsen tossed five scoreless innings (1 hit, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts. Kody Funderburk had a strange start too. He walked six batters in four innings, but he didn’t give up a run, or even a hit. Zach Featherstone gave up an unearned run over 3 2/3 innings this week. He gave up just one hit, walked two and struck out seven batters. Derek Molina tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He gave up two hits, walked none and struck out six. 
Ft. Myers Might Mussels
Infielder Will Holland hit .267/.500/.467 (.967) with three doubles. He also had six walks over his five games played.  
Sawyer Gipson-Long gave up just one run on six hits over six innings this week in his start. He struck out five. Bobby Milacki gave up one run on five hits over five innings. He struck out six without issuing a walk. Miguel Rodriguez and Louie Varland each had a start in which they gave up two runs (1 earned) on seven hits and a walk over 4 2/3 innings. Osiris German and Matthew Swain each struck out four batters over three scoreless innings (in two games) this past week. 
 
Lowlights
We are talking about small samples for these six-game weeks, so it’s important not to make any big decisions or develop a full impression on a player from this small size. It’s just a reminder of the fact that baseball is hard, and all players have good and bad stretches.  
St. Paul Saints
It was another rough week for Keon Broxton. He played in four games and went 1-for-15 (.067) with 10 strikeouts in 16 plate appearances. 
The Saints had a couple of rough starts. Rob Whalen gave up seven runs on seven hits and four walks over just 2 2/3 innings. Charlie Barnes had a rough start… actually a rough inning. However, he was able to recover from a seven run (6 ER) inning to provide five innings.  
Wichita Wind Surge
Caleb Hamilton played all six games. He went 3-for-21 (.143), though he did get on base 31% of his 26 plate appearances. 
Minnesota native Jordan Milbrath continued to struggle. He came into one game with a big lead. He gave up three runs on two hits and a walk and recorded just one out. In four games and 5 1/3 innings, he has now walked 11 batters.  
Cedar Rapids Kernels
Max Smith played in all six games, but he went just 1-for-19 (.053) with nine strikeouts. Michael Helman went 1-for-18 (.056) over five games. Alex Isola played in four games and went 1-for-11 (.091), though he got on base at a 33% clip.   
Ft. Myers Might Mussels
Willie Joe Garry went 4-for-19 (.211). Aaron Sabato went 3-for-21 (.167), though he did walk five times.  
 
Trending Storyline 
Monday was Opening Day in the Florida Complex League. Yes, that is the league formerly known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). With the elimination of minor league affiliates last offseason, the Twins no longer have a rookie-league team in Elizabethton, Tennessee. Instead, players not with full-season affiliates remain at the Florida Complex. Hence, the Florida Complex League. With the new creative naming conventions in minor league baseball this year, I’m sure you’ll be shocked to read that there is also an Arizona Complex League. 
So, Monday was Opening Day in the FCL, and the FCL Twins hosted the FCL Orioles. I believe they even played at Hammond Stadium. The Twins lost by a score of 6-1. (Box Score). Below is the roster, so check out which players will be playing in the FCL to start their season. 
While we know very little about many of these players because most have played in the DSL, or not at all yet after signing, we do know that this is a melting pot of players from around the globe. You’ll also notice there is a strong representation from the Dominican Republic. I have included their age and where they are from. Please note that some of the older players on the roster have been recently signed out of independent leagues and have yet to be added to a full-season roster. 
The FCL Twins will be managed by Takashi Miyoshi. There will be four pitching coaches (Dan Urbina, Calvin Maduro, Jared Gaynor, Bobby Hearn). There will be two hitting coaches (Shawn Schlecter, Seth Conner). Yeison Perez and Brad McKenney will also be coaches on the team. 
Right-Handed Pitchers
Cole Bellair (24, USA)  Donny Breek (21, Netherlands)  Rafael Feliz (20, Dominican Republic)  Giovahniey German (20, USA)  Landon Leach (21, Canada) - 2nd round pick in 2017, he hasn’t pitched since 2018 due to a variety of injuries.  Juan Mendez (22, Dominican Republic) Erasmo Moreno (18, Venezuela) Danny Moreno (21, Venezuela) Matt Mullenbach (24, USA) Ramon Pineda (23, Dominican Republic) - Yes, Michael Pineda’s brother.  Zaquiel Puentes (20, Venezuela) John Stankiewicz (22, USA) Lucas Sweany (22, USA) Joseph Yabbour (17, Venezuela) Marco Raya, IL (18, USA) Niklas Rimmel, IL (22, Germany)  Left-Handed Pitchers 
Develson Aria (20, Dominican Republic) Elpidio Perez (22, Dominican Republic) Samuel Perez (21, Venezuela) Wilker Reyes (19, Dominican Republic) Aaron Rozek (25, USA) - Burnsville native.  Ryan Hortsman, IL (28, USA)  Jesus Toledo, IL (21, Venezuela)  Catchers
Wilfri Castro (20, Dominican Republic) Willy Diaz-Vasquez (21, Dominican Republic) Nick Garland (25, USA) Frank Nigro (23, USA) Ricardo Olivar (19, Venezuela) Laron Smith (20, Canada) Amilcar Vasquez (19, Venezuela) Infielders 
Rubel Cespedes (20, Dominican Republic) Jesus Feliz (21, Dominican Republic) Luis Gomez (20, Dominican Republic) Alexander Pena (19, Venezuela) Breilin Ramirez (18, Domincan Republic) Jose Rodriguez (19, Venezuela) Yonardy Soto (18, Dominican Republic) Wander Valdez (21, Dominican Republic) Jim Caceres, IL (20, Dominican Republic)  Outfielders
Carlos Aguiar (19, Venezuela) Luis Baez (20, Domincan Republic) Rhodery Diaz (20, Dominican Republic) Nelson Roberto (20, Dominican Republic) Emmanuel Rodriguez (18, Dominican Republic) Kala’i Rosario (19, USA) Malfrin Sosa (18, Dominican Republic) Miguel Vallejo (19, Dominican Republic) Please feel free to ask questions about these players if you have any. 
 
PROSPECT SUMMARY
Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects have performed on the season (as well as too many unfortunate injuries). The Top 20 Prospect Rankings will be updated very soon.  
#1 - Alex Kirilloff (Minnesota) – St. Paul (2 rehab games, went 3-6 with 2 homers, 2 K), Minnesota (42 games, .260/.303/.442 (.745) with 8 doubles, 1 triple, 6 homers, 26 RBI, 10 BB, 36 K)
#2 - Royce Lewis (Wichita) - Out for Season (torn ACL)
#3 - Trevor Larnach (Minnesota) – St. Paul (3 games, went 3-11 with two homers, two walks, 8 strikeouts), Minnesota (41 games, .250/.359/.417 (.776) with 7 doubles, 5 homers, 13 RBI, 18 BB, 45 K) 
#4 - Ryan Jeffers (Minnesota) – St. Paul (24 games, .217/.340/.446 (.786) with four doubles, five homers, 16 BB, 26 K), Minnesota (28 games, .200/.269/.411 (.680) with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs, 14 RBI, 9 BB, 37 K)
#5 - Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – 5 G, 4 GS, 16.0 IP, 16 H, 13 BB, 22 K, 5.06 ERA, 1.81 WHIP (on IL with a right forearm strain)  
#6 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) – 5 GS, 18.2 IP, 26 H, 6 BB, 27 K, 5.79 ERA, 1.71 WHIP 
#7 - Keoni Cavaco (Ft. Myers) – 28 games, .264/.333/.340 (.673) with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 11 RBI, 10 BB, 32 K, 4 SB (on Injured List, Concussion) 
#8 - Aaron Sabato (Ft. Myers) – 47 games, .182/.381/.296 (.676) with 9 doubles, 3 homers, 17 RBI, 47 BB, 66 K
#9 - Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – 4 GS, 18.0 IP, 10 H, 3 BB, 35 K, 1.00 ERA, 0.72 WHIP (went on the IL with right elbow strain)
#10 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – 3 GS, 14.2 IP, 13 H, 6 BB, 23 K, 1.84 ERA, 1.30 WHIP (underwent Tommy John surgery on June 9th) 
#11 - Gilberto Celestino (Minnesotal) – Wichita (21 games, .250/.344/.381 (.725) with 5 doubles, 2 homers. 11 BB, 24 K), Minnesota (12 games, .105/.128/.211 (.339) with 1 BB, 8 K)
#12 - Brent Rooker (St. Paul) – St. Paul (40 games, .226/.371/.511 (.882) with 6 doubles, 11 homers, 28 BB, 53 K), Minnesota (8 games, .103/.133/.241 (375) with 1 double, 1 homer, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 13 K)
#13 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – 17 games, .333/.384/.621 (1.005) with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 14 RBI, 5 BB, 28 K. (on IL after having hamate bone surgery)
#14 - Misael Urbina (Ft. Myers) – 40 games, .200/.302/.280 (582) with 3 doubles, 3 triples, 1 homer, 24 RBI, 21 BB, 38 K, 7 SB)
#15 - Cole Sands (Wichita) – 7 GS, 31.2 IP, 22 H, 18 BB, 42 K, 2.84 ERA, 1.26 WHIP (about to go on the IL) 
#16 - Edwar Colina (Minnesota) - 60-Day IL (had surgery on his right elbow to remove bone chips)
#17 - Ben Rortvedt (Minnesota) – St. Paul (5 games, .286/.318/.571 (.890) with 3 doubles, 1 homer, 1 BB, 6 K), Minnesota (21 games, .140/.189/.220 (409) with 1 double, 1 homer, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 20 K)
#18 - Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A (injured)
#19 - Jose Miranda (Wichita) – 47 games, .345/.408/.588 (996) with 8 doubles, 13 homers, 38 RBI, 17 BB, 25 K (promoted to AAA St. Paul on Monday) 
#20 - Bailey Ober (St. Paul) – St. Paul (4 GS, 16.0 IP, 13 H, 5 BB, 21 K, 2.81 ERA, 1.13 WHIP), Minnesota (5 GS, 21.1 IP, 24 H, 4 BB, 23 K, 4.64 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) 

LOOKING AHEAD
Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (Miguel Rodriguez, Brent Headrick, TBD, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Louie Varland, Bobby Milacki): 
Lansing @ Cedar Rapids:(Tyler Watson, Ben Gross, Cody Laweryson, Tyler Beck, Kody Funderburk, Jon Olsen)
Wichita @ Midland: (Jason Garcia, Jordan Balazovic, Bryan Sammons, Chris Vallimont, Austin Schulfer, Jason Garcia) 
Iowa @ St. Paul: (Yennier Cano (opener)/Rob Whalen, Andrew Albers, Michael Pineda (Rehab), Charlie Barnes, TBD, TBD): 

Feel free to provide some feedback below regarding these reports. What do you like to read? What types of information would you like added? Also, feel free to ask any questions you like.