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The lockout continues. Most Twins minor leaguers have reported to Ft. Myers for spring training, and there are some unique roster situations and issues from most years. Then again, the past couple of seasons have been a bit wild too. In March of 2020, Twins minor leaguers had just reported to Ft. Myers for spring training. Then the Covid pandemic showed up, minor leaguers were sent home, and eventually, the minor league season was canceled. Players scrambled, not knowing if or when they could get back to southwest Florida. The minor league coaches and coordinators were trying to work with the minor league players, checking in on their work each week, zoom calls to have conversations on how to progress. Sure, some top prospects got to do some work at the Twins alternate site in St. Paul that summer, but very few. There was no Arizona Fall League, but fortunately, at least some of the team’s prospects were able to travel to Ft. Myers for an instructional league camp. Let’s jump to February of 2021. Major League spring training started on time, but there were no guarantees of a minor league season. Big league camp was comprised of those on the 40-man roster, the non-roster invitees, and a group at “development camp.” Those players worked just like usual, and they were the players brought to spring training games to work the innings and get the at-bats after the starters got their work in. The minor league season was delayed. Instead of reporting to Ft. Myers and officially starting camp in early March, they reported by April 1st. That allowed the major-league players and team to vacate the facilities and the minor leaguers to enter. Again, there was an “alternate” site in St. Paul, so several minor league veterans and players could be called up to the Twins on short notice (and many were because of injuries and a mini-Covid situation in April). The minor league season started on May 5th, but even that had a completely different feel. MLB spent the previous offseason eliminating several minor league teams from affiliated status. The PDCs (Player Development Contracts) were essentially torn up, and new affiliations were made. Those teams each signed 10-year PDCs. After two decades in Rochester, New York, the Twins' new Triple-A affiliate was the St. Paul Saints. It was an excellent move for the Twins and the players who often found themselves (and their families) moving up and down from Triple-A to the big leagues. After a year with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos as their Double-A affiliate, the Twins now call the Wichita Wind Surge their new Double-A affiliate. The city had just completed a state-of-the-art stadium and facilities on the river, and it was a great situation for the Twins. Now the Twins maintained the Cedar Rapids Kernels and Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels as their A-Ball affiliates. However, they switched places. Cedar Rapids was “promoted’ to High-A while the Mighty Mussels were now the team’s Low-A affiliate. Cedar Rapids has been a terrific affiliate for the Twins. They are in close proximity to the Twin Cities but also reasonably close to Wichita. With the Twins minor league and spring training complex in Ft. Myers, it made sense to have the Mighty Mussels be the next rung up as there are several promotions and demotions at that level. However, the Twins lost their affiliation with the Advanced-Rookie level Elizabethton Twins. The Appalachian League was changed to a college wood bat league, and the team changed it's name from the Twins to the River Riders. It was disappointing for several reasons, none more than that they had been a Twins affiliate for 45 seasons. But that did create some challenges. Elizabethton was where high school picks or international signings would usually go in their second pro season after playing in the GCL. It was also an excellent place for players drafted out of college to make their professional debut. Without Elizabethton, the next step up the organizational ladder was Ft. Myers. And while that “jump” is just across the parking lot in Ft. Myers, the quality of play can be vastly different. It is a lost level for development. While college players can more easily make that jump, it is a giant leap for a high school player like Keoni Cavaco or a top international signing like Misael Urbina. Recently, Twins Director of Player Development Alex Hassan discussed how the loss of Elizabethton altered what was done in 2021, and they will likely take what they learned a year ago into the 2022 season. “It's certainly changed the dynamic, especially how you think about that level. Misael Urbina is probably a good example of that, too, where he went last year, and it felt like a stretch, but he didn't have other options. I think it has really re-framed the way we're looking at some of those things. In terms of the Low-A level, in terms of guys in that class that are high school players, in some ways, you might think about that as a two-year (level) depending upon performance, but more of a two-year level than you probably have in the past where if guys performed OK or at a decent level, you've gone year to year moving up each level. I do think that's one way we're trying to think about it. If a guy repeats that level, it maybe will become more of the norm than not for that class of player.” If you are wondering, I think it is fair to say that Misael Urbina will repeat at Low-A. It is also a challenge in the Florida Complex League (FCL, formerly the GCL). There are all the players who have remained at “Extended Spring Training.” They bring over several players from the Dominican Republic. Additionally, the players drafted that summer report and filled up roster spots. In other words, it can be challenging to get enough at-bats or innings pitched for all of those players. “I think it has just forced us to think about those levels a tick differently and trying to get creative in the ways that we can get guys work and not overreact to performance in the short term.” This brings us to 2022, a third straight weird season for minor leaguers and player development staff. With the lockout, and the inability for 40-man roster players to participate in minor league spring training, the organization has had to add players. But Hassan takes it all in stride, noting it’s much easier than wondering if you were going to even have a season. Twins' former Minor League Director, Brad Steil, is now the team's Director of Player Procurement. He works with the pro scouts. The information his group gathers can be used in trade discussions, but in the offseason, signing minor league free agents based on their feedback is essential. Understanding that several players on the 40-man roster would start the season in Double-A or Triple-A, they have added a few extra veteran minor league free agents for needed depth. Hassan said, “We certainly have plans throughout the offseason for bringing additional depth. There are still opportunities where we can continue to build our depth across our organization, and some of that will just continue as we go into Spring Training. I think just having clarity on the fact that we're going to start the Minor League season has been helpful and allowed us to plan a little bit further ahead than we were able to last year.” When spring training games start, the Twins can pull up players from the Complex roster to play at other levels or generally shift people around to fill rosters for those games. However, as the season approaches, they will have to continue to monitor their rosters and the lockout situation to determine if they need to sign more players. This issue is certainly not limited to the Twins. All 30 teams will have to work through their roster needs, particularly Triple-A. Rule 5 Draft? Potentially the strangest situation that player development staffs around the league face this year involves the Rule 5 draft. “I hope they just cancel it. That would be the best case. Maybe not. But yeah, it is weird. We have some eligible players, and they’re here, and we’re working with them to develop them as best we can. I don’t know what the plan is for that. But yeah, it’s weird. because normally it’s resolved, and you know who’s here and who’s not here.” Hassan continued, “Hope for the guys we have here, continue to work with those guys and develop those guys.” This feels like a good place to post a William Parmeter photo from spring training. Recently, Jordan Gore, who would be eligible for the Rule 5 draft was working a session on the Hammond Stadium mound. That is some impressive flow! Minor League Housing Maybe the best news to come out of the offseason relates to the minor leagues is that players will no longer have to pay for housing at minor league sites. Alex Hassan spent eight seasons in professional baseball, so he understands that struggle and stress. He said, “That’s something, first and foremost, that I am personally thrilled about. I couldn’t possibly be happier, taking that burden off the players. I remember back when I was playing, it was always an area of stress. Your lease. Short-term lease, first and foremost, which is tougher to find. Having to potentially break the lease and find new roommates. I think those are real challenges. And I couldn’t be happier that we’re taking that step.” Hasson praised the Complex and dorms in Ft. Myers. They have 54 rooms and three meals each day for the players and staff. That helps the FCL and the players on the Complete roster. The Cedar Rapids Kernels have long had a very strong host-family program to help its players. “Within the policy, you can use host families. There are certain criteria that have to meet in order to qualify for host family housing. In Cedar Rapids, I think we have one of the best host family programs in minor league baseball. We’re very fortunate on that front that players will continue to be able to use that opportunity in Cedar Rapids.” In both Wichita and St. Paul, the Twins have apartments for players. “Wichita is fully furnished, and it’s actually right across the street from the stadium. So it’s a really good setup in Wichita. And we have an apartment complex that we’re working with in St. Paul. The team is responsible for basically everything that goes into the apartment, providing bed and furniture and tables, forks and knives and linens, and cable and internet. The team provides all that stuff, and the players are not signing leases anywhere they’re staying.” A third straight “weird” year in the minor leagues and with player development is upon us. But we will have full schedules for the team’s four full-season affiliates. Players received a bump in pay a couple of years ago, but that still needs to improve significantly to put players above the poverty line. At this point, most minor league players are nowhere near that low floor. But getting their housing paid for is a big help as well. Conditions have improved some, and hopefully, improvements will continue. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Recently, Twins Daily caught up with Twins prospects Tanner English and Nick Gordon. Earlier this week, we had the story of Tanner English, In His Own Words. Tomorrow, we'll have a full story on Nick Gordon. Today, we discussed their shared experience in the Arizona Fall League. The two also are great friends and have huge respect for each other so we asked each to talk a little about the other.The Arizona Fall League provides an opportunity for prospects to play an extra 20 to 25 games against some premium competition. There are several reasons for a team to select players to participate. Once selected, players have different goals for what they’d like to accomplish while playing in the Fall League. Recently we caught up with Tanner English and Nick Gordon and discussed their time in the Arizona Fall League and more. Gordon was the fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft. English was the team’s 11th round pick in 2014 out of the University of South Carolina. English is a fan of country music. He admits, “I am a country music fanatic. I love old country. I like the new stuff. I like everything.” He and Gordon are very close, having been teammates at each level since signing. English continued, “He hates it, so whenever he’s around, I blare it.” ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE Late in the 2016 season, the two were playing for the Ft. Myers Miracle in a series against the Tampa Yankees when they were first asked about possibly going to Arizona for the Fall League. Both were excited about the opportunity. As we learned the other day, English missed a large portion of his season due to Lasik surgery which was followed by an ankle injury that cost him more time. He hoped that “the good Lord had a plan.” Maybe the Arizona Fall League was that opportunity. As Twins minor league director Brad Steil recently told Twins Daily, “I think the AFL was something we were considering once he decided to have the procedure done. Whenever a player misses time because of an injury, we know that the AFL and/or instructional league are options to make up some of those at-bats or innings. Considering how Tanner finished the year, we thought that facing AFL pitching would be a nice step for him in his development progression.” Nick Gordon got through his season in the heat of the Florida State League weary but generally healthy. He spent a week on the DL midseason with a concussion, but other than that, it was a relatively healthy season. For Gordon,the Twins’ reasons for wanting him to play in the AFL were a little different. According to Steil, “Considering the season Nick had with the Miracle, we thought the AFL would be a natural progression in his development and would help prepare him for the jump to Double-A.” Gordon acknowledged that he wasn’t even thinking about the Fall League when he found out, but he was very excited for the chance to play in Arizona. “It definitely was a blessing when I found out. I wasn’t really expecting it at first. I was just going out there every single day trying to compete. I hadn’t thought about the offseason yet, and when I did find out, I was definitely happy about it.” After missing so much time English’s goal for the Fall League sounds pretty simplistic, but really it was anything but. “One of the things I wanted to work on going there was having more competitive at bats. That’s a pretty broad statement, but I missed a lot of time. So when I came back, I wanted to be able to use my eyes to my advantage. At first, it was tough because I had been hitting one way for so long that I had to make an adjustment. It sounds stupid, but I just had to be able to see the ball, you know,” English continued. “Going out to Arizona, I think I had played about 25 games before I went out there to finish out the year. I had a little bit of experience, but those guys had all been playing 100 games this year and I was on game number 30 or so. So, I was pretty far behind the other guys. I just wanted to go out there and have competitive at bats.” Gordon was one of the youngest players in the Arizona Fall League during the season, though that is nothing new for the phenom. He had a decent idea of what to expect, at least in terms of the types of talent. “Definitely knew the competition was going to be good, but I knew I could go out there and compete. It’s why I train so hard all season doing the things that I do so I could just go out there and have fun. I knew going out there that there were guys going to the big leagues or had even played in the big leagues.” He also was given some good advice from a 21-year-MLB veteran, his father Tom Gordon. “My dad was telling me that every single pitch, every single game, you can’t take anything for granted. It’s the same as the regular season. You’re going to play some guys who are ready for the big leagues.” Nick Gordon led the Surprise Saguaros in several categories including batting average (.346), on-base percentage (.418), triples (2) and stolen bases (5). His .444 slugging percentage trailed only two teammates, one of which was Twins teammate Mitch Garver. Gordon also had just two errors in his 21 games played. For English, his Fall League started out slow, but he got going about halfway through the season. Though his overall batting average was just .239, he got on base 33.3% of the time. His 21 games played were just one behind the team leaders. He also said that he absorbed and learned whether he was playing or not. “Even if I wasn’t playing, I could go out there and watch some of the best dudes in baseball.” English noted, “When I wasn’t playing, I could be learning just by watching other people, either on my team or the other team. When I was playing, you learn a ton just from experience.” Gordon was selected to play in the annual Fall Stars game, something he really enjoyed. He said of his experience, “It was a great time, and to be able to meet some of those guys and play with those guys, and be in the Fall Stars game. It was fun. I wouldn’t change it for anything.” Gordon said he got a signed bat from all of his teammates, “which was pretty awesome.” English also had a great time. “The Fall League was a blast. As everybody knows, the competition is pretty crazy out there. Everyone is really good. It was a huge learning experience, and I’m just glad I got the opportunity to do it.” Remember in Tuesday’s article when English received his promotion to Rochester for the final five games. He had to call his parents (at 1 a.m.), who were on their way to Ft. Myers to watch him play, that they might as well turn around. The Saguaros played in the AFL championship game which airs on MLB Network. “Playing on MLB Network was cool. That was awesome. It’s one of the things that a lot of guys can’t say that they’ve been able to do. My parents haven’t seen me play in two years, I don’t think. So it was cool. They were able to turn the TV on and watch me play.” Gordon and English were both drafted by the Twins in 2014. Gordon with the fifth overall pick. English with their 11th round pick. They played that summer together in Elizabethton. In 2015 they played together in Cedar Rapids. They were teammates with the Miracle in 2016 when English was healthy. And, as we just wrote about, they were teammates in the Arizona Fall League. They have roomed together and have become very close. I asked each about what they have seen from each other in the time since they were drafted. ENGLISH ON GORDON What has Tanner English seen from Nick Gordon over these three seasons? How has he grown, and what makes him one of the top prospects in the game? English emphatically paused the interviewer and said, “In the game, and don’t get that wrong. Not just in the system.” English shared that he sent Gordon a text recently that literally said, “How the heck do you make hitting look so easy? Why is it so easy to you?” “He is so good, and obviously his numbers hitting speak for themselves. Everybody knew he was a good hitter in high school. He just needed to get stronger, be able to control the bat a little more, hit the ball a little harder, which he’s don’t” English continued, “He’s gotten a lot better in the field. He is absolutely good enough to stay at shortstop. He works his tail off. He just turned 21 in the past year, and he acts like he’s a lot older. He’s grown up off the field as a man. He’s matured really fast which has helped him a lot. It’s been fun to watch him. It’s been fun to play with him.” English is Gordon’s biggest fan, and cheerleader. “If there are videos of him making a sick play in the field, I can promise you I’m in the outfield, running in, pumping my fist in the air and screaming. You may not see that half the time, but I promise I’m doing that. I’m his #1 fan out there. And if I make a sick catch in the outfield, I look, and he’s the closest one to me. He’s pointing at me, clapping and yelling ‘Yes, sir.’ He’s a great teammate and a great friend. And I really look forward to playing with him and learning from him as we go.” GORDON ON ENGLISH Gordon is equally enthusiastic when talking about Tanner English. And when it comes to English, the first thing people want to talk about is his defense. According to minor league director Brad Steil, “Certainly when you evaluate Tanner, his speed, arm, and overall defensive skills stand out. With his instincts and athletic ability, we think he has the potential to be an above average defender in the big leagues.” Gordon adds, “He can honestly play the outfield with the best of them.I don't think I’ve seen too many better than Tanner in centerfield. He’s definitely reliable out there.” But he can be more than just his great glove, Gordon says. “He can do so many things with the bat as well. And speed. It’s ridiculous. It’s unbelievable to watch him run. I’ve seen a couple of people in my life run like that, and one of them is my brother.” That’s pretty fast! While they are great friends, Gordon enjoys watching English play the game. He observes English, and they talk to each other about their games. And then they cheer for each other. “It’s the way he plays the game. We have so many conversations about hitting. To see somebody grow and learn is great. To listen to some of the things that we talk about and then we see each other doing it, it pumps me up. It’s fun to be able to play with him and pick his brain and stuff like that, and to become so close.” These two have a strong bond and a mutual respect for one another on and off the field. They enjoy competing with each other and cheering for each other. They can both acknowledge the other’s strengths. They both have big league futures, and they’ll help each other reach their potential. Click here to view the article

Over sixty Twins players officially reported to Major League camp about two weeks ago. Tuesday was officially Minor League report day for the Minnesota Twins. That meant another 143 players were expected to be at the Twins facilities in Ft. Myers. Twins Daily is the top site for Minnesota Twins minor league content and information on the internet. We plan to continue providing the most information on the minor leagues throughout the 2016 season. Expect daily Twins Minor League Reports as well as more of the Q&As as you saw in the offseason. We'll continue to provide awards for monthly Twins Minor League Hitter, Relief Pitcher and Starting Pitcher. And, maybe we'll add a few more twists as well.The Twins facilities have been quite busy throughout the offseason. Since the Florida Instructional was completed the Twins held a couple of strength camps for young players. Several minor leaguers (and big league players) live in Ft. Myers throughout the offseason and work out several days a week. The Twins minor league academy opened last year and was a game-changer for the Twins. It provided minor leaguers the option of arriving weeks early and having a place to live and get meals and use all of the training facilities for a minimal charge. Over the last two months, players have been gradually arriving. Last week, it was reported that over 55 players were already in camp. Before big league spring training started, Tommy Watkins led the players through their baseball activities. Since Watkins reported to big league camp, some of the other minor league coaches have also been working with players. So, what happens on report day? Well, the players come to the facilities and basically sign in on a computer. I mean, that’s the extent of the requirement, showing up. For the most part, the players arrive and they still go through another workout. So, what happens on Wednesday? It’s probably not terribly fun. The players report to the clubhouse early and each player goes through his physicals. Height and weight. Urine test. EKG. Eye tests. Ear tests. And, well, all of the things that go into a male’s physical. And likely all 143 players (maybe more) will be complete by 9-10 o’clock. And that’s not it. The players then go out on the field and get warmed up and go through a short workout. They used to all have to run a mile. Last year, I know that all of the players had to do a shuttle run. It’s quite competitive and it’s fun to watch which players have the great speed and which don’t. Some also surprise. On Thursday, the minor leaguers will hold their first official practice. There are four full fields and one half field, each full of players. Pitchers get their fill of pitcher fielding practice (PFPs). It’s just like big league camp, just a bunch more fields and a lot more bodies. They’ll work out from about 9 until noon the next three days, eat and then practice another couple of hours. Starting next week, there will be a couple of days of intrasquad games followed by games against other minor league teams in southwest Florida. I’d say you have to be there to really get a sense of just how much is happening and how well organized it is. NOTE - I will be traveling to Ft. Myers on Friday morning. I plan to go to the field in the afternoon after arriving for a little while. I am hoping to figure out Periscope and will try to provide video and give people a better sense of what’s going on at the complex. Once the rosters of the Minnesota Twins, Rochester Red Wings, Chattanooga Lookouts, Ft. Myers Miracle and Cedar Rapids Kernels are set, there will undoubtedly be some releases. The rest of the players will remain in Ft. Myers in extended spring training. Those players will continue to work out most every day. In time, they will be playing games against area teams. Those players will continue to work, making sure they are ready should there be a need in Cedar Rapids or possibly in the short term with the Miracle. Those remaining could go to Elizabethton or the GCL in June. Here are some more Twins minor league notes as camp gets going: Between the players in big league camp, minor league camp and those in the Dominican Summer League, the Twins are a melting pot. Here is a breakdown of the countries in which the players are from: United States - 135Dominican Republic - 55Venezuela - 32Puerto Rico - 12Australia - 7Netherlands - 4Canada - 2South Africa - 2Germany - 1Brazil - 1Colombia - 1Curacao - 1Korea - 1Mexico - 1Moldova - 1Taiwan - 1Coaching Staffs Rochester Red Wings Manager - Mike Quade, Hitting Coach - Chad Allen, Pitching Coach - Stu Cliburn Chattanooga Lookouts Manager - Doug Mientkiewicz, Hitting Coach - Tommy Watkins, Pitching Coach - Ivan Arteaga Ft. Myers Miracle Manager - Jeff Smith, Hitting Coach - Jim Dwyer, Pitching Coach - Henry Bonilla Cedar Rapids Kernels Manager - Jake Mauer, Hitting Coach - Brian Dinkelman, Pitching Coach - JP Martinez Elizabethton Twins Manager - Ray Smith, Hitting Coach - Jeff Reed, Pitching Coach - Luis Ramirez GCL Twins Manager - Ramon Borrega, Hitting Coach - Javier Valentin, Steve Singleton, Pitching Coach - Luis Ramirez, Virgil Vasquez, Cibney Bello INJURIES Several players have been in Ft. Myers most of the offseason due to a variety of injuries. They got a few weeks off around the holidays to go home and see family and friends, but they are all excited to get back on the field. Most likely, each will start the season in extended spring training but should surface with a club during the season. RHP Fernando Romero, LHP Lewis Thorpe, LHP Onas Farfan, and RHP Brusdar Graterol are at various stages in their rehab following Tommy John surgery. Romero likely starts the season in extended, but he could move up to Cedar Rapids fairly soon. I would think Farfan and Thorpe would likely be ready in June sometime if all goes well. Graterol is likely to miss the season as he had Tommy John surgery late last summer. RHP Jason Adam, the pitcher the Twins received in the Josh WIllingham trade, had a couple of elbow surgeries last year. Neither was Tommy John surgery although Dr. James Andrews was involved. LHP Cameron Booser had a shoulder injury late last season. He will likely miss time early in the season. Infielder Aderlin Mejia has also had shoulder issues throughout the offseason. POSITION CHANGES Every year, it seems like a couple of players switch positions. We’ve seen that with guys like Dereck Rodriguez who moved from the outfield to the mound. In a previous year, Tyler Grimes was moved from the middle infield to catcher. Not too many this year, but there are a couple. Rafael Valera played a lot of second base in the second half for Cedar Rapids last year. At Instructs, he was moved to catcher which is where he’ll spend his time during spring training. Since signing as a catcher, there were always rumors of Jorge Fernandez working in the outfield at Instructs. This offseason, he is working at first base. Not really a change, but on the Ride with Reusse on Monday night, Doug Mientkiewicz said that Travis Harrison will move back to left field. He played right field a year ago with Adam Brett Walker in left. MINOR LEAGUE FREE AGENTS We have heard about the many minor league free agents that the Twins signed in the offseason with an invitation to big league spring training. The Twins also signed other six-year minor league free agents who reported on Tuesday. The #MNTwins have signed RHP David Martinez. He pitched briefly for Astros in 2013 and 2014. Last year pitched in AA and AAA for the Rangers. They also signed RHP Raul Fernandez. He was on the 40-man roster for Colorado and the White Sox the last two years. Finally, they signed RHP Marcus Walden. He was on A's and Blue Jays 40-man rosters in 2014. He played indy ball in 2015. The Twins also signed infielder Leonardo Reginatto. He is a 25-year-old who split 2015 between AA/AAA with the Rays. Outfielder Keury De La Cruz, a 24-year-old outfielder, played for Red Sox AA in 2015. The Twins signed catcher Jose F. Ortiz (21) to minor league deal. He played the last two seasons in Reds Low A. Recently, they also added catcher Kevin Garcia, a 23-year-old who has been in Low A with the Blue Jays. Finally, the Twins signed 25-year-old catcher Joe Maloney who spent the last two years with Rockland in the independent Can-Am League. Last year, he hit .337/.432/.559 (.991) with 33 doubles, 14 homers. He also stole 18 bases in 22 attempts. SYSTEM RANKINGS Regardless of the national publication, the Minnesota Twins farm system is consistently in the Top 10 organizations. Usually they are in the Top 5. That comes in a year when Miguel Sano, Tyler Duffey, Trevor May and Eddie Rosario all ‘graduated’ from prospect status. The system is still quite strong. Be sure to familiarize yourself with some of the top prospects in the system. Here are our Top 20 Twins prospects: Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects For 2016 20. Jake Reed, RHP 19. Randy Rosario, LHP 18. Lewin Diaz, 1B 17. Engelb Vielma, SS 16. Taylor Rogers, LHP 15. JT Chargois, RHP 14. Jermaine Palacios, SS 13. Wander Javier, SS 12. Lewis Thorpe, LHP 11. Adam Brett Walker, OF 10. Nick Burdi, RHP 9. Kohl Stewart, RHP 8. Alex Meyer, RHP 7. Jorge Polanco, SS 6. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP 5. Tyler Jay, LHP 4. Nick Gordon, SS 3. Max Kepler, OF 2. Jose Berrios, RHP 1. Byron Buxton, OF For much more on over 150 Minnesota Twins prospects, be sure to buy the 2016 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook here. Click here to view the article

Jose Berrios has shot up the national "top prospect" rankings based on his performance the past couple of years in the Minnesota Twins organization and on Wednesday night, Berrios joined his former manager with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, Jake Mauer, and Twins farm director Brad Steil to participate in a “roundtable” discussion at the Kernels’ annual Hot Stove Banquet.Before the banquet got underway, all three men were available for media interviews. It was the first time Berrios had been back to Cedar Rapids since he was part of a 2013 Kernels squad that was loaded with potential big leaguers, including Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Tyler Duffey, Adam Brett Walker and many others. Berrios said he was enjoying the homecoming. “Coming here today in the afternoon, I saw things and thought, ‘I remember that.’ It’s different because now, you’ve got a lot of snow, but I remember some things. My host family, Abby (Pumroy) is coming tonight and I’m excited about that. This is where I played my first full season and I enjoyed it. My family came for my birthday in May. I enjoyed all of my year in 2013 in Cedar Rapids.” Pumroy, his host mother during his stay with the Kernels (as she is every summer for many of the Latin-American players), not only came to see Berrios at the banquet, but joined him on the stage during the roundtable to serve as interpreter, if necessary. That service wasn’t needed often. Berrios has made a lot of improvements since his time with the Kernels and that would include his command of English. In truth, his season with the Kernels was Berrios’ worst as a minor leaguer. He didn’t turn 19 until the second month of the season and notched a 7-7 record and 3.99 ERA and gave up, on average, just over one hit per inning. He struck out “just” 8.7 batters per nine innings. That’s certainly not bad, but 2013 is the only season of his young career in which he failed to top the 9 Ks per inning mark. Maturity on the mound was an issue for Berrios at times that season. There were times when an inning would start out with an error or two or maybe a couple of hits and the young right-hander would appear to lose his composure a bit, leading to crooked numbers going on the scoreboard that inning for the opponent. That’s not unusual, of course, especially in the lower levels of the minor leagues, as Mauer pointed out while talking about the progress that Berrios has made since their time together with the Kernels. “He was pretty young, obviously, when he was here,” Mauer recalled. “He came up late (in April). One thing he would do is he would always compete. Really it was probably the first time he had been hit in his life. He had struck everybody out. “Kohl Stewart went through some of that, when he was here, too. Some of those guys, that’s what they learn to do here – they start to learn how to pitch, learn how to overcome adversity. Sometimes you get yourself out of innings that maybe your defense created for you. Do I just roll over or do I compete and get through it? I think both of those guys are starting to figure that out pretty good.” http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Berrios2016-400x600.jpgJose BerriosBerrios, who will still be just 21 years old when the 2016 season opens, agreed that he has developed a more mature approach to his craft. “I’ve matured every year,” he said. “You have to be under control in every situation. That’s what I work on every year and that’s what I’ve learned. This is the second year that Berrios has been invited by the Twins to open Spring Training with the big club in Fort Myers. A year ago, he wasn’t shy about telling people his goal was to open the season in the Twins’ rotation. That didn’t happen, of course, and Berrios ended up throwing all 166 1/3 of his innings in the minors, split between AA Chattanooga and AAA Rochester. His goals going into 2016 have not been tempered from his experience last year, however. If anything, he has taken them up a notch. “Yeah, I’m keeping the same goals,” he confirmed. “Trying to make the 25 man roster in April with the Minnesota Twins. Then keep going, work to be selected for the All-Star Game in July and then at the end of the season, maybe the Rookie of the Year. “That’s my goal, that’s what I’m preparing myself for, to make that goal. Be ready for spring training this year. I’m excited about that.” There may still be snow on the ground, but Berrios said he’s ready to get the new season underway. “Yeah, there’s too much offseason, I want to play a game.” Steil, voicing the views of the Twins front office, wasn’t prepared to predict a Rookie of the Year award for his young prospect, but he clearly is looking for good things from Berrios in 2016. “We’re looking for him to keep improving, which he’s done a nice job at every level he’s been through in our system, Steil said. “Last year, when he went from AA to AAA, he was a little shaky to start with at AAA, which is to be expected. “I think once you saw him get settled in and get comfortable, he made some adjustments and really pitched well the last month of the season. So he’s going to give some guys at spring training a run for their money when it comes to competing for a roster spot there.” While it’s too early to make any firm predictions about the Kernels’ 2016 roster, Steil did talk about what he’s expecting at this early point in time. “I think, looking at it right now, a rough idea of what kind of team we’re going to start with, I think it will be another strong pitching staff, similar to last year,” he offered. “I think as the season goes on, some of the younger hitters will get better and I think we’ve got a chance to have a better lineup than we did last year, just because of the talent that some of these guys have that are coming here. “Jermaine Palacios, a shortstop that was in the GCL and Elizabethton last year, is one of those guys. I expect LaMonte Wade will be back here to start the season. Chris Paul is another guy that will probably be back to start the season. So I think we’re going to have a few guys that can swing the bat. We should have a little bit more of a threat in the middle of the lineup than they maybe did last year.” Steil also talked about a couple of pitchers that Kernels fans saw a little of two years ago, Lewis Thorpe and Fernando Romero. Regarding Thorpe, Steil said the 20-year-old Australian lefty is, “doing very well.” “He’s probably not going to be ready to go to start the season, so he’ll probably start in extended and get stretched out and build up his arm strength. “Fernando Romero is in a similar situation,” Steil added. “A guy that pitched here briefly two years ago. He’s got a really good arm. He’ll touch 97, 98 (mph). He’s doing really well. He’s a little ahead of Thorpe, so he may be ready to go at the beginning of the year.” The Twins assigned each of the managers in their system to the same teams they led in 2015, but the departure of a couple of coaches at the AAA level meant wholesale coaching changes among most of the minor league staffs. As a result, Henry Bonilla, the Kernels pitching coach last season, is moving up to handle the Miracle’s pitching staff and Tommy Watkins, who has coached Kernels hitters for three seasons, will be in Chattanooga with the Lookouts. Mauer will be welcoming J.P Martinez and Brian Dinkelman to his staff in Cedar Rapids this season as pitching and hitting coaches, respectively. While Mauer had known Bonilla and Watkins going back to the days that they were teammates in the Twins organization, he said he doesn’t have a similar background with Martinez and Dinkelman. As Mauer was moving through the organization as a player, Martinez and Dinkelman were always a rung or two below him on the ladder. By the time they were reaching the upper levels as players, Mauer had begun his coaching career back in rookie ball. “I missed being a teammate with them, but I remember them in spring training and being around them last year a little bit. They’re both competitors and they both have a lot of information. They’re both really good personalities as far as they’re hard workers and they’re excited. “This is more ‘real baseball’ than what extended and Gulf Coast League are. They’ve heard a lot of the positive things that are going on up here and both played in this league. I spoke to both of them right around Christmas time. They’re both heading down to Florida early to get down there and get around some of our boys a little sooner.” Mauer indicated that one benefit of the coaching changes is that Martinez and Dinkelman have already worked some with many of the players likely to pull on a Kernels jersey this summer. “To be honest, I don’t know many of the guys,” Mauer admitted. “I’ll probably rely on JP and Brian quite a bit. They had them in instructional league and some of them in extended, so they have a feel for them. We’ll shake it out in spring training and figure out who can do what and where they all fit.” Mauer has set the expectations bar high for next season after leading Cedar Rapids to within one game of a Midwest League championship. On Wednesday, his boss expressed how impressed he has been with the Kernels’ skipper. “He and Tommy and the pitching coaches here have done a great job in our three years here, advancing a level deeper into the playoffs the last two years,” Steil said. “Especially last year, they did a great job as a coaching staff. “I don’t think that team was as talented as the first two years we were here. But they did a really good job and those players battled and they never gave up. They played good, sound baseball. They didn’t beat themselves and that was a credit to Jake and Tommy and Henry.” http://knuckleballsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/SteilLawlessMauer-600x400.jpgBrad Steil and Jake Mauer chat before the Kernels Hot Stove Banquet with former big leaguer Tom Lawless, who was inducted into Cedar Rapids' baseball hall of fame Wednesday. Lawless managed the last Kernels team to win A MWL championship.​(This article originally was posted at Knuckleballsblog.com) Click here to view the article