Ted Schwerzler

Coming into the season the one real glaring area of weakness for the Minnesota Twins was their relief corps. Relying on unproven commodities like Matt Magill and Ryne Harper seemed lofty, and the high leverage arms came in the form of Blake Parker and Taylor Rogers. Fast forward to today and the pitching staff has performed admirably with the bullpen significantly surpassing fan expectations. If there’s a call to be made though, it may come from further down the ladder. Today the Twins promoted Devin Smeltzer to make his major league debut against the Milwaukee Brewers. Smeltzer was acquired from the Dodgers last season in the deal that sent Brian Dozier to Los Angeles. After working solely as a reliever in Double-A last season for Minnesota, Smeltzer made five starts in Pensacola this year before four turns at Triple-A. He’s just 23 years old, and the promotion schedule has been an aggressive one. In calling up Smeltzer to replace Michael Pineda in the starting rotation the wheels should begin spinning on who could be next. So far, we’ve seen both Kohl Stewart and Zack Littell from Rochester this season, but that’s about where the options end right now. Lewis Thorpe doesn’t have strong numbers and Stephen Gonsalves twirled just two innings before landing back on the Injured List. Given the aggressiveness shown by the Twins front office, and circumstance regarding available options, the next man up could currently be at Double-A. Jorge Alcala was acquired as the key piece in exchange for Ryan Pressly. Pumping a triple-digit fastball, he’s put together a season that’s been significantly better than some of his surface numbers. Through 48 innings he owns a 4.69 ERA with a 10.3 K/9 and a 3.3 BB/9. Where things look even more promising is that he’s been bit by a .357 BABIP and his FIP stands at 2.95 with a 3.27 xFIP. In short, there’s a good deal of bad luck going on, and much better peripherals than the gaudy ERA suggests. Recently on the Twins radio broadcast, Derek Falvey offered up Alcala’s name as one the Twins may end up seeing as soon as this year. He’s 23 years old and has certainly advanced his prospect stock this season. Whether in a spot start or for some firepower out of the pen, it may be the Dominican native that emerges as the next most likely option. Certainly, it’d be great for Minnesota if some of the relief arms at Triple-A Rochester got back on track, or guys like Gonsalves and Brusdar Graterol returned to a clean bill of health. As contingency plans though, we’ve seen the aggressive movement of players like Smeltzer, Randy Dobnak, and others. The Twins will need to rely on some depth as the season goes along, and Alcala is providing that despite not being on the immediate doorstep. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

One of the first premiere products of the 2019 season, Topps Definitive Collection releases at hobby stores May 29th. The one pack box, containing eight cards, will set you back just over $1,000. While the price tag is certainly steep, the contents inside can absolutely match that shock value. Unfortunately for Minnesota Twins fans the checklist leaves a bit to be desire. There are no true base cards in this product. A base autograph relic set is where your “standard” cards fall, and it’s composed of 46 subjects all serial numbered to 50 or less. This is a product heavy on game worn memorabilia and it’s displayed in many different forms. Minnesota’s first offering comes in the Defining Moments Autograph subset. Rod Carew, one of Topps longstanding Twins signers, is in the 37-subject set. These cards are also serialed to 50 or less. Carew lends his signature to the Legendary Autograph Collection as well, and these are a bit more limited at 25 or less. In total that gives Carew collectors roughly 75 totals cards in the entire product run. From there things get sparse for Minnesota as the final seven cards are all of the 1/1 variety. A Harmon Killebrew cut signature can be had, as well as two separate Joe Mauer offerings. Joe has a single patch card as part of the Definitive Patch Collection, and then lands his namesake in the Nameplate Collection. Each letter represents a 1/1 offering and could entice someone to put together what would be an expensive five-card run. Every year Topps Definitive Collection is one of the most visually appealing sets put onto the market. For the Twins to only have three subjects, and only one that contributed anything, it’s a tough checklist to get behind. Carew has autographs in almost every product, while Killebrew cuts are the only thing we’ll obviously be able to see going forward. Not getting Joe, Torii Hunter, or some other signer in the product is unfortunate. One of the toughest things about any high-end set for Topps catering to Twins fans is in wondering where they turn. Carew is all but played out, but Minnesota’s two biggest names have both since passed. Mauer could come back to be a regular signer, Hunter is cycling in more, and Morneau may even be an interesting get. In any big product though, would the return of Buxton, Sano, Rosario, or some other current player be satisfying enough? Going into the season that answer was probably no, but the tides are turning. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

If the Major League Baseball season were to end today Jorge Polanco’s .339 average would land him a batting title in the American League. Through his first 46 games this season he already outdone what projection systems saw from him this season, and he’s proven to be one of the most valuable players in baseball. Twins fans may be wondering what the regression looks like and when it’s coming but take some solace in knowing that this is for real.Polanco has been on the radar since debuting in 2014 as a 20-year-old. He was a premature call-up then, needed by happenstance because of a bad big-league club and lackluster 40-man depth. Throughout his time in the minors though there was always one thing he could be counted on to do: hit. Legitimate questions as to whether his arm would allow him the ability to stick at shortstop remained, but the bat to ball skills, and eventual power development, were all plus traits. The production he’s generated at the top of the 2019 Twins lineup is just a reflection of what we’ve seen all along. On the season Polanco is hitting a career best 41% of batted balls with a hard-hit speed. He’s also significantly sliced the ground ball rate all the way down to a career low 23.5%. Adding the percentage to balls in the air, his 49.7% fly ball rate is also a career high. Elevation has provided a moderate increase in his HR/FB ratio, and it’s the other extra-base hits that have followed suit. Compiling a total of 24 extra-base hits, he’s nearly matched the 77-game production from a year ago. Polanco isn’t selling out for power either as he’s still using the whole field at roughly a one-third clip across the three sectors. In 2019, the name of the game for the Twins has been aggression. Swinging earlier, more often, and getting off their best hacks, it’s been a systemic change throughout the lineup. None of those principles have changed Polanco’s discipline. His whiff and chase rates are on par with career norms, and his contact rate sits right where it always has. On the league-leading average, he’s got just a .372 BABIP which also suggests that nothing is out of whack in that vein. In short, Jorge Polanco is producing along the exact clip the numbers say he should be. A 5.5-degree launch angle adjustment has made the balls he’s putting in play more productive, and hard contact is giving those batted balls opportunity to be more valuable. Harder, higher, and farther is a trio of principles that is synonymous with success in today’s game and the Twins shortstop has embodied it. While we’re here, we should probably take note that all this offensive production is happening while Polanco owns a positive DRS at short for the first time in his career. Range factors don’t view him favorably, but defensive metrics label him average at worst. The offense is sustainable, and the defense is allowing him to settle in. None of this is to suggest that Minnesota will employ one of the hottest hitters in baseball all season. Over the course of a 162-game slate there will be slumps. Polanco will fall off for a time, but the important reality is that this is truly the player he’s capable of being, and a production level like what we’re seeing can be viewed as more of the expectation than the outlier. Click here to view the article

The name of the game on the farm today was pitching. At Rochester it was a shutout, for Fort Myers it was Bryan Sammons looking great once again, and with Cedar Rapids it was a combined no-hitter. The bump was filled with outstanding performances today. Read about them below.TRANSACTIONS Fort Myers Miracle Transferred LHP Kody Funderburk to Elizabethton RHP Alex Phillips transferred from Pensacola RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 4, Buffalo 0 Box Score In the ever-enduring battle of the Wings, it was Rochester that prevailed in this one. Kohl Stewart was on the bump for the Red Wings and he turned in five innings of one-hit baseball. Striking out four and walking three, no damage was done on his watch. Fernando Romero worked 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief while fanning four, and that’s a development the big league club would like to see more of. Most of the damage came early in this one, and the home squad was able to ride that to victory. A three run first was punctuated by a pair of bases-loaded walks, and a later Drew Maggi RBI single wasn’t necessary in the eventual outcome. Nick Gordon recently was inserted back into the lineup following a brief IL stint, and he was able to tally two hits on the evening. Both LaMonte Wade and Maggi joined that club as well. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Tennessee 9, Pensacola 3 Box Score Back in action after a scheduled day off, an early deficit and a big inning spelled the demise of the Blue Wahoos. Andro Cutura couldn’t make it out of the second inning, and a bullpen game that saw Adam Bray surrender four runs on four hits and three walks without recording an out was more ugly than you’d hope. Despite ten hits during the contest, two RBI singles and a sac fly was all Pensacola could muster. Alex Kirilloff did have himself a nice outing picking up a two-hit effort and Ben Rortvedt snagged three hits while driving in a run. Despite the relatively lackluster pitching effort as a whole, reliever Tom Hackimer was a bright spot. He struck out the side in the eighth and now has gone six and one-third scoreless innings during his first venture into Double-A action. Combined with his 0.59 ERA across 15 and one-third innings at High-A Fort Myers, there’s a very solid season building here. MIRACLE MATTERS Bradenton 2, Fort Myers 1 Box Score After an abbreviated twin bill yesterday it was just one for these two clubs on Wednesday. Combining for a total of seven hits and three runs, this was the epitome of a pitcher’s duel. Bryan Sammons was again fantastic, twirling six shutout innings and fanning eight. His ERA now rests at 0.94 with just shy of 40 innings pitched. The recently promoted Trey Cabbage swatted his first dinger for the Miracle in the second inning. The solo shot was all they could must however, with the other two hits coming from Royce Lewis and Ryan Jeffers. KERNELS NUGGETS Burlington 5, Cedar Rapids 4 (Game 1) Box Score A double dip was needed today following a postponement on Wednesday. The afternoon game saw Cedar Rapids fall victim to a run in the seventh which ended up being the deciding factor. Andrew Cabezas battled command most of the day and went just four innings in the effort. After trailing by one in the top half of the second, the Kernels did all of their damage in the bottom half of the third inning. Jared Akins opened the scoring with an RBI single, and Jean Carlos Arias plated three with his second homer of the year. Burlington answered with three of their own in the next half inning before getting the tie-breaking run in the final frame. Cedar Rapids 9, Burlington 0 (Game 2) Box Score Easily the highlight of the day, Cedar Rapids watched Austin Schulfer and Jose Martinez combine for a no-hitter. Schulfer turned in five strong, fanning seven and issuing just one free pass. He’s been great all year for the Kernels and tonight’s effort was just another display of that. Martinez has scuffled during his 11 outings, but everything was working in turning in two flawless with a pair of punchouts on his own. The no-hitter certainly could have put the bats at ease, but eight hits sparked nine runs and this one was taken care of no matter what way you looked at it. For the most part, runs came as a by-product of guys doing their jobs. Fielder’s choices and groundouts were the early helpers, with a timely balk and some well placed base hits adding to the lead. The big blow came on Chris Williams home run, his eighth of the season, a three-run shot. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Austin Schulfer and Jose Martinez (Cedar Rapids) 5.0 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 1 BB 9 K Hitter of the Day – Jared Akins (Cedar Rapids) 3-7, 2 R, 2 RBI, 3B, HR PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – 1-4 #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 2-5, R, K, 2B #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Did Not Pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 0-3, BB, K #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - Injured (quad) #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Injured (wrist) #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – Did Not Pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did Not Pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured List #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 2-5, R, K #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – Did Not Pitch #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 1-3 #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 3-4, RBI, K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – 1-7, R, BB, K (2 games) #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 2-4, R #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – 0-4 THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ Rochester (10:05AM CST) – LHP Devin Smeltzer (0-1, 1.83 ERA) Pensacola @ Tennessee (6:00PM CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (2-3, 3.58 ERA) Fort Myers @ Daytona (6:05PM CST) – LHP Charlie Barnes (2-2. 8.28 ERA) Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (4-3, 4.95 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games Click here to view the article

Michael Pineda made a start for the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night in California against the Los Angeles Angels. He gave up a home run to Mike Trout during the second at bat of the game, the opposition was leading 3-0 entering the 3rd inning. That was your que to go and do a quick Twitter search, and it wouldn’t have been pretty. The reality is we’re seeing a shift in expectations. Entering play on May 22 the Twins pitching staff owned the 7th best fWAR in baseball. The 3.68 ERA of Minnesota starters was 7th in the sport and 4th in the American League. No longer is this group the pitch to contact, look for worm burners, pray for rain type of collection. There are strikeout arms at the disposal of Rocco Baldelli everyone stands to benefit from a systemic change throughout the organization. This isn’t to give Michael Pineda a pass. His first six starts in a Twins uniform were to the tune of a 6.21 ERA and .913 OPS against. He made it through the sixth inning just once and failed to advance beyond the fourth on two separate occasions. Having missed all the 2018 season, and over half of 2017, some level of rust was to be expected. Add in that three of those starts came against the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies and it’s fair to see where danger may have been hiding. Since his lackluster start Pineda has turned a significant corner. There’s no one foolish enough to suggest he’s a staff ace but a 4.50 ERA across 24.0 IP (four starts) is more than enough from the fifth guy in your rotation. He’s cut the opposing OPS down to .757 and while the homers still plague him, the 22/5 K/BB is plenty respectable. Over the course of his career Pineda has always been a guy to get bitten by the longball. He’s got a career 1.3 HR/9 and has been at 1.7 dating back to 2016. He’s also always posted strong strikeout numbers and limited the number of walks. Avoiding damage by making a good number of longballs fall into the solo variety is a safe way to give them up if you’re going to toe that line. There’s also a velocity decrease at play that could be hampering some of Pineda’s output. On the season he owns a 92.5 mph average, which is down from his 94.6 mph career mark. He didn’t see much warmth during Minnesota’s April, and the 93.3 mph averaging representing a season high came during an away game in Houston. As the summer trudges on, that will be something to monitor. The rest of his peripherals suggest that we’re looking at a pitcher simply being dogged by the big blast. His 42.9% hard hit rate is a career worst by quite a bit, and it’s spiked the 46% fly ball rate and 18% HR/FB mark. He needs to keep the ball in the yard more, but so far has danced around danger well. A .286 BABIP is workable, and more fly balls kept in the yard should be convertible outs. We’ll have to wait and see how future starts play out, but this is currently trending in the right direction. A 4.50 ERA isn’t going to have fans putting him in the discussion of Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi, or Martin Perez, but it’s a solid mark you can be happy with. We aren’t looking at a Ricky Nolasco, Tommy Milone, or Hector Santiago situation here. Despite a fanbase that seems to still be treading carefully and waiting for the bottom to fall out, there’s a lot of handwringing over the production of a 5th starter that’s doing his job appropriately. If you want to go out and throw your hands up each time Pineda toes the rubber and gives up three or four runs, be my guest. As much as I won’t be the one to stop those claims, I’ll also caution that he’s not an ideal fit for the bullpen, the depth behind him is currently uninspiring, and the most important factor is that he’s doing his job just fine. Minnesota could certainly afford to upgrade the fringes of its pitching staff, but that’s more matter of practice than it is an indictment on any one player. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Let’s get this out of the way from the beginning; Taylor Rogers is good. Despite parting with one of the best relievers in baseball in Ryan Pressly, the Minnesota Twins have groomed another in the 28-year-old from Colorado. His sparkling numbers tell you he’s good and tuning into any given game would confirm that. What you don’t know is that he’s better than you thought.On the season Rocco Baldelli has called upon Rogers 17 times to work a total of 20 innings. He has 1 .35 ERA and is fanning batters at a career high 12.2 K/9 clip. The lefty isn’t a soft-tosser, and his 95.4 mph average fastball velocity is better than it’s ever been. Once a LOOGY, Rogers has nuked batters from both sides of the plate and actually has been better against righties (.657 OPS) than lefties (.780 OPS) in 2019. So about that better than you would have thought part, here we go. Twins relievers are currently in the bottom three among major league teams when it comes to BABIP. Allowing opposing batters to hit over a .300 clip when putting the ball in play, there’s a good deal of unluckiness and bad fortune working against them. Specifically pertaining to Taylor, his .404 BABIP is 75th of 78 relievers who have tallied at least 20 innings this year. Being as good as he has been, opposing batters are successful almost half of the time when putting the ball in play off of him. In short, that’s crazy. When there’s an outlier like that statistic almost certainly is there must be more to the story. For Rogers there are a few things going on. His hard hit rate is a career best, and he’s giving up homers on fly balls just 6% of the time while generating ground balls 50% of the time. The number that stands out in his batted ball profile is the infield hit percentage. Right now opposing batters own a 19.2% success rate on infield hits. That’s the highest number in baseball, and 6% more than second place. Batters reaching base on what are likely lucky or fluky opportunities do nothing positive for that inflated BABIP. Regression or concern is generally muted when a pitcher is performing so well despite adverse realities in some key analytical areas. The BABIP could be burning Rogers but instead he’s been elite despite it. The 10.2% whiff rate isn’t where it was last year, but is still a favorable situation. He’s throwing more first pitch strikes in 2019, and he’s also generating chase and contact percentages along the lines of his 2018 breakout. If we revisit that hard hit rate from earlier, this is where things get even juicier for the road ahead. Rogers is allowing an average exit velocity below 86 mph, which is both incredibly low and conducive to easy outs. His 26.4% is 13th best in baseball, and just 4% shy of the top three. Those infield hits have created a bit of an outlier in his BABIP, but the rest of his efforts have generated a profile that has him looking like an all-star. We can assume that Rogers will be used for something close to 70 innings in 2019. His H/9 stands at a career worst 9.9 and the WHIP of 1.350 follows suit. Whether being beaten by unlucky shifting, bloop shots, or infield base hits, there are more convertible outs to be had here. The inputs from the mound are generating all of the results you’d like to see and that’s more than evident in the counting stats. As the sample size grows and results begin to normalize this is a season we could be looking back on for quite some time. There’s no denying that the Minnesota Twins have work to do in their bullpen. This team is the real deal, and asking for more in relief is a must. There’s also no denying that Taylor Rogers will be chief among the answers as opposed to the questions, and what lies ahead could be even better than the already outstanding results that are on the board. Click here to view the article

Probably articulated this poorly, but the point I was making is any argument regarding a shift up in the batting order is about generated ABs. Your leadoff man gets one more AB than the 2 hole and on down the line. Obviously it’s more nuanced than that in a mathematical sense, so the 8x was probably a bad suggestion in a literal sense.

Being the best defender in the game, and posting an OPS north of .800 (even at an offensively starved position) is a star.

It wasn’t long ago that Paul Molitor was attempting to show belief in Byron Buxton by batting him third to start the 2017 season. Minnesota’s centerfielder responded by going 1-18 with 11 strikeouts. Coming off a lost 2018 season, Buxton has batted in the final spot in the lineup during all 39 of his games played this year. Given the production, what do we do now, and will it all continue?First let’s look at that production. In his first 306 games with Minnesota, Byron owned a .230/.285/.387 slash line. He tallied just 44 doubles and while owning some seriously ugly strikeout numbers. Fast forward to 2019 and the Georgia native owns a .278/.336/.500 line across 39 games, has tallied an MLB leading 18 doubles, and has displayed an improved plate discipline. Those doubles are where things really get off the ground for Buxton. A slight increase to the hard-hit rate, some positive trends in chase and whiff rate, and a consistent level of contact, nothing really jumps off the page there. Buxton is still spraying the ball to all fields, going to right more often than most points during his career. Instead of making fielders get him out though, he’s avoiding them altogether. Launch angle is an often-mocked terminology within baseball but there’s nothing new school about it. Any object put into space from a position of zero movement will have a measurable launch angle. Baseball has simply sought out to find the optimal trajectory when determining flight baths on batted balls. There’s enough research now to suggest that, regardless of speed, putting the ball on the ground and beating it out or hoping for a professional to make an error is a bad plan of action. Having been tinkered with, and presented so many different directives, Buxton is now being himself in 2019 and it’s working. As an uber-talented and toolsy prospect the thought that he’d hit was always there. Hitting for power would come, and while he may sacrifice some on the average side, the bat-to-ball skills looked exceptional. Buxton is utilizing that swing to drive the baseball in 2019, as opposed to relying on his speed to carry his bat. A year ago, Buxton’s launch angle on 63 batted balls was just 12.7 degrees. Through 95 instances in 2019 he owns a launch angle of 20.3 degrees. He’s not looking to hit through or around fielders anymore but is instead crushing it over them. We come full circle now back to the doubles. Arguably more often than anyone in baseball, Byron will turn a single into an extra base. His speed on the basepaths is what allows him to push for more, and he doesn’t need the traditional gapper to get the job done. Jumping his average exit velocity from 85.7 mph to 91.6 mph, there’s more work for defenders to do in hopes of halting his progress. Lining more than his fair share of baseballs off the wall, the races begin when he steps out of the batter’s box. Right now, so much of what Buxton is putting in the air has him winding up at second base. Of his 24 extra-base hits he’s got just two triples and two ding dongs. With the launch angle being what it is, and the batted balls leaving at what they are, 4.1% HR/FB ratio feels all sorts of out of whack. With the weather warming and ball flying throughout the sport, you can expect Buck to put plenty more in the seats. I’ve never assumed Byron would be a typical .300 hitter, but the .260-.280 range with some real slugging prowess feels like a good bet. Batting in the nine-hole, Buxton has had ample opportunity to settle in. I like him at the bottom half so his wheels can wreak havoc without being wasted ahead of the boppers. At this point though it’s becoming questionable as to whether his bat is being fully utilized. Operating under the rough assumption that Buxton will lose eight times as many opportunities batting at the bottom as opposed to the top, that’s a competitive disadvantage Rocco Baldelli must weigh. Max Kepler has looked good in short stretches, but the .305 OBP isn’t what you’d like to see at the top of the lineup. The German’s expanded ability has come in the form of thump, and the longball is a presence that can be felt in any role. Without worrying about how the lineup juggles, moving Byron to the top is becoming more logical than ever. I liked him stopping at sixth before, but his explosion coupled with Kepler’s production makes this an ideal swap. He’s displaying the offensive abilities that added his prospect status, and out in center field he’s as great as he’s even been. Click here to view the article

Touché. That early stretch certainly clouded the judgement there eh?

Given who threw (and also how they threw) tonight for Rochester, it almost certainly won't be Reed. Messing up Stewart's days doesn't seem like a good bet since they need a reliever, and the options are running thin. Doogie suggested to watch Austin Adams which would be well...meh

There wasn’t a ton to write home about offensively on the farm today, but a few pitching performances stood out. Bryan Sammons was again solid for the Fort Myers Miracle, and Andrew Cabezas turned in his best start of an already good year for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. A big blast by Jared Akins was notable, and Pensacola plated their fair share. Read more in the minor league report.TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins RHP Trevor Hildenberger optioned to Triple-A Rochester Red Wings 3B Miguel Sano activated by Minnesota Twins off of MLB rehab RED WINGS REPORT Charlotte 7, Rochester 3 Box Score Rochester decided to go with a bullpen game tonight, and there were plenty of unfortunate outings. Rehabbing Addison Reed gave up a two-run blast in his lone inning of work. Jake Reed allowed a two-run shot in his two innings, and Gabriel Moya coughed up three on three hits and a walk. The Red Wings scored in the second inning on a Wilin Rosario Double and a Jordany Valdespin single. Their third run came on a solo shot in the sixth. Despite having the lead at that point, five more Charlotte runs crossed the plate to give us our final score. Minnesota is working on a relief move for the big club, and we can make an educated guess that none of the guys trotted out tonight will head to Seattle. KSTP’s Darren Wolfson noted an interesting name to keep an eye on. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 7, Chattanooga 6 Box Score Battling the former Minnesota Twins Double-A affiliate in some morning baseball action, Randy Dobnak worked into the sixth inning capturing his second win for the Wahoos. Scattering seven hits, striking out four, and walking three, Dobnak gave up four runs (three earned). Owning a 2.93 ERA since his promotion, he continues to roll. Pensacola found themselves trailing 3-0 once the fourth inning came around, but that was the last time they’d trail in this one. Caleb Hamilton picked up his third dinger of the year, and then doubles by Mark Contreras and Joe Cronin pushed the Wahoos out front. A Travis Blankenhorn homer gave the visitors a 5-3 cushion. After the Lookouts answered with a run of their own in the sixth, Alex Kirilloff singled in Tanner English and Contreras to re-establish the breathing room. Ryan Mason did give up his first earned runs of this season in recording a hold and Sam Clay was able to close it out for his third save. MIRACLE MATTERS Bradenton 7, Fort Myers 6 Box Score Bryan Sammons brought an impressive six-game run into this one and put forth another effort that has been status quo this season. Working five innings, he allowed just two runs and struck out three. After seven turns through the rotation he’s got a sparkling 1.11 ERA. The two teams combined for 24 hits in the 10 inning contest and 13 runs crossed the plate. Fort Myers got hits from everyone in the lineup aside from Royce Lewis, who had a tough night going 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. Trevor Larnach and Ryan Costello tallied two-hit nights with each of them recording a double. Extras were needed to settle this one after back-to-back blown save opportunities. Lewis scored for the Miracle in the top half to put Fort Myers ahead, but Bradenton would plate two in the bottom half, walking off the good guys. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Quad Cities 0 Box Score Just seven batters recorded hits across both lineups today, but it was the Kernels Andrew Cabezas who spun a gem over seven strong. Notching nine strikeouts, walking no one, and allowing just a single hit, Cedar Rapids had all the oomph it needed on the mound. Recently activated Jared Akins was playing in just his second game of the season when he launched his first home run. The fourth inning solo blast was the difference here, and became a footnote on a day when pitching was dominant. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day – Andrew Cabezas (Cedar Rapids) – 7.0 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 9 K TD Hitter of the Day- Jared Akins (Cedar Rapids) – 1-3, R, RBI, HR(1) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – 0-5, 4 K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 1-5, 2 RBI, K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Did Not Pitch #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 2-4, R, BB, 2 K, 2B #5 - Wander Javier (EST) – Injured, early May return #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 1-4, 2 K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – Did Not Pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did Not Pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Did Not Pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) – Did Not Play #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured List #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – Did Not Play #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 2-5, R, K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – 1-3 #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) – Did Not Pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) – 1-4, BB #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – 1-4, R, RBI THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Charlotte (6:04PM CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (2-2, 4.50 ERA) Mobile @ Pensacola (6:35PM CST) – RHP Griffin Jax (2-1, 1.35 ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30PM CST) – LHP Charlie Barnes (2-2, 7.66 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (6:30PM CST) – RHP Blayne Enlow (3-3, 5.52 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Wednesday’s games. Click here to view the article

Coming into the 2019 Major League Baseball season, relief pitching was a very serious question mark. For the most part, the guys Minnesota’s front office has told us to trust in have looked the part. Ryne Harper has been a great story, and Matt Magill has flashed solid stuff. The back end of Taylor Rogers, Blake Parker, and Trevor May work. Unfortunately, that’s where things end. There’s been a revolving door at the bottom of Minnesota’s bullpen, and the options to call upon are dwindling. Fernando Romero has been up multiple times, without seeing any significant success. He’s been knocked around at Triple-A, and despite great stuff, the transition to relief hasn’t gone smoothly. We’ve seen Tyler Duffey a few times, and despite dominating Triple-A, the beautiful bender has yet to see solid run in the big leagues. Rocco Baldelli has been given lefty Andrew Vasquez, and former starter Adalberto Mejia looks to have flamed out. Addison Reed was on a path back through a surprise rehab stint, but he’s been hit around the park for Rochester. The only other 40-man option is lefty Gabriel Moya, who has also been bad since returning to Triple-A and hasn’t ever shown a significant level of success at the big-league level. Non-40-man options are also a difficult ask at this point. Jake Reed was going well for Rochester but has hit the skids. D.J. Baxendale and Ryan Eades have gaudy ERA numbers and are allowing far too much contact. Beyond that, you’d need to dip another level down and be relatively convinced that the big jump would be warranted. The good news is that the Twins are 27-15 while looking in command of the AL Central. The bad news is that Trevor Hildenberger nearly surrendered a four-run lead, and Mike Morin was called upon to face both Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in massive spots today. If that development alone doesn’t call for some action, I don’t know what does. Craig Kimbrel still is unsigned and can be acquired for nothing more than cash. Yes, at this point you’d need to part with a draft pick to sign him. Waiting until after the draft could be smart, but the number of teams willing to bring him in without pick compensation being thwarted likely rises in number as well. On the trade front, there’s more than a handful of bad teams that can part will relievers. Typically deals are consummated in late June at the earlier. Though the asset capital may be higher when looking to acquire talent earlier in the year, it’s worth weighing what the immediate and extra impact would be should they get into Wes Johnson’s hands sooner. At the end of the day it boils down to the simple principle that the Minnesota Twins have opportunity in front of them. Given their trajectory and roster construction, this isn’t a team that should be playing for 2020. You don’t need to mortgage the farm for a one-year run but capitalizing in years where you can make noise is a must. Right now, the greatest deficiency this group has is its bullpen. Although the collective has held strong, it’s been on the back of a small inner group that is going to be burned through come summer. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

While sports trading cards have been a long-standing cardboard commodity, Topps previously introduced the digital collecting craze. In football it’s known as Huddle and in baseball its coined Bunt. Although there’s a digital aspect to these products, Topps used to produce a physical counterpart. In recent years the baseball Bunt brand has died off physically, and it’s been replaced by Big League. A cheap rip focused on subjects and child-sized fun, Topps has executed something everyone can get behind. As sports cards have seen resurgence in popularity there’s no denying the lucrative aspect of collecting. For products like Big League though, it isn’t about the almighty dollar and instead provides an affordable avenue for the avid fan or new collector to participate in the longstanding hobby. With the Minnesota Twins being well represented in 2019, this is a product you should definitely check out. Base Set There are a total of 403 cards in the 2019 Big League base set. That’s a whopper in and of itself, but Minnesota’s cards are more manageable with 13 entries. You’ll find plenty of familiar faces in this group, but the standouts include C.J. Cron, Jonathan Schoop, and a Willians Astudillo rookie card. The Twins don’t have any players in the three base variation set checklists. Inserts As mentioned above, Big League is not about inserts or autographs. While both subsets are included, neither is the goal of buying into the product. For the Twins however, there is an entry in each of the three insert checklists. The Player’s Weekend Nickname, as well as the Star Caricatures set, includes Jose Berrios. Max Kepler represents Minnesota on the 10 card Wall Climbers group. Hits Just 52 autograph cards show up in total across the entire checklist, but Minnesota lands three participants. At the low price point, you can expect each of these to be of the sticker variety. Eddie Rosario and Jose Berrios find themselves on the Big League autograph set, with each offering producing parallel cards as well. Willians Astudillo lands his first Topps RC auto in the 17 card Rookie Republic portion of the product. If you’re looking for something to rip in bulk, a cheap item to enjoy the imagery, or a card offering that will appeal to younger generations, then Topps Big League is certainly a good bet. Make sure to look for it at your local retailer or hobby store on May 15. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz

Mitch Garver hasn’t had a large fan club for too long. He was an older prospect, played catcher with some lackluster defense, and never topped any national lists. To put it both fairly and bluntly, the 2013 9th round selection wasn’t flashy in any sense of the word. If there’s something that always appeared capable of carrying him though, it was his bat. Boy has it.After assuming regular work in a season that Jason Castro found himself hurt, Mitch Garver began a breakout in 2018. He posted a .268/.335/.414 slash line en route to a 104 OPS+. Essentially, he was just above league average while showing some pop and having a good display of plate discipline. In September Willians Astudillo came onto the scene and caused the collective whole of Minnesota Twins fans to lose their minds. He raked, and didn’t so unconventionally, while being the living embodiment of a shelled animal. When Spring Training kicked off, there were discussion that the option eligible Garver could be the one sent back to Triple-A to accommodate a roster crunch. Fast forward to today, and any downplaying of Garver’s ability looks sillier than it ever has. To be certain, the New Mexico native needed to work on his defense behind the dish. Consulting Tanner Swanson for help from within, Mitch changed his receiving style and looked to push his abilities behind the plate to an average at worst barometer, instead of that being his ceiling. The -16 DRS in 2018 was abysmal, and the strike percentage was far from where it needed to be. Both of those statistics have been addressed in a big way this year, and it’s made the offensive swoon that much more enjoyable. Without yet going into the how, here’s the what. Garver came into Tuesday night’s game with a ridiculous .333/.425/.733 slash line and a 204 OPS+. He’d surpassed his career total in homers (7) through just 24 games and launched his 9th early in game 25. The 19/11 K/BB isn’t indicative of a guy that’s selling out for power, and that strong plate discipline has earned him multiple starts out of the leadoff position for the Twins. So, where is this all coming from? Basically, Mitch took a part of the game he was already good at (hitting) and launched it into another universe. His already strong whiff rate Is now down to 6.3% (1.5% drop from 2018), while he’s gone from chasing 22% of the time to just 16%. Nothing has changed in his contact rates, and his swing rates have actually taken a dip. Now, get ready for it, this is where it gets fun. Garver owns a career best 42.9% hard hit rate in 2019. That is only a 2% lead from 2018; he was already hitting the ball hard a year ago. Instead of hitting ground balls nearly 40% of the time however, he’s putting balls in the air nearly 50% of the time. It’s jumped his HR/FB rate from 8% to 30%. In 2018 Garver had a 9.5-degree launch angle on base hits. In 2019, that number is 13.6 degrees. He’s using a similar approach while hitting the ball harder and higher, enjoying the flight of it going even further. To be fair it’d be crazy to expect any player to continue this level of production over the course of a full season. Garver is on an impressive tear, and a slump will certainly come. What is good new though, is that nothing about his approach leaves him susceptible to being beaten ober the course of an extended period. Forcing pitchers to work, he’ll still be able to attack the offering that suits him best and has the ability to do damage. Right now, Garver is the best catcher in baseball. He’s posted a better fWAR mark than anyone at the position, despite playing a handful less games. He’s tracking towards an All-Star berth, and we are getting out of the small sample size realm. This is fun, he’s for real, and Minnesota probably found their long-term solution behind the dish. Click here to view the article

Couple of things here. I think the resurgence of the division is a bit overstated. The Indians are going to get worse, and their farm is awful. I’m not buying the White Sox yet either. Eloy is great, and Dylan Cease looks nice, but Kopech is hurt and now Rodin is too. They’ve got pieces, but to assume they’re going to jump up in one year seems hopeful to me. Regarding the teams Minnesota has beaten, the Twins are doing EXACTLY what good teams do. Playing .500 or better against good teams is a big win, and then crushing the bad teams is how it’s supposed to work. Because the rest of the division is bad, and really so much of the AL Central, there should be a few teams with gaudy records at the top.

My guess is that will remain Kohl Stewart for the immediate future. Stephen Gonsalves is still working his way back, and while Zack Littell could factor in, Kohl has seen MLB success too. If there's continued improvement, Lewis Thorpe could be the guy by summer.

Over the offseason a consistent narrative from the Minnesota Twins front office was one of patience. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine consistently suggested that many of the near-future decisions would hinge on the production of Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. Back in early February I wondered if that reality didn’t make Sano and Buxton out to be scapegoats. Fortunately for all parties involved, one half of the duo has forced the hand of the Front Office. Through the first 39 games Minnesota has 25 wins, is leading the AL Central, and owns the best record in all of baseball. This team is hitting a ridiculous amount of home runs, the starting pitching has been exceptional, and the bullpen has been far better than expected. Looking at the two-headed monster discussed from the outset, Byron Buxton owns an .816 OPS while being arguably the best defender in the game, and Miguel Sano is yet to step on the field. Following the publishing of that February piece one large move was made that both addressed some payroll concerns, as well as adding significant talent to the roster. Marwin Gonzalez was inked to a two-year pact for $21 million. As arguably the best super-utility player in baseball, he provided a level of insurance against slumps and injuries all over the field. Called upon to start at third base from the get-go with Sano’s injury, he’ll now slot back into a versatile role once Miguel is activated later this week. In fact, it’s the return of Sano that brings up this talking point sooner than the July 31st trade deadline. All we know about the Dominican slugger at this point is that he showed up to Spring Training in a shape reflective of a commitment level not yet seen from him. Despite an injury delaying his debut, he put up solid numbers in a very small rehab sample size. He also has a profile that fits in nicely with what this team is attempting to accomplish when he is right. Looking for a floor, Miguel Sano is the hitter who owned a .679 OPS a season ago. There’s a ton of power, way too many swings and misses, along with some questionable-at-best defense over at the hot corner. His ceiling looks something like the 2015 version where he posted a .916 OPS across 80 games and showed both plate discipline as well as prowess. A reality lying somewhere in the middle, lots of home runs, a good number of walks, and a handful of swings and misses, would be an optimal outcome for Rocco Baldelli to dispose. For the Twins, Byron Buxton already is that. He hasn’t flashed his peak, but he’s also nowhere near his floor. Performing at the level he is now, serious consideration for some personal accolades could be given, and he’s doing it within the structure of a team capable of making a run. For Falvey and Levine, the two linchpins of the equation are now forcing them to re-evaluate. There’s no denying that the window is just beginning to open in Twins Territory. The division should remain down for some time, the farm system is among the best in baseball, and the big-league club has talent capable of high production for the next three to five years. Supplementing this team, and the ones that come after it is now a must, and it’s this front office that I’d pick to have in charge. With the focus being put on Buxton and Sano, Falvey and Levine effectively said when we win, we’ll go to work. Knowing that this team has holes but is capable of more, there’s reason to believe additions prior to the July 31st deadline make a ton of sense. A bigger price tag may come with the earlier acquisition cost, but for a team looking to add in 2019 and beyond, reinforcements should be of the long-term view as well. Whether under team control into 2020 and beyond, or free agent deals with multiple years, commitment and buy in is where moves need to lean. It’s not time to push Falvey and Levine on execution just yet, we haven’t even hit mid-May. If we’re through min-June before this club is adding additional talent though, they’ll have suggested a wait and see approach only to close their eyes. I don’t foresee that result taking place, and if trade returns like that of Brian Dozier or Jermaine Palacios are any indication, the duo at the top for Minnesota should be trusted with full authority. For more from Off The Baggy, click here. Follow @tlschwerz