Search the Community

Big bats and stellar pitching were a-plenty at Low-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids. Read up on all the action across the Twins' farm! TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins recalled LHP Andrew Albers from St. Paul Saints. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels placed RHP Orlando Rodriguez on the temporarily inactive list. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels placed SS Keoni Cavaco on the temporarily inactive list SAINTS SENTINEL Omaha 4, St. Paul 2 Box Score Gilberto Celestino put the Saints on the board with a crisp line drive homer (5) over the center field wall in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game at one. St. Paul scored their second run thanks to an RBI ground out from Tomas Telis that scored Damek Tomscha. Starting pitcher Beau Burrows lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on four hits while striking out six. Burrows' Achilles was the long ball, giving up three home runs on the evening. Burrows did enough to keep the game close and had a little help from his defense as well! Ryan Mason followed Burrows and was efficient, giving up no runs and zero hits while striking out three and walking two in 1 1/3 innings. Yennier Cano followed that up with two innings on the bump, giving up a run on two hits while striking out two. Edgar Garcia pitched the final inning for the Saints and escaped with a scoreless inning after walking two batters. WIND SURGE WISDOM NW Arkansas 14, Wichita 7 Box Score After gaining an early 2-0 lead the Surge were unable to hang with the Naturals after giving up 10 runs in the second inning. Wichita got things going early when D.J. Burt laced an RBI double that scored Austin Martin in the first inning. After advancing on the previous play, Burt scored thanks to an RBI groundout from Roy Morales. Top Prospect and Olympic Silver Medalist Simeon Woods Richardson didn't have his stuff on the bump tonight. Woods Richardson lasted only 1 2/3 innings and gave up six runs and three walks on his short outing. Tyler Beck took the brunt of the relief work for the Surge, giving up six runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. Evan Sisk and Mitchell Osnowitz carried the caboose for the Wind Surge bullpen. tossing a combined two innings while giving up two runs and walking one. Sisk struck out one batter. Despite the surplus of scoring from the other dugout, Ernie De La Trinidad knocked his eighth homer of the year in the second inning. Jermaine Palacios plated the final run for Wichita when he struck a fourth inning RBI single to left field that scored Leobaldo Cabrera. Cabrera added to Wichita's run count in the eighth inning when he demolished a three-run homer (10) to left field, plating Burt and Morales. That would prove to be the final run for Wichita on a rare night where the team was outscored in a football-esque score. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 11, Wisconsin 4 Box Score On the opening night of the NFL the Cedar Rapids Kernels attempted to put up a football-like score...and succeeded. Cedar Rapids scored 11 runs in the first five innings to propel the Kernels to a 11-4 win on Thursday night. The offense was great, but Cedar Rapids starting pitcher and Minnesota native Louie Varland was just as solid. Varland didn't walk any hitters and struck out seven, giving up three runs on six hits. Varland is now 6-1 on the year and has been one of the brightest surprises in the Twins organization all season long. The Kernels offensive barrage began in the first inning when Edouard Julien led off the game with a single. Michael Helman followed suit with a triple (3) that scored Julien all the way from first. Helman's efforts were rewarded when he later scored on an RBI sac-fly from Aaron Sabato. The second innings was 'thrice' as fruitful for the Kernels. Cedar Rapids scored six runs in the inning to open the flood gates. To the eye, one would assume a six-run inning would consist of at least one extra base hit. Not the case. The Kernels recorded six walks (2 HBP) and singles from Deshawn Keirsey, Alex Isola, and Jeferson Morales to put up the crooked number on the inning. The Kernels DID see a pair of extra-base hits two innings later. Isola and Morales tallied back-to-back solo home runs to expand the Kernels lead to 10-0 after four innings of play. Julien added a homer of his own to inflate the lead to 11-1 in the fifth. After Varland exited the game, reliver Carlos Suniaga touted his own dominance on the mound with two innings of one run, one hit ball with one strikeout. Tyler Palm sealed the deal for the Kernels with a perfect ninth inning. The win puts Cedar Rapids a full game ahead of Great Lakes and Lake County for the second spot in their playoff race. The team has now won three straight! MUSSEL MATTERS Game 1 Fort Myers 7, Palm Beach 6 Box Score With weather postponing the completion of Wednesday's game, the Mussels showed up at Hammond Stadium for double the amount of baseball on Thursday. The squad didn't disappoint. After Palm Beach plated four runs in the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game at six, Fort Myers scored the go-ahead run to push the Mussels past the Cardinals' affiliate in game one of a double-header. The go-ahead run came courtesy of an home run from Alerick Soularie, who punished a 2-0 pitch over the left field wall to secure the lead for the Mussels. Soularie's late-inning blast wasn't the only time that the Tennessee Volunteer touched home plate in the game. Soularie scored a run in the fourth, one of four on the inning for Fort Myers. Willie Joe Garry Jr. led off the inning with a triple and scored on an RBI single from Mikey Perez. Soularie and Christian Encarnacion-Strand joined Perez on base thanks to a pair of walks. Patrick Winkel and Jake Rucker followed suit with a pair of back to back singles to score Perez, Soularie, and Encarnacion Strand. Fort Myers starting pitching John Stankiewicz lasted four innings, giving up five hits and two runs while walking two and striking out four. David Festa took the bulk of bullpen duties for the Mussels, pitching 2 2/3 innings of three strikeout ball, walking two and giving up two runs. Reliever A.J. Labas received one of the more unique stat lines on the night. Labas tossed 1 1/3 innings, giving up five hits and two-runs, including the game-tying run that tallied a blown save under his name. However, thanks to Soularie's blast, Labas also recorded the win (W, 1-2) on the game. Juan Pichardo cleaned up in the final inning and earned his fourth save of the season. Game Two Fort Myers 11, Palm Beach 2 Box Score Just like they relied on a big inning in the first game of the doubleheader, Fort Myers soared in game two thanks to a five-run third inning....and an absolutely electric outing from starting pitcher Casey Legumina. Legumina was stellar through 5 2/3 innings, striking out six while only giving up one run on one hit and a walk. The outing was the second outstanding appearance that Legumina has recorded in the month of September. The Dallas, Texas native went the same distance on the mound on September 2 against Dayton, giving up zero runs on three hits while striking out three and walking one. Yet dominant pitching is often a biproduct of dominant offense, something the Mussels did not lack in the third inning. Charlie Mack launched a three-run homer (7) followed by a Will Holland solo shot (10) to give Fort Myers a comfortable lead. Mikey Perez added to the scoring party with an RBI double in the inning, his first of the year. Holland continued his impressive night with an RBI single in the sixth inning that scored Encarnacion-Strand to put the Mussels up 11-1. After Legumina's masterpiece reliever Logan Campbell closed the door for the Mussels, tossing 1 1/3 innings of one-run ball while striking out one and walking none. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 4, FCL Pirates Gold 3 (10) Box Score A three-run fourth inning and a sac-fly walk-off from Rubel Cespedes powered the Twins to a victory against the Pirates on Thursday afternoon. Wander Valdez and Rubel Cespedes each tallied RBI singles to score runs in the Twins' dominant third inning. LaRon Smith also drew an RBI walk to score a run. Noah Miller, the Minnesota Twins' second pick in the 2021 draft tallied two hits on the day, including a single and a run in the fourth. Twins starting pitcher Erasmo Moreno was excellent, pitching three innings of scoreless baseball while striking out two and walking three. Jordan Carr followed Moreno with three innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out three. Similar to A.J. Labas of Cedar Rapids, Complex reliever Malik Barrington tallied a blown save but also the win (W, 1-1), thanks to Cespedes' walk-off sac-fly that scored Ka'lai Rosario. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Casey Legumina (Fort Myers) - (W, 4-2) 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day - Michael Helman (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-5, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY #1 - Royce Lewis (rehab) - Out for season (torn ACL) #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-for-3, R, BB #3 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) - Did not pitch #4 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - 1.2 IP, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K #5 - Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) - Injured List (elbow strain) #6 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 2-for-4 #7 - Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - Did not pitch #8 - Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List (right elbow strain) #9 - Chase Petty (Complex) - Did not pitch #10 - Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) - Did not play #11 - Josh Winder (St. Paul) - Injured List (right shoulder impingement) #12 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-4, RBI, BB, 2 K #13 - Gilberto Celestino (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, HR, R, RBI #14 - Drew Strotman (St. Paul) - Did not pitch #15 - Noah Miller (Complex) - Did not pitch #16 - Brent Rooker (Minnesota) - 1-for-3, K #17 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Out for season (Tommy John surgery) #18 - Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) - 2-for-2 #19 - Cole Sands (Wichita) - Did not pitch #20 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 1-for-4, 2 K FRIDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Omaha @ St. Paul (7:05 PM CST) - LHP Charlie Barnes (6-3, 3.93 ERA) NW Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (4-4 3.61 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:35 PM CST) - RHP Sean Mooney (0-1, 11.25 ERA) Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - LHP Cade Povich (0-0, 3.00 ERA) Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? Drop a comment below! View full article

Over 20 runs were scored in Wichita and pitching dominated in St Paul. Read up on all the minor league highlights from across the Twins organization from Thursday! TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins optioned SS Nick Gordon to St. Paul Saints and activated Rob Refsnyder. SAINTS SENTINEL Louisville 1, St. Paul 0 Box Score After a rough first outing in a Saints uniform, new Twins organization pitcher Drew Strotman was excellent on Wednesday night. In fact, the entire pitching staff was. Unfortunately, on Thursday night, Louisville was the only team to squeak out a run in a tightly contested pitchers duel at CHS Field. Despite getting the loss, Strotman (7-3) was as good as one could ask for, pitching five innings of one-run ball while striking out three. His lone run allowed came in the second inning from a walked batter scored on an RBI double. The Saints bullpen was just as efficient after Strotman left the game. Jovani Moran and recent addition Edgar Garcia combined for four innings of perfect ball to complete the game, striking out five and walking none. Moran now has a 2.16 ERA on the year and Garcia a 2.96 ERA. The Saints' lone hits came from Nick Gordon and Mark Contreras. Gordon has a .275 average with the Saints this year, and Contreras has a .254 batting average. Joe Ryan at the Olympics New Twin/Saint Joe Ryan made his second starting pitching appearance in the 2020 Tokyo Games and was nothing short of brilliant. Ryan tossed 4 1/3 innings of one-run, four-hit baseball while striking out three en route to a 7-2 victory over South Korea. The win advances Team USA to the Gold Medal game against Japan. Ryan has been rock-solid in his two starting pitching endeavors with Team USA. He's pitched 11 innings and only given up two earned runs on nine hits and eight strikeouts. While it's unlikely that Ryan will pitch in the Gold Medal game, the Twins can't wait to have him back in St. Paul. Well done, Joe! WIND SURGE WISDOM Midland 13, Wichita 12 Box Score A dozen runs would typically win a baseball game for the Wichita Wind Sure. Unfortunately for the Twins’ AA affiliate, however, they were outscored in a slugfest on Thursday night at Riverfront Stadium. The Surge saw seven of nine batters reach base, with six of nine gaining hits on the night. Roy Morales, Trey Cabbage, Jermaine Palacios, and Ernie De La Trinidad all tallied multi-hit games. That run was just a precursor to what Wichita would do in the third. Cabbage led off the third with a solo shot to left-center (7) to pull the Surge within two. Palacios then doubled, stole third base, and scored on an RBI single from Palacios to cut the lead to one. Facing a four-run deficit after the first inning, the Surge began to chip away at the lead. With the bases loaded in the second, Spencer Steer was hit by a pitch, scoring De La Trinidad. That was followed by a pair of walks and a fielder's choice courtesy of Aaron Whitefield. Spencer Steer took advantage of the bases-loaded situation, bringing in DJ Burt from third on an RBI sac fly. Morales followed suit with a two-out, two-run RBI double, scoring Whitefield and Austin Martin to give the Surge a 7-4 lead. Wichita would tack on two more runs in the fourth, thanks to a two-run RBI single from Austin Martin. Martin has now hit safely in his first three games with the Wind Surge and as a member of the Twins organization. Midland added four runs in the eighth, but thanks to solo shots from Andrew Bechtold and Palacios, the Surge were able to keep a 12-10 lead going into the ninth. Yet, with the lead in hand, Midland was able to scrap across two runs to tie the game in the ninth and force the contest into extra innings. They tacked on the go-ahead run in the 10th inning that would secure them the win. Highly touted pitching prospect Jordan Balazovic didn’t have his best night on the mound. Balazovic went 4 2/3 innings on the night, giving up six runs on eight hits and two walks. He struck out four batters. The Surge bullpen ended up surrendering seven runs of their own to Midland. Yet, there was one excellent pitching performance on the night for Wichita. Jhoanleider Salinas was the first of four Wichita relief pitchers to take the bump and was excellent, pitching 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball on three walks and three strikeouts. The loss puts the Wind Surge at 46-35, still three games ahead of Arkansas for the second playoff spot in the Double-A Central Division. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 8, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Strong offensive performances from Deshaun Kiersey and Seth Gray weren’t enough to propel the Kernels to a win against league-leading Quad Cities on Thursday night at Perfect Game Field. Gray punched his second triple of the season in the second inning along with a single in the ninth to give the Kernels some action at the plate. Kiersey added to the action with a two-run homer (3) in the fifth to put the Kernels on the board. Yet despite moments of brilliance, the River Bandits were just too good at the plate and on the bump throughout the night. Jair Camargo also had a strong night at the plate for Cedar Rapids, hitting his fifth double of the year in addition to a single. Those two hits bumped his batting average up from .234 to .239. Starting pitcher Ben Gross, who has been dominant all season, didn’t have his best night, giving up seven runs on eight hits in 4 ⅓ innings. Gross (L, 4-1), still has a 3.27 ERA and will surely rebound after a night where he just didn’t have his stuff. Twins Daily Minor League Reliever of the Month Erik Manoah Jr. entered the game following Gross and put up solid numbers. The Miami native tossed 1 ⅔ innings of one-run, three-hit ball while striking out four. RHP Tyler Palm had the strongest pitching performance of the night, throwing three scoreless innings while only giving up one hit and striking out two. As always, a loss to a division rival is unfortunate. The good news? The Kernels will have the chance to gain ground on the River Bandits. The two teams play each other nine more times before the end of the season, all at Perfect Game Field in Cedar Rapids. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 8, Fort Myers 0 Box Score Despite a pair of nail-biters on Wednesday night, the Mussels were trounced by the Dunedin Blue Jays by a score of 8-0 on Thursday night at Hammond Stadium. Jefferson Morales and Jesus Feliz tallied the only two hits for Fort Myers on a night that was dominated by Blue Jay bats and pitching. Ironically, Morales’ hit came in the first at-bat of the game for the Mussels, punching a 1-1 pitch into right field for a single. Fort Myers would fail to see a hit again until the eighth when Feliz laced his third double of the year to center field. Starting pitcher Landon Leach had a rocky night on the hill, giving up four earned runs on six hits with two walks in five innings pitched. Leach did strike out five batters. Reliever Juan Pichardo didn’t have his best day at the office either, pitching 1 ⅔ innings of three run, three hit ball with two walks and two strikeouts. Yet despite the rocky outing for their first two pitchers, the Mussels saw excellent outings from their back two pitchers on the night. Bradley Hanner followed Pichardo and pitched 1 ⅓ innings of scoreless ball, striking out four. Zaquiel Puentes finished the game with an inning of one-hit ball, surrendering only one run that wasn’t credited to him. The loss puts Fort Myers at 41-37 on the year. COMPLEX CHRONICLES Game Postponed- Rain The FCL Twins were unable to take the field on Thursday due to another rainout in the Sunshine State. The team will make up the game against the FCL Orioles Orange on August 18. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day- Drew Strotman (St. Paul), 5 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 3 BB, 3 K Hitter of the Day- Ernie De La Trinidad (Wichita)- 3-for-5, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, SO PROSPECT SUMMARY Take note that we have finished our midseason update, so there is a new list! Here is a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Royce Lewis (Rehab) – Out for season (torn ACL) #2 – Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) – Injured List (elbow strain) #3 – Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) –4.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K #4 – Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List (right elbow strain) #5 – Jose Miranda (St. Paul) – 0-for-3, K #6 – Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) – 0-for-4, K #7 – Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) – Did not play #8 – Josh Winder (St. Paul) – Did not pitch #9 – Aaron Sabato (Fort Myers) – 0-for-3 #10 – Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) – 0-for-3, BB, K #11 – Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) – Out for Season (Tommy John surgery) #12 – Bailey Ober (Minnesota) – All-Star Break #13 – Cole Sands (Wichita) –Did not pitch #14 – Brent Rooker (Minnesota) – 1-for-4, K #15 – Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) – 0-for-3 #16 – Spencer Steer (Wichita) – 1-for-4, 2 RBI #17 – Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – Did not play #18 – Alerick Soularie (Complex) – N/A (foot injury) #19 – Edwar Colina (Rehab) – Injured List (elbow) #20 – Chris Vallimont (Wichita) – Did not pitch FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Louisville @ St. Paul (7:05PM CST) – RHP Chandler Shepherd (5-5, 6.41 ERA) Midland @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) – RHP Chris Vallimont (3-4, 5.11 ERA) Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:05PM CST) – RHP Louie Varland (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Dunedin @ Ft. Myers (6:00PM CST) – RHP Bobby Milacki (0-2, 4.09 ERA) View full article

The reality for the Minnesota Twins is that they’re facing a selloff come the 2021 Major League Baseball trade deadline. That’s because they’ve been a bad team to this point. In an effort to become more interesting down the stretch, who should get some at bats? Yesterday we looked at how the Minnesota Twins can shuffle their pitching in order to figure out what's left for 2022 and beyond. Today we turn to Rocco Baldelli's lineups and question where at bats can be doled out amongst the organization, and what players should be in line for a look. On the hitting side, here are some names to consider: Before doing individual deep dives here, it should be all but guaranteed Brent Rooker is on his way to take over Nelson Cruz’s at-bats when the veteran is ultimately traded. Rooker has to prove it at the big league level, but it’s clear he’s mastered Triple-A. Teammate Jose Miranda should also be heavily considered to be a lock for a big-league promotion at some point down the stretch as the jump to St. Paul has done nothing to slow down his torrid 2021. This is in conjunction with a continued run for players like Nick Gordon and Gilberto Celestino. Drew Maggi If there’s an organizational type of guy you want to reward in 2021, then Maggi might define that. He joined the Twins system in 2019 and has played over 1,000 minor league games without a big-league debut. At 32, he’s having a career year with an .806 OPS for the Saints. A true utility man who can play all over the diamond, this would be a hat tip type of move more than anything. Mark Contreras Selected in the 9th round of the 2017 MLB draft, Contreras is now 27 and at Triple-A. In 36 games for St. Paul, he owns an .852 OPS while playing a solid defensive outfield. There’s not much in the form of on-base skills here, but the bat has plenty of pop, and there’s some modest stolen base ability. Contreras probably isn’t the first choice for a fourth outfield spot, but he could certainly factor into the mix and is worth getting a look at. Andrew Bechtold Minnesota took Bechtold in the 5th round of the 2017 draft from Chipola College. His calling card was the bat, and it’s taken some time to get going. At Double-A now as a 25-year-old, Bechtold owns a .781 OPS in 55 games this season. He’s got the first double-digit homer tally of his pro career, and there are some solid walk skills for a power guy. Across his last 34 games since June 1, Bechtold owns a .906 OPS. Bumping him up a level makes sense from a progression and age standpoint. There’s not an immediate reason to make a big-league debut, but finding out what the bat can do may bring enough intrigue. Jermaine Palacios A light-hitting infield prospect, Palacios was flipped to the Tampa Bay Rays for Jake Odorizzi. After re-signing with the Twins this offseason, he’s having a breakout season at Double-A to the tune of a career-best .802 OPS. His 10 homers this year account for nearly one-third of his career total across more than 550 pro games. Palacios is just 24, and if this season is to be believed, a late-blooming guy up the middle is never a bad development. Aaron Whitefield Playing in three games for the Twins a season ago after spending time at the Alternate Site, Whitefield has spent all of 2021 at Double-A. His .761 OPS is a career-high, and it comes bolstered by average and on-base skills. Capable of playing a good center field, his bat-to-ball skills make him an ideal bench outfielder type. Given how many bodies the Twins have gone through in center alone, it’s somewhat surprising we haven’t seen his name called yet. Ernie De La Trinidad The other piece of the Eduardo Escobar trade, De La Trinidad is having a career year. The 25-year-old is at Double-A, and his .905 OPS will play just fine. In 40 games and 167 plate appearances, De La Trinidad has struck out just 29 times while batting .319. Power isn’t his forte, but this is another guy that could factor into an additional outfielder situation. With what Minnesota has run through this season, there’s little harm in getting him a step closer and seeing what translates. 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

Think we’re playing favorites by giving this award to Jose Miranda back-to-back months? Take a look at the guy’s numbers. Jose Miranda may just be the best thing to ever happen to the Minnesota Twins since the invention of sliced bread. After a downright stellar month of May, Miranda shifted into Mach 5 come June, producing arguably one of the best single months that the Twins organization has seen from a minor league prospect. For that reason, he’s our June Hitter of the Month. 3B/2B/1B Jose Miranda (Wichita/St. Paul) 25 G, 43-111, .387/.438/.694 (1.132) with 4 doubles, 10 homers, 9 BB, 15 K, 23 R, 20 RBI. Miranda, who’s been at Double-A Wichita for most of the month, caught the public eye last night in his Triple-A debut with the Saints. The Puerto Rico native gave himself the best birthday present a guy could ask for, launching three HR (including a grand slam) and tallying 6 RBI in a 15-4 win over Omaha. The thing is, one night doesn’t do Miranda justice. He’s been damn good all month (and season) long. In 23 games with Wichita this month the slugger slashed an incredible .370/.427/.610 (1.037) with three doubles, seven homers, nine BB, 19 runs, 14 RBI, and only 14 strikeouts. That stat line will only go up thanks to his stellar night in St. Paul. Successful hitting is grounded in consistency. Miranda has passed that test with flying colors, hitting safely in 19 of 24 games this month with 12 of those games being multi-hit endeavors. In addition to his ability to bring his bat to the ballpark every day, there are a few pinpoint performances that have inked the word stardom to his name. On June 24 he went 5-for-6 with a run and RBI in a win against Omaha. And while that game consisted of four singles and a double, Tuesday night wasn’t the first time that Miranda has flexed the longball with a multi-homer game. On June 20 he went 3-for-4 with two homers and nine total bases in a win against Springfield. He followed that up the next day with a 4-for-5 showing at the plate with a homer, three runs, and eight total bases. Given his success so far this year it wouldn’t be shocking to see Miranda at the MLB level later this season. And while that’s a whole new ballgame it’s tough not to root for the guy after his hot start. Check Out: Miranda Searches for New Heights in 2020 Rounding out the Top Five Outfielder Ernie De La Trinidad (Wichita) 19 G, 24-70, .343/.439/.614 (1.053) with 5 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, 5 BB, 11 K, 9 ER, 17 RBI. Jose Miranda may have stolen the show in regard to the Wichita offense but De La Trinidad was nothing short of brilliant this past month. In fact, De La Trinidad and Miranda may be one of the best 1-2 punches in all of minor league baseball. Similar to Miranda, De La Trinidad’s month of May was nothing to be ashamed of. The Phoenix native slashed .302/.370/.429 in 17 games throughout the month. In a relatively similar number of June games, De La Trinidad’s numbers skyrocketed. And while he may not be a power hitter he doubled his number of extra-base hits from five in May to 10 in June, including four homers. De La Trinidad hasn’t played a game in over a week due to a hamstring injury but hopes to be back in the lineup soon. Jose may be up in St. Paul but don’t be surprised if De La Trinidad continues to put up high-quality numbers. 3B/2B/1B/LF Edouard Julien (Fort Myers) 25 G, 22-77, .286/.481/.468 (.949) with 5 doubles, 3 homers, 25 BB, 23 K, 23 R, 11 RBI. Julien, an Auburn product and Twins Daily Top 20 Prospect has been heating up as the summer has progressed. After 47 games in Fort Myers he was called up to Cedar Rapids on June 28 thanks to a .299 average with the Mussels. What perhaps sticks out the most is Julien's ability to hit in all way, shapes and forms. Of his 44 hits with Fort Myers 16 were extra base hits (12 2B, 3 HR, 3B). Yet his greatest weapon might be his speed. The Quebec native has stolen 21 bases so far this year and has only been caught stealing twice. Buxton-esque one might say. Julien still has a way to go before cracking the bigs but his progress has been spectacular. For a kid who was drafted in the 18th round of the 2019 draft, Julien is making his presence known throughout the organization in his first full season. 2B/3B/SS Spencer Steer (Cedar Rapids) 26 G, 28-98, .286/.421/.612 (1.034) with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 9 homers, 21 BB, 22 K, 25 R, 21 RBI. An electric defender, Steer has proven his offensive prowess in the last month with the Kernels. In his final three games before being assigned to Wichita the Oregon Duck alum knocked four hits and scored two runs. That offensive talent transitioned well to Wichita to say the least. In just his second Double-A game Steer went 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBI thanks to moonshot over the left field wall. Despite a wealth of power, Steer's money maker is his ability to get on base. He drew 20 walks in June and hit safety in 18 of 26 games. Expect him to continue to put up big numbers as he gets acclimated to Double-A ball. OF/1B Trey Cabbage (Cedar Rapids) 23 G, 27-89, .303/.364/.618 (.982), with 10 doubles, 6 homers, 9 BB, 29 K, 13 R, 23 RBI. Similar to De La Trinidad, Cabbage isn’t exactly what you’d call a home run hitter. That wasn’t the case on June 24, when the Tennessee native tallied his first multi-homer game since rookie ball in a win over Lansing. That and his ability to drive runs in earned him a promotion to Double-A Wichita earlier this week. The Cabbage Patch Kid has shown that he’s a jack of all trades at the plate and in the field. He's been rock-solid in the outfield for the Kernels and his versatility on offense was one of the main reasons while he was brought up to Wichita. With certain Wichita players being brought up to St. Paul, look for Cabbage to fill some of the offensive holes for the Wind Surge. Honorable Mention C/1B Tomás Telis (St. Paul) 19 G, 23-77, .299/.341/.468 (.809), with 1 double, 4 homers, 5 walks, 11 K, 10 R, 13 RBI, 2 SB OF Aaron Whitefield (Wichita) 25 G, 27-91, .297/.381/.374 (.785), with 4 doubles, 1 homer, 13 BB, 18 K, 15 R, 15 RBI, 8 SB OF Gabriel Maciel (Cedar Rapids) 20 G, 19-63, .302/.375/.381 (.655), with 1 triple, 1 homer, 7 BB, 7 K, 12 R, 8 RBI, 5 SB SS Keoni Cavaco (Ft. Myers) 9 G, 11-32, .344/.400/.438 (.838), with 1 double, 1 triple, 3 BB, 8 K, 3 BB, 6 R, 3 RBI View full article

The Red Wings had the day off and announced that one of the Twins top pitching prospects will be making his first start of the season on Tuesday. The Blue Wahoos got another solid start and some key hits. A Miracle slugger continued to blast baseballs, though rain suspended their game in the fourth inning. Cedar Rapids had a well-played game with some strong pitching after getting an early lead.Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Monday, starting with the transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS While not officially making the transaction (that will come on Tuesday), Rochester announced that LHP Stephen Gonsalves will make the start for the Red Wings on Tuesday.After his one game for the Red Wings, infielder Victor Tademo was sent back to extended spring training.RHP Griffin Jax was placed on the injured list for Pensacola, and RHP Williams Ramirez was activated.1B Gabe Snyder was activated from Cedar Rapids’ temporary inactive list with 1B Albee Weiss sent back to EST.RED WINGS REPORTRochester Box Score Stephen Gonsalves will make his first start of the season on Tuesday for the Red Wings. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 4, Mobile 2 Box Score The Blue Wahoos got some nice pitching and some big hits and pulled out a 4-2 win. Randy Dobnak started and threw the first five innings. He gave up two runs on five hits. He struck out seven without walking a batter. Tyler Jay got the win. He threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Williams Ramirez, fresh off the IL, struck out three batters in 1 2/3 innings of work. Cody Stashak came on for the ninth and recorded his fourth save. He gave up one hit, but he struck out two batters. Mitchell Kranson got Pensacola on the board first. He singled in Travis Blankenhorn in the first inning. Mobile got on the board with a solo homer in the top of the second inning, but Ernie De La Trinidad responded in the bottom of the inning with his second of the season to reclaim the lead. In the fourth inning, another solo homer off of Dobnak tied the score at two. In the sixth inning, Joe Cronin gave the team a lead with an RBI single. It was followed directly by another RBI single from De La Trinidad. Cronin and De La Trinidad were each 2-for-3. Kranson went 2-for-4. MIRACLE MATTERS (Game suspended in 4th inning) Ft. Myers, Bradenton Box Score This game was suspended in the fourth inning with the Miracle down 3-1. Much more will be written about this game when it concludes on Tuesday morning as part of a doubleheader. Here are two or three quick notes: First, Jhoan Duran started and gave up three runs on five hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. When the game was suspended, there were still two runners on base. Second, Lewin Diaz stayed hot. He hit a first-inning home run, his eighth of the season. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Burlington 0 Box Score The Kernels scored four runs in the first inning. Gilberto Celestino doubled in a run then scored on a Gabe Snyder single. Gabriel Maciel then drove in two more runs with another single. Celestino drove in another run with a single in the second inning. Luis Rijo was the beneficiary of the early offense and did a nice job of holding that lead. Rijo, who came to the Twins from the Yankees in the Lance Lynn deal, threw five scoreless innings. He gave up just one hit, walked three and struck out six. Moises Gomez and Carlos Suniaga each threw two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. They both struck out four batters. Yeltsin Encarnacion went 2-for-5 in the game. He had an RBI triple in the eighth inning to round out the Kernels scoring. Celestino went 2-for-4 with a walk and his fifth double. Gabriel Maciel went 2-for-3 with a walk. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Luis Rijo, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Ernie De La Trinidad, Pensacola Blue Wahoos PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - Game Suspended in 4th. #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 0-4, 2 K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch. #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - Game Suspended in 4th. #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - Injured (quad), return...unknown #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Injured (wrist) #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Game Suspended in 4th (his line incomplete, will update tomorrow) #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - No Game Scheduled #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Pitch. #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured List #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List (adductor) #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - making first start on Tuesday #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Play #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - 0-3, BB, R #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - 2-4, BB, 2B(5), R, 2 RBI, 2 K #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - No Game Scheduled #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - No Game Scheduled #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Play TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Buffalo @ Rochester (6:05 CST) - LHP Stephen Gonsalves (season debut) Pensacola - No Game Scheduled. Bradenton @ Ft. Myers (DH @ 10:00 a.m. CST) - RHP Edwar Colina (1-1, 5.91 ERA) Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Andrew Cabezas (1-3, 3.31 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article

Minnesota completed a sweep of the Orioles on Sunday afternoon. It was quite the series for the Twins as the club does their best to take care of some of the rebuilding clubs in the American League. Minnesota will get to see Baltimore again next weekend, but first they need to put on their big-boy pants and face the Astros. There was only one game in the Twins farm system on Sunday. Was Pensacola able to make a clean sweep for the organization?RED WINGS REPORT Rochester has had a slow start to the season with a 5-11 record. Currently the club is seven games back in the International League North. Rochester starts a four-game series with Scranton/WB on Monday. The RailRiders are 8-6 on the season and sit in third place in the division. If Rochester is going to make a move, this is as good of time as any to start moving up the standings. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 8, Mobile 5 Box Score Jordan Gore got things started with a lead-off double in the first frame. He moved to second on a wild-pitch. Even without an out at that point, it took a two-out single from Taylor Grzelakowski to bring in Gore for the first run of the game. That wouldn’t be the end of the scoring for the Blue Wahoos. Pensacola put up a five-spot in the third inning with help from the middle of the order. Ernie De La Trinidad singled before coming around to score on a Caleb Hamilton double. Jaylin Davis followed with his second home run of the season. Grzelakowski walked and then he moved to third on a Luis Arraez double. Jimmy Kerrigan singled to drive in a run and put runners on the corners. Joe Cronin drove in the final run of the innings with a sacrifice fly. Del La Trinidad got things started again in the fourth inning with his first homer of the year. Hamilton followed with a single and Davis added a double to put runners on the corners. Grzelakoski drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to put the score at 8-0. Jorge Alcala was cruising through four shutout innings before running into trouble in the fifth. He allowed five runs that inning, but he was able to finish the frame. He struck out eight and walked one. Tyler Jay took over and was fantastic through two shutout innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out four. Gabriel Moya made his second rehab appearance. He recorded two outs and both were strikeouts. However, he surrendered two walks and one hit to make things a little dicey. Dusten Knight finished off his fourth save by pitching 1 1/3 innings. He struck out two and went for the back flip. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers enters play on Monday with a 10-7 record. The Miracle are currently in third place in the Florida State League South and trail first place by two games. Fort Myers will start a three-game set against first-place Bradenton on Monday. If the club were to sweep, the Miracle could take over first place in the division. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids has started the year 7-9 and they will start Monday 4.5 games out of first place in the Midwest League Western Division. The Kernels start a three-game set on Monday in Wisconsin, which is currently half a game back in the standings. Andrew Cabezas will be looking to pick up his first win of the season. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Tyler Jay, Pensacola (2.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 K, 3 H) TD Hitter of the Day- Caleb Hamilton, Pensacola (3-5, 2 2B, 3 R, RBI, K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Did not pitch #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – Did not play MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Scranton/WB (5:05 CST) – TBD Pensacola vs. Mobile (6:35 CST) – RHP Brusdar Graterol (1-0, 0.52 ERA) Fort Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – TBD Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (6:35 CST) – RHP Andrew Cabezas (0-0, 6.00 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

As you recall, the Twins front office was awfully busy around the trade deadline in 2018. It was a tough time for some Twins fans who would miss seeing some of their favorite players dealt to contending teams. The one positive to come out of that situation was the acquisition of some quality talent including our choice for the Twins #7 prospect, Jhoan Duran. Jhoan Duran came to the Twins along with outfielders Gabriel Maciel and Ernie de la Trinidad in exchange for Eduardo Escobar. When the trade was made, we knew very little about the three. It’s fair to say that Duran has made a strong impression in his short time with the Cedar Rapids Kernels.Age: 21 (DOB: 1-8-1998) 2018 Stats (Low-A): 100.2 IP, 3.75 ERA, 115/38 K/BB, 1.25 WHIP ETA: 2021 2018 Ranking: NR National Top 100 Rankings BA: NR |MLB: NR | ESPN: NR |BP: NR What’s To Like There is a lot to like. When Jhoan Duran signed with the Diamondbacks in February of 2015 out of the Dominican Republic, he was tall and lanky. That means that he was often touted as “projectable” as he had room to fill out. When the 2018 season ended, Duran stood 6-5 and weighed in at about 220 pounds. With the increased strength, Duran’s fastball has taken off. Duran throws 94-96 and even touched 98 mph. If you watched Tom Froemming’s Prospect Spotlight on Duran, he was hitting 96 in late August despite already being over his previous career high innings. He also gets some sink on his pitches. Duran also throws what appears to be two different breaking balls. He has a slider that can dart out of the zone, but he also has more of a curveball that drops. Both can be swing-and-miss pitches. He also is working to improve his changeup. Potentially, he’s got a big fastball with movement, four pitches and the ability to miss bats. Yes, potentially there is a whole lot to like in Jhoan Duran. What’s Left To Work On For Duran, he needs to work on the things that all young pitchers need to work on. While he has shown good control, he will need to continue to improve his command. While most believe that he can remain a starter, that will likely depend on continuing to improve and be more consistent with his secondary pitches. Especially, his changeup remains a work-in-progress. Development of that third (and maybe fourth) pitch may determine whether he remains a starter or if he becomes a potentially dominant, triple-digit throwing late-inning reliever. Before his six-inning stint to end the 2018 season in Cedar Rapids, his numbers had not yet matched his stuff. He had an ERA of 4.75 a 1.50 WHIP in 64 2/3 innings with Kane County before the trade. He struck out 9.9 batters per nine innings, but he also walked 3.9 per nine innings. After joining the Kernels, he was incredible, posting a 2.00 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP over 36 innings. He increased his K-rate to 11.0 per nine innings, and reduced his walks per nine innings to 2.5. So was it a great, short-sample size six-game stint, which included seven no-hit innings in his Kernels debut, or has Duran actually turned corner in his career? What’s Next After spending last season in Cedar Rapids, Duran will start the 2019 season in Fort Myers. At this point, it’s all about developing those things (third and fourth pitches, consistent command). Working in the Florida State League should allow him an opportunity to put up some big numbers and potentially continue to rise up the Twins prospect charts. If he gets off to a strong start, he will certainly be a candidate for a midseason promotion to the Twins new Double-A affiliate in Pensacola. TD Top Prospects: Honorable Mention TD Top Prospects: 16-20 TD Top Prospects: 11-15 TD Top Prospects: #10 Akil Baddoo TD Top Prospects: #9 Blayne Enlow TD Top Prospects: #8 Lewis Thorpe TD Top Prospects: #7 Jhoan Duran TD Top Prospects: #6 Coming Tomorrow… Get to know more about Duran and many more minor league players in the 2019 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook. ORDER NOW: 2019 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook (paperback, $17.99) ORDER NOW: 2019 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook (eBook, $12.99) The 2019 Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook goes in-depth and provides player bios, scouting reports, statistics and much more on almost 160 Twins minor leaguers. Click here to view the article

Minnesota’s farm system has evolved over the last month. This year’s draft class is settling into their roles with their newly assigned clubs. The Twins have also been active over the last week by trading away Eduardo Escobar and Ryan Pressly for five new players and other trades could still be on the horizon. Players from this year’s draft and newly acquired players had an impact on Sunday’s action.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Louisville 3 (10 Innings) Box Score Rochester took an early lead in this one but it would quickly fade away. Jeremy Hazelbaker drew a one-out walk in the third inning before Taylor Motter cracked a two-run home run. In the bottom of the third, Stephen Gonsalves quickly surrendered the lead. Three singles, a walk, and a sacrifice fly meant the game was tied. Gonsavles pitched six innings with six strikeouts and one walk. On rehab, Addison Reed pitched a scoreless inning without allowing a hit. He had one strikeout and walked two batters. John Curtiss struck out three and walked one over two scoreless innings. Luke Bard took the loss but the only run he allowed was the runner who started on second in extra-innings. Rochester didn’t have much offense outside of that third frame. The team was limited to three hits and five walks. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Tennessee 8 Box Score This game evolved from a pitcher’s duel in the early innings before the Smokies bats woke up. Omar Bencomo pitched into the fifth inning and allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked two. Sam Clay ran into the most damage. He couldn’t pitch a full inning and he allowed four runs on four hits. Paco Rodriguez and Andrew Vasquez each pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed a run each. Zander Wiel lead the offensive charge. He went 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles. Brent Rooker and Luis Arraez both had multi-hit games and Arraez drove in two runs. Jaylin Davis added his 8th double, one of the team’s three extra-base hits. Overall, the team went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 8, Daytona 6 Box Score The Miracle struck the final couple of blows in this back-and-forth contest. Newly acquired Ernie De La Trinidad went 3-for-4 with a three-run bomb and he scored two runs in the game. Alex Kirilloff continued to stay hot as he finished 2-for-5 and his late inning double extended his hit streak to 13 games. He also scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch and drove in an important run in the seventh inning. Travis Blankenhorn went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and two RBI. Royce Lewis also had a multi-hit game. Mark Contreras reached base three times and scored two runs. On the mound, Bryan Sammons got into some early trouble as he walked five batters in four innings of work. He allowed four earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts but he would be long gone before this one was decided. Colton Davis took over for Sammons but he allowed one run on two hits in his inning of work. Clark Beeker was a savior in this game. He limited Daytona to one hit over the four shutout innings to finish the game. He struck out three and didn’t walk any. Fort Myers has won four consecutive series. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Quad Cities 6 Box Score Cedar Rapids drew a season-high 10 walks but the team was limited to two hits en route to being shutout. In fact, every batter in the Kernels line-up reached base at least once with the exception of David Banuelos. Gabriel Maciel reached base three times out of the lead-off spot. Andrew Bechtold went 1-for-3 and had the team’s lone extra-base hit, a double. Jean Carlos Arias was held hitless but he reached base twice. Jordan Balazovic ran into some early trouble as he surrendered four runs in the first innings. He settled in from there and only allowed one more run over the next five frames. He finished by allowing five runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. Melvi Acosta pitched the final three innings and allowed one run on four hits with four strikeouts. E-TWINS E-TALK Elizabethton 4, Bristol 7 Box Score Three defensive errors allowed three unearned runs to be scored in this one and that was the difference. Brian Rapp started and lasted four innings. He struck out five and didn’t walk any but allowed four runs on six hits. Austin Schulfer saw two unearned runs score in three frames. He struck out three and walked two. Moises Gomez pitched a shutout inning. Zach Neff walked a batter in the ninth before ran cut this game short. Chris Williams, a 2018 8th round pick, continued his hot hitting. The Clemson product cranked a pair of home runs to up his season total to 11. First-round pick Trevor Larnach reached base twice and collected his second double of the season. Michael Helman added his second home run of the year. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Hitter of the Day: Ernie De La Trinidad, Fort Myers (3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB, K) Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day: Stephen Gonsalves, Rochester (6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 6 K, BB) TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed. Please note that this Prospect Summary has been updated. 1. Royce Lewis (FM): 2-for-5, RBI, 2 R 2. Alex Kirilloff (FM): 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R 3. Brusdar Graterol (FM): Did not play. 4. Nick Gordon (ROC): 1-for-3, BB, K 5. Stephen Gonsalves (ROC): 6 IP, 2 ER, 6 K, BB 6. Trevor Larnach (ET): 1-for-3, 2B, R, BB 7. Brent Rooker (CHAT): 2-for-4, RBI, BB, K 8. Akil Baddoo (CR): 0-for-4, BB, 2 K 9. Wander Javier: Out of for the season 10. Zack Littell (ROC): Did not play. 11. Blayne Enlow (CR): Did not play. 12. LaMonte Wade (ROC): 0-for-2, 2 BB, K 13. Travis Blankenhorn (FM): 2-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 K 14. Lewis Thorpe (CHAT): Did not play. 15. Ben Rortvedt (FM): Did not play. 16. Yunior Severino (ET): Did not play. 17. Lewin Diaz (FM): Did not play. 18. Ryan Jeffers (ET): Did not play. 19. Jacob Pearson (CR): Did not play. 20. Luis Arraez (CHAT): 2-for-5, 2 RBI MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Scranton/WB (6:05 CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (0-3, 4.50 ERA) Rochester vs. Scranton/WB (Game 2) – TBD Chattanooga @ Tennessee (6:00 CST) – TBD Fort Myers – Scheduled Off-Day Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:05 CST) – RHP Jhoan Duran (5-4, 4.73 ERA) Elizabethton – Scheduled Off-Day GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00 AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions about Sunday’s games, or ask any questions you may have. Click here to view the article