Ted Schwerzler

In game one against the New York Yankees this season the Minnesota Twins had gone back and forth with a foe so dominant of them it’s been comical. In the 7th inning another ugly moment reared its head and manager Rocco Baldelli was forced to defend a decision made on his reliever Tyler Duffey. Following a big answer from second baseman Jorge Polanco in the bottom of the 5th inning, Minnesota was trailing by just a single run. After Juan Minaya and Yennier Cano bridged the game to that point, Tyler Duffey was tasked with facing Jose Trevino, Joey Gallo, and D.J. LeMahieu in the 7th inning. To set the stage, all of Minnesota’s best relievers including Jhoan Duran, Joe Smith, and Emilio Pagan were available and rested. Tyler Duffey has arguably been the worst of the group in the bullpen this season, and issued a single and a walk before Anthony Rizzo stepped in. Despite having two outs in the inning, Duffey appeared shaky. He nibbled around Gallo, and put LeMahieu on second with a wild pitch. Then he intentionally walked Judge after getting to a three-ball count. If there was a point to second guess the move to give him the inning, this was it, but it also goes against everything Minnesota has practiced in recent seasons. Asked following the game by MLB.com’s Do-Young Park, Rocco Baldelli explained that trailing in the middle innings just simply isn’t a leverage situation by Minnesota’s standards. He said, “We play a lot of close ballgames. It feels like we’re in close ballgames most games in those spots. If we treat games where we’re down as if we’re up, then when we are up we’re not going to have the pitchers that we really want setup to throw in those games. It doesn’t always feel satisfying at times and that’s fine. But we have guys like Duran and Pagan who've thrown late in a lot of games and Joe Smith, those guys have pitched mainly in games where we’re winning and we want them to be available and ready to finish ballgames when the time comes.” Deep breath, exhale, Duffey serves up a three-run shot to Anthony Rizzo effectively ending any chance for Minnesota to mount a comeback. The opportunity to win never presented itself as the opportunity not to lose wasn’t capitalized on. There’s room for debate as to what should have happened, but the question becomes, what should the process be going forward? Minnesota plays a lot of consistently evident situations analytically. In regards to the bullpen, as Baldelli stated, their horses don’t pitch without a lead to protect. On the infield dirt, it’s routine to see the fielders play in, even early in a game, to cut down a run at the plate. Platoon advantages throughout the lineup are present often. It’s not to say this organization and team is run by a computer, but rather that data drives many decisions with the understanding that numbers normalize over time. Unfortunately for Baldelli, and we’ve seen this in previous years as well, sometimes the decision comes down to a 50/50 coin flip on which he is consistently seeing the wrong side of. With regards to this specific situation, the bullpen, there’s two competing thought processes at play for Minnesota. The Twins have next to no reliable middle relief help right now. Minaya was DFA’d following the Yankees loss, and Cano has been erratic at best. Duffey isn’t close to what he was a couple of years ago, and Caleb Thielbar hasn’t seen the results that his advanced metrics are there. Whether leading or not, Minnesota has nearly no one to turn to when looking for a bridge to the back of the pen. On the flip side, while playing close games with a lineup capable of damage, it’s worth wondering how often a hypothetical opportunity never presents itself because the gap is widened. Had one of the horses entered in the 7th inning down by a run and slammed the door, what kind of momentum is generated to recoup the single run and take a lead. Without that process ever being explored, it’s hard to suggest a definitive answer. Ultimately the Twins are strapped in relief. On a nightly basis they don’t have a bullpen that can make up for starters going just five innings or less. Winning or losing, Duran, Smith, and Pagan can’t be expected to lock down three innings something like five times per week. There has to be help brought in, both for the rotation and bullpen, but it may also be time Baldelli and Wes Johnson consider protecting the opportunity in front of them rather than just the potential one they may never see. Share your thoughts below. How would you handle pitching from behind in a close game? View full article

For years Derek Jeter was synonymous with making jump throws at shortstop for the New York Yankees. It was one of the flashiest and most emulated plays across diamonds all over the world, but his range was always a question. The Twins now seem to have a similar defender in third baseman Gio Urshela. The Minnesota Twins acquired Gio Urshela as their starting third basemen when they swapped Josh Donaldson over to the New York Yankees. That was always likely to be a win simply through addition by subtraction. The hope was that Urshela may find some of his 2019 and 2020 plate production while playing a solid third base. Although the bat has come around of late, translating to a 114 OPS+ on the season because of a .919 OPS over his last 21 games, the glove has been more of a question mark. It’s hard to suggest that when you see Urshela making plays like the one below, but that’s really where the problem is. Conversing with Statcast Savant, Mike Petriello, recently he did the work of highlighting what is going on with Urshela. Starting the discussion around Minnesota having a league worst -17 OAA (outs above average), I wondered how Urshela was contributing to that. Knowing both OAA and DRS (defensive runs saved) don’t see Urshela as an asset defensively, there has to be more going on considering they are entirely different systems. Defensive analytics account for positioning and shifting, while being able to quantify a player’s performance far more than simply attributing something like an error in the box score. Petriello is based in New York, a place in which Urshela has previously played, and he’s had eyes on him plenty. Knowing of the dazzling plays Urshela makes, he succinctly dubbed this suggesting “strong Derek Jeter vibes.” While lack of range is in part why Jeter would make so many plays look fantastic, it’s probably not the same situation with Urshela. Both RngR (range runs above average) and UZR (ultimate zone rating) have Urshela in average territory. He gets to balls on the line because of reactions, and his ability to deliver a strong throw with a big arm has been seen plenty. Where Urshela has struggled seems to be balls hit directly at him. The reactions and first step give him opportunity to make a big play, but the ball getting on him provides troubles. In the examples Petriello immediately is able to provide, Urshela is seen not making plays that should be routine for a Major League third basemen, but also aren’t categorized as errors. Those types of plays come up significantly more often than the flashy ones, and it’s those plays that lead to additional base runners and sap the impact of impact plays. Maybe Petriello looked at Urshela’s OAA profile before suggesting the issues, but it’s here that we see the numbers bear out belief. Urshela has generated -2 OAA when fielding a ball directly at him, or coming in, while being worth -3 OAA when going to his right (or the line). That could also highlight some reason why he’s needed to make strong throws from the line, because getting there costs him time. Urshela has been aided on his left side as well, playing alongside a fine defensive shortstop in Carlos Correa for the majority of his starts. This type of defensive breakdown likely won’t be caught by the average fan. I found myself getting lulled by Urshela’s exciting plays as well, but knowing what the analytics are, consistently questioned where the breakdown was. Facing hard hit balls off the bats of right-handed hitters has been a bugaboo of sorts at the hot corner. Although the bat has picked up, it’s worth wondering if third base isn’t a position where Royce Lewis could find some additional playing time when he returns from the injured list. None of this is to suggest that Urshela is a butcher at third base, but it’s always worth exercising caution when the excitement provides a false sense of security. After all, Minnesota employs a center fielder in Byron Buxton that makes plays look routine while a good percentage of his competition wouldn’t have a chance to make them. View full article

Sawyer Gipson-Long got the start for Cedar Rapids tonight and was nothing short of dominant in a win for the Kernels. St. Paul faced a former Twins affiliate and got the win thanks, in part, to Spencer Steer’s bat. Transactions: RHP Cole Sands recalled by Minnesota C Roy Morales placed on injured list by St. Paul INF Kevin Merrell placed on temporary inactive list by Wichita INF Ernie Yake placed on injured list by Wichita LHP Jordan Carr transferred to Fort Myers from FCL RHP Anthony Escobar reinstated from 60-day injured list for Fort Myers SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 10, Rochester 6 Box Score Facing the former Twins Triple-A affiliate, Daniel Gossett was on the bump for St. Paul. He worked around traffic for five innings allowing just four runs (three earned) on eight hits. Gossett struck out two and walked one. Trailing 2-0 after the top half of the 1st inning, recently-healthy Tim Beckham got the run scoring going. A double to center drove in Spencer Steer before Jake Cave drove in Beckham with a single of his own. Allowing Rochester to regain the lead in the top of the 2nd inning, the Saints took over for the first time in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Steer launched his 7th dinger at Triple-A (in just 14 games) to knot things up. Then Mark Contreras followed up later with his 8th double to score Cave. Sick of the back and forth, following the Red Wings tying it in the 4th inning, Beckham got separation. His third homer, a grand slam, brought Caleb Hamilton, Steer, and Alex Kirilloff all across the plate. Cole Sturgeon wasn’t satisfied with the breathing room and his 5th inning single made it 9-4 when Contreras scored, before Jose Godoy plated Sturgeon on a single of his own. Still looking to claw back, the former affiliate got a two-run blast in the 7th inning to draw within four. Former Twins utility man Ildemaro Vargas scored on the play. That's where this one ended with the new good guys taking game one. Steer, Beckham, Contreras, and Hamilton all posted two-hit nights. WIND SURGE WISDOM Arkansas 5, Wichita 1 Box Score The Wind Surge turned to Bryan Sammons tonight as their starter. Unfortunately it was a tough outing with Sammons able to work just 2 1/3 innings while allowing four runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out two for Wichita. Arkansas got to Sammons in the 3rd inning and struck for four runs to put up a crooked number. Wichita couldn’t answer, and needed until the 5th inning to get on the board. Recently promoted Anthony Prato drove a single to left field allowing Daniel Ozoria to score. The Travelers got the run back on a 7th inning error by Edouard Julien and Wichita once again found themselves trailing by four. An 8th inning home run by the opposition pushed the deficit to five, and that’s where this one ended. Wichita managed just four hits on the evening. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, South Bend 1 Box Score Sawyer Gipson-Long was nails tonight for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, and he lowered the season ERA to a sparkling 1.99 with the strong effort. Working six innings, Gipson-Long allowed just a single run on three hits and a walk. He also picked up six punch outs. The lone run against him was a big fly. Cedar Rapids took an early lead on a Wander Javier single in the 2nd inning. After a throwing error by the catcher, Kyle Fedko was able to cross home plate. In the 3rd inning Seth Gray came up and did damage. A line drive to left scored both Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Aaron Sabato, in part thanks to yet another throwing error. The Kernels continued to take advantage of poor play from South Bend as a wild pitch gave Fedko the opportunity to spring home before a balk sent Gray strolling across the plate. When the inning closed, they led by a 5-0 tally. Giving one run back in the 4th inning, Fedko added back to the lead in the 5th inning. His fourth double at High-A drove in Sabato before Pat Winkel crushed his first homer of the year; a solo blast in the 6th inning. Gray was the lone batter to record two-hits on the night for Cedar Rapids, but both Fedko and Sabato drew two walks. Derek Molina and Ryan Shreve were great in relief allowing just one hit and striking out a pair, each, in three innings. MUSSEL MATTERS Daytona 5, Fort Myers 2 Box Score Steven Hajjar went tonight for the Mighty Mussels and put in two innings of perfection before giving way to the bullpen. He punched out two of the six batters he faced and the ERA now sits at 2.04 this season. Daytona got up 2-0 with a home run in the 4th inning, but Fort Myers was able to halve the deficit on Kala’i Rosario’s fifth home, a solo shot in the 5th inning. That’s where the bats went quiet for the Mighty Mussels though. Rosario contribute two hits, but only Noah Miller joined him in reaching base twice. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates 12, FCL Twins 6 Box Score Daniel Robertson got in another rehab game for Triple-A St. Paul today. He was 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout. Danny De Andrade recorded a three-hit game with a double, and Alexander Pena had a four-hit day with a triple. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 6, DSL Houston Blue 1 Box Score Bryan Acuna was 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. He’s still looking for his first professional hit. Pitchers Miguel Olivares and Roger Duran combined to give up just three hits while striking out 10 and walking one. Rafael Cruz and Jesus Peraza both had two hits. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Sawyer Gipson-Long (Cedar Rapids) - 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 2-4, 3 R, RBI, HR(7) 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: #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-4 #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - Did Not Play #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 2-4, 3 R, RBI, HR(7) #8 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - #9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 1-3, BB, 2 K #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 1-3, BB, 2 K #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-3, BB, K #17 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, BB, K #19 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ St. Paul (7:07PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez Wichita @ Arkansas (6:35PM CST) - RHP Matt Canterino Cedar Rapids @ South Bend (6:05PM CST) - RHP John Stankiewicz Fort Myers @ Daytona (6:05 PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates and the two Complex Season affiliates back and playing. View full article

With the Minnesota Twins through the first third of their 2022 Major League Baseball season, they are leading the AL Central and challenging expectations from national outlets. While plenty of good has taken place, it hasn’t quite been an equal effort thus far. While we now routinely use the acronym G.O.A.T. to signify greatness, this time the word is neither shortened or capitalized. Minnesota has gotten plenty from the best on their roster, but there’s been a few players that have left plenty to be desired. In terms of fWAR, here’s who Minnesota will hope to get more from the rest of the way. Alex Kirilloff -0.3 fWAR If you expected someone to breakout this season there’s a pretty good argument that it should have or could have been Alex Kirilloff. He was coming off wrist surgery that was intended to fix the ailment sapping his performance and ending his season last year. Unfortunately, he’s dealt with the same pain and ultimately wound up with a trip back to Triple-A after posting a despicable .398 OPS through 10 games. Obviously Minnesota needed him to either get right, or figure out how to play through something that seemingly isn’t still injured. The positive news here is that Kirilloff seems to have done just that. He’s heated up in a big way for St. Paul, and is beating the ball around the ballpark. Generating loud contact, driving gap doubles, and lifting home runs, there’s no reason this version of Minnesota’s former star rookie can’t help the club in a big way the rest of the season. Emilio Pagan -0.6 fWAR Acquired for Taylor Rogers, along with Chris Paddack, right before Opening Day from San Diego, Pagan has all but settled in as the Twins closer. While Pagan has recorded seven saves and owns a 3.00 ERA for Minnesota, the scary part is that things may get worse before they get better. A lot of Pagan’s negative WAR is generated from blown saves or late game situations. He pitches in high leverage, so any time things go south it is going to be in the worst way. Pagan still owns a 6.15 FIP though, which suggests that his ERA is representative of an arm pitching well over its head. The walks remain an issue, even if the command isn’t now as bad as it was the first week. Given how many home runs he allows though, the additional traffic on the base paths will never be of benefit to him. Maybe Baldelli pushes him into middle inning relief for a while, but that would be reflective of the Twins finding more late inning arms. Miguel Sano -0.7 fWAR It’s relatively impressive Sano was able to generate such a negative impact in so little time. He’s played just 17 games this season for Minnesota, and his .379 OPS is laughable. If there was anything going his way it’s that he was crushing the ball and just not seeing the results. We won’t know where he’ll pick back up coming off surgery for a torn meniscus, and while the Twins have used non-traditional first basemen in his absence, they’ve been less of a zero in the lineup. Sano has shown some of the best plate discipline in his career this season, and while there will likely be no certainties when he returns, the streaky hitter could throw one of his patented hot stretches in at the right time. Sano probably won’t be back for the Twins until July, but there’s worse things you could get for a stretch run than a power bat capable of making that type of an impact. Although he has a 0.8 fWAR thus far, it is worth noting just how little Jorge Polanco has brought to the plate for Minnesota. A season after a career best 126 OPS+, he’s been worth just 102 OPS+ this season and has an OPS lower than that of soft hitting teammate Nick Gordon. Polanco has been a nice up the middle partner with superstar free agent Carlos Correa, but this lineup needs more from him the rest of the way. On the flip side, I'd love to see Caleb Thielbar work into his expected numbers. His ERA is a gaudy 5.59 bit the 3.67 FIP suggests plenty of bad luck. He's been on the wrong end of a lot of issues this season, but Minnesota seeing his numbers normalize some would bring another veteran arm to the middle innings. What are your thoughts? Who have you been most disappointed with this season for the Twins? Can they turn it around? View full article

The Minnesota Twins are now through the first third of their 2022 Major League Baseball season. There’s been ups and downs, but ultimately this club is leading the AL Central division and working to suggest that many national expectations of them were too low. There’s been no shortage of situations that Rocco Baldelli and the front office have had to deal with. Between injury, both short and long term, and recent restrictions, the roster has largely remained in flux. While there’s been contributors from some less than expected names, there’s also been guys performing right to where you would hope they’d be. Based on fWAR, here are the Twins three leaders from the first third of the season: Trevor Larnach 1.2 fWAR Coming into the season there was hope that Alex Kirilloff would return healthy and take a step forward as Minnesota’s left fielder and first basemen. That hasn’t been the case thus far, and Trevor Larnach has risen to the occasion. Early signs suggested there was a breakout for the former top prospect, and now it’s worth wondering just how good he can be. Larnach has always scalded the fastball, but he’s been better against offspeed this season and his .796 OPS represents a 134 OPS+. Larnach did start slow in the results column, but his process has been strong from the jump. He’s starting to see the ball leave the yard and was arguably Minnesota’s best hitter before landing on the injured list with a groin injury. He’s slumped a bit since returning, but the defense has been a pleasant surprise to his game as well. Both from an OAA (outs above average) and outfield assist perspective, he’s been among the most impressive corner outfielders in the game. Max Kepler 1.3 fWAR Playing on the opposite corner of Larnach for most of the season, Kepler is figuring out how to do damage with the deadened baseball. For a guy who has been averse to lifting the leather for so long, he’s seeing results not evident since he earned MVP votes in 2019. Kepler owns a .786 OPS which checks in just behind Larnach in the OPS+ category, registering 133. Minnesota has always known they could count on Kepler in the outfield, and that’s remained a constant this season. Although left and center have seen rotating faces at times, Kepler has been a mainstay and ultimately a pillar of health. His six home runs through 47 games don’t put him on pace to equal the 36 that went out during the Bomba Squad season, but there’s no reason he shouldn’t be in the 20’s by the time the dust settles. Byron Buxton 1.5 fWAR Minnesota paid the man this offseason, and it’s immediately paid dividends. Very few people in baseball can provide the value Buxton does on a per game basis, and he was again a front running MVP candidate out of the gate. The OPS has dropped down to .802 after a significant slump, but the strong start still has him owning an .833 OPS+ with 12 homers on the year. He shouldn’t have any problem setting a new career high in terms of big flies. As has been the case throughout his career, Buxton has seen injury impact his performance. He’s playing through knee tendonitis and not being utilized on a daily basis. Despite the management program, it’s an understandable plan with focus being emphasized on having the Twins best talent in the Postseason. A game changer in every aspect of the word, Buxton can be the reason Minnesota wins a series in October this year. The next highest fWAR this season thus far comes from Opening Day starting pitcher Joe Ryan. He’s helped to validate the belief from the front office this offseason, which has been incredible to see. Although his dominance is noteworthy, it may be fair to argue the next closest hero has been the emergence of Devin Smeltzer. Thrust into the rotation as the Twins saw options dwindle, he’s taken the ball and been incredibly consistent while giving Minnesota good outings and looking better than he ever has at any point in his career. What are your thoughts? Who would you have as the Twins MVP through the first third of the season? Share your comments below! View full article

Anthony Prato continued his hot stretch for the Cedar Rapids Kernels with another good night at the dish, and he was joined in the effort by a few teammates. Both David Festa and Casey Legumina shined on the mound. Take a look at the action from Minnesota’s farm. Transactions: RHP Tyler Thornburg signed by Minnesota and assigned to St. Paul OF Mark Contreras recalled by Minnesota RHP Jharel Cotton selected by Minnesota RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez selected by Minnesota RHP Ian Hamilton selected by Minnesota INF Daniel Ozoria transferred to Wichita INF Rubel Cespedes assigned to Fort Myers SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 8, Iowa 7 Box Score With the big league club headed into Canada and needing warm bodies, plenty of roster moves impacted the St. Paul Saints on Friday. Ronny Henriquez drew the start and went 4 1/3 while allowing five runs on ten hits. He struck out five and walked just one. Roy Morales started the scoring for St. Paul in the top half of the 1st inning when his single drove in Jake Cave. After Iowa tied it in the 2nd inning, St. Paul jumped back up in the 3rd inning. Solo shots by Elliot Soto and Alex Kirilloff made it a 3-1 score. Iowa drew back within one during the bottom of the 3rd inning, but Michael Helman answered with his first Triple-A home run, a two-run blast scoring Cole Sturgeon, in the 4th inning to push the lead up to three. In the 5th inning Kirilloff contributed again, this time with a double plating Soto and making it a 6-3 game. After Iowa scored in both the 5th and 6th innings to take the lead 7-6, St. Paul rallied. Morales ripped a double in the 9th inning to score Kirilloff and push things to extras. In the 10th inning Caleb Hamilton used a fielder’s choice to score Helman. In the bottom half of the frame Sturgeon uncorked a dart to home plate nailing the would-be game-tying run and ending the game. Kirilloff had a three-hit game with a pair of extra-base hits. Morales and Soto both had multi-hit efforts of their own. WIND SURGE WISDOM Frisco 2, Wichita 1 Box Score Wichita turned the ball to Casey Legumina and was rewarded with 5 2/3 innings of strong work. Legumina allowed just two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out seven. The lone damage against him came on a 4th inning big fly. Playing a tight contest the night before, Wichita looked for more run support in this one. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. roped his 10th double in the bottom of the 2nd inning to score Matt Wallner. That got the Wind Surge on the board, but that’s where the run production would end. After winning a game 2-1 on Thursday, they dropped this contest by the same score. Four hits from the starting lineup wasn’t enough to get it done. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Lansing 5 Box Score David Festa was tonight’s starting pitcher for the Kernels and he continued to turn in strong outings. Working five innings, Festa gave up just two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five. His ERA at High-A now sits at 2.63 on the year. Lansing jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the first inning, but that was erased by Aaron Sabato in the 3rd inning. A single to right field scored Anthony Prato and Christian Encarnacion-Strand giving Cedar Rapids the lead. Things were knotted once again by the end of the inning, but the Kernels jumped back out ahead in the 5th inning. Prato singled to right pushing Charles Mack across the plate, and then Prato was able to score later after stealing third and scoring on a throwing error. The Lugnuts continued to charge back, coming within one in the 7th inning, but Cedar Rapids again had an answer. Mack singled to score Jeferson Morales before Prato ripped his 5th triple to plate Will Holland and Mack. A wild pitch then allowed Prato yet another opportunity to cross the plate. Lansing tired to make a comeback, but the hole was too deep and the 9th inning rally ended with just two runs being made up. Sabato had a strong three-hit evening while Prato, Mack, and Wander Javier all contributed two hits apiece. MUSSEL MATTERS The Mighty Mussels and Tarpons were postponed on Friday due to inclement weather. They square off again on Saturday evening. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Casey Legumina (Wichita) - 5.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K Hitter of the Day – Anthony Prato (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB, 3B 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 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - Injured List #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-4, K #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - Did Not Play #4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #5 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 0-6, 3 K #8 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - Postponed #9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - Postponed #10 - Marco Raya (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #11 - Cade Povich (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #12 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #13 - Ronny Hendriquez (St. Paul) - 4.1 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K #14 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 1-4, R, 2B #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K #17 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 2-5, R, 2 K, 2 B #19 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #20 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (6:08PM CST) - RHP Jacob Faria Frisco @ Wichita (6:05PM CST) - RHP Louie Varland Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (6:05PM CST) - RHP Brent Headrick Tampa @ Fort Myers (5:00 PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Friday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates back and playing. View full article

After the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins were riding high last week, both came crashing back down to earth. The Cleveland Guardians are now second in the division, and the Detroit Tigers nearly swept the leaders in a five game set. The Standings: Minnesota 30-23 Cleveland 22-24 Chicago 23-26 Detroit 21-30 Kansas City 16-33 Despite going just 5-5 over their last ten games, a three-game winning streak for the Guardians was enough to overtake second in a division trending downwards. Detroit has gone 7-3 in their last ten and looked like a better club than the division-leading Minnesota Twins. Only the NL East can join in the misery of having a single team with a winning record. The Stories: For Minnesota at the top, this week has been marred with injury and Covid. Losing Royce Lewis innings after his promotion and then watching Sonny Gray join him on the IL, it’s been a continued downfall. Add in a trio of players testing positive for Covid and it’s been an experiment to see who’s even available. Chicago has had a mixed bag of emotions. They were manhandled north of the border by the Blue Jays, and lost star shortstop Tim Anderson to a groin injury. It does appear that they’ll be getting reinforcements soon, however, with Lance Lynn and Eloy Jimenez both out on rehab assignments. The hope for Tony La Russa’s club is that Anderson could be back before the end of the month. They’ll get a bit easier stretch at the end of the month, but the Dodgers come to town and will provide another tough test. Jose Ramirez continues to be one of the best third basemen in baseball, and his production this year has kept the Guardians relevant. It’s a good thing they got a contract extension done because seeing him walk would’ve been a catastrophe. Cleveland needs pitching help and they’re looking at getting it in the form of star reliever James Karinchak. He’s begun a rehab assignment at Triple-A. Infielder Yu Chang was recently designated for assignment by the club and he ultimately dealt to the Pirates for cash considerations. Starter Aaron Civale was set to return from glute tightness, but he doesn’t seem ready when he’ll be eligible on June 6. There’s also no certain timetable for the return of Franmil Reyes. It’s not as though Minnesota is a juggernaut of a division leader, but Detroit certainly reminded them of that this week. Detroit kept things light with Beau Brieske introducing a new pregame routine of throwing footballs amongst the pitching staff. More fun than that may be Riley Greene blasting his first homer of 2022, albeit at Triple-A. He’s now played in three games but was slated to open the year with Detroit. The Tigers could get added power to their lineup in short order. This may win up being among the best stretches A.J. Hinch’s team sees all season. While Detroit and Cleveland took advantage this week, Kansas City slid further back. They are just 2-8 over their last ten and now own the worst record in baseball. Michael A. Taylor is nearing a return as he’s begun a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha, but it remains to be seen how his body reacts as he’s been out since May 19 with Covid. Catcher Cam Gallagher is also nearing a return, but how he fits remains a mystery as Salvador Perez and M.J. Melendez are both superior talents. Veteran Zack Greinke was placed on the injured list with a right flexor strain. It’s certainly not ideal seeing him dealing with forearm discomfort. The Week Ahead: This could be a defining week in the first half for the Twins. Licking their wounds from Detroit, they head across the border shorthanded to play the Blue Jays before returning home to face the Yankees. Against the top of the AL East, they’ll have their work cut out for them. It doesn’t exactly get easier for the White Sox either. They continue the AL East tour heading to St. Petersburg for three with Tampa and then return home to face a very good Los Angeles Dodgers team. The top of the AL Central could look much different by this time next week. Playing good baseball right now, Cleveland has to be excited about the prospects of a series with the Orioles, even if it’s on the road. They do get another beatable group in Texas and Oakland when they return home. Although Detroit handled the Twins, they’ll have a tougher task in going to The Bronx over the weekend. If there’s a reprieve, it’s that they head to Pittsburgh from there with off days on both sides of that two-game set. If the Royals weren’t already sick of taking their lumps, they’ll get rewarded by welcoming both Houston and Toronto to Kansas City. What are you looking forward to this week? Can the Twins hang on? Who’s coming for them? View full article

It's not often you record multiple triples in a game, but that happened for Emmanuel Rodriguez tonight. Matt Canterino had iffy command but still put his dominant stuff on cruise control. The Saints ripped off 12 runs in a total team effort. It was a busy day on the farm with more than a couple of promotions. Transactions: OF Cole Sturgeon activated from Paternity List by St. Paul OF Derek Fisher placed on Injured List (shoulder sprain) by St. Paul RHP Matthew Swain promoted to Cedar Rapids from Fort Myers RHP Andrew Cabezas promoted to Wichita from Cedar Rapids RHP Melvi Acosta promoted to Wichita from Cedar Rapids SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 12, Iowa 5 Box Score The St. Paul Saints turned to Mario Sanchez today in a matinee affair against the Iowa Cubs. He was brilliant working 7 2/3 innings allowing just two runs on five hits. Sanchez only struck out two but issued just a single free pass. Recently beginning his career in the Twins organization, Tim Beckham got on the board with his first home run today. A two-run blast in the top of the 2nd inning, Curtis Terry also came around to score on the big fly. Iowa tied things in the bottom half of the 2nd inning and that’s where things stood until the 9th inning. Recently returning from the Paternity List, Cole Sturgeon used dad power and singled with the bases loaded to drive in both Terry and Jake Cave. Doubling up the score, St. Paul finally had some breathing room. After allowing Iowa to square things up in the bottom of the 9th inning, St. Paul made this one a laugher in the 10th inning. Runner on second base or not, eight runs was going to be enough to get it done. Alex Kirilloff started the inning with a double to score Roy Morales. Then Beckham singled with the bases loaded to score Kirilloff. A Michael Helman walk plated Jake Cave, and Sturgeon pushed across Elliot Soto on a fielder’s choice. Thanks to a throwing error the bases remained loaded, and Morales cleared them with a grand slam for his first homer of the season. Iowa scored their free runner in the bottom half, but down seven still, it was of little consequence. The recently promoted Austin Schulfer earned his first Triple-A win. It is of note that Kirilloff returned to the Saints lineup in this one. Despite having been with Minnesota in Detroit on the taxi squad for most of the week, he rejoined the Triple-A club in Iowa for this contest. He may not have been eligible to travel to Toronto for the next series, or the Twins wanted to get him back in games and generate at-bats. He went 1-for-5 with a double, run scored, run batted in, walk, and a strikeout in this one. Even with the offensive explosion, only Beckham and Cave recorded multi-hit contests for the Saints today. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 2, Frisco 1 Box Score Looking to continue a good run, Matt Canterino took the ball and avoided damage tonight for Wichita. He worked 3 2/3 innings as Minnesota continues to be wary of his pitch counts. Canterino allowed just two hits, gave up no runs, and walked four while striking out the same number. Melvi Acosta came on in relief making his Double-A debut. He did allow one run but gave up just two hits and a walk while working two innings. Matt Wallner has drawn plenty of attention for his power this season, but he made an amazing catch for the Turbo Tubs in the 2nd inning. Wichita scored first as Jair Camargo continued to stay hot. His first double of the season scored Edouard Julien before Chris Williams ripped his 7th double to plate Camargo. In the 5th inning, Frisco halved the lead but that's where things stood. Acosta was given the win and recorded that result in his Double-A debut. KERNELS NUGGETS Lansing 7, Cedar Rapids 3 Box Score John Stankiewicz made the start tonight for Cedar Rapids but he was able to work just 2 2/3 innings before being lifted after two runs on five hits. Stankiewicz did strike out three but also walked two on the evening. Wander Javier got the Kernels on the board first with a 2nd inning single that plated Yunior Severino. Unfortunately that’s the last lead Cedar Rapids experienced tonight. After two runs coming across for the Lugnuts in both the 3rd and 4th innings, Cedar Rapids answered with a pair of their own in the 5th inning. Stepping in with Will Holland on base, Christian Encarnacion-Strand clubbed his 9th homer of the season to bring it within one. In the 8th inning Lansing added three for good measure and despite being even in hits, the Kernels couldn’t produce more with theirs. Jefferson Morales was the lone Cedar Rapids batter to produce a multi-hit game. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 7, Tampa 6 Box Score Star pitching prospect Marco Raya was on the bump tonight for the Mighty Mussels. This was not one of his stronger outings as he went just 3 1/3 innings while allowing four runs on three hits and three walks. Raya did punch out four tonight. All of the damage against him came on a 4th inning grand slam. Fort Myers tallied the first runs of the game in the bottom of the 1st inning. With Jake Rucker on, Emmanuel Rodriguez stepped in and laced a triple to drive him in. Rodriguez then scored on a wild pitch. The aforementioned grand slam in the 4th inning put Fort Myers behind, and they would stay there the rest of the night. After giving up two more runs in the top of the 5th inning, the Mighty Mussels got one back on Rodriguez’s second triple of the game, this time scoring Luis Baez in the bottom of the 5th inning. Down three with just three outs left, Keoni Cavaco sent a big fly to left field drawing the Mighty Mussels within two. It was his second dinger of the year. After a Kala’i Rosario single, and an advance to second on a wild pitch, Kyle Schmidt doubled bringing home a run and drawing Fort Myers within 180 feet of a tie ball game. Eventually loading the bases with two outs, Noah Cardenas took a hit by pitch to walk in the tying run and on to the 10th inning it went. Fort Myers started the inning with Mikey Perez at second base. After getting a second runner on, Perez stole third base. Dillon Tatum then stepped in. He hit a pop-up in front of the pitcher's mound. As the infielders converged, the ball dropped in. As Cavaco advanced to second, Tampa threw the ball to second for a force-out, but Perez took off and scored the winning run. The Mussels found themselves walk-off winners in one of the most unique endings you'll read about.. Rodriguez was joined by Baez as batters registering multiple hits on the evening. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Matt Canterino (Wichita) - 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Fort Myers) - 3-5, R, 2 RBI, 2 3B(3) 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 - Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - Injured List #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-4 #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - Did Not Play #4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #5 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #6 - Matt Canterino (Wichita) - 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 0-5, 2 K #8 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 3-5, R, 2 RBI, 2 3B(3) #9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 0-5, 3 K #10 - Marco Raya (Ft. Myers) - 3.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K #11 - Cade Povich (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch #12 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #13 - Ronny Hendriquez (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #14 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - Did Not Pitch #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 1-4, 2 K #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-3, R, BB, K #17 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - Did Not Pitch #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, HR(9) #19 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #20 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (7:08PM CST) - RHP Ronny Henriquez Frisco @ Wichita (6:15PM CST) - RHP Casey Legumina Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (6:05PM CST) - RHP David Festa Tampa @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Jaylen Nowlin 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. View full article

A first round pick in 2018, Trevor Larnach made his Major League debut last season for the Minnesota Twins. There were shining moments, but the vast majority was marred by nagging injury. Now healthy, Larnach looks like a superstar in the making. Just how high does his ceiling get? Back in mid-April I wrote about Trevor Larnach’s process. That was just five games into the season and he had just a .616 OPS. Twins Daily’s Seth Stohs quipped that making much out of such a small sample (3 games) was likely nothing, but the hard-hit rates were impossible to ignore. Fast forward to the end of May, and the process has turned into results. On the season Larnach has been worth 1.3 fWAR, the highest total on the Twins. His .886 OPS is already a strong number considering the state of offense across the league this season. Over his last 18 games though, Larnach has slashed .339/.424/.625 with seven doubles and three dingers. The 161 OPS+ on the season is indicative of an offensive threat nearly twice that of the league average. What’s also impressive is that Larnach isn’t simply generating hard contact, but he’s reigned in some of the swing and miss as well. After being at a nearly 17% whiff rate last season, Larnach has dropped that to 13.9% in 2022. That’s helped to slightly increase his walk rate but has also added to his overall contact ability. Larnach has been a good hitter everywhere he’s gone, and he’s been more choosy this season as well. Shaving nearly 5% off his chase rate, pitchers are having to attack him within the strike zone. The scouting report on Larnach has never changed. He’s going to make loud contact and do damage because of it. Dealing with lower-body injuries last season, there’s reason to believe that hampered performance. His 41.9% hhard-hitrate in 2022 is nearly 10% higher than what it was a season ago. Larnach has also dropped points off his ground ball rate adding both to fly ball and line drive production, both outcomes providing a better opportunity for success. It’s been a game of adjustments for Larnach as well, and being the extremely smart player he is, he’s handled them well. Pitchers have basically tried throwing slop at him since he entered the league. The book on him, and teammate Alex Kirilloff, was that they could handle velocity. Larnach has seen four-seam fastballs just 27% of the time this season. Slider has been the most common offspeed offering, but the pitch selection runs the gambit when looking at breaking balls. Because of the work he’s put in, there’s a drastic shift in how the production looks, specifically against the slider, compared to last season. Being able to sit on breaking pitchers, Larnach has made it so there’s nothing he can’t handle at the dish. If there’s something somewhat unexpected it’s on the defensive side of things. Larnach was never going to be a hack in the outfield, but I’m not sure his arm was expected to play as it has. He’s already generated three outfield assists this season and it shouldn’t be too long before runners stop testing him. Larnach also has 7 defensive runs saved (DRS) in left field with an additional added in right. That number leads all Major League left fielders. When Minnesota took Larnach they were keyed in on a powerful college bat that was set up to do damage any time he made contact. He was already an advanced hitter that didn’t simply swing to launch or miss, but there was refinement needed. Now getting to the big leagues, Larnach looks the part of a player that can anchor the heart of a lineup and put up a thirty-homer season in his sleep. It’s still early in his career, but multiple All-Star game selections don’t seem like a lofty expectation anymore. No doubt Minnesota hopes this new core will blossom together. Larnach is starting to see that take shape. If Kirilloff, Royce Lewis, and Jose Miranda can follow suit, they’ll experience plenty of victories along the way. View full article

As May comes to a close we’ve seen some Minor League hitters really make their mark on the 2022 season, and promotions have begun to take place. Minnesota has already utilized their depth at the highest level this season, and more strong performances could bring new names to the top. Previous 2022 Hitters of the Month - April: Christian Encarnacion-Strand We’ll take a look at the top five hitters of the month, but before diving into it, let’s start with an honorable mention. Honorable Mention - Will Holland - Cedar Rapids Kernels 19-69, .275/.359/.522 (.881), two doubles, three triples, and three home runs Holland was a 5th round pick from Auburn by the Twins during the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. This has been one of his better months as a professional, and he now has an .800 OPS for Cedar Rapids.. It would be good for Holland to parlay a hot start into an eventual promotion to Double-A Wichita. Top Five Hitters Number 5 - Wichita Wind Surge - C Alex Isola - 22-68, .324/.425/.500 (.925), three doubles, three home runs Isola was a late-round selection in 2019, grabbed by Minnesota in the 29th round. Making his Double-A debut after a solid 2021 playing at High-A Cedar Rapids, Isola got hot in May. He’s never been a high batting average guy, but the .297 batting average this season is more than nice to see. Isola has a good amount of power and strong plate discipline. With Minnesota needing catching depth at the highest levels, his emergence early this season could afford more opportunity as the season rolls on. Number 4 - Fort Myers Miracle - SS Noah Miller - 30-84, .357/.471/.536 (1.006), five doubles, two triples, two home runs A first-round pick for the Twins last season, Miller looks the part of a true shortstop. He’s held down the position well thus far during his professional career, and his bat broke out in a big way during May. Speed is part of Miller’s game and that was evidenced by the pair of triples. He’s probably not going to hit a ton of homers, but he draws a lot of walks and already has 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts this season. Number 3 - Fort Myers Miracle - INF Mikey Perez - 21-79, .266/.372/.544 (.917), seven doubles, five home runs Minnesota grabbed Perez in the 15th round of last year’s draft out of UCLA. His pro debut was a good one, but it consisted of just 10 games last season. After a slow start in April, Perez turned it on in a big way last month. The 12 extra-base hits in just 23 games are impressive, and for a guy that never really hit for power in college, a month with five home runs is a development the Twins have to be excited about. Number 2 - Wichita Wind Surge - OF Matt Wallner - 25-83, .301/.426/.602 (1.028) seven doubles, six home runs Wallner was a first-round pick for the Twins in 2019 after he had been a 32nd-round selection out of high school (as a pitcher) three years prior. Spending three years at Southern Mississippi was the smart route for him. He improved his stock immensely, and Wallner has flashed big tools. He’s got one of the best arms in the system and hits for some of the most power. There’s always been a considerable amount of swing-and-miss in his game, but Wallner is now showing a stronger sense of plate discipline as well. He’ll have plenty of months where he hits lots of dingers. If he has a June that looks like his May, he could push a ticket to St. Paul. And the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is: Wichita Wind Surge/St. Paul Saints - INF Spencer Steer - 25-85, .294/.371/.659 (1.030), four doubles, nine home runs At one point it, could’ve been argued that Steer was among the most underrated prospects in the Twins system, but I think we’ve blitzed by that point. He was rewarded with a promotion to Triple-A St. Paul recently and has continued to crush the ball there. Steer was a third-round pick in 2019 and has hit at every stop of the farm. The 24 dingers last season showed the work he put in while minor league baseball was canceled in 2020. He’s already got ten homers this season and two of them have come in his week with the Saints. Steer has an exceptional approach at the plate and is a well-balanced hitter. He has quickly become someone that the Twins can look at as a future fixture in their lineup. The Twins current middle infield is a bit crowded with superstars and top prospects, but at some of the most impactful positions on the diamond, that’s a great problem to have. Steer will be tested plenty at Triple-A, but being 24-years-old, he could factor in as part of the next wave. Minnesota has to be impressed with the career trajectory thus far, and a strong May has made 2022 an exciting start. We’d like to congratulate Spencer Steer, Twins Daily’s choice for Minor League Hitter of the Month for May 2022. Feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions below. View full article

I was the conductor of Byron Buxton’s “Pay the Man” campaign, and while doing so was always the right move, it came with the caveat that Minnesota needed insurance. In January, I wrote about potential options being internal and external, while thinking Gilberto Celestino may make all points moot. It was more than evident last season that Gilberto Celestino was in over his head. The Twins were incredibly depleted and needed to call up Celestino despite having played just 21 games above Single-A. He had a .725 OPS for Wichita and looked like he had the chops to command the outfield defensively, but there was no denying it was much sooner than desired. As you may expect, and remember, that didn’t go well. Celestino played 23 games at the Major League level and posted a .466 OPS. On August 1, he was jettisoned back across town and would remain there for the duration of the season. As you may not remember, that went extremely well. In 49 games with the Saints last season, Celestino posted a .290/.384/.443 line with 18 extra-base hits, of which five were homers. He took what didn’t work for the Twins and got rid of it while looking both comfortable and confident at Triple-A. This season Celestino started out at Triple-A once again but made just two starts before needing to be used as insurance for Minnesota. This time though, he was ready and it’s shown. In that January article, I said this about Celestino, “Handing him the fourth outfielder role on Opening Day may be a bit soon, but a repeat of the Triple-A numbers should suggest he’s ready. This could become an option sooner rather than later.” In two games, he didn’t get much of a chance to repeat the Triple-A numbers, but he’s done more than enough to substantiate them for the Twins. Now having played in 31 games this season, Celestino has been used across the outfield and as a regular fourth outfielder to replace Buxton and others. His bat has been among Minnesota’s best at times, and his .324/.398/.378 slash line is all but a continuation of what he found in St. Paul. Without being a traditional power hitter it’s understandable that he hasn’t displayed the power stroke working against an altered baseball. He’s got just four doubles to his credit, but the plate discipline has taken a step forward. While he wasn’t a strikeout machine a season ago, he’s now drawing walks at a much more consistent rate as well. The way the game is being played in 2022 does tend to benefit guys who lack power. Despite having zero home runs and just four extra-base hits, Celestino owns a 134 OPS+. With power production down across the board, his moderate power potential from Triple-A not coming with hasn’t stopped him from being a competent hitter. Then there’s the defense. Last season, despite fielding being a strength, it was clear the struggles at the plate were brought out to the field at times. That couldn’t be further from the truth in 2022. When subbing in for Buxton, Celestino has made multiple highlight-reel catches that beg the question as to who is really in the jersey standing near the batter's eye. Having been worth -2 outs above average last season in 152 innings, Celestino has already been worth 3 OAA this year in just 133 innings. Knowing that it was the right thing for Minnesota to do in signing Buxton, having someone who could mitigate the impact felt when he was off the field was also a must. When it looked like that may need to come from outside of the organization, the Twins' front office never wavered in their belief and Celestino continues to pay dividends. He’s probably never going to be an All-Star, but there’s no denying multiple teams would covet him as a regular. With a roster leaning heavily towards left-handed bats on the grass, this fit couldn’t be more perfect. How impressed with Celestino are you this season, and what do you hope for his future in Minnesota? View full article

Last week Nash Walker wrote about Matt Canterino as an arm the Minnesota Twins should look to accelerate for a bullpen role in 2022. I couldn’t agree with him more and opined he should be on the active roster by August 1. A lesser known name was recently promoted to St. Paul, and Austin Schulfer could find his way into the mix by the end of 2022 as well. A 19th round pick during the 2018 Major League Baseball draft, Austin Schulfer was selected out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. As a senior sign, Schulfer dominated rookie ball with Elizabethton but was over a year older than the average age for the league. In 2019 he went to Low-A Cedar Rapids and while the ERA took a step backward, the strikeouts ticked upwards. Like everyone else, Schulfer missed 2020 due to a canceled minor league season. Playing for Wichita all of last year, he turned in 24 starts and a 4.34 ERA with a slightly decreased 8.6 K/9. Returning to Wichita this season, again old for the level at 26, he broke out in a new role. Minnesota had transitioned the righty to a relief role and so far the results are encouraging. Through 23 innings at Double-A, Schulfer owned a minuscule 0.39 ERA. He acted as the closer for the Wind Surge and picked up seven saves while finishing 12 games. As impressive and dominant as the 30/4 K/BB is, allowing zero homers and just 4.3 H/9 was something extraordinary. Promoted to Triple-A St. Paul before the calendar turned to June, he’ll now have the opportunity to prove it. Schulfer is a competitor in every sense of the word. He’s an avid gamer and has grown a solid following among the popular MLB The Show community. He displayed his skills on the popular streaming service, Twitch, during the Covid shutdown and became something of a fan favorite. Now back on the mound and looking to highlight his skills there, it’s clear a new path forward may be the one that gets him to the big leagues. Among the keys to his success this season has been a ground ball rate of over 60%. As a starter Schulfer hovered around 48% when it came to fly balls. He’s never been too susceptible to the long ball, but line drives have hurt him in the past. Blowing pitches by opposing batters while limiting the opportunity for damage is as perfect of a combination as it gets. Minor league velocity is largely untracked, but the expectation for pitchers moving to relief should always be a slight uptick. Whether deception or the ability to focus on two pitches, the change has worked in his favor. Batted ball numbers don’t suggest things are too out of whack either. While his 2.15 FIP and 2.97 xFIP are both above the present ERA, both would represent solid production. There’s really no reason to believe a prospect is going to take Minnesota’s bullpen by storm and wind up being their closer down the stretch. What can happen here, however, is that the Twins find another usable middle relief arm amongst a group that so badly needs help. Although the Twins bullpen has been largely fine in high leverage, finding consistency in getting them there has been a challenge. Rocco Baldelli and the front office have needed to use a revolving door behind starters that routinely are done during the middle innings. While not being able to fire off Joe Smith, Jhoan Duran, or Emilio Pagan early or nightly, they’ll need trusted help to bridge the gap. I’d bet handsomely that Minnesota addresses that area at the trade deadline, but if they build a level of confidence in another player or two at St. Paul, it winds up benefiting them greatly. View full article