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St. Paul's failed near comeback was the only loss in the Twins farm system Friday night. SAINTS SENTINEL Omaha 11, St. Paul 9 Box Score The Saints’ late charge fell just short Friday night. St. Paul scored seven of their nine runs in the bottom of the eighth inning after surrendering nine in the seventh and eighth combined. Jermaine Palacios (2-for-5, RBI) and Mark Contreras (3-for-5, RBI) each hit two doubles, which account for all of St. Paul’s extra-base hits. Michael Helman (2-for-6) and Chris Williams (1-for-5) each drove in two runs. Simeon Woods Richardson performed admirably on the mound, striking out three and not surrendering an earned run in five innings. He now has a 3.29 ERA in 13 2/3 Triple-A innings. Devin Smeltzer and Brad Peacock surrendered nine runs in 2 2/3 innings of relief. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 6, Springfield 2 Box Score The Wind Surge brought home all six of their runs in the top half of the sixth inning to earn the win over the Cardinals. Edouard Julien (1-for-3) and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. (1-for-3) each picked up two RBI. All five of Wichita’s hits were singles, and as a team, they drew 10 walks. Five Wind Surge pitchers combined to throw nine innings with Alex Phillips earning the win. Aaron Rozek started and struck out six in 3 2/3 innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Dayton 4 Box Score The Kernels clinched the win early as their bats drove in all six runs in the top of the first inning. The Dragons scored three in the bottom of the ninth when the game was already out of reach. Eighth hitter Charles Mack went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Wander Javier (1-for-4) also contributed two RBI. Travis Adams threw the first six innings and struck out six while giving up only one run. Bradley Hanner and Tyler Palm combined to throw the final three innings, striking out four and not allowing an earned run. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Bradenton 0 Box Score Keoni Cavaco’s three-run home run in the top of the second inning was all the Mighty Mussels need to pick up the win over the Marauders on Friday. Cavaco (2-for-4, 2B, HR) was the lone Fort Myers batter to contribute multiple hits. Kala’i Rosario (1-for-3) also doubled. Marco Raya tossed the first three innings and struck out five while ushering two walks and a hit. Regi Grace was awarded the win after throwing three hitless innings in relief, striking out five and walking none. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Travis Adams (Cedar Rapids): 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 6 K Hitter of the Day – Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers): 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 0-for-3, 2 BB #4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-for-3, RBI, BB #6 - Simeon Woods Richardson (St. Paul) - 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3K #7 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3, BB #8 - Marco Raya (Fort Myers) - 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-for-4, BB #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-3, 2 RBI #18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3 #20 - Kala’i Rosario (Fort Myers) - 1-for-3, 2B SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul vs. Omaha (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-6, 9.06 ERA) Wichita @ Springfield (6:05 PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick (2-2, 4.75 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Dayton (6:05 PM CST) - LHP Jaylin Nowlin (1-1, 3.27 ERA) Fort Myers (6:30 PM CST) - TBD View full article

Speed is a tool that can separate elite defenders and base stealers from the rest of the pack. Will these Twins prospects continue to be fast as they age? While prospects can improve other tools, speed is an area that tends to decline as players add more muscle and age. According to the 20-80 scouting scale, multiple players on the list below are currently faster than expected in the future. Here are the top-five speed tool prospects in the Twins organization. 5. Yasser Mercedes, OF Current Run/Future Run: 55/50 Minnesota signed Mercedes as part of the 2022 international signing period, where he ranked as one of the top prospects in the class. It’s easy to see why he is projected to lose speed as he continues to age. He is currently 6-foot-3, and he weighs 180 pounds, so he is projected to add weight as he continues to mature. Scouting reports leading into the signing period noted that his speed currently helps him to make up for inefficient route running in center field. Many believe he can stick in center, and his speed is one tool that makes him an intriguing player to keep an eye on. 4. Alerick Soularie, 2B Current Run/Future Run: 55/55 Soularie had to wait until 2021 to make his pro debut after the Twins selected him in the 2nd round of the 2020 MLB Draft. He missed a large chunk of the 2021 season with a fractured foot, but he appeared in 34 games. He posted a .727 OPS during that time while going 9-for-10 in stolen base opportunities. Most of his defensive innings have come at second base, but the organization hasn’t been afraid to use his speed in the outfield. With his foot injury behind him, he can get his first full season in the books this year and show his true speed potential. 3. Royce Lewis, SS/CF Current Run/Future Run: 60/50 Like Soularie, Lewis missed significant time in 2021. However, there are bigger questions about whether or not Lewis will still have his top-graded speed after knee surgery. In 2019, Lewis went 22-for-32 in stolen base attempts at High- and Double-A. Questions are swirling about his future defensive position, but there is no question about his athletic ability and make-up. Lewis continues to fill out his frame, which will continue to take away from his speed while adding to his power potential. Steals aren’t as prevalent across baseball, but Lewis will be able to transition to other defensive positions because of his speed. 2. Keoni Cavaco, SS Current Run/Future Run: 60/60 Cavaco, the team’s 2019 first-round pick, struggled mightily in his first taste of full-season action. His athleticism was one of the biggest reasons the Twins selected him, as he was considered a late-riser on draft boards. Last season, he went 6-for-8 in stolen base opportunities, but he was also getting on base less than 30% of the time. In 60 games, he committed 24 errors at shortstop, so many believe he will eventually move to third base. As with many other prospects, missing the entire 2020 season hurt Cavaco, and he needs consistent reps and coaching to continue to improve. 1. Will Holland, 2B Current Run/Future Run: 70/70 Holland may be an unfamiliar name to some Twins fans, but the team took him with their fifth-round pick back in 2019. The Auburn product was old for Low-A last season, but his collegiate experience showed through as he posted a .336 OBP. Defensively, he played the majority of his innings at shortstop, but the organization also had him play at second, third, and in center field. In 76 games, he stole 19 bases, so his speed was evident on the base paths. He’s an athletic player that has a chance to fill a utility role at the big-league level. He turns 24-years-old in April, and he should start next season in Cedar Rapids. Who do you think has the best run tool in the Twins system? Should someone else make the list? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. OTHER POSTS IN THE SERIES — Top Power Tool Prospects — Top Hit Tool Prospects 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

The 2019 MLB Draft is now in the review mirror, and the Minnesota Twins have selected 41 new prospects that they need to work on signing. After having just two picks in the top 100 in last year’s draft, the Twins had four picks in the top 100 this year, including three on day one of the draft. It was evident early on that the Twins had a specific game plan and stuck to it.While other teams around the Twins, like the Mets, Marlins and White Sox, all had an aggressive strategy of taking a few high profile over slot players early, then drafting a bunch of college seniors in the rest of the first ten rounds to make the money work, the Twins decided to go with a quantity of potential quality approach. Often times in the draft the players that end up being the best guys weren’t the ones taken in the first couple of rounds, so by using this approach, the Twins acquired as many guys as they could who could potentially breakout. Keoni Cavaco The California high school third baseman was gaining a lot of steam in the week leading up to the draft, and it was rumored that the Twins were all in on him. As it turns out, that was exactly the case, as the Twins selected Cavaco with the 13th pick in the draft. Cavaco is a high upside player with plus power, run, fielding and throwing tools. The real question with Cavaco is around his ability to hit elite pitching. You can read more about Cavaco here. College Bats After the Twins took Cavaco in the first round, they developed a strategy around drafting college hitters during the early stages of the draft. From Competitive Balance Round A through round seven, the Twins had seven more picks, and used five of them on college hitters. The first college hitter they took was Southern Miss standout right fielder, and Forest Lake, MN native Matt Wallner. In 2016, Wallner was named Minnesota Mr. Baseball, and was taken by the Twins in the 32nd round of the draft, but went unsigned. Wallner has been quite the imposing presence in the Southern Miss lineup hitting .337 with 58 home runs in 189 career games. You can read more about Wallner here. After Wallner the Twins took Oregon shortstop Spencer Steer with their first pick on day two. In the fourth round they targeted Wright State third baseman Seth Gray. Gray was teammates at Wright State with Twins 2018 pick, and 2019 Midwest League All-Star, Gabe Snyder. In the 5th round they grabbed Auburn shortstop Will Holland. Before the 2019 season, Holland was considered to be a likely first round pick, but slid in the draft after having a poor spring. If he can regain his 2018 form, Holland could be a potential steal of this draft. In the seventh round the Twins took another college shortstop, this time it was UConn’s Anthony Prato. While it won’t be possible for all these guys to play short at the next level, I am a big fan of the Twins just bringing in some of the best athletes that they can, and then figure out where to put them all later. College Pitchers With their second round pick, the Twins took their first pitcher of the draft in Rice right-hander Matt Canterino. Canterino was a three year starter at Rice, and already has quite a bit of experience pitching, as he threw nearly 300 innings in his three years at Rice, and also played for both Team USA and in the Cape Cod League. You can read more about Canterino here. Once the Twins run on college hitters had ended, the Twins shifted their focus onto adding a stable of college pitchers to their farm system. In the 6th round they took Sawyer Gipson, a right-handed pitcher from Mercer. Then starting in the 8th round the Twins took nine consecutive college pitchers, with only one of them, Brent Headrick, being a lefty. One of the last pitchers the Twins took in this run was Concordia St. Paul’s own Louie Varland, who is a native of Maplewood, MN. Later Rounds In the 18th round, the Twins added part two of Auburn’s double play duo, as they took Will Holland’s teammate Edouard Julien. The Twins also drafted another pair of college teammates in UCLA’s Nate Hadley and Jake Hirabayashi , who were selected in the 25th and 39th rounds respectively. UCLA is the top ranked team in the NCAA tournament, and are facing off against Michigan this weekend for a spot in the College World Series. Keeping the teammates trend alive, the Twins took a pair of high school pitchers from Stillwater Area High School in the 35th and 36th rounds. The two pitchers, Drew Gilbert and Will Frisch are both committed to play college ball at Oregon State, the same school that Twins 2018 first round pick Trevor Larnach attended, and won a championship for last summer. One of the later round picks that I am particularly excited about is Austin Peay’s first baseman Parker Phillips. In three seasons of college ball, Phillips had a .319/.434/.673 slash line with 56 home runs, including 25 in 2019, which is the second most hit by any player in Division 1 college baseball this year. You can read scouting reports on all 41 Twins draft picks here: Twins Select Keoni Cavaco with 13th Overall Pick Twins Select Minnesotan Matt Wallner with 39th Overall Pick Twins Select Matt Canterino with 54th Overall Pick MLB Draft Day 1 Thread MLB Draft Day 2 Thread MLB Draft Day 3 Thread Click here to view the article