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In echoing the thoughts of others throughout the winter, it’s extremely difficult to be disappointed as a Twins fan this off-season. The team has added six pitchers, including a necessary starting pitching addition in Jake Odorizzi. Minnesota has added established bullpen arms (Reed) and others with either upside (Rodney), or bounce back potential (Duke). While we can bemoan the Twins inability to land a marquee arm like Yu Darvish, the Twins have established themselves a platform for being competitive in a weak division. Solid rotation, good bullpen, excellent lineup. The Falvey and Levine regime, let’s call them ‘The Falvgime’, deserves credit for the rapidity of their organizational overhaul. After a year of assessment and modest additions in 2017, they have added exciting, progressive coaching voices such as James Rowson and Garvin Alston. They have beefed up their research and analytics department both quantitatively and qualitatively, adding reputable names such as Josh Kalk, John Manuel, and Daniel Adler. (If you haven’t listened to Adler’s recent appearance on Ben Lindbergh’s Effectively Wild podcast, you’re doing yourself an injustice). It’s easy to be swept up into The Falvgime hype train, but what are the mistakes they have made along the way so far? Are there any opportunities missed which may end up as organizational regrets? Let’s rewind a few years to June 4th 2012. The 2012 amateur player draft will forever be remembered by Twins fans as the draft that landed them Byron Buxton and Jose Berrios. If both Buxton and Berrios continue their respective careers at their current trajectories, this draft would be remembered as monumentally successful. 2012 also marked a trend of the Twins drafting an increasing number of high velocity arms, adding Luke Bard with the 42nd pick, Mason Melotakis with the 63rd pick, and J.T. Chargois with the 72nd pick. More on those three shortly. The 2012 draft also netted the Twins Tyler Duffey at 160th overall, and Tyler Rogers at 340th overall, both of whom have become significant role players in the Twins’ bullpen. Of the three 2012 draft arms, only Melotakis remains. The 27 year old Bard was claimed by the Angels in the Rule 5 draft, after amassing a 2.76 ERA over 65 innings between Chattanooga and Rochester in 2017. Bard managed a 13.6 SO/9 in those innings. Chargois was claimed by the 104 win LA Dodgers last week after being placed on waivers to make extra space available on the Twins 40 man roster. Chargois, also 27, has been plagued by injuries, but is intriguing as the Twins former top relief prospect and one of only five Twins pitchers to throw a pitch 99mph or higher since 2008. Reaction to Chargois being claimed has been mixed, with most cautioning against a snap reaction until the Twins fill the final spot on their 40 man roster. Thad Levine indicated some regret in the Twins’ loss, telling Twin Cities’ media ‘we were 29/30ths of the way there’. The Dodgers are certainly an interesting team to claim Chargois, having put together the fourth best bullpen ERA in 2017, the third best strikeout total, and the second best batting average against in MLB. Melotakis successfully passed through waivers during the 2017, much to the ire of Twins fans, who struggled to understand the rationale of placing a former top (left-handed) relief pitching product who was having an excellent season at risk. All three of the Bard, Melo, and Chargois triumvirate had struggled throughout their minor league careers with injuries, and that may well be a decisive factor in the front office’s decision making process. It does however, seem that the organization has let significant arm talent slip from its grasp in Bard and Chargois, right when they appeared ready to make a more significant major league contribution. Rewind again to 2014. Nick Gordon was selected 5th overall by the Twins. Minnesota proceeded to select an entire bullpen after him, including several more high velocity arms such as Nick Burdi (2nd round), Jake Reed (5th round) and John Curtiss (6th round). It’s easy to pretend as if the old Twins regime did nothing about the teams’ bullpen struggles year after year, but it was a problem which was recognized and drafted towards several years before Derrick Falvey and Thad Levine took over the organization. Burdi fits the familiar pattern of the Twins 2012 drafted relief pitchers. He has a massive arm with the ability to hit triple digits. In 104 MiLB innings, he has managed 142 Ks. Burdi seemed to be putting it all together at AA in 2017, giving up just one earned run in 17 IP until Tommy John surgery derailed his season. Burdi was selected by the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft before being traded to the Pirates. John Curtiss and Jake Reed are the two remaining arms from the 2014 draft who have made the steadiest progress towards the major league team, Curtiss making, and struggling in his MLB debut last year. Curtiss dominated minor league competition to the tune of 68Ks in 48.1 IP and a miserly .135 avg. Reed spent 2017 split between Chattanooga and Rochester, turning it up at AAA and giving up a 2.05 ERA whilst striking out 25 in 30 innings. Both are strong contenders to contribute at the major league level this year. Looking through the Twins current top 30 prospects as a whole (MLB list), there’s still some depth at reliever. The names featured are Tyler Jay (8th), John Curtiss (20th), and Jake Reed (26th). The recently departed Chargois was listed at 21. While this may be in no way indicative of how much help the Twins bullpen may receive from the minor leagues in 2018, it raises an interesting question. Did ‘The Falvgime’ completely press the reset button on Twins relief pitching prospects when they took over the organization? While this seems counter intuitive the front office has certainly been more aggressive at exposing relief pitching options via waivers and the Rule 5 draft than we might have expected. The common denominator surrounding high end relief pitching prospects the Twins have lost is a history of significant injuries. It seems likely that in a team with several necessary areas of improvement (between the rotation and the bullpen) Falvey and Levine have been careful not to pin their hopes to prospects who have struggled to stay healthy, perhaps recognizing that they are entering a window of contention with the Tigers and Royals entering rebuilds and the White Sox in the midst of one. They have taken some gambles with exposing these players, some seemingly paying off, others have not. What do y’all think? Has ‘The Falvgime’ made mistakes in how they have handled Twins’ relief pitching prospects? Do you think they should have prioritized keeping Bard and Burdi? Will they regret losing Chargois?

Last year at this time, there were five players from the 2011 draft still in the Twins minor league system. At the end of the 2017 season, they became minor league free agents if they were not on a 40-man roster. None of those five players remains in the Twins organization at this time. The 2012 draft has produced several major leaguers already. There are nine players from that draft who are still in the Twins organization. Let’s take a look at those players.Players can become a minor league free agents after having played six full season of minor league ball, unless they are added to the 40-man roster. So it is fair to say that it is a big year for a handful of Twins minor leaguers. Let’s start by considering the players from the 2012 draft who are currently on the Twins 40-man roster. It was an impressive draft, despite the fact that injuries have really hurt several of the players. With the #2 overall pick, the Twins selected outfielder Byron Buxton. It hasn’t always been pretty, but Buxton broke out late in the 2017 season and won a Gold Glove and the Platinum Glove as the best defensive player in the big leagues. The Twins also received the 32nd overall pick because of losing Michael Cuddyer to free agency. With the pick, the Twins selected right-handed pitcher Jose Berrios. He debuted in 2016. He began 2017 in Rochester (in large part due to his participation in the WBC), but he came up soon and pitched well much of the season. The Twins received another supplemental draft pick, the 42nd pick, for having lost Jason Kubel to free agency. With that pick, they took right-hander Luke Bard from Georgia Tech. While he fought injuries the first several years of his career, he really took off in 2016 and then struck out a ton of batters between AA and AAA in 2017. He was selected by the Angels in the Rule 5 draft in December, but he could return to the Twins if he is not on the Angels big league roster all season. The Twins received an additional second -ound pick from the Rockies because of the Cuddyer signing. With the pick, they selected hard-throwing right-hander JT Chargois out of Rice University. He missed the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He worked back in 2015 and debuted with the Twins in 2016. Unfortunately, he missed the 2017 season as well. With their fifth-round pick, the Twins selected Chargois’s co-closer at Rice, Tyler Duffey. He came up in 2015 and was impressive in the rotation. In 2016, he struggled, and in 2017, he moved to the bullpen. Finally, in the 11th round, the Twins selected left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers. He worked his way up the system as a starter, but when the Twins had a need early in the 2016 season, they called Rogers up to work out of the bullpen. He pitched well as a rookie. He was tremendous in the first half of 2017, though he may have tired due to overuse in the second half. He may be the top left-hander in the Twins bullpen in 2018 and could learn more from Zack Duke. The Twins have had five players from their 2012 draft already play in the big leagues, which is remarkable. Clearly Buxton and Berrios are the stars, but Rogers, Chargois and Duffey have a chance to contribute for years to come too. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So while it would be great for these players to have big seasons in 2018 and force the Twins hand, doors could open up for them after the season via free agency, or they could choose to stay in the Twins organization. MASON MELOTAKIS The Twins first second-round pick was Melotakis, 63rd overall out of Northwestern State in Louisiana. The Twins gave him the opportunity to start, but in early 2014, he was moved to the bullpen. Following that season, he had Tommy John surgery and missed the 2015 season. He was added to the 40-man roster after the 2015 season. However, early in 2017, he was removed from the roster and cleared waivers. He split the 2017 season between Chattanooga and Rochester. He’ll likely begin 2018 with the Red Wings with the hopes of getting a shot to get added back to the 40-man roster and get to the big leagues. ZACK JONES The Twins foourth-round pick in 2012 out of San Jose State, Jones burst onto the season late that year when he was hitting triple digits in Beloit. Really since then Jones has spent more time on the disabled list than on the field. He’s had a variety of injuries in and around his shoulder. He was selected by the Brewers in the Rule 5 draft and went to spring training with Milwaukee in 2016. Unfortunately, he was hurt and had to rehab. After a couple of appearances with the Brewers AA team, he was returned to the Twins. He had shoulder surgery after the 2016 season and as he was set to return in 2017, he needed another surgery. When healthy, he’s got a big arm and a sharp slider. DJ BAXENDALE Baxendale was selected by the Twins in the 10th round out of the University of Arkansas after leading them to the College World Series. In less than a year, he was starting at AA Chattanooga. Things kind of plateaued for Baxendale there, and he fought some lingering injuries. But in 2016, he made the Southern League All-Star Game as a starter. He moved up to AAA and moved to the bullpen. He’s had some good success in that role. In 2017, he worked in a variety of roles from middle relief to long relief to making spot starts. ALEX MUREN Muren was the Twins 12th-round pick out of Cal State-Northridge. He put up great numbers in the lower levels despite a low strikeout rate. Unfortunately, he missed the 2016 season after having thoracic outlet surgery. He returned, but was limited some, in 2017. When on, Muren is a ground ball machine. Earlier, he would be brought on with runners on with the goal of getting a double play. In addition to the draft picks, a couple of players who signed as international free agents in 2012 will also become free agents. JHON ALVAREZ The Twins signed Alvarez out of Venezuela in July of 2012. He spent three seasons in the Dominican Summer League, and has spent the last two seasons in the Gulf Coast League. He did play one game for the Miracle in 2017 as well. RAINIS SILVA Like Alvarez, the Twins signed Silva in July of 2012, also out of Venezuela. A defense-first catcher, Silva played 11 games for the Kernels in 2015, and spent his 2016 in Cedar Rapids as well. As a 21-year-old in 2017, he played for Elizabethton, and he showed some offense. He hit .356/446/.446 (.892) for the E-Twins with four doubles, a triple and a homer. He will turn 22 right before Opening Day and should spend the year with a full-season affiliate. The Twins will hopefully have a tough decision to make on him. TODD VAN STEENSEL Finally, Australian Todd Van Steensel can finally become a minor league free agent following the 2018 season if he’s not added to the 40-man roster. The right-hander spent a year with the Phillies, and then a year with the Twins, and then he didn’t pitch for an affiliated team for a few years. He returned to the Twins in 2014 and pitched in Cedar Rapids and Ft. Myers. He spent all of 2015 with the Miracle as well and posted a 2.32 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 66 innings. For some reason, he went back to the MIracle for most of 2016 but ended the year with a handful of outings in Chattanooga. That’s where he spent the 2017 season where he posted a 1.38 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 58.2 innings. While he doesn’t show up on prospect lists, he continues to put up great numbers every year. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Obviously all of these guys are “prospects’ as they have yet to play in the big leagues. It’s a big year for each of them. Not only are they working for a big league opportunity with the Twins, but they will have another season to be monitored by scouts and coaching staffs from the other 29 organizations as well.. So what are your hopes or expectations for these guys? Will any of them get to the big leagues in 2018? Could any be found on the 40-man roster after the 2018 season? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOOKING BACK Levi Michael went back to Chattanooga before ending the season with a month in Rochester. He has not yet signed a 2018 contract.Travis Harrison wasn’t able to get the bat going and was released with about a month to go in the season. He has not yet signed a minor league contract.Dereck Rodriguez had another solid campaign, splitting the year between Ft. Myers and Chattanooga. He has signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants.Jason Wheeler made his major league debut for the Twins in May but was DFAd and claimed by the Dodgers after pitching twice. Soon after, they DFAd him and he was claimed by the Orioles where he ended the season. After the season, he signed a one year deal with the Hanwha Eagles in Korea.David Hurlbut put together a full season at Rochester. Following the season, he signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers. Click here to view the article

On a night when big league teams were changing the future of their franchise, three Twins affiliates were continuing to try to secure first half playoff spots. Chattanooga entered play on Monday with a slim half game lead over Tennessee. Montgomery, the Lookouts' opponent on Monday, sits two games behind Chattanooga. Cedar Rapids is in a similar situation. They enter the final week of the first half with a one game lead over Kane County and a two game lead over Quad Cities. The Kernels start a series in Quad Cities on Tuesday but they couldn't look past their Monday match-up with Burlington. Did either team get closer to clinching a playoff birth?News and Notes: Nik Turley was named International League Pitcher of the Week. The left-handed pitcher struck out a career-high 15 batters over six scoreless innings. He was rewarded for his strong start as he made his MLB debut on Sunday. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Montgomery 0 Box Score Felix Jorge pitched into the seventh inning for the sixth straight start and he allowed two runs or fewer for the fourth straight appearance. In this game, he pitched seven scoreless frames and limited the Biscuits to three hits. Jorge struck out five and walked two as he lowered his season ERA to 3.00. The Lookouts improved to 11-1 in games started by Jorge this season. Chattanooga took a while to get their bats moving in this one. In the top of the fifth, Dan Rohlfing singled before Nick Gordon's 18th double of the season moved him to third. Edgar Corcino drove in the first run of the game with a one-out single. However, Gordon ended up being stranded ninety feet from home. When the seventh frame rolled around, the Lookouts scored without recording a hit. Edgar Corcino walked and moved around the bases on a passed ball and two wild pitches. Things opened up in the top of the ninth with two outs. Corcino singled and LaMonte Wade reached on a throwing error that saw both runners move up a base. Jonathan Rodriguez collected a two-run single and came around to score on a Andy Wilkins double. Two more wild pitches pushed across another run to make the score 6-0. Mason Melotakis struck out the side during a perfect eighth inning. After watching a long top of the ninth, Melotakis allowed a double in the bottom half of the inning, He still managed a pair of strikeouts to end the night with five strikeouts in two innings of work. Tennesse lost for the second straight day so the Lookouts moved to a game and half up in their division. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers --, Charlotte -- (Postponed) Fort Myers and Charlotte were postponed on Monday. The teams will play a doubleheader on Tuesday starting at 4:30 CST. Each game is scheduled to be seven innings. The Miracle have already been eliminated from first-half playoff contention. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 0, Burlington 1 Box Score The Kernels were nearly no-hit hit in this contest as an eighth inning single from Travis Blankenhorn was the lone hit. Blankenhorn reached base twice in four plate appearances. Mitchell Kranson drew a pair of walks. Christian Cavaness and Ben Rortvedt also reached base once. Cedar Rapids only had two opportunities to bat with a runner in scorning position. Tyler wells did his best to keep the game close. He allowed one run on four hits over five innings of work. He struck out eight and walked two. It was his first loss since last August. Ryan Mason and Alex Robinson each pitched two shutout frames with neither walking a batter. Mason struck out one and Robinson struck out two. Had they been no-hit it would have been the first time since May 1, 2015. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Felix Jorge, Chattanooga Lookouts (7 IP, 0 ER, 5 K, 2 BB, 3 H) Hitter of the Day – Andy Wilkins, Chattanooa Lookouts (2-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, R) TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/WB (5:35 CST) - TBD Chattanooga @ Montgomery (7:05 CST) - TBD Fort Myers vs. Charlotte (4:30 CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-2, 1.38 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Charlotte (Game 2)- RHP Brady Anderson (2-2, 3.86 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Quad Cities (6:35 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (4-1, 2.63 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article

Twins prospects playing with the Surprise Saguaros helped their team to a 4-2 record in Week 5, and their (current) record of 16-13 overall is tops in the West Division. On the position player front, Nick Gordon continued looking like a legitimate leadoff man, Mitch Garver stood out defensively, and Tanner English continued to pose as a piranha at the end of the Surprise Saguaros lineup. On the pitching side of the coin, the bullpen stood out and made up for the hiccup from Stephen Gonsalves. (Author Note: Apologies on the late report again this week, but it’s still hunting season)To see how they all fared in week 5 of the AFL season, keep reading! (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – 1 game started, 0.2 IP, 4 ER’s, 3 H’s, 3 BB, 11.12 ERA (overall). Gonsalves got the start in Wednesday’s game against the Scottsdale Scorpions, and before he even took the mound his teammates had spotted him a 3-0 lead. Unfortunately for the lefty, that is the most positive thing that came out of this one. He walked the first hitter he faced, threw a wild pitch and allowed a single to the next, then made an errant pickoff throw that scored the first run of the game for Scottsdale. Another walk and single loaded the bases before he got a double play ball and a chance to limit the damage to just two runs. But it was another walk followed by a two-run triple that ended his day without finishing an inning. Gonsalves racked up thirty-one pitches with just thirteen of them going for strikes. He will look to bounce back next week! Nick Gordon – 4 games, 5-14, 3 R’s, 2 2B’s, 3B, RBI, 2 BB’s, 3 K’s. Gordon picked up a hit in each of his four games on the week, and also reached base multiple times in all of them, proving quite useful as a leadoff man. In Monday’s 8-5 win over Salt River, he was hit by a pitch to start the game as the leadoff man, but it was his single in the third inning that led to him scoring the Saguaro's first run of the game. The play included a throwing error that moved him into scoring position, and he would later score on a single. He also drew a walk in the fifth inning to reach base in three of five plate appearances on the day. On Wednesday Gordon was again the leadoff man, and again reached base to start the game. This time it was a single to right field and he went on to score the first of three runs in the inning. That would be it for runs until the ninth inning in the 5-4 loss to the Scorpions, but in between Gordon doubled and struck out twice in his other three trips to the batters box. Gordon started the game off with a bang on Thursday, when he drove a triple to center field as the first hitter. He scored the first of Surprise’s three runs in the inning on a double from the next batter. He drew a walk in the second to reach base for a second time, but was left stranded and did not reach base again in any of his final three at-bats. In Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Mesa Solar Sox, Gordon finally failed to reach base in his first plate appearance but would come through late for his squad. Up 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Gordon followed a leadoff double from Tanner English with one of his own to drive him in and make the final score of 4-2. Gordon was also hit by a pitch in the fourth inning and was thrown out trying to steal third after his double. After another strong week, Gordon’s .343 batting average was good for fifth on the AFL leader board and his .429 on-base percentage was fourth. Mitch Garver – 3 games, 3-13, R, 2B, RBI, 2 K’s. On Monday, Garver hit the ball hard in three of his four plate appearances, but only had a single to show for it. His line drive deep to center field in the second inning allowed the runner to tag up from first and advance a base, and he lined out to third in the fourth. His single in the two-run sixth inning put runners on the corners and helped tie the game at three, then he went down looking in his final plate appearance in the eighth. In Thursday’s 3-1 win over Glendale, Garver played a bigger role. He drove in the second run of the first inning with a single, and scored the third on a ground-rule double later in the inning. That was all the lineup’s scoring for the game, but Garver led off the third inning with a double and reached base in the seventh after the ball got away from the catcher on a strikeout. He finished his day 2-5. Back at catcher after DHing on Thursday, Garver had his quietest day of the week on offence with an 0-4 effort, but made a big impact on defense. Four men attempted stealing second base, but only one was successful. This included killing two runners after singles in the third inning and another in the fourth that directly prevented scoring opportunities in the 5-3 for his team. As Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press points out, Garver knows his time in the AFL could have a big impact on his future, and is not taking anything for granted. Tanner English – 5 games, 5-13, 3 R’s, 2B, RBI, BB, 4 K. English started four games on the week, and also got into action in another as a defensive replacement late in the game. He did not get an at-bat in that one. In Monday’s 8-5 win, English was 1-3 with an infield single that came in the eighth inning and also scored a run after a throwing error. He also picked up an outfield assist with a force out at second base, catching the runner in no man’s land on a liner. He was also caught stealing after being hit by a pitch in the fifth. In the Saguaro's 5-4 loss on Wednesday, English had just three plate appearances as Scorpions pitchers retired fifteen in a row at one point, and was in the on-deck circle for the game’s final out. He was 0-3. After entering the game in the eighth inning for defensive purposes in Thursday’s 3-1 win, he was back to starting in center field on Friday. Batting eighth, English notched a single and a run scored in each of the second and sixth innings in the 5-3 win. To cap off the week on Saturday, English again notched two hits in a win for his team. Back to batting ninth (second leadoff!), he delivered an RBI single in the fourth inning, and later stole third base for his second steal of the AFL season. He led off the eighth inning with a double and scored the insurance run when Gordon followed with one of his own. Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 0 H’s, 0 BB’s, 3 K’s, 0.90 ERA (overall). Making two appearances on the week, Melotakis extended his scoreless streak to seven games, and has allowed just one run in ten appearances thus far. In Tuesday’s loss to the Mesa Solar Sox, he pitched the seventh inning with his team down 10-5. It was a one-two-three inning with eight of his twelve pitches going for strikes, and he picked up two K’s. On Thursday Melotakis got the sixth inning in Surprise’s 3-1 win over Glendale. Again the opposition went down in order, and he picked up his third hold in the process. He struck out one in this one and needed just seven pitches. Randy Rosario – 2 games, 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H’s, BB, 3 K’s, 4.63 ERA (overall). Rosario pitched in two games on the week, and went two innings in each. On Monday he pitched the seventh and eighth innings in their 8-5 victory, picking up the win after his offense exploded for five runs in the bottom of the eighth. He went one-two-three in the seventh, but a walk and two singles in the eighth accounted for his one earned run. Of his twenty-six pitches in this one, seventeen went for strikes. In the Saguaro's 5-3 win on Friday, Rosario pitched the sixth and seventh innings, retiring all six men he faced on twenty-two pitches. He struck out two in the sixth, and one in the seventh in the process. John Curtiss – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s, 3.38 ERA (overall). Like his fellow bullpen Twins, Curtiss also made two appearances on the week, his coming in the games on Tuesday and Friday. With his team down 10-6 against Mesa, Curtiss pitched the bottom of the eighth inning to finish the game for Surprise. It was a quick and easy one-two-three effort that took just five pitches. On Friday with his team up by two, Curtiss was summoned for his first save opportunity. After striking out the first two hitters he faced, he allowed a single, but a ground ball back to him on the mound secured the victory for his team. After a slow start to his AFL season (3 ER’s and 6 H’s allowed in his first two innings), Curtiss has now allowed just one run on seven hits and a walk in his last eight appearances, totaling 8.2 innings pitched. He has also struck out twelve over that time, and has racked up multiple K’s in seven of ten overall appearances. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week! Click here to view the article

Author Note: Apologies on the late report this week, but it’s hunting season! The Surprise Saguaros went 3-2 in the fourth week of the AFL season, and all of the Twins prospects were back in action on the week as Stephen Gonsalves made his return to the starting rotation after sitting out with a sore back. Their squad was also no-hit in one of those losses, but we can take solace in the fact that none of the Twins players contributed to that effort! To see how each of the Twins prospects performed in Week 4, read on! (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – 1 game started, 2.0 IP, 2 ER’s, 1 H, 1 BB. Gonsalves made his return to the starting rotation for Friday’s contest against the Salt River Rafters. As he had not pitched in a couple of weeks, it was a short appearance for him and he had to shake off a little rust. He walked the first batter of the game, and then hit the second with a pitch to put two runners on. A line out to right field from the next hitter advanced the lead runner to third, and then a fielder’s choice ground out scored the first run but got an out at second. This means the batter ended up on first base and this is where the game recap gets a little confusing. With two outs, the next batter singled to center field, and the runner who was on first…scored? However this anomaly went down this accounted for the two earned runs allowed in Gonsalves’ line. His second inning went much better and was of the one-two-three variety, with all three outs coming via ground outs to third base. Gonsalves threw thirty-three pitches total in his return to AFL action, with nineteen of those going for strikes. Nick Gordon – 3 games, 4-12, 3 R’s, 3B, RBI, BB, 6 K’s, SB. On Halloween, Surprise and Glendale were locked in 0-0 pitching staff duel until the eighth inning, when two Twins prospects broke the tie. Tanner English led off the frame with a single, and Gordon promptly drove him in with a triple for the game’s first run. Gordon scored his team’s second run on a double later in the inning and that was it in the 2-0 win. In a somewhat scary play to start the game, Gordon shook off a 90-MPH fastball to his helmet to stay in the game and then stole his fifth base, but was left stranded. On Wednesday, Gordon again was in the leadoff spot for the Saguaros 6-0 win over Peoria, but he didn’t factor into the box score much in this one. His 0-4 day included two strikeouts. He would make up for that on Friday, though his team came out on the losing end in the extra-inning affair against Salt River. Down 2-0 after the top of the inning started by Gonsalves, Gordon led off with a single in the bottom half. He later scored on a double that also tied the game at two. After strikeouts to end each of the second and fourth innings, Gordon led off the seventh inning with a single, and trotted the bases on a home run from the next batter. With the game tied at six in the eighth, Gordon again reached base with a single, but was caught stealing second for the inning's final out. Gordon was also the Twins lone representative in Saturday’s Fall Stars game, which his West division squad won 12-4. He was the leadoff man, and finished 0-3 with three ground outs before the mass substitutions came into play. For some more reading, check out Baseball America’s feature on Gordon, where it discusses what he’s working on in the AFL. Mitch Garver – 3 games, 1-11, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 4 K’s. It was a bit of a quiet week for Garver, but his lone hit was a big one that came in the first inning of Wednesday’s game against Peoria. With a runner on second, Garver blasted his fourth AFL home run to make it 2-0, and they never looked back in the 6-0 win. He was the designated hitter in this one. Earlier in the week on Hallow’s Eve, Garver was 0-4 with a pair of strikeouts while playing catcher. He did however, cut down top Dodgers prospect Cody Bellinger at second on a steal attempt late in the game. On Thursday Garver was back behind the plate, but finished his day 0-3. He drew a two-out walk in the third inning, but advanced no further than that. He also had a throwing error on the defensive side. Tanner English – 3 games, 2-9, 2 R’s, 3B, RBI, BB, 4 K’s. English saw action in the same three games as Garver during the week, playing center field in each. As mentioned above, in their Halloween win English broke the stalemate with single leading off the eighth inning and came around to score the first run of the game on Gordon’s triple that followed. In Wednesday’s shutout victory, he drew a walk in the second inning but played a bigger part in the Saguaros three-run fifth to break the game open. His triple drove in the first run of the inning, and he scored the second on a wild pitch. In Thursday’s 3-1 loss to Mesa, English moved up a spot in the batting order to eighth, but went 0-3 with a pair of strikeouts to halt his hitting streak at six games. Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 4 H’s, 2 K’s, 1.00 ERA (overall). Melotakis picked up the win on Halloween as he pitched the top of the eighth inning before his organizational teammates accounted for Surprise’s two runs in the bottom half. He got through the inning without allowing a run, but it wasn’t quite that easy. Cody Bellinger led off with a single, but that’s when Garver cut him down trying to move into scoring position. An error and a single later put runners on first and third, but he got the final out on a pop-out to end the threat. In Thursday’s loss to Mesa, Melotakis again got the eighth inning, and again he had to work out of a jam. The first two batters reached on ground ball singles to center field, but that’s when he bucked up. Two strikeouts and a grounder later he was out of the inning and had lowered his Fall League ERA to an even 1.00. Randy Rosario – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 3 H’s, K, 5.59 ERA (overall). The lefty Rosario got the sixth inning on Halloween and kept the game tied at zero with a scoreless inning. He did allow two singles including one to the leadoff batter, but with two outs and runners on the corners he closed the door on the rally with a strikeout. Like Melotakis, Rosario also saw action in Thurday’s 3-1 loss, pitching the fifth inning in that one to relieve the Saguaros starter Tanner Anderson. The leadoff man again reached base with a single, but essentially two sacrifice bunts (one legit, one a weak tapper back to him on the mound) and a can of corn later he had a scoreless inning in the book. John Curtiss – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 3 K’s, 3.72 ERA (overall). Curtiss had two solid appearances on the week, pitching in Wednesday’s win and Friday’s extra-inning loss. In the victory, he was the first reliever up after their starter finished the first four innings, and made quick work of the Javelinas lineup after the offense had made it 5-0 in the top-half. He bookended his inning with strikeouts and threw just ten pitches (seven for strikes). On Friday he pitched the seventh inning, again making short work of the opposing lineup to keep the game tied at six. On eleven pitches he picked up two ground ball outs to third, and ended the inning with a strikeout, his fourteenth on the AFL season in 8.2 innings pitched (that’s a good ratio, if you were wondering). Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week! Click here to view the article

Twins prospects playing with the Surprise Saguaros helped them to a 4-2 record on the week, and they currently sit in second place in the West Division with a 9-7-1 overall record, one-and-a-half games behind the Peoria Javelinas. Stephen Gonsalves remained sidelined this week, but it was one for the hitters anyway. One prospect collected at least one hit in all four games he played while another continued to show an all-around game, but the biggest week came from a player at a position the parent organization should be keeping a keen eye on this offseason. A left-handed member of the bullpen also continued to stand out. Read on to see how each player fared on the week!(links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – Did not pitch. Gonsalves continued to rest during the AFL season’s third week, but is still learning plenty while there with his teammates. Hopefully he can get back to adding some of those innings he’s looking for this week! Seth Update: Gonsalves threw a bullpen on Friday and it went just fine. He expects to throw another bullpen on Monday and hopefully make a start on Friday for Surprise. Nick Gordon – 4 games, 5-17, 2B, BB, 5 K’s, 2 SB’s. Nick Gordon started out the week very well, collecting two hits in each of his first two games on the week to raise his average to .406. In the small sample size that is the AFL, his 1-9 effort in the next two caused him to finish week 3 batting .341. Batting leadoff as the DH in Monday’s 7-2 loss, Gordon started the game with a single and added another with two outs in the seventh. He was left on base both times. Back to playing shortstop and hitting second on Wednesday, Gordon was instrumental in the Saguaros 6-1 win. His double in the first inning was the first of four consecutive hits in the frame, and he scored the first of three runs that would prove more than enough at the end. His two-out single in the second came before a home run off the bat of Jose Trevino that put Surprise up 5-0. He also drew a walk in the sixth to reach base in three out of five trips on the day. On Friday Gordon didn’t have quite as good of a day as he wore a sombrero with three strikeouts in five trips to the plate, but after his single in the fifth inning he also swiped second base for his third steal of the season. In the finale on Saturday Gordon was 0-4, but late in the game he beat out a double play ball to reach first, stole second base with two outs, and came around to score when a Twins teammate then lined a single to center field. The run put Surprise in front comfortably at 6-2. Mitch Garver – 3 games, 5-12, 2B, 2 HR’s, 5 RBI, 3 K’s. In his three games on the week, Garver again batted cleanup in each, and was behind the plate in two while the DH in another. In all three games the Saguaros were victorious, and Garver was a big reason why. In their 4-0 win against Glendale on Tuesday, Garver’s two-run home run in the fourth inning gave them a 2-0 lead. He had also singled in the first inning but was erased on a double play and finished the day 2-4. In Thursday’s tilt against Peoria, the score was 4-2 in favor of the Javelinas heading into the top of the ninth. After two quick outs, Garver ripped a double to left field that opened the flood gates. He moved to third on a wild pitch, then after a walk another wild pitch allowed him to scamper home to make it 4-3. Before the inning was over the Saguaros put up five two-out runs and take the lead 7-4. They held on to win 7-5. On Saturday Garver was part of a power display from the Saguaros as they took down Scottsdale 6-3. As the DH in this one Garver started with strikeouts in his first two at-bats, but would more than make up for those in his final two. With the score 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Garver blasted his third home run of the season, a two-run shot with two outs. In the seventh, after Gordon had stole second base, he added another two-out RBI with a single to left to drive him in. After week 3, Garver is one of five players in the AFL with an OPS above 1.000 and is tied for the league lead in home runs with three. Tanner English – 4 games, 5-15, 1 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 5 K’s, SB. English picked up a hit in each of his four games on the week, including a big one in Surprise’s win on Thursday. Batting eighth and playing center field in the week’s first game on Monday, English singled in the fifth, but he and another runner were left stranded in scoring position with their team down 5-0 at the time. His other three plate appearances resulted in a ground out and two K’s and he committed his first error on defense on a hard line drive to him. In Tuesday’s shutout win, English was 2-4 batting ninth but was caught stealing after his first single of the game in the fifth. After his second single in the eighth he made it as far as third, but was ultimately left stranded. In the Saguaros comeback win on Thursday, English put the final nail in the coffin for the Javelina’s in the top of the ninth. His two-run homer capped their two-out scoring at five and provided the insurance needed to close out the 7-5 win. Batting ninth and playing center field again on Friday, English reached base twice in four trips via a single and walk, and also stole his first base of the AFL season. Both times he reached base he was stranded in scoring position as Surprise fell to Scottsdale 6-3. Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s, 1.50 ERA (overall). Melotakis again pitched in two games on the week and for one inning apiece, pitching the seventh in Tuesday’s 4-0 win and the sixth in Friday’s 6-3 loss. On Tuesday in his team’s shutout victory, he needed just ten pitches to put the Desert Dogs down one-two-three, including one strikeout. On Friday he needed only nine pitches to finish his inning, but he did allow a two-out single before striking out the final hitter of his inning. In his six innings out of the Saguaros bullpen Melotakis has allowed just one run on five hits and a walk, while striking out six. He’s also been very efficient, throwing over fifteen pitches in just one of those appearances, and not more than eleven in four others. Fifty-five of his seventy-seven pitches have gone for strikes (71.4 percent). Randy Rosario – 1 game, 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H’s, BB, K, 7.94 ERA (overall). Rosario made only one appearance on the week, and it came in Wednesday’s 6-1 win over the Scottsdale Scorpions. Unfortunately for Rosario, he was the one responsible for the Scorpions lone run. Summoned for the sixth inning, he quickly got the first out on ground out before a single, double and walk loaded the bases. The next hitter got an infield single hit toward Gordon at short to score the run. He then struck out Tim Tebow and got a fly out to end the threat and limit the damage. John Curtiss – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 R, 3 H’s, BB, 5 K’s. Curtiss saw action in the games on Wednesday and Saturday, pitching an inning in each. In the 6-1 win on Wednesday, he was called upon for the eighth inning. He bookended his inning with strikeouts, and in-between he allowed a single but quickly picked off the runner at first base. On Saturday he again got the eighth inning, but ran into trouble early before recovering late. A walk and two singles scored a run before he was able to pick up his first out, and three strikeouts later he escaped the inning with limited damage. He also hit a batter after the first two strikeouts which loaded the bases, but got the final hitter looking to end the frame. In his 6.2 total innings pitched in the AFL thus far, Curtiss has now struck out eleven and lowered his ERA to 5.40 from 13.50 over his last four games (one run allowed in last 4.2 IP) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week! Click here to view the article

Week Two of the AFL season saw the Surprise Saguaros go 3-3, with Twins prospects being quite a bit more quiet than in the first week. The three hitters managed just four hits among them after collecting fourteen in week one, and their prized pitching prospect unexpectedly got the week off for unknown reasons. That doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty of action between them in their team's six games, so read on to find out what happened with each player on the week.(links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – Did not pitch. Although Gonsalves was listed as the probable starter leading up to Wednesday’s game against Scottsdale, he did not pitch in the game, nor make any appearances during the week due to a mild strain in his back. Hopefully he’s back in action this week! Nick Gordon – 3 games, 2-11, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K’s. Gordon wasn’t nearly as hot in week two as he was in week one, but his first extra-base hit of the AFL season was a big one. It came in Monday’s 3-1 win over Salt River in the third inning. With two outs and runners on first and third, he ripped a double to center field to score them both and put his team ahead 2-0. It was one of just six hits on the day for the Saguaros, and Gordon also drew a walk in the game. Back to hitting third in the lineup on Wednesday, Gordon was 0-3 but hit a couple of balls hard right at defenders. One of those turned into a double play as the runner at first was doubled off by the second baseman. Gordon drew a walk in the fifth inning that helped load the bases with nobody out, but they scored just one and he was left stranded at third. In Thursday’s 6-4 loss to Peoria, Gordon batted second and was 1-5 on the day. His hit came in the third inning when he got an infield single on a grounder into the hole at shortstop. Unfortunately he was then picked off on a steal attempt, and went down swinging in his final two plate appearances. Mitch Garver – 3 games, 1-13, RBI, 3 K’s. Garver also had a week far less productive than his first, as he collected just one hit in his three games out of the cleanup spot in the lineup. Like week one, he caught two games and was the designated hitter in the other. On Tuesday he picked up his lone RBI on the week in the first inning, and it would be his team’s only run on the game. His fielder’s choice ground ball to third brought in Yoan Moncado and gave them the early lead, but they got nothing else from there. He also reached base in the sixth due to an error, but ended up stranded on third. He also threw out the only runner who attempted to steal on him. In Thursday’s loss Garver was 0-5 with a couple of strikeouts in the loss, but again threw out a runner at second base from behind the plate. As the designated hitter on Friday, Garver finally picked up a hit for the week and it came in the third inning after Surprise had scored a run. His single was their third consecutive hit on the inning, and they loaded the bases with two outs but pushed across no more. He finished his day with a pair of groundouts in the fifth and seventh. Tanner English – 4 games, 1-13, 1 R, 3 BB, 8 K’s. Monday’s game was one English surely would have liked to forget as soon as possible. Batting sixth, he was 0-3 on the day with three strikeouts. Tuesday’s game was better, as he picked up a single to lead off the seventh inning, but would be left at second base and this was his only hit on the week. He struck out twice in this one. After a day off he batted leadoff on Thursday, but was 0-4 with another pair of strikeouts. These two came in his last two plate appearances, but at that point his entire team wasn’t faring much better. Over the final four innings that included those two K’s, he and his teammates went a combined 0-12 with seven strikeouts. He finished his week with his best game on Saturday, where he drew three walks and scored a run in the Saguaros win over Glendale. He led off the game for Surprise with a walk, and moved to third on an errant pickoff attempt before being thrown out at home on a fly ball to center field. His walk in the third inning was part of their five run burst, and he came around to score on a bases-clearing double. His walk in the fourth loaded the bases again, but he would end up only reaching third. Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H’s, 1 BB, 1 K, 2.25 ERA (overall). Melotakis pitched in two games on the week, getting the sixth inning in both of his squads two losses to the Salt River Rafters. On Tuesday, he had a quick one-two-three inning, throwing eleven pitches and inducing a flyout, groundout, and pop out. At the time the game was tied at one. On Friday, Melotakis ran into his first trouble of the AFL season and it came after he retired the first two hitters of the inning, including a strikeout. A single and a walk put a runner in scoring position, and the next hit a single that brought him home for a 3-2 Rafters lead. He got the third out of the inning on a ground ball back to himself to limit the damage, but his run allowed held up as the game winner and Melotakis was saddled with the loss. Randy Rosario – 2 games 3.0 IP, 2 ER’s, 5 H’s, 0 BB’s, 2 K’s. Rosario pitched two important innings in the Saguaros 2-1 victor over Scottsdale on the 19th, holding them scoreless in the sixth and seventh. He allowed two hits and no runs, while striking out two to keep the game 2-1 going into the late innings. On Saturday he wasn’t as lucky, but was thrown into a bad situation by Trey Ball, who had started the inning but walked all five men he faced before Rosario was summoned. He got a sac fly out, and allowed an RBI single before he was tagged for a three-run home run. He got the final two outs around a single to finish off the seven-run inning for Glendale, but luckily for his team that outburst only left the game tied. Surprise scored two in the bottom of the seventh and would hold on to win 10-8. John Curtiss – 2 games started, 2.2 IP, 0 R’s, 3 H’s, 0BB’s, 2 K’s. In Wednesday’s win, Curtiss pitched the eighth inning with his team up 2-1. It didn’t start out that well as he gave up a leadoff double, but he retired the next three hitters to preserve the lead. Of his twelve pitches, ten of them went for strikes. In Saturday’s 10-8 win, Curtiss came on in the middle of the fourth inning to relieve starter Josh Staumont, who got a little wild to start the frame. With runners on first and second and one out, Curtiss allowed one inherited runner to score on a single, but got a fly out and strikeout to end the inning with his team up 6-1. He came back out for the fifth and pitched a scoreless inning, allowing just a single and picking up another strikeout. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week! Click here to view the article

Twins prospects in the Arizona Fall League are playing for the Surprise Saguaros this season, and they started off in week one with two wins, two losses…and an extra-innings tie. Both victories were of the blowout variety, and they also experienced a blowout loss among those games. Two of the Twins position prospects had big weeks with their bats, and sit near the top of AFL leaderboards in several categories after five games. Stephen Gonsalves passed his first test with flying colors, while members pitching out of the bullpen had levels of success spanning from good to not so good.Read on to check out how all the Twins prospects fared in the first week of the 2016 Arizona Fall League season! (links provided to each player’s overall stats by clicking their name) Stephen Gonsalves – 1 Start, 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H’s, HR, 0 BB’s, 1 K. Gonsalves made the start in Thursday’s 5-4 loss, but Surprise was up 3-1 when he left after three innings. He was efficient, throwing just thirty-four pitches, with twenty-four going for strikes. In the first inning he struck out the first hitter he faced, and then got a fly out and grounder around a single for clean inning. In the second, he again faced just four hitters, but the third hitter of the inning took him deep for a home run, and his only run allowed. In the third inning, it was again four batters Gonsalves faced, but his aggressiveness in the strike zone kept hitters behind in the count. In his eleven pitches in the frame, just two went for balls. In his next start, look for Gonsalves to go a little deeper in the game, provided he has the same type of success, but his first AFL appearance was definitely a strong one coming off his spectacular 2016 season. Nick Gordon – 3 games, 7-13, 4 R’s, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K’s, 2 SB’s. Gordon came out hot, going 3-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, walk, and stolen base in the AFL season opener that Surprise won 11-2 over Mesa. He scored on a Mitch Garver groundout after his single in a three-run third inning, and again after another single in the four-run seventh. In the top of the eighth Gordon picked up his RBI, driving in Yoan Moncada who had led off the frame with a double. After a day off on Wednesday he stayed hot against Glendale on Thursday, collecting another three hits in five at-bats with a run scored, RBI, and his second stolen base in a 5-4 loss, but was a catalyst to some early scoring. Batting second to open the game, Gordon got the Surprise scoring started with a single for the team’s first hit and later scored their first run from second on a single. In the second inning, his two-out-RBI single gave them a 3-0 lead, but it wouldn’t last. He picked up another two-out single in the seventh, but was left stranded and Glendale tied it at three in the bottom half. In the top of the ninth, Gordon reached base on an error, then stole second to put insurance runners at second and third with nobody out, but both runners were left stranded and Surprise was unable to close the door in the ninth. He finished his week with a 1-4 effort in Saturday's 8-1 win against Scottsdale. He also scored a run and drew a walk so he has reached base multiple times in each game played so far. It did take until the sixth inning for Gordon to reach base with a single, but he and a mate would come around to score thanks to another one of his organizational teammates. After week one, Gordon sits near the top of the AFL leaderboard in average (.538, 3rd), on-base percentage (.600, 4th), and hits (7, 2nd). Not a bad first week out of the two-hole in the Saguaros lineup. Mitch Garver – 3 games, 4-9, 3 R’s, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 5 BB’s, 2 K’s. Garver made the start at catcher in two games during the week and DH in another while having an impressive week from the cleanup spot in the lineup. In the season opening win on Tuesday, Garver was 1-2 with a run scored, but also walked three times. His single in the third inning drove in Gordon, and it was all walks after that. On defense Garver had an error on a throw and allowed three stolen bases, but also got in the boxscore for a caught stealing at third when the runner with two of those steals got greedy. He was the DH in Friday’s 10-4 loss, and reached base only via a walk in an 0-3 effort with two strikeouts, but would make up for it on Saturday. Behind the dish again, Garver led the Surprise offense with a 3-4 night including two runs scored and three RBIs in the 8-1 win. He doubled in the bottom of the first to put runners on first and second, and they both scored when the next hitter ripped a single to right field. He added a walk in the third inning, and his big hit came in the fifth as a solo home run to make the score 4-0. With the bases loaded in the sixth, Garver delivered a two-run single to make it 7-0, but was thrown out at home later in the inning. Garver sits near the top of AFL leaderboards in on-base percentage (.643, 1st), slugging (.889, 3rd), and OPS (1.532, 4th) after a week of play. Tanner English – 3 games, 3-12, 2B, RBI, BB, 4 K’s. English played CF in all three of his appearances on the week, batting ninth, sixth, and leadoff in each of his appearances, respectively. He didn’t start out immediately hot like Gordon, but finished with two solid games to end his first week. In the opener, English was 0-4 with two strikeouts, but contributed in a big way with his defense with a diving catch that caught the eye of those in attendance. In Thursday’s loss, English picked up a single in the eighth inning for his first hit, and finished his day 1-4. Batting leadoff on Friday, English was one of three Surprise hitters with multiple hits on the day. He led off the game with a ground-rule double, but was left stranded on third when the next three hitters went down easily, including Garver on a K, to end the inning. He drew a walk in the fifth but was stranded again, before singling in the ninth to drive in a run and make the final just a little closer in the loss. Mason Melotakis – 2 games, 2.0 IP, 0 R’s, 2 H’s, 0 BB’s, 3 K’s, 0.00 ERA. Left-handed reliever Melotakis made two appearances on the week, pitching the sixth inning in the season opener, and the seventh in Friday’s loss to Mesa. On Tuesday, Melotakis got the first two hitters he faced out on groundouts before allowing a single to Bradley Zimmer, the top prospect in Cleveland’s system and one of the best in Arizona, before picking up a strikeout to end the inning and pick up a hold. He again got a groundout to start the seventh on Friday before allowing a single, but struck out the next two hitters in another scoreless frame and will look to continue that K-rate and the control he’s displayed so far (21 of 26 pitches for strikes) moving forward. Randy Rosario – 2 games1.2 IP, 2 ER’s, 4 H’s, 2 BB’s, 2 K’s. Like Melotakis, Rosario saw action in two games on the week, both coming out of the bullpen. In Wednesday’s 7-7 tie, Rosario was partially to blame for the game ending up as such after eleven innings. He came into the game to start the sixth inning with the score 4-3 in favor of Surprise but two walks, two singles, and a run allowed later, he was replaced by John Curtiss with the score tied 4-4. He did strike out the last hitter he faced before being lifted, but an inherited runner also later scored. In Saturday’s 8-1 win, Rosario pitched the seventh inning and though it wasn’t clean, came through with a scoreless frame. He allowed two singles but picked up a strikeout and got some help on a play at the plate with a runner trying to take advantage of an error to end the inning. Rosario will have to look to keep his pitch counts down this week, as he threw thirty-three (18 for strikes) and sixteen (9 for strikes) in his 1.2 innings on the week. John Curtiss – 2 games started, 2.0 IP, 3 ER’s, 6 H’s, 2 BB’s, 4 K’s. Like his fellow bullpen mates, Curtiss also made two appearances on the week. On Wednesday, he came in for Rosario with two outs in the sixth, and allowed one of his inherited runners to score on a wild pitch, and give the Javelina’s a 5-4 lead. In the seventh, it was three singles to load the bases and two walks that led to his two runs allowed on the game. He recorded two outs, one via strikeout, before he was removed. On Saturday he got the sixth inning, and again had some trouble keeping runners off the bases. He struck out the first hitter, but was tagged for a solo home run by the next. A ground ball out was followed by two singles before he struck out another to end the frame and his appearance. The four K’s in two innings pitched look nice in his line for the first week, but Curtiss would be the first to tell you it’s the hits and runs allowed that he’d like to improve. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss the performances during the week! Click here to view the article

Today, I’m sharing Part 2 of my prospect countdown, prospects 31-40. In Part 1, welooked at my choices for prospects 41-50. This is an interesting group of prospects as well. There are a couple of starting pitchers who have produced numbers as they’ve moved up the ladder without being credited with great stuff. There are a couple of starting pitchers and relievers who have electric stuff and have either struggled some or been injured. There is a hitter who really struggled in 2016 and ended the season injured. It is another group where there are some future big leaguers. In fact, there is a current big leaguer on the list too.Players eligible to be on this list include players who remain eligible for Rookie of the Year voting in 2017. That is to say, hitters with less than 130 at-bats and pitchers with less than 50 innings. (The list is preliminary. Following research for the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2017 - which Cody Christie, Jeremy Nygaard and I are working on - I’ll provide my final Top 30 prospects list.) Top Prospects 31-40 #40 – Cody Stashak - 22 – RHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle Stashak was the Twins 13th-round pick in 2015 out of St. Johns (NY). He went 5-2 in ten starts in Elizabethton. He began the 2016 season at extended spring but was quickly promoted to Cedar Rapids. There, he went 8-5 with a 3.16 ERA in 18 games (17 starts). Late in the season, he was promoted to Ft. Myers where he 2-0 with a 0.54 ERA in 16.2 innings for the Miracle. Stashak fits into the mold of Twins starter in the last decade. He’s not real tall and he’s thin. He throws 90-92 and has good command of a three-pitch mix. #39 – Eduardo Del Rosario - 21 – RHP – Cedar Rapids Kernels The Twins signed the very skinny Del Rosario in 2012 out of the Dominican Republic. He spent a year in the DSL. He pitched out of the GCL bullpen in 2014. He returned to the GCL in 2015 to start, nearly doubling his innings count. He ended the season with one start in Elizabethton. He began 2016 in extended spring but he was promoted to the Kernels in early June. In his first six Kernels starts he went 0-2 with a 6.25 ERA and opponents hit .314 (.882) off of him. Then he figured something out. Over his final 10 starts, he went 6-0 with a 2.09 ERA. In 51.2 innings in those starts, he walked 20, but he struck out 64. He is 6-0 all and 170 pounds. He throws a good fastball and is mixing in some improving secondary pitches as well. #38 – Jordan Balazovic - 18 – RHP - GCL Twins Balazovic was committed to Auburn, but the Twins' fifth-round pick is out of high school in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. He was one of the last 2016 picks to sign, and when he did, he reported to Ft. Myers to play in the GCL. While the organization was obviously, wisely, very cautious with him in his debut, Balazovic pitched quite well. In 32 innings over eight games (six starts), he went 2-1 with a 1.97 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. He struck out just 16 batters but the youngster (just turned 18 after the season) worked on just throwing strikes with an upper-80s fastball (touching 90-91). His breaking pitches have a way to go also. But size (6-4) and mechanics indicate that he has a ton of potential. #37 – Jaylin Davis - 22 – OF – Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels Davis was the Twins 24th-round draft pick in 2015 out of Appalachian State. He fell in the draft because he was injured and, in fact, didn’t play in the Twins rookie leagues at all last year. He began this season in extended spring training and actually ended up starting his playing season in Elizabethton. He spent just 12 games there and hit seven home runs before moving up to Cedar Rapids for the remainder of the season. With the Kernels, he hit .250/.339/.469 (.808) with 13 doubles, a triple and nine home runs. At 6-1 and nearly 200 pounds, Davis’s best tool is clearly his power. He has the potential to strike out a lot, walk a bit, display some speed and hit a lot of home runs. #36 – Edgar Corcino - 24 – OF – Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts Corcino was originally the 26th-round pick of the Detroit Tigers in 2009. He remained in that organization through the 2012 season. He spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons playing independent league ball. The Twins signed the Puerto Rican before the 2015 season. After spending some time in EST, he spent the final three months of the season in Cedar Rapids where he displayed tremendous defense all around the outfield. He began 2016 in Ft. Myers. In 74 games, he hit .266 (.760) with 24 extra base hits. He was promoted to Chattanooga and played in 50 games. He hit .280 (.754) with 15 extra base hits. He’s got good speed and makes a ton of web gems. #35 – Aaron Slegers - 24 – RHP – Chattanooga Lookouts Slegers was the Big 10 Pitcher of the Year in 2013, his junior season at Indiana. Following the college season, he was the Twins fifth-round pick. He has consistently moved up one level each year. In 2016, he spent the full season in Chattanooga. He went 10-7 with a 3.41 ERA. In 145.1 innings, he walked 46 and struck out 104 (6.4 per nine). From mid-May until just after July 4th, he posted nine straight quality starts. Unfortunately, he then went on the disabled list and missed about three weeks. He did end the season strong. At 6-10, we all are aware that he doesn’t throw real hard, topping out at about 91-92. But he knows out to pitch and has improved each year. #34 – Pat Light - 25 – RHP – Pawtucket Paw Sox/Boston Red Sox/Rochester Red Wings/Minnesota Twins The Twins finally got the guy they drafted seven years earlier. Late in the 2009 draft, the Twins selected Light out of high school. He wisely chose to go to college and three years later, he was a supplemental first-round pick of the Red Sox. He worked his way up the ladder there, first as a starter, but more quickly as a reliever. Blessed with a fastball that can reach into triple-digits at times, he came to the Twins at the July trade deadline in exchange for Fernando Abad, who has an ERA over six since joining the Red Sox. In Rochester, he was still hitting 100 mph with regularity, but with the Twins, he’s been sitting 93-96. Could just be tiring at the end of a season, but his struggles and the velocity drop have me a little nervous. He struggles with command and control, but he does have the ability to miss bats, so it would be silly to give up on him at this point. #33 – Mason Melotakis - 25 – LHP – Chattanooga Lookouts Melotakis was the Twins’ second-round pick in 2012 out of Northwestern State University of Louisiana. The hard-throwing left-hander spent about a year given the opportunity to start, but he was moved back to the bullpen (which is where he performed in college). Unfortunately, he had Tommy John surgery and missed the 2015 season. He came back for Instructs and was throwing in the upper 90s. Wisely, the Twins were patient and cautious with “Melo” during the 2016 season. He struggled early, and then spent seven days on the DL. When he returned, he pitched much better. He spent one more stint on the disabled list later in the season, but they were able to get him through the season healthy. And he pitched fairly well for the most part. In 33.1 innings (over 36 games), he posted a 2.97 ERA, walked 12 and struck out 42. He is now essentially where JT Chargois was a year ago at this time. Look for Melotakis to start next season in Chattanooga with the opportunity to quickly get up to Rochester before getting an opportunity with the Twins. #32 – Jermaine Palacios - 20 – SS – Cedar Rapids Kernels Palacios came into the 2016 season as one of the most interesting, intriguing prospects in the Twins minor league system. He came to the States in 2015 and put on an offensive display in the rookie leagues. In the GCL, he hit .421 in 26 games before moving up to Elizabethton where he hit .336 in 31 games. At 19, he moved up to Cedar Rapids in 2016 and to call it a struggle might be putting it kindly. Palacios got off to a slow start in the cold weather and saw his batting average hover around the Mendoza line. He ended at .222/.276/.287 (.564) thanks to his final ten games of his season when he hit .349. Unfortunately, his season came to an end when he was hit in the wrist by a pitch on July 16. His defense is still suspect, though he has the ability to improve. I wouldn’t give up on him. I suspect he’ll return to Cedar Rapids in 2017, still just 20. He has a chance to move back up this list quickly due to the lumps he took in 2016. #31 – Randy Rosario - 22 – LHP – Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts The Twins signed Rosario out of the Dominican Republic as a 16-year-old in 2010. He has gradually moved up the ladder. As he continued to grow, his velocity continued to rise. Unfortunately, early in 2014, Rosario hurt his elbow and had Tommy John surgery early in the 2014 season. He returned to the Kernels midway through the 2015 season, and he was throwing hard, touching 97 at times. He was added to the 40-man roster following the 2015 season and went to spring training with the big league club in 2016. He started the season in the vaunted Ft. Myers rotation and had some ups and downs, but in 21 games (16 starts), he went 6-6 with a 3.34 ERA. In 94.1 innings, he walked 34 and struck out 68. He ended the season with four relief appearances in Chattanooga. In his first outing, he gave up two hits and walked two before leaving the game without recording an out. He threw two shutout innings in each of his next two appearances for the Lookouts before another tough one in his fourth and final outing. Rosario has electric stuff so I believe he has a chance to make a big jump forward in 2017. He’ll head to the Arizona Fall League next month for an opportunity to keep working on things. So what do you think of Part 2, Prospects 31-40? Next up will be prospects 26-30. Click here to view the article

On Wednesday afternoon, MLB announced the rosters for the 2016 Arizona Fall League. Six players in the Twins organization will join Chattanooga pitching coach Ivan Arteaga as members of the Surprise Saguaros.The Twins are sending three position players and three pitchers to the Fall League this year. Maybe the biggest surprise is that catcher Mitch Garver will be returning to Arizona. The Albuquerque, NM, resident caught there last year along with teammate Stuart Turner. Garver moved up to AA Chattanooga to start this season and has now done well since being promoted to Rochester last month. This does not necessarily mean that Garver will not be a September call-up following the Red Wings final game on September 5th as the Fall League doesn't start until October. (the ability to trade Kurt Suzuki is a much bigger factor). Garver was the Twins ninth-round pick in 2013 out of the University of New Mexico. Shortstop Nick Gordon will get another 70-80 plate appearances this fall after a successful season in the Florida State League. The Twins top pick from the 2014 draft has struggled some in August, though he had a five-hit game on Monday night. He is one of the Twins top position player prospects. It was an injury-plagued 2016 for outfielder Tanner English. The terrific defensive centerfielder started the season with the Miracle. He had Lasik eye surgery and on his final day of rehabbing before he would return to the Miracle, he injured his ankle in an extended spring training game. He finally returned to the Miracle lineup earlier this month and will now make up some lost at-bats. English was the Twins 11th- round pick in 2014 out of the University of South Carolina. Lefty Mason Melotakis returned this season from Tommy John surgery. The Twins and Lookouts were cautious in his recovery and he has pitched just 32.1 innings this year. He's spent a couple of DL stints as well. This will give him an opportunity against good competition and should prepare him to compete for a Twins bullpen spot sometime in 2017. He was the Twins second-round pick in 2012 out of Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Right-hander John Curtiss began 2016 in Cedar Rapids, but after being named our Relief Pitcher of the Month in April, he moved up to Ft. Myers where he has been a solid contributor. He was the Twins sixth-round pick in 2014 out of the University of Texas where he was a closer for the College World Series bound team. Like Melotakis, Randy Rosario is a left-hander who was returning from Tommy John surgery. He pitched half of the 2015 season in Cedar Rapids before being added to the 40-man roster. He started this season in the vaunted Ft. Myers rotation. In the last two or three weeks, he has moved up to the bullpen in Chatanooga. The 22-year-old signed with the Twins in 2010 out of the Dominican Republic. Click here to view the article

With the major league season already off and running, minor league action will follow suit in a matter of days. Many of the full season rosters are set and the focus can turn to making improvements and getting closer to reaching each player's ultimate goal of making the big leagues. Every season, there are players who rise above the crowd to have breakout campaigns. Two seasons ago, Jose Berrios burst onto the scene on his way to be the first player in Twins history to win back-to-back minor league pitcher of the year awards. Which pitchers should fans keep an eye on this season? Here are a few names to consider.Felix Jorge- SP 2015 Stats (Low-A): 2.79 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 114 SO, 32 BB, 142.0 IP I've been one of the few members on the Felix Jorge fan club over the last couple years. He struggled in 2014 with his first taste of the Midwest League but he bounced back in 2015 with some very solid numbers. Most of his innings this years should be in the Florida State League which is a league that tends to favor pitchers. If he can continue to make strides with his secondary pitches, 2016 could see him become one of the Twins top 10 prospects heading into next season. Mason Melotakis- RP 2015 Stats (N/A): Did Not Play Melotakis missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Minnesota still felt highly enough about him to add him to their 40-man roster during the offseason. He will be monitored closely this year as he returns to the mound. His path to the big leagues will be as a relief pitcher even though he's done some starting in the past. With a fastball in the mid-90's and a curveball to keep batters on their toes, Melotakis could make it all the way to Minnesota this season if everything breaks right. Yorman Landa- RP 2015 Stats (Rookie, Low-A): 2.50 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 40 SO, 16 BB, 36.0 IP Like Melotakis, Landa was added to the team's 40-man roster during the winter. The flame-throwing relief pitcher can reach the high 90's with his fastball but he will need to work on his other pitches as he moves up the ladder. If his control improves, his fastball should help him to continue to overpower batters. Since he is on the 40-man roster, there's a chance he could get a September call-up but the most likely scenario has him reaching Double-A by season's end. Fernando Romero- SP 2015 Stats (N/A): Did Not Play Romero was on the fast-track before elbow issues led to Tommy John surgery. He made only three appearances in 2014 so he's really coming back after two years away from competitive appearances. His fastball can hit the upper-90's and both of his breaking pitches have a chance to be above average. He will likely return to Cedar Rapids at some point this season and he has the chance to be one of the Twins top pitching prospects if he comes back strong. Randy Rosario- SP 2015 Stats (Rookie/Low-A): 3.06 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 54 SO, 20 BB, 61.2 IP After missing most of 2014 due to Tommy John surgery, Rosario was back on the mound in 2015. Even though he missed a season, he was still almost a year younger than the competition in Cedar Rapids. The southpaw can reach the high 90s with his fastball and he will continue to refine his secondary pitches. The majority of his innings will come with Fort Myers but he has a chance to reach the upper levels of the minor leagues this season. Click here to view the article

FT. MYERS, Fla - Following Sunday’s game at Hammond Stadium, the Twins announced that five players had been reassigned to minor league camp. On Monday morning, Paul Molitor and Terry Ryan informed seven more players that their time in big league camp this year was complete. The Twins optioned outfielder Adam Brett Walker, LHP Pat Dean, and LHP Mike Strong to Rochester. LHP Mason Melotakis and RHP JT Chargois were optioned to Chattanooga. RHP Yorman Landa and LHP Randy Rosario were optioned to Ft. Myers.Those seven players optioned from the 40-man roster on Monday are part of the first round of cuts which included SS Engelb Vielma, C Alex Swim, RHP Jake Reed, IF/OF Reynaldo Rodriguez, and IF Heiker Meneses. Combined, that is a lot of players, and yet there really weren’t any surprises. This is the point, three weeks from Opening Day, when it is important to have a more manageable roster. Simply, hitters that will (or could) make the team need more plate appearances, starters work longer, and relief pitchers need more consistent work.These players were all long shots to make the Opening Day roster, and now they will head to the minor league complex and start preparing with their team for the 2016 season. It is normal that players on the 40-man roster with little shot of making the big league roster are sent down fairly early in camp. Along with prepping with their teammates and getting at-bats, if a 40-man roster player has a major injury at big league camp, he gets a big league salary for time on the disabled list. The experience working with the big league coaching staff and veteran players is still very valuable for them. Randy Rosario has the world of potential in his left arm, but he finished last year in Cedar Rapids. 2016 will be his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. Yorman Landa is in a similar boat. After missing time in the 2014 season, Landa returned to Cedar Rapids midseason and was terrific. He, like Rosario, will likely begin the season in Ft. Myers with the Miracle JT Chargois showed his upper-90s fastball and three pitch mix. He could head to Chattanooga or Rochester. If he can harness his control, he has a chance to be special. Mason Melotakis has electric stuff, but just coming back from Tommy John surgery and not pitching at all in 2015, he will need to get some innings under his belt to continue shaking off rust as well as continue to develop. Pat Dean will return to Rochester where he will start. He had a bit of a breakout season in Rochester last year and hopes to build off of it. He credited his numbers to improving his curve ball and slider. Minnesota native Mike Strong will work in the bullpen, either at Rochester or Chattanooga. He was added to the 40-man roster in late January. The final player from the 40 man roster to be sent down is outfielder Adam Brett Walker who has had limited at-bats. There are still a lot of outfielders in Twins camp and some big decisions to make. Walker needs to start accumulating some plate appearances to work on the things he has learned in his time in camp. As you can see from that group there is a lot of potential but none of them have played very much this spring so they need to get some playing time at minor league camp before the season. The Twins now have 52 players remaining in camp (19 non-roster). There are 24 pitchers (8 non-roster), 7 catchers (4 non-roster), 11 infielders (3 non-roster) and 10 outfielders (4 non-roster). Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles are about to begin a spring training game at Hammond Stadium. It is 82 degrees and sunny. I talked to a few players in the clubhouse this morning before heading over to the minor league facilities for a couple of hours. After taking about 180 photos yesterday (see our Twitterand Facebookpages), I took about 205 more this morning.Here are some notes from the day: Chatted with infielder Austrailian James Beresford who has played around the infield this spring. I asked him if he was going to start using that first basemen's mitt around the infield. He laughed. We spent some time talking about playing in the WBC-Qualifier last month. He said it was really important for his country's baseball. There was a lot of anxiety when South Africa took a 4-3 lead in the 6th inning of the final in that series, but Australia came back to win and get a spot in next spring's WBC. Beresford smiled when talking about playing in the national team tournaments as far back as 2009 when he was just 19 or 20. He was the young guy and players like Trent Oeltjen were the "old" guys on the team. He said Oeltjen being part of that team was really great for the team but he now feels like he is the old guy on that roster. After an excessively long 30+ hours of travel to get to Ft. Myers, it took him a little time to adjust. Also, he is now the "old guy" among Australians, and he thinks it's an important role. He talked about taking guys like Logan Wade, Lewis Thorpe and Lachlan Wells out to eat and just talking with them. I also spent a couple of minutes with Joe Benson. As you know, he lives in Chicago, but he has spent most of his time since January in Ft. Myers, often working out at the Twins' facilities. He said it is very familiar being with the organization. A Bears season ticket holder, he said last year was a difficult season for him. I talked to Randy Rosario for a little while too. I thanked him for doing a Q&A for Twins Daily during the offseason. In it, he mentioned that he would often hear from people who had seen him pitch that he reminded them of Francisco LIriano. He said, "I signed with the Twins when I was 16 years old from the Dominican. Fred Guerrero signed me. He said, 'Do you know why I signed you? You look like (Francisco) Liriano at that age." Obviously that is a pretty high standard, but at the same time, Liriano is thin, left-handed, throws real hard and has a sharp slider. The comparison is apt. Let's hope he has a similar career. It was good chatting with righty Alex Meyer before the game as well. With his wedding in November and some other things going on, he did not teach again this offseason. He said he has been taking some online classes the last year or so and will continue to do so. He does hope to do more teaching in future offseasons. Mason Melotakis said he's really enjoyed working in big league camp, working with the veterans and learning from them. He talked a bit about LaTroy Hawkins and said he listened to everything that came from him. When I asked him which veterans he had learned from the most, I was expecting to hear the name of a pitcher. He said that Joe Mauer was the guy he had learned most from, just the way he went about his business. It's also fun to ask him about his parents. At Twins Fest, it looked like his mom and dad were really enjoying the moment. On Twins Fest Friday, they took pictures with Torii Hunter and truly enjoyed every minute. So, I asked Melotakis if his parents had been in Ft. Myers at all. He said they are here now and enjoying every moment. Proud parents. It was assumed that the Twins would be making their first round of cuts on Sunday. The last two years, they have made those moves and informed the players right away in the morning. So, as I got to the ballpark early and was making my way into the clubhouse, Engelb Vielma and Jose Berrios walked by, heading to the minor league complex. As always, Berrios smiled and said, "Good morning, Seth." I responded in kind. I took about three more steps, turned and watched them walk away with my head tilted. Had Berrios been sent down with the first round of cuts? It wasn't long before I found out that the two were heading over to the minor league complex where they were handing out their awards for the 2015 season. The Arizona Fall League championship players were given their rings. Here are the other awards handed out: Jose Berrios - Pitcher of the Year Max Kepler - Hitter of the Year Awards for Defense: Pitcher - Felix Jorge Catcher - Brian Navarreto Infielder - Engelb Vielma Outfielder - Tanner English English also got an award for leading the system in stolen bases. After their normal workout this morning (9:30-11:45), the Twins minor leaguers are playing their first intrasquad games of the season today. They will do the same tomorrow (Monday). On Tuesday, the Twins will start their spring training schedule. What will typically happen is that the AAA and AA teams will travel to play a game against the Orioles' (as an example) AAA and AA teams, while the High-A and Low-A teams will stay in Ft. Myers and play the Orioles' High-A and Low-A teams. Minor Leaguers are currently split into four work groups. As players come down from big league camp, those rosters will change such that they're continuing to work with players they will presumably be teammates with for much of the year. Like I said earlier, I took a lot of pictures and later in the day I'll get those posted to the Twins Daily Twitter accountand/or the Twins Daily Facebookpage. Click here to view the article