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On Monday, the Minnesota Twins announced the recipients of the Harmon Killebrew Awards for Community Service. The award is handed out by each of the Twins four full-season affiliates to a player who represents the affiliate, the Twins and the work of legendary Harmon Killebrew and his kindness in the community. Image courtesy of Steve Buhr, Twins Daily (L to R: David Banuelos, Frank Nigro, Alex Isola, Bradley Hanner, Noah Cardenas) When Harmon Killebrew passed away in 2011, the Twins developed the Killebrew Award for Outstanding Community Service. The players are nominated by each affiliate's general manager based on how much the players do in the community, whether it is reading for kids at school or participating in special camps or visiting hospitals. St. Paul Saints (Catchers David Banuelos and Frank Nigro) Banuelos was the Killebrew Award winner in 2018 when he played with the Kernels as well. In 2022, the Saints recognized him for his work at each of the team's kid baseball camps. He took a strong leadership role in those camps, making sure that the kids were having fun and getting to interact with all the kids. He also participated in the team's annual ACES bowling event. Banuelos has been in big-league spring training the past few years because he is fantastic behind the plate. While he hit just .204, he added seven doubles and eight home runs in 55 games. The Saints referred to Frank Nigro as an "unsung hero" involved in community service initiatives. When he was in St. Paul, he was always willing to volunteer his time. He encouraged kids as they headed back to school this fall with a video message. He also spent time visiting kids in the hospital. Nigro, 25, spent time in the FCL, at Ft. Myers, in Cedar Rapids, and with the Saints, and he had just 34 at-bats in 18 games played. Wichita Wind Surge (Catcher/First Baseman Alex Isola) Alex Isola is also now a two-time Killebrew Award recipient. He won the award in 2021 with the Kernels. The Wind Surge recognized Isola for being a "strong advocate for the team, its fans and the entire Wichita community." Isola went to the team's McConnell Air Force Base Nose Art Ceremony. He also helped the team announce their alternate identities, the Turbo Tubs and the Tumba Vacas. He was always signing autographs for Twins before and after home games. Isola is currently playing in the final week of the Arizona Fall League. The 24-year-old played in 58 games for the Surge this year and hit .286 with nine doubles, 10 homers and 40 RBI. He missed nearly two months with an injury. Cedar Rapids Kernels (RHP Bradley Hanner) Brad Hanner was the Kernels choice for the Killebrew Award as he kept busy volunteering throughout the 2022 season. He was a "standout" during the Twins' organization-wide Week of Service. He assembled boxes at the local Meals on Wheels location to help pre-package meals. He brought breakfast to the elderly several mornings with his host family. The 23-year-old went above and beyond, always spending talking to the fans and signing autographs. Hanner was one of the Kernels top bullpen arms, especially in the first half. In 39 games, he went 7-4 with a 4.60 ERA. In 58 2/3 innings, he had 65 strikeouts. Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Catcher Noah Cardenas) Noah Cardenas spent his first full professional season with the Mighty Mussels. The team's front office recognized Cardenas for "his fantastic participation and engagement in community events during the season." He was "always courteous to fans, employees, and community members." The 23-year-old backstop hit .261 with 18 doubles and nine home runs. He also walked 73 times and walked 70 times. Past Killebrew Award Winners 2011: Rochester: Kyle Gibson, New Britain: Bobby Lanigan, Ft. Myers: Reggie Williams, Beloit: Ryan O'Rourke. 2012: Rochester: JR Towles, New Britain: Shawn Roof, Ft. Myers: Andy Leer, Beloit: Corey Williams. 2013: Rochester: Brian Dinkelman, New Britain: Dan Rohlfing, Ft. Myers: Stephen Wickens, Beloit: Niko Goodrum. 2014: Rochester: Logan Darnell, New Britain: Tony Thomas, Ft. Myers: Tim Shibuya, Cedar Rapids: Tanner Vavra. 2015: Rochester: Logan Darnell, Chattanooga: Tim Shibuya, Ft. Myers: Tanner Vavra, Cedar Rapids: Jared Wilson. 2016: Rochester: Logan Darnell, Chattanooga: David Hurlbut, Ft. Myers: Trey Vavra, Cedar Rapids: Nelson Molina. 2017: Rochester: DJ Baxendale, Chattanooga: Travis Harrison, Ft. Myers: Kevin Garcia, Cedar Rapids: Hector Lujan. 2018: Rochester: Jake Reed, Chattanooga: Chris Paul, Ft. Myers: Tyler Wells, Cedar Rapids: David Banuelos. 2019: Rochester: Jake Reed, Pensacola: Hector Lujan, Ft. Myers: Calvin Faucher, Cedar Rapids: Brian Rapp. 2021: St. Paul: Sherman Johnson, Wichita: Hector Lujan, Cedar Rapids: Alex Isola, Ft. Myers: Jeferson Morales. View full article

Oh, what a relief it is... I think we all understand that feeling of relief. And that's true in baseball. When a manager goes to his bullpen for a reliever, it sometimes can feel like an oxymoron. The job of a relief pitcher is often to come into the late innings of games and get the last outs of the game. There are a few relievers and situations when fans feel comfortable, but often the situations can cause some anxious moments. Which relief pitchers provided their teammates with great relief in May? Find out below. It is always fun giving credit where credit is due, and with our monthly awards, we certainly do just that. Today, you'll get to read about four Twins minor-league relievers. My guess is many of you haven't heard of as many as three of the top four. I've also included several Honorable Mentions who had strong May performances out of the bullpen and deserve to be noticed. This is our final award for May, so before we get started, you can see who the April Reliever of the Month was, and who all of the other May award winners are. Of course, we want these to be interactive. Feel free to tell us if we're wrong, or, more importantly, if others should have been mentioned too. How would you rank these performers. Let's get started. Previous Relief Pitchers of the Month: April – Tyler Viza, Wichita Wind Surge Previous Twins Daily May 2022 Awards: Minor League Hitter of the Month – Spencer Steer, Wichita/St. Paul Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month – Steve Hajjar, Ft. Myers Twins Hitter of the Month – Luis Arraez Twins Pitcher of the Month – Sonny Gray Honorable Mentions RHP Cody Laweryson (Cedar Rapids) – 6 G, 1 GS, 1.38 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, 13 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 14 K, .152 RHP Ian Hamilton (St. Paul) – 9 G, 0.77 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 11 2/3 IP, 6 H, 5 BB, 16 K, .146 LHP Evan Sisk (Wichita) – 8 G, 1.59 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 11 1/3 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 15 K, .195 RHP Andrew Cabezas (Cedar Rapids) – 8 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, 9 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 14 K, .121 RHP Hunter McMahon (Ft. Myers) – 9 G, 1.35 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 13 1/3 IP, 9 H, 4 BB, 15 K, .191 The Top Four Twins Minor League Relievers for May 2022 #4 RHP Malik Barrington (Ft. Myers) 8 G, 1 GS, 1.50 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 12 IP, 8 H, 1 B, 20 K, .186 A Jacksonville native, Barrington pitched at Albany State in Georgia. While he went undrafted, he signed to play in the United Shores Professional Baseball League, the same league the team signed Randy Dobnak from. He pitched in just five games for the FCL Twins last year. A burly 6-3 and 230 pounds, Barrington gets strength from his lower half and is able to throw hard. He also has a solid mix of pitches, though he has been inconsistent with them. While several relievers had strong Mays, Barrington is the choice here because of that fancy 20:1 K:BB ratio. Already 24, the Twins could push him, or they can keep working with him and let him develop at his own pace to see how far up the organizational ladder he can climb. #3 RHP Austin Schulfer (Wichita/St. Paul) 9 G, 1.32 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, 13 2/3 IP, 8 H, 1 BB, 18 K, .163 After working out of the Wind Surge rotation, and leading the Twins minor leagues in innings pitched last year, he returned to Wichita and pitched out of the bullpen. In 15 games and 23 innings, he gave up just one earned run (0.39 ERA) on 11 hits and four walks (0.65 WHIP). He struck out 30 batters (11.7 K/9). Late in May, he was finally promoted to the Saints and gave up one run on two hits over two innings in his Triple-A debut. Again, we like relievers who don’t walk many batters and miss a lot of bats. Schulfer was the Twins 19th round pick in 2018 from UW-Milwaukee. The 26-year-old is now just a phone call away from the big-league dream, in an organization that appears to need some more bullpen options. #2 RHP Bradley Hanner (Cedar Rapids) 8 G, 0.77 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, 11 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 16 K, .083 Hanner was the Twins 21st round pick in the 2019 draft out of Patrick & Henry Community College. In 2021, he pitched in Ft. Myers where he posted a 7.13 ERA in 26 games and 41 2/3 innings. However, he had 49 strikeouts (and 34 walks) and a big arm with a mid-90s fastball and a big slider that has emerged as a great pitch for him in 2022. It’s pretty clear that something has clicked for Hanner this season in Cedar Rapids, and the numbers have been fantastic. You see his numbers for May. Overall this season, he is 3-0 with a 0.45 ERA and a 0.60 WHIP. In 20 innings, he has struck out 22 batters and walked seven. That equates to a 3.2 BB/9 rate, which can surely come down a little more, but it is significantly better than the 7.3 BB/9 he posted in 2021. Most months, Hanner’s numbers would probably make him the pitcher of the month. Same is true of Schulfer. That tells you just how good the May… Twins Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month is… RHP Matthew Swain (Ft. Myers) 8 G, 0.00 ERA, 0.42 WHIP, 12.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB (2 IBB), 16 K, .081 BAA When the Twins selected Matthew Swain in the 23rd round of the 2019 draft out of Georgia Gwinnett College, they knew they had a talented pitcher with potential. Swain stands 6’7” and a sturdy 230 pounds. He possesses a strong arm with mid-to-high 90s fastball velocity. He’s got a couple of secondary pitches that still need some work but have come a long way. In 2021, he spent the season with the Mighty Mussels. In 35 games, he pitched 60 2/3 innings. He had a 4.60 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. He struck out 70 batters (10.4 K/9), but he walked 31 batters (4.6 BB/9). He went 6-2 with five saves last year with Ft. Myers. He returned in 2022, and he has been incredible. In 13 games, he is 2-1 with seven saves. In 19 innings, he has given up only an unearned run. He’s only allowed four hits (1.9 H/9), four walks (1.9 BB/9), and struck out 27 batters (12.8 K/9). In May, he walked two batters… both intentionally. Now that Schulfer has been promoted to St. Paul, if there is a pitcher who most deserves a promotion to the next level, it is the 24-year-old Swain. He could join the Cedar Rapids Kernels soon, one would think. ------------- This is an impressive group of relievers coming off of an incredible month of May. What do you think of the performances, the pitchers, and maybe how you would have ranked them? View full article