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The minor league seasons came to an end last week, and even though Cedar Rapids and Chattanooga are still playing in the playoffs, it is time to start handing out some awards. All week, we will be handing out some (proverbial) awards. Yesterday, it was Max Kepler taking home the Hitter of the Year prize. The Twins Minor League Report authors each voted for the five awards being handed out. Today, we’ll take a look at the top starting pitchers in the Twins minor league system in 2015. We each voted for our top six performers.Short profiles of our top six are to follow, but first, some players worthy of Honorable Mention. Honorable Mention: Chih-Wei Hu, Fort Myers Miracle/Rochester Red Wings: 16 GS, 6-3, 2.38 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 90.2 IP, 81 H’s, 23 BB’s, 79 K’s.Sam Gibbons, Cedar Rapids Kernels: 15 GS, 7-4, 2.89 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 90.1 IP, 84 H’s, 23 BB’s, 68 K’s.Aaron Slegers, Fort Myers Miracle, Chattanooga Lookouts: 25 GS, 9-10, 3.35 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 156.0 IP, 143 H’s, 33 BB’s, 104 K’s.Ryan Eades, Fort Myers Miracle: 20 GS, 6-3, 3.11 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 118.2 IP, 109 H’s, 38 BB’s, 80 K’s.Pitcher of the Year Here are the top six vote-getters for Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. #6 – Pat Dean, Rochester Red Wings: 27 GS, 12-11, 2.82 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 179.0 IP, 170 H’s, 36 BB’s, 98 K’s. The left-hander drafted out of Boston College in the third round of the 2010 draft, was as steady as you could possibly be for the Rochester Red Wings in 2015. He did not miss a single turn in Rochester’s rotation and led all of the minor leagues in innings pitched on the year. His accomplishments also included leading all Twins farmhands with five complete games, including three of the shutout variety. He also did not wear down with the high workload that comes from leading the minors in innings pitched, as four of those complete games came in his last eight starts of the season. He failed to complete at least five innings in just two starts the entire season, and one of those included a game which was delayed by rain that he could not continue once play resumed. Of his twenty-seven starts, thirteen were of the quality start variety, and he went seven or more innings eleven times. It is quite an accomplishment to rack up twenty-three decisions in twenty-seven starts, and speaks to the consistency Dean displayed throughout the year. Dean appeared in April and August’s Starting Pitcher of the Month reports, and was honorable mention two other times. #5 – Felix Jorge, Cedar Rapids Kernels: 23 G/22 GS, 6-7, 2.79 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 142.0 IP, 118 H’s, 32 BB’s, 114 K’s. Jorge spent the entire season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels and racked up quite the workload for a twenty-one-year-old starter in his first full year of exposure to a full-season league. In 2014, he spent some of his time with the Kernels, but needed to make some adjustments and was sent to the Appalachian League when their season started. It helped, as 2015 was a mammoth step forward for the right-hander. He ranked top ten in the Midwest League in ERA (7th), innings pitched (10th), and WHIP (3rd), and just outside the top ten in strikeouts (12th). He improved in all aspects of his game in the MWL as compared to 2014, and did not fail to finish at least five innings in any of his twenty-two starts on the year. In fact, he failed to go six innings in just two starts, and notched twenty quality starts in those twenty-two games. In his first game of the year, he struck out a season-high ten batters, and followed that up with a nine K effort his next time out. Jorge is poised to start 2016 in Fort Myers, and with a similar performance, will look to reach Chattanooga as a 22 year old. Jorge appeared in the Starting Pitcher of the Month rankings twice (May, June), and received honorable mention two other times. #4 – Mat Batts, Cedar Rapids Kernels/Fort Myers Miracle: 24 GS, 11-6, 2.61 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 141.1 IP, 127 H’s, 28 BB’s, 129 K’s. Batts started his season in the Midwest League alongside Jorge, and laid waste to its hitters. The lefty posted a 2.21 ERA in seven starts, with forty-four K’s in 40.2 innings before being bumped up to the Florida State League. He continued his success there, posting a 2.77 ERA in seventeen starts and 100.2 more innings. He struck out eighty-five FSL hitters. His eleven wins on the season ranked fourth in the organization, behind only pitchers that make up this list, and also ranked third in strikeouts and fifth in ERA. Batts received honorable mention in three of the monthly awards rankings, and took home the Pitcher of the Month award in July, when he was 3-0 in five starts with a 1.15 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, .179 batting average against, and 30 K’s compared to just 7 BB’s in 31.1 total innings. #3 – Tyler Duffey, Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings: 22 GS, 7-8, 2.54 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 138.0 IP, 119 H’s, 30 BB’s, 122 K’s. Duffey has made quite an impression with Twins fans after his promotion to the major leagues and continues to do so in their push for the playoffs, but before that he was making quite an impression in Double- and Triple-A too. With the glut of pitching the Twins had to stash in AAA to start the season, Duffey found himself in Chattanooga to start the year despite making some appearances for the Red Wings in 2014. He didn’t stay there long. In eight starts, Duffey racked up 52.2 innings (6.5 innings/start) and struck out fifty-four hitters with a 2.56 ERA. In what would be his final start there, he struck out a season high twelve hitters to earn a promotion back to AAA. He made fourteen more starts with the Red Wings before he found himself in the majors pitching meaningful games with the Twins, which totaled 85.1 innings with a 5-6 record and 2.53 ERA. He struck out sixty-eight and walked just eighteen. With the Twins he has held his own after a rough introduction, and has struck out eight twice in six starts. Duffey reached as high as number two on the monthly award lists (June), and number five another time (July) with one honorable mention (May). #2 – Stephen Gonsalves, Cedar Rapids Kernels/Fort Myers Miracle: 24 GS, 13-3, 2.01 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 134.1 IP, 95 H’s, 53 BB’s, 132 K’s. Even moreso than Jorge or Batts, Gonsalves was otherworldy to start the year in Cedar Rapids. He made just nine starts there before it was determined he needed to be in the Florida State League. He needed to be there because he was 6-1 in this nine games, with a 1.15 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, just twenty-nine hits and fifteen walks in 55.0 innings, while racking up an astronomical seventy-seven strikeouts. He struck out double-digit hitters in four of those games, including his last two, and did not record fewer strikeouts than innings pitched in any of his starts while Midwest League batters hit just .154 against him. They couldn’t get him to the Florida State League fast enough. While the strikeout numbers didn’t persist for the projectable lefty in the FSL, his overall success did. In fifteen starts with the Miracle, Gonsalves went 7-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 79.1 more innings. On the year as a whole, Gonsalves did not allow more than three earned runs in any of his twenty-four starts, and surrendered just four home runs the entire season despite being a fly-ball heavy pitcher (0.72 GO/AO ratio). Gonsalves took home the monthly award for April, and was number two for the month of May (though he might as well have won it then too, since it went to Tommy Milone, haha), and appeared at number six again in the month of July. Starting Pitcher of the Year – Jose Berrios, Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings: 27 GS, 14-5, 2.87 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 166.1 IP, 136 H’s, 38 BB’s, 175 K’s. (picture of Berrios by Craig Gordon) As if you didn’t already know?! Jose Berrios came into the 2015 season with lofty expectations for himself. In spring training, he talked about how one of his goals was to break camp with the major league team. It didn’t matter to him that he was just twenty-years old and had made just one appearance above AA in 2014. He certainly didn’t perform himself out of the chance, as he appeared in two games with the major league squad that totaled six innings of 0.00 ERA pitching. But the Twins had a plan for him, and it included getting stretched out for a full minor league season to fully developing their prized young pitcher, who had made quite an impression. It’s hard to argue with the end results, even if you’re in the camp who believes he could be contributing in the majors for the Twins right now (I do! I do!). Berrios returned to the ranks of AA, where he had spent a good portion of his 2014 season with the New Britain Rock Cats of the Eastern League, but with the Twins new affiliate in the Southern League, and the stacked roster of the Chattanooga Lookouts. But he wasn’t about to be overlooked. His first start of the season came on April 10th, and he allowed one earned run in 6.1 innings to pick up his first win. He struck out eleven on just eighty-nine pitches. As the month turned to May, Berrios really started to find his footing in AA. He made six starts on the month, and went 4-1 with a 2.61 ERA. He totaled 41.1 innings, including a two-run, eight inning effort on May 8th that he followed up with a two-hit complete game shutout on May 13th. He made his final start in double-A on June 28th, going seven innings to improve his record to 8-3, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out six. In Rochester, Berrios experienced some early struggles, allowing five runs in each of his first two outings, but he learned quickly. His next start was a seven-inning gem where he allowed just two runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out nine. It was a springboard for the domination he would sustain over the season’s final two months. From that start on July 18th on, Berrios made ten more starts with the Red Wings. He completed seven innings in six of those games, six in three others, and only failed to complete that number in his last start as he was shut down for the year with a well-above his career high 166.1 innings pitched. In a two start stretch in August with General Manager Terry Ryan in attendance, Berrios allowed just one run on only eight hits and one walk, while striking out twenty-two in consecutive seven inning appearances. Ryan had to have his mind made up at that point, as you don’t see that type of dominance and come away unimpressed if auditioning for a major league call-up. It doesn’t get any better than that. As a fitting end to his phenomenal year, Berrios finished the 2015 season by leading all of the minor leagues in strikeouts with 175. Though it might come a year later than he originally had hoped, Berrios is poised to make a strong contribution in the majors in 2015, and who knows, it could be as soon as April (or March?!) 2016 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Obviously, there were some fantastic starting pitcher performances from Twins minor leaguers throughout the system in 2015. Congrats to all the players on a fantastic season that was loads of fun to follow like every year, and get ready for 2016! The Ballots In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers: Seth Stohs – 1) Jose Berrios, 2) Stephen Gonsalves, 3) Mat Batts, 4) Tyler Duffey, 5) Felix Jorge, 6) Pat DeanJeremy Nygaard – 1) Jose Berrios, 2) Stephen Gonsalves, 3) Tyler Duffey, 4) Felix Jorge, 5) Mat Batts, 6) Pat DeanCody Christie – 1) Jose Berrios, 2) Stephen Gonsalves, 3) Felix Jorge, 4) Mat Batts, 5) Aaron Slegers, 6) Tyler DuffeySteve Lein – 1) Jose Berrios, 2) Stephen Gonsalves, 3) Tyler Duffey, 4) Mat Batts, 5) Pat Dean, 6) Felix JorgeEric Pleiss – 1) Jose Berrios, 2) Tyler Duffey, 3) Stephen Gonsalves, 4) Mat Batts, 5) Felix Jorge, 6) Ryan EadesFeel free to discuss. How would your ballot look? 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On Tuesday, we named Jermaine Palacios the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month. Today, it is time for us to unveil the starting pitcher of the month of July and recognize others who performed well in the month. I don’t think I’ve ever had this many candidates for pitcher of the month. Consider this. I am going to place Rochester’s JO Berrios in the Honorable Mention, but he probably would rank 15th or 16th this month. Lots of great performances from starters, which is obviously a good thing.With that, let's start our list of the Top 6 Starting Pitchers for July. We had a chance to catch up with this month’s choice as well. We begin with the big lot of players deserving of honorable mention. Rochester RHP JO Berrios – 5 GS, 2-0, 3.52 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 31.1 IP, 26 H, 10 BB, 30 KRochester LHP Pat Dean – 6 GS, 2-2, 3.20 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 39.1 IP, 41 H, 10 BB, 23 KChattanooga LHP Jason Wheeler – 5 GS, 2-1, 2.84 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 31.2 IP, 32 H, 5 BB, 26 KCedar Rapids RHP Felix Jorge – 5 GS, 3-1, 2.78 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 32.1 IP, 29 H, 9 BB, 27 KCedar Rapids RHP Sam Gibbons – 4 GS, 2-0, 2.42 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 22.1 IP, 23 H, 7 BB, 15 KCedar Rapids LHP Randy Rosario – 5 GS, 1-2, 2.42 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 22.1 IP, 23 H, 7 BB, 16 KElizabethton Twins RHP Cody Stashak – 5 GS, 2-1, 2.42 ERA, 26.0 IP, 24 H, 4 BB, 27 KGCL Twins RHP Jose Martinez – 5 GS, 1-2, 2.57 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 21.0 IP, 16 H, 7 BB, 11 KGCL Twins LHP Lachlan Wells – 5 GS, 2-1, 2.31 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 23.1 IP, 19 H, 6 BB, 22 KGCL Twins RHP Eduardo del Rosario – 5 GS, 2-0, 1.57 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 23.0 IP, 15 H, 5 BB, 28 KTOP 6 STARTING PITCHERS IN JULY Number 6 – Ft. Myers Miracle – LHP Stephen Gonsalves - 5 GS, 3-1, 0.96 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 28.0 IP, 21 H, 13 BB, 21 K Seriously, Gonsalves had a 0.96 ERA over 28 innings in the month and isn’t higher than sixth this month. Gonsalves was the Twins fourth-round pick in 2013 out of high school in San Diego. He began the season by making nine starts with Cedar Rapids. He went 6-1 with a 1.15 ERA in 55 innings. He has now made nine starts with the Miracle and is 5-1 with a 2.11 ERA. 11-2 with a 1.59 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP is pretty solid for the recently-turned 21 year old. In July, batters hit just .206/.296/.225 (.521) against him. Number 5 – Rochester Red Wings – RHP Tyler Duffey - 5 GS, 1-2, 2.48 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 32.2 IP, 25 H, 10 BB, 20 K So, his major league debut didn’t exactly go well, but Duffey was the right choice. He was easily the best pitcher available in Rochester, the most ready. His final start of the month wasn’t real strong, but he still has terrific numbers for the month. The Twins fifth-round pick in 2012 out of Rice, he has been a strong performer as a starter since moving into that role. Generally, he is a ground ball pitcher with good control. He really does typically keep the ball in the park. He can be a solid major league starter, and should they decide to move him to the bullpen in time, he can be very good. Opponents hit just .205/.264/.279 (.542) against him. Number 4 – Elizabethton Twins – RHP Dereck Rodriguez - 5 GS, 2-1, 1.33 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 27.0 IP, 22 H, 6 BB, 19 K Rodriguez was the Twins sixth-round pick way back in 2011 out of high school in Florida. The son of Pudge Rodriguez, Dereck is a lanky 6-1 and maybe 180 pounds. He began his career as a potential five-tool outfielder, but that didn’t work. So before the 2014 season, he was moved to the mound. After working out of the bullpen last year, he has been starting for the Elizabethton Twins this year. He had short stints with the Miracle and Kernels when they needed an arm earlier in the year. Overall with the E-Twins, he is 4-1 with a 1.37 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. He is 23-years-old, but patience will be important in this transition. In July, opponents hit just .216/.279/.245 (.524) off of him. Number 3 – Elizabethton Twins – RHP Andro Cutura - 5 GS, 1-1, 1.20 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 30.0 IP, 18 H, 6 BB, 21 K Cutura was the Twins seventh-round draft pick in 2014 out of Southeastern Louisiana University. He didn’t pitch at all last year with injury and spent much of the first half rehabbing. He’s now starting at E-Town and pitching well. Overall, he is 2-2 with a 1.12 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP in 40 innings over seven starts. For the month, opponents hit just .170/.221/.236 (.457). Number 2 – GCL Twins – RHP Williams Ramirez - 5 GS, 2-1, 0.71 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 27.0 IP, 7 H, 13 BB, 29 K Ramirez will turn 23-years-old on Saturday. So, why is he still in the GCL, you ask? He signed when he was a little older and was moved from a hitter to a pitcher at that time. He spent two years developing in the Dominican Summer League, and he has greatly improved his pitching this year. He was a third baseman/outfielder who had never pitched, but he had a strong arm and a good sense for secondary pitches. It’s all coming together. Hitters in the GCL hit ..092/.233/.118 (.352) against him in July. And the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month is: Ft. Myers Miracle – LHP Mat Batts – 5 GS, 3-0, 1.15 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 31.1 IP, 20 H, 7 BB, 30 K Mat Batts was the Twins 17th round pick just a year ago after pitching for five years and UNC-Wilmington. He began his career in June of 2014 with three outings in the GCL before making four starts for Elizabethton. He ended the season with six appearances with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He returned to the Kernels to start this season. In seven starts, he went 3-2 with a 2.21 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. He was promoted to the Miracle where he has now gone 5-3 with a 2.04 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. Within a twelve month period, Batts pitched for five teams (UNC-W and four affiliates). However, he feels like he was well-prepared for all of this. “I don't know if I really ever thought about it. I will say that pitching in college for five years really prepared me for what I've faced in pro ball these past two years. I think college teaches everybody how to fail and how to make adjustments when you fail. Had I not gone through the experiences I did in college, I don't think I would be prepared for the demands of pro baseball. ” Listed at 5-11 (maybe, Mat?) and 190 pounds, Batts has walked just 23 batters while striking out 105 batters in 111.1 innings. He has made the transition from the Midwest League to the Florida State League look simple. He told us, “There wasn’t a huge difference between the two leagues. Hitters in the Florida State league definitely barrel up more balls, especially if you get behind in the count, but I’d say the benefit of the larger fields makes this league as much of a pitcher’s league as any out there.” That said, with the larger fields, you’d think there could be more hits. In July, opponents hit just .179/.233/.214 (.448) against the left-hander. Though he isn’t a flame-thrower, Batts is able to work with a five-pitch mix. He throws a two-seam and a four-seam fastball. He also has a curveball, a changeup and a slider. There is no truth to the rumor than he also throws a kitchen sink from time to time. In fact, if you ask him about it, he will likely tell you that a kitchen sink would be too heavy to throw and could mess up an arm real quick. As far as what he considers his best pitch, he is non-committal. “It really depends on the day for which pitch is best. I think I can get outs with all four but a lot of it depends on the hitter’s approach and what they are looking to do up there. Generally we look to mix speeds early in the game with the change up but it doesn't always play out exactly how you plan.” Batts has been part of a very impressive, deep, six-man rotation in Ft. Myers. Being around other starters with that much talent certainly pushes the teammates. “We do have a great group of guys in this rotation. Obviously losing Hu last week, and now Slegers, it will be a different group moving forward but I'd say absolutely we feed off one another and compete with each other. Nobody wants to be the guy that can't do their job when it's their turn to pitch.” One key to success for any player is to understand himself as a player. Batts understands why he has been successful and what he needs to do to remain successful as he moves forward, and moves up the organizational ladder. Batts said, “I'd say my biggest key to success is just throwing strikes and being the aggressor. The more you attack hitters with quality strikes the more they are going to get themselves out, regardless of your stuff.” Overall this season, Batts is 8-5 with a 2.10 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 19 total starts. It is likely that Batts will stick with the Miracle for the remainder of the 2015 season as they hope to get into a playoff position in the 2nd half. Please feel free to post your comments on Mat Batts and the rest of the Twins minor league starting pitchers who pitched well in July. How do you feel about the rankings? We’ll be back tomorrow with the Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Month. Click here to view the article

Plenty of games on Wednesday in the Twins system, but not a lot of activity transaction-wise. Dalton Hicks was moved up to Chattanooga and Marcus Knecht was returned to Fort Myers. There were plenty of other moves league-wide today and waves of moves are likely to last until Friday afternoon. The Twins are likely to make a move or two before the deadline, so stay tuned. Let’s look at the action on the farm on Wednesday.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Toledo 9 Box Score Michael Bowden made his Red Wings debut and it was less than impressive. He allowed four runs in four innings. He struck out four and walked one. Alex Meyer got one out (on 19 pitches), he walked one, allowed two hits and let three runners score. Caleb Thielbar and Mark Hamburger pitched scoreless innings. Aaron Thompson retired two batters without allowing a run. Danny Ortiz led the offense with two hits, including a home run. Doug Bernier chipped in a double among his two hits. Nate Hanson had two singles. Rochester drops to 54-51 and 3.5 games back in the International League North. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 9, Pensacola 10 (10 innings) Box Score Lots of offense on Wednesday. 19 runs. 32 hits. After Chattanooga tied and took the lead in the eighth, the Lookouts turned around and gave up three ninth-inning runs and two tenth-inning runs. They were able to rally and get the tying run on, but fell short in extras. Shannon Wilkerson (3-7, RBI, 2 SB) and Heiker Menesis (3-5, 2 R, 2B, BB, 2 SB) led the offense with three hits each. Max Kepler cleaned up from the three-spot, driivng in three runs with a home run and a double. Stuart Turner chipped in a double. Levi Michael (2-3, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2 BB) and Aderling Mejia (2-6, R, 2B, 3 RBIs) did well at the bottom of the order. D.J. Baxendale allowed five runs in five innings on nine hits. He struck out three and walked two. Matt Summers pitched three perfect innings. Alex Muren blew it in the ninth, allowing three runs on four hits. Tim Shibuya lost it in the 10th, allowing two runs on three hits. After winning the first-half (to qualify for the playoffs), the Lookouts are now 12-18 in the second half. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 6, Lakeland 0 Box Score Mat Batts continues to deal. Tonight, he pitched six shutout innings, allowing only two hits and a walk. He struck out three. His Miracle ERA drops to 1.78. Zack Jones (1 IP, 2 K), Corey Williams (1 IP) and Todd Van Steensel (1 IP, BB, 2 K) combined to finished the shutout. Marcus Knecht, in his return to Fort Myers, went 3-4 with two doubles. Logan Wade and Tanner Vavra, the 8-9 hitters, each contributed two-hit games. Zach Granite had a triple, two stolen bases and two RBIs. Wade added a double. The Miracle improved to 58-46 overall and 20-14 in the second half. They trail the Palm Beach Cardinals by four games in pursuit of the Florida State League playoffs. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Clinton 11 Box Score The Kernels got roughed up by the Lumberjacks. Felix Jorge, in particular, was roughed up, bad. For the first time since April 19, Jorge failed to pitch six innings. On Wednesday, Jorge allowed 11 hits, two walks and seven runs (six earned). He did strike out seven. Hard-throwing Yorman Landa gave up a home run in 1.2 innings. Luke Bard gave up three runs in an inning. Zack Larson was the only Kernel with two hits, including a double, driving in a run. Brian Navarreto added a two-RBI double. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 4, Johnson City 1 Box Score Daniel Kihle and Chris Paul paced the E-Twins with three hits apiece. LaMonte Wade hit his fourth home run. Kihle, Travis Blankenhorn, Kamran Young and A.J. Murray all doubled. Kihle and Wade each drove in two runs. Andro Cutura continues to dominate. In seven innings tonight, he struck out five, walked one and allowed one run on five hits. It was a solo home run. Kuo Hua Lo picked up the save with two innings of perfect ball. he struck out three. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins vs GCL Rays Postponed For the fifth time in a week, the GCL Twins were rained out. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Mat Batts, Fort Myers Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Max Kepler, Chattanooga THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester – OFF Chattanooga vs Pensacola (6:15 CST) – LHP Jason Wheeler Ft. Myers at Daytona (6:05 CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart (but will he make this start?!) Cedar Rapids at Clinton (6:30 CST) – RHP Zach Tillery Elizabethton vs Johnson City (6:00 CST) - LHP Sam Clay GCL Twins at GCL Rays (11:00 CST) - TBD (Game 1) GCL Twins at GCL Rays - TBD (Game 2) Feel free to leave any questions or comments below! Click here to view the article

There are about six weeks left in the minor league seasons. Two of the affiliates clinched playoff berths with their first halves. A couple more are still in contention to play in a postseason. We are getting to the dog days of summer. It’s usually at this time of the season that you start to see some of the statistical lines level out. It is a long season, especially if you’ve only been in pro ball for a year or two. That’s part of the development process. So, how are the Twins affiliates doing, and which hitters and pitchers are leading in various statistical categories?Here is a look at the updated Twins minor league standings and statistical leaders through Friday, July 17. Feel free to discuss. STANDINGS Here is a quick look at where the teams rank in their divisions. Rochester is now 50-43 and a half game ahead of Scranton/Wilkes Barre in the International League North Division. Chattanooga is 49-39 on the season. However, after winning the first-half title and clinching a playoff berth, the Lookouts are just 6-14 in the second half of the season, ten games back of Birmingham. After a 2-4 week, Ft. Myers has an overall record of 51-41. They are 13-9 and in third place in the Florida State League South division. They are two games back of Palm Beach and one behind Bradenton. Cedar Rapids is 53-39 overall this season. They are 12-10 in the second half which puts them in fourth place, seven games back of Kane County. They earned a playoff berth in the first half. Elizabethton is 10-12 in their season. They are currently in fourth place in the Appalachian League West division, but they are just 1.5 games out of first place. After going 4-0 this week, the GCL Twins are 13-8 so far. They are now just 1.5 games back of the GCL Red Sox. HITTERS For batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, IsoD and IsoP, we used a minimum of 240 plate appearances. Plate Appearances: Zach Granite (379), Reynaldo Rodriguez (366), Adam Brett Walker (354), Jorge Polanco (351), Nick Gordon/Alex Swim (349), Batting Average: Max Kepler (.328), Alex Swim (.317), James Beresford (.306), Jorge Polanco (.305), Byron Buxton (.283), Zach Granite (.281) On-Base Percentage: Max Kepler (.403), Miguel Sano (.374), Mitch Garver (.371), Zach Granite (.363), Alex Swim/Travis Harrison (.356) Isolated Discipline: Mitch Garver (.122), Travis Harrison (.108), Niko Goodrum (.103), Miguel Sano (.100), Tanner English (.094) Slugging Percentage: Adam Brett Walker (.563), Miguel Sano (.544), Max Kepler (.511), Byron Buxton (.489), Danny Ortiz (.431) Isolated Power (IsoP): Adam Brett Walker (.300), Miguel Sano (.270), Byron Buxton (.206), Max Kepler (.183), Danny Ortiz (.177) OPS: Miguel Sano (.918), Max Kepler (.914), Adam Brett Walker (.883), Byron Buxton (.840), Jorge Polanco (.750) Hits: Alex Swim (104), Jorge Polanco (100), James Beresford (92), Zach Granite (91), Max Kepler 88, Adam Brett Walker 85, Nick Gordon 83 2B: Max Kepler (24), Danny Ortiz (22), Reynaldo Rodriguez/Adam Brett Walker (21), Travis Harrison (19) 3B: Byron Buxton (12), Max Kepler (8), Max Murphy (7), Tanner English (6), TJ White (5) HR: Adam Brett Walker (24), Miguel Sano (15), Danny/Oswaldo Arcia (9), Reynaldo Rodriguez (8), Four with 6. Runs: Zach Granite (59), Miguel Sano (55), Reynaldo Rodriguez (54), Adam Brett Walker (52), Max Murphy/Nick Gordon (49), Max Kepler (48), Tanner English (46) RBI: Adam Brett Walker (76), Danny Ortiz (51), Reynaldo Rodriguez (50), Miguel Sano (48), Danny Ortiz (48), Zach Larson/Marcus Knecht (41), Travis Harrison (40) SB: Tanner English (28), Nick Gordon (22), Niko Goodrum/Engelb Vielma (21), Byron Buxton (20), Zach Granite (18) STARTING PITCHERS (>70 IP) Innings: Tyler Duffey (117.0), Taylor Rogers (115.2), Pat Dean (111.2), JO Berrios (101.1), Greg Peavey (100.0) ERA: Stephen Gonsalves (1.67), Mat Batts (1.89), Felix Jorge (2.06), Chih-Wei Hu (2.15), Tyler Duffey (2.38) WHIP: Felix Jorge (0.92), Mat Batts (1.02), Stephen Gonsalves (1.06), Aaron Slegers (1.077 Chih-Wei Hu (1.079), Tyler Duffey (1.12), JO Berrios (1.17) K/9: Stephen Gonsalves (10.2), JO Berrios (9.2), Mat Batts (8.8), DJ Baxendale (8.3), Tyler Duffey/Chih-Wei Hu (8.2) BB/9: Greg Peavey/Aaron Slegers (1.6), Mat Batts (1.8), Pat Dean (2.0), Felix Jorge/Chih-Wei Hu (2.1), Tyler Duffey (2.2) Strikeouts: Tyler Duffey/JO Berrios (104), Stephen Gonsalves (97), Mat Batts (93), Taylor Rogers (82) Wins: Stephen Gonsalves (9-2), JO Berrios (8-3), Mat Batts (7-4), Taylor Rogers (7-6), Eight pitchers with 6 wins. RELIEF PITCHERS (>28 IP, Games: AJ Achter (36), Todd Van Steensel/JT Chargois (32), Alex Muren (31), Brandon Peterson/Mark Hamburger/DJ Johnson (28) Innings: Alex Muren (54.0), Randy LeBlanc (53.1), Todd Van Steensel (49.1), Brandon Peterson (45.0), Mike Theofanopoulos (44.1), Trevor Hildenberger (44.0) ERA: Trevor Hildenberger (0.84), Brandon Peterson (1.40), Luke Bard (1.53), Alex Muren (1.67), Randy LeBlanc (1.86), Todd Van Steensel (2.19) WHIP: Trevor Hildenberger (0.64), AJ Achter (0.86), Brandon Peterson (0.96), Luke Bard (0.99), Alex Muren (1.06), Randy LeBlanc (1.07), Tim Shibuya (1.14) K/9: Cameron Booser (12.8), Brandon Peterson (12.2), Trevor Hildenberger (12.1), Todd Van Steensel (11.7), Lester Oliveros (11.6) BB/9: Trevor Hildenberger (1.0), Tim Shibuya (1.7), Luke Bard (1.8), AJ Achter (2.4), Randy LeBlanc (2.7) Saves: AJ Achter (14), Trevor Hildenberger (13), JT Chargois/Todd Van Steensel (11), Zack Jones (10), Cameron Booser (8) There you have it. The Twins Minor League Leader Board through Friday, July 17. What are your thoughts? Who are some of the players who surprise you on these lists? Click here to view the article

Oswaldo Arcia began the year as the Twins starting left fielder but things didn't work out exactly as planned. He finds himself down at Triple-A but he's making the most of the opportunity after a slow start. On Monday, Arcia was named the International League Hitter of the Week, the fifth honor for Rochester this season. Arcia led the International League with four home runs, 10 RBI, six extra-base hits, and 22 total bases. In the month of July, he's knocked a league-high seven long balls. Last Monday, he led Rochester to a dramatic win with a three-run walk-off home run. He's already tied for the team lead with eight home runs. Miracle left-hander Mat Batts was also honored on Monday with the Florida State League Pitcher of the Week. He made one start during the week and delivered seven scoreless innings in a no-decision. Batts scattered five hits with two walks and struck out 10. He currently leads the Miracle with a 1.71 ERA. Besides the awards being handed out, there was plenty of action down on the farm. Let's check out some of the top performances from Monday.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester (All-Star Break) Much like their counterparts at the big league level, the Rochester Red Wings are in the midst of their All-Star break. The Triple-A All-Star Game is scheduled to be played on July 15 in Omaha, NE. Pitchers AJ Achter and Taylor Rogers will join infielder James Beresford and coach Tim Doherty as the Rochester representatives. Rochester enters the break with a 49-42 record, the top mark in the International League North Division. The team currently sits 1.5 games ahead of Scranton/W-B for first place in the division. The Red Wings won four of their last six game heading into the break. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Mississippi 3 Box Score Chattanooga jumped out to an early lead in this one and had to hold on for dear life at the end. David Hurlbut twirled seven shutout frames by allowing five hits and two walks. He didn't strike out a batter but he seemed not to need them on this night. Alex Muren made things interesting in the ninth by allowing two runs but he was still able to earn his first save. Stephen Wickens and Heiker Meneses both picked up a pair of hits. Wickens cracked his eighth double and Meneses drove in his 22nd run. Niko Goodrum collected his first triple since being promoted to Double-A and he stole his seventh base. Travis Harrison drove in a run, his 40th of the season. The win ended a four-game losing skid and helped keep the Lookouts from being swept by Mississippi. Chattanooga has struggled in the second half with a 4-13 record. They are currently in last place in the Southern League North Division. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Clearwater 3 Box Score Aaron Slegers pitched into the ninth inning for the second time this season and he had retired 10 in a row before a throwing error by Tanner Vavra cost him a chance at a win. Slegers took his fifth loss after lasting 8.1 innings. He struck out one and walked one. It was his fourth straight start pitching at least seven innings and allowing two earned runs or fewer. Reliever Dallas Gallant allowed the game-winning hit, a single, which drove in the runner who had reached on Vavra's error. Jason Kanzler had one of the biggest hits in the game, a run scoring triple. It was the only extra-base hit of the game and the club went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Ryan Walker reached base three times, along with scoring a run. Mitch Garver finished the night 2-for-4. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Kane County 4 Box Score Luke Westphal made a strong start for the Kernels but it wasn't enough for his club to come out victorious. In six innings, he allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts and a walk. He left the game with the lead but Rand LeBlanc allowed three runs (two earned) in the last two innings as he earned his second loss of the season. Tanner English had a strong day at the plate with a 2-for-4 effort including his 13th double and his 27th stolen base. Nick Gordon cracked his 12th double and reached base in two of his four plate appearances. He now has a team best 13-game hitting streak and he has reached base in 16 straight games. After an day off on Tuesday, the Kernels begin a three-game home series on Wednesday versus the Burlington Bees. The club has lost three of their last four games. E-Twins E-Notes E-Twins --, Johnson City -- (Postponed- Rain) The E-Twins were looking to get back to the .500 mark on Monday but Mother Nature didn't cooperate. Most of the minor league affiliates have a scheduled day off on Tuesday so the make-up of this game is still TBD. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 5, GCL Rays 3 Box Score The GCL Twins found themselves with a five-run lead entering the late innings and the club was able to hang on for a two-run win. Eduardo Del Rosario pitched five shutout frames by scattering five hits. Hector Lujan allowed all three runs in less than an inning of work. Johan Quezada was asked to get four outs for his third save of the season. Lewin Diaz and Luis Arraez paced the offense with three hits each. Both players knocked a double while Diaz had a pair of two-out RBIs and Arraez scored two runs. Jermaine Palacios went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base. It was the second straight win for the GCL Twins. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – David Hurlbut, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Lewin Diaz, GCL Twins TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester- Scheduled Off Day for All-Star Break Chattanooga- Scheduled Off Day Ft. Myers- Scheduled Off Day Cedar Rapids- Scheduled Off Day Elizabethton- Scheduled Off Day GLC Twins @ GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) – TBA Click here to view the article

We certainly hope that you and your family had a safe and special Independence Day. Below you’ll find a quick 4th of July Minor League Report blast. Maybe not as long or detailed as normal, but it was a busy day as all six Twins affiliates were in action. There were more transactions and big pitching and hitting performances.TRANSACTIONS Jorge Polanco was promoted from Chattanooga to Rochester. Nate Hanson was placed on the disabled list. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Lehigh Valley 4 Box Score Oswaldo Arcia hit a LONG blast on the 4th of July off of Phillies top pitching prospect Aaron Nola. It measured at well over 450 feet and was his fourth with the Red Wings. However, on this day, the story was Tyler Duffey. The right-hander was charged with two unearned runs on four hits in seven innings. He walked four and struck out two. However, he extended his streak without allowing an earned run to 29.1 innings . The last time he gave up an earned run was on June 11. He left the game with a 3-2 lead. Alex Meyer, just back from Minnesota, came on and gave up two runs in the eighth inning to take the loss. Jorge Polanco’s AAA debut was a mixed bag. He went 1-4, but he also committed two errors. James Beresford went 2-4 with his 13th double. Reynaldo Rodriguez, Danny Ortiz and Wilkin Ramirez each went 2-4. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 0, Jacksonville 3 Box Score Brett Lee was terrific, and efficient, but the Lookout bats were only able to manage two hits and continued to struggle since not playing for three straight days. Max Kepler and Heiker Meneses each had a single and a walk in the game. Due to frustration, hitting coach Chad Allen was ejected in the sixth inning. Brett Lee fell to 0-2 on the season, but he worked all eight innings and threw just 77 pitches (58 strikes). He gave up three runs on seven hits. He walked none and struck out two. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, St. Lucie 3 Box Score Things got a bit scary at the end, but in the end, the Miracle held on for another win. Mat Batts started and gave up just two hits over six shutout innings. The southpaw walked two and struck out six. His Miracle ERA drops to just 2.01 since his promotion. Dallas Gallant struck out two over two scoreless innings. With a 5-0 lead in the ninth, Tyler Jay came in to the game. He gave up three runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk and recorded the first two outs. Todd Van Steensel came on and gave up a hit before recording the final out and his tenth save. Mitch Garver led the offense. He went 1-1 with two walks, was hit by a pitch, scored three runs and stole a base. Ryan Walker and Chad Christensen each went 2-4 with an RBI. Jason Kanzler was also 2-4. Zach Granite went 2-4 with a walk and a triple. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Burlington 0 Box Score Zach Tillery was terrific and improved to 5-3 on the season. He threw seven shutout innings. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out three. Randy LeBlanc came on for the final two innings. He walked two, struck out two and didn’t allow a run. Edgar Corcino led the offense. He went 2-4 with his seventh double. Zack Larson hit his 15th double. Pat Kelly hit his fourth triple, and TJ White hit his fifth triple. E-TWINS E-NOTES Greeneville 10, Elizabethton 3 Box Score Brandon Easton is a left-hander who throws gas. When he left Ft. Myers this spring, he was hitting 98 mph with his fastball. Through two starts, Easton has struggled. In this game, he walked five in 1.2 innings. He was charged with three runs on three hits. Through four innings (two starts), he has given up eight runs, seven hits and walked nine. That said, he has huge potential in that arm, so they’ll need to be patient. Onesimo Hernandez came on and got four outs and within that he gave up five runs on eight hits and a walk. Nate Gercken gave up one run on four hits in three innings. He walked one and struck out two. Tyler Stirewalt gave up just one hit over two scoreless innings. He struck out two. Manuel Guzman went 2-4 with a walk. Daniel Kihle went 2-4. Ariel Montesino drove in two runs and stole a base. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 11, GCL Red Sox 1 Box Score It was a big day for the GCL Twins bats. Luis Arraez went 3-6 with his fourth and fifth doubles. Jermaine Palacios went 3-5 and stole his second base. Travis Blankenhorn went 2-3 with two walks and his fourth double. Bryant Hayman went 1-3 with two walks and his first double. Brian Olson went 2-5. Williams Ramirez went five innings and gave up one run on two hits. He walked three and struck out six. Rich Condeelis struck out four over two, one-hit innings. Stephen Pryor made a rehab appearance, striking out two in a perfect inning. Johan Quezada walked one and struck out one in a scoreless inning. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Mat Batts, Ft. Myers Miracle/Zach Tillery, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Luis Arraez, GCL Twins SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (12:35 CST) – LHP Taylor Rogers Chattanooga @ Jacksonville (5:05 CST) – RHP DJ Baxendale St. Lucie @ Ft. Myers (3:05 CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart Burlington @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 CST) – LHP Randy Rosario Elizabethton @ Princeton (4:00 CST) – RHP Cody Stashak GCL Twins – No Game Scheduled. Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article

Even without a scheduled game for Chattanooga, Max Kepler made headlines as he was named the Southern League player of the week. In the last week, he had consecutive four-hit games as well as a three-hit game and a two-hit outing. He went 14-for-22 with four triples, six runs, four RBI and three steals Kepler is now batting .342 with a .972 OPS including legging out 17 doubles and eight triples. He also has 12 stolen bases this season. He leads the league in batting and ranks second in triples behind former teammate Byron Buxton. The Lookouts were off on Monday but there was other action down on the farm.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Pawtucket 2 Box Score Tyler Duffey took the mound for the Red Wings and gave quite the performance. Both runs scored against him were unearned and he scattered five hits with six strikeouts and one walk. After collecting one out in the eighth, Duffey surrendered back-to-back hits to leave runners on the corners. He'd have to rely on the bullpen to get out of this jam. Ryan O'Rourke and Mark Hamburger both were brought in for one batter and each picked up huge strikeouts to keep the Red Wings lead at 3-2. AJ Achter made quick work in the ninth inning by striking out one for his 11th save. Eric Farris led the way offensively with two doubles and a run scored. Danny Santana continued his hot-hitting ways with a double and an RBI. He's now hit safely in six straight games and nine of his last ten. Danny Ortiz and Reynaldo Rodriguez each drove in a run and Rodriguez stole his second base. With the win, Rochester improved to three games over .500. The club has won four of their last six and they sit two games back in the International League wild card standings. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga- Scheduled Off Day The Lookouts are in the midst of their mid-season All-Star break. Seven members of the Lookouts were named to the 2015 Southern League North Division All-Star Team. Pitchers DJ Baxendale, Jose Berrios and Zack Jones all made the squad. Outfielders Byron Buxton and Adam Brett Walker, along with infielders Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sano were scheduled to join them. Buxton obviously won't be playing in the contest as he has been called up to the big leagues. One surprise name not on the list is Max Kepler who has been destroying the Southern League over the last few weeks. The game will be played in Montgomery, AL with a home run derby starting at 5 pm CST and the All-Star Game starting at 6:35 CST on Tuesday. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 10, Palm Beach 1 Box Score Fort Myers had an offensive explosion on Monday night as they pounded out 10 runs in the first four frames. It was the first time in June that the club scored in double-digits and the club went an eye-popping 10-for-19 with runners in scoring position. The Miracle had won their last four games before the All-Star break so this makes it five straight victories. Marcus Knecht cracked three doubles with three RBI and three runs scored. Engelb Vielma collected three hits and Bryan Haar went 4-for-5. Mitch Garver, Zach Granite, and Logan Wade all had multi-hit efforts, including two runs scored by Garver. Boosted by the solid offensive output, Mat Batts was able to cruise to his second victory. He lasted seven innings and allowed one run on four hits. His eight strikeouts were the second most he's had all season. Matt Summers allowed a couple of runs in the final frame but the Miracle had more than enough insurance runs. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids - Scheduled Off Day Roster Move: Kernels pitcher Miles Nordgren was optioned to Elizabethton of the Appalachian League. Cedar Rapids currently has 23 players on the roster. Like the Lookouts, most of the Kernels are enjoying a few off days as part of the Midwest League All-Star break. Cedar Rapids is sending five All-Stars to the game, including four pitchers. The lone position player is first baseman Trey Vavra who is second in the MWL in hitting (.346 BA). Jared Wilson, Cam Booser, Felix Jorge, and Trevor Hildenberger were all selected to the pitching staff. The game is being hosted by the Peoria Chiefs in Peoria, Illinois. The events will start with a home run derby at 5:30 pm and the game will follow. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 0, GCL Orioles 2 Box Score The GCL Twins got off to a slow start to the season as the team was limited to three hits in their first game of the season. Travis Blankenhorn went 1-for-2 with a triple and a walk. Roberto Gonzalez and Tyree Davis each went 1-for-3 and Davis was able to swipe two bases. Overall, the team went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Jose Martinez took the loss after tossing five frames and allowing two earned runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked one. Miguel Gonzalez allowed two base runners in two frames without allowing a run. Dallas Gallant and Yorman Landa each pitched a perfect frame with three combined strikeouts. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Tyler Duffey, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Marcus Knecht, Fort Myers Miracle TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Pawtucket (6:05 CST) – RHP Greg Peavey Chattanooga- Southern League All-Star Game (6:35 CST) Ft. Myers vs. Palm Beach (6:05 CST) – RHP Kohl Stewart Cedar Rapids- Midwest League All-Star Game (7:00 CST) Elizabethton @ Bluefield (6:05 CST) - TBA GCL Twins @ GCL Orioles (11:00 am CST)- TBA Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article

A day after watching Byron Buxton make his big league debut, Miguel Sano wanted to make sure that Twins fans didn't forget about him. Sano is one of baseball's best prospects remaining in the minor leagues after a ton of call-ups at the beginning of this season. In his last ten games, Sano is hitting .312 with two home runs, two doubles, 10 runs scored and five RBI. Entering play today, he was hitting .257/.358/.505 with 12 home runs and 12 doubles. It's interesting to see how much higher his OBP is than his batting average but that's been a trend for him throughout the minor leagues. To see how Sano and the rest of the farm system fared on Monday, keep reading.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester (Schedule Off Day) After ending a six-game losing streak on Sunday, Rochester enjoyed a scheduled off day before starting a six-game home stand. In a weird schedule quirk, the Red Wings, who just finished a four game road series versus Scranton/WB, will play three more games versus the RailRiders. Rochester has gone 5-4 against Scranton/WB this season. Over the last 10 games, the Red Wings offense has struggled to score runs. They are averaging 2.7 runs per game and they've been outscored 27 to 50 during that stretch. The team entered play on Monday night trailing Scranton/WB by 3.5 games in the International League North. The team is also 2.5 games out of the wild card chase. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 4, Birmingham 1 Box Score Chattanooga pounded out 14 hits and that was more than enough for them to finish off Birmingham in the series finale. The Lookouts took four of five games in the series to improve their record to an impressive 15 games over .500. After losing the first four games of June, Chattanooga have won 10 of their last 11. Miguel Sano cracked his 12th home run of the season and finished the day 1-for-4 with a walk. Adam Brett Walker and Max Kepler both went 4-for-5 and two of Walker's hits were doubles. Stephen Wickens only managed one hit but he collected three steals in the game, including a steal of home. Greg Peavey was impressive over eight innings by allowing one earned run on three hits. He struck out five and walked one to improve to 6-2 on the season. Zach Jones allowed a hit and a walk in the ninth but was still able to collect his ninth save. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 3, Daytona 2 Box Score In their last eight games, Fort Myers has six wins but they suffered two one-run losses to Bradenton over the weekend. The Miracle returned home on Monday night to face Daytona with a chance to get back to the .500 mark and start a new winning streak. Fort Myers and starter Mat Batts found themselves in an early 2-0 hole after two innings but that's where Daytona's scoring ended. Batts finished with four strikeouts and no walks in six innings while lowering his ERA to 1.90. DJ Johnson and Alex Muren kept putting zeros up on the board to finish off the Tortugas. Muren earned his second save after pitching 1.2 innings and striking out four. Zach Granite helped to get the offense moving with a two-out bunt single in the third. A missed pickoff attempt moved Granite to second before a Engelb Vielma single cut the lead in half. Granite scored another two-out run in the bottom of the sixth on an Alex Swim single. Bryan Haar started the seventh with a hit by pitch before a Jason Kanzler single put the winning run in scoring position. Chad Christensen almost hit into a double play but a throwing error by the shortstop allowed the winning run to score. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Lansing 8 Box Score Cedar Rapids entered the day looking to sweep Lansing but the Lugnuts had other ideas. They pounded out 12 hits and capitalized on three Kernels errors for the win. Jared Wilson took his second loss of the season after allowing five earned runs on seven hits. In four innings, he allowed three walks and struck out one. Jose Velez and Miles Nordgren pitch five innings without allowing an earned run but Lansing plated three unearned runs against Nordgren. Brett Doe had an error at first base on a pickoff throw and Rafael Valera had two throwing errors from second base. One the offensive side of the ball, Alex Real reached base three times and hit his first home run. Brian Navarreto drew two walks, scored a run and extended his hitting streak to six games. The team left six runners on base and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Greg Peavey, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Adam Brett Walker, Chattanooga Lookouts TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Scranton/WB (6:05 CST) – LHP Pat Dean Chattanooga- Scheduled Off Day Ft. Myers vs. Daytona (6:05 CST) – RHP Ryan Eades Cedar Rapids vs. Burlington (6:35 CST) - RHP Felix Jorge Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games. Click here to view the article

A year ago, Twins minor league left-hander Mat Batts was finishing his pitching career at UNC-Wilmington. Since then, he has pitched for the GCL Twins, Elizabethton Twins, Cedar Rapids Kernels and now the Ft. Myers Miracle.He's also been writing for Twins Daily this year. Today, he tells us about his MLB Draft experience.The MLB draft is unlike any other in professional sports, merging high school and college athletes together, some as many as six years apart in age. And of the more than 1,200 players drafted every June, it is widely known that a mere fraction will ever actually contribute to the major league club. Yet, every year organizations take on 30-40 fresh faces and new names, hoping that some day just a few of them will pan out to be the stars that we see on TV every night. It’s a double-edged sword in a sense from the player’s prospective. With the potential for 40 newly drafted players entering the organization every year, the minor leagues can seem like a crowded place. But for a large portion of us in minor league baseball, the size of the draft alone afforded us the opportunity to play our sport professionally—a luxury that many athletes in other sports can only dream of. For me, the draft was an opportunity to continue my baseball career, but it definitely wasn’t something that I was counting on. Coming into my senior year of college, I knew that it was a possibility, but I also had to plan for what to do if it didn’t happen. After graduation in May, with just a few weeks of college baseball remaining, I was applying for jobs just like any other college graduate with the hopes that I could push the real world aside for a few more years. Generally, professional area scouts give players their space during the course of the college season. You hear very little from them, and because of that, you have very little idea about when or if you might be drafted. At the end of my college season in late May it was much of the same. I had played my last game for UNCW, and potentially the last baseball game of my life, yet here I was, with a group of my teammates, also graduated seniors, throwing and running and preparing for a season that may or may not come. About a week before the draft, things began to pick up. I was getting a few phone calls a day from scouts asking if I was healthy (yes) and willing to accept the standard bonus of the senior-sign (of course). My family and I began to imagine which team it might be, which minor league town I might be shipped out to. It was one of the best weeks of my life. But at the same time, it could still easily go the other way. With so much talent across the country, most of them at least a couple years younger than me, I could still be passed over. During the first night of the draft I was glued to the TV, not as a player hopeful to see my name called, but as a fan watching the future of Major League Baseball, interested to see where they went. During the second day, rounds 3-10, I was hearing very little. Not that I expected to be taken that high, but I wanted some assurance from somebody that I would get an opportunity. Day three was a Saturday and my family had all planned to come meet me at the beach for the weekend. It was going to be either a celebration of the opportunity ahead of me or an enjoyable conclusion to my time in Wilmington before I headed towards the real world. I convinced myself that I was going to be fine with either. Rounds 11-40 were set to start a noon, with picks coming nearly simultaneously throughout the day. Again, I was hearing very little from the scouts that were in contact the week before. Still, though, I didn’t want to seem nervous. Finally, towards the end of the 16th round, my cell phone rang with a call from the local Baltimore Orioles scout. He assured me that I was their next pick, and asked me to stand by for his call once it was official. What a relief. I followed on the twitter tracker for the 17th round, waiting to see my name pop up, except when it did it was the Minnesota Twins and not the Orioles. The Twins scout called a moment later to let me know that they had indeed selected me with their 17th round pick. It was the perfect end to a process where so much uncertainty surrounds every pick and ultimately worked out better than I could have ever hoped. Click here to view the article

On Wednesdays, Jeremy Nygaard is responsible for the Twins Minor League Report. However, he was at the Twins game with his kids and a bunch of school kids. They got to see the Twins sweep the Boston Red Sox and move into a tie for first place with the Royals in the AL Central. They also got to help Jeremy celebrate his birthday. We won’t disclose how old Jeremy is, but it is quite a bit older than JO Berrios who celebrated his 21st birthday on Wednesday. The Ft. Myers Miracle won in extra innings on Wednesday night to improve to 23-22, the first time they’ve been over .500 since early April. That is interesting because now all four of the Minnesota Twins minor league affiliates – and the big league club – are playing over .500. There have not been many times in recent years when we could say that.With that, we were back to a full slate of games in the Twins farm system on Wednesday. Continue to read how the teams and the players did. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 8, Durham 2 Box Score The Red Wings got good pitching, six doubles and a late home run to win a Wednesday afternoon game in North Carolina. Taylor Rogers got the starting nod. The left-hander went seven innings and gave up two runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out three to improve to 4-3 with a 3.34 ERA on the season. Casey Fien struck out two in a rehab outing. He pitched perfect innings in back-to-back and likely will be with the Twins when they start their series at Target Field against the Blue Jays on Friday. AJ Achter came in for the ninth inning and struck out two. Jose Martinez went 3-4 with his fourth double. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 2-5 with his 10th and 11th doubles. Kennys Vargas went 2-4 with a walk and his second double. Doug Bernier went 2-4 and drove in two runs with his fourth double. Danny Ortiz added his 11th double of the year. Argenis Diaz went 1-3 with two walks. Josmil Pinto hit a late, two-run homer, his fifth of the season. It was his first hit in 19 at -bats. Coming into Wednesday, he was hitting .158/.200/.281 (.481) in his last 15 games. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Biloxi 8 Box Score The Lookouts have the best record in the Southern League North Division. Biloxi has the best record in the Southern League Southern Division. The two teams began a five-game series in Chattanooga on Wednesday night and hopefully each game will be as competitive as this one. Things started out well for the Lookouts. In the bottom of the first inning, they got on the board when a Travis Harrison single scored Jorge Polanco. In the third inning, Buxton led off with a double and advanced to third. He scored one batter later on a Miguel Sano groundout. The Lookouts then scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a commanding 6-1 lead. Adam Walker doubled off the top of the wall in left field to score Max Kepler. Walker later scored on a wild pitch. Soon after, Buxton launched a ball to deep center field. It stayed in the ballpark and instead of another triple, Buxton raced all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Unfortunately, the Lookouts were not able to add more. Alex Wimmers got the start and was charged with two runs on six hits and a walk in five innings. Cole Johnson came on and struggled mightily. He was charged with three runs on two hits and two walks in just 0.2 innings. Nick Burdi came on to get out of that inning, holding the 6-5 lead. However, he gave up a run in the seventh on two hits to tie the score at six. Jake Reed pitched a perfect eighth frame. JT Chargois came on for his Double-A debut. He got the first two batters out, but then he gave up three straight singles. Fortunately, a Walker-to-Sano-to-Kepler relay throw got the runner trying to take the lead. Madison Boer came in for the 10th inning. He walked two and both came around to score. The Lookouts were unable to tie the score in the bottom of the 10th inning, and that was the ballgame. Buxton led the way. He hit his sixth home run and his sixth double. Travis Harrison went 3-5. Stuart Turner went 2-4 with his third home run. Max Kepler had two hits, including his 14th double. Jorge Polanco also had two hits. The Lookouts are now 28-17 while the Shuckers improve to 28-18. For Biloxi, shortstop Orlando Arcia went 3-6 in the game with a double and a home run. He is now hitting .343 with 13 doubles and three home runs this season. As you may have already guessed, the 20-year-old infielder is the brother of Twins outfielder Oswaldo Arcia. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 6, Clearwater 5 (10 innings) Box Score Mat Batts had to wait an extra day to make his Miracle and Florida State League debut, but it didn’t faze him at all. He pitched very well. The left-hander worked seven innings and gave up just one run. He gave up six hits, walked one and struck out three. As impressive, he has a 12-to-3 groundout-to-flyout rate in the game. Batts left the game with a 4-1 lead. Ethan Mildren began the eighth inning for the Miracle. He gave up two runs on three hits and got just two outs. Todd Van Steensel came on and got the final out of the eighth inning before the tying run scored. However, he was charged with a run on two hits and three walks (one intentional) in the ninth. It tied the game at four and sent the teams to extra innings. In the top of the 10th, a Niko Goodrum single drove in two runs and gave the team a 6-4 lead. Alex Muren came on for the bottom of the tenth. He gave up an unearned run on two hits, but it was good enough to record his first save of the season. Alex Swim got on base four times. He went 2-3 with two walks. Chad Christensen had two hits including his second home run. Goodrum had two hits including the big 10th inning hit. Zach Granite had an RBI double early in the game. With the win, the Miracle are now 23-22. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Wisconsin 3 Box Score For the 30th time this season, the Cedar Rapids Kernels were able to shake hands at the end of the game following a win. They fell behind 2-0 early, but after that, it was all Kernels. Felix Jorge made his eighth start of the season, and for the seventh time, he completed six innings. He was charged with three runs on five hits. He walked none and struck out five. Lefty Jose Velez came on and worked scoreless seventh and eighth innings. He gave up just one hit, walked none and struck out two. Luke Bard gave up a walk and a hit, but no runs, in the ninth inning to close out the game. Everyone contributed to the offensive output on this night. All nine hitters had at least one hit. Five players had doubles. Nick Gordon went 1-3 with two walks and his fifth double. Max Murphy went 2-3 with a walk, his ninth double and three RBI. Trey Vavra did not play after hurting his ankle on Tuesday night. He said it was swollen but not serious. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Mat Batts, Ft. Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Byron Buxton, Chattanooga Lookouts THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester – No Game Scheduled Biloxi @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – LHP David Hurlbut Ft. Myers @ Clearwater (DH @ 4:00 CST) – RHP Ryan Eades, LHP Brett Lee Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Jared Wilson Please feel free to discuss the Twins minor league system and the games from Wednesday. Click here to view the article

Mat Batts is a left-handed pitcher with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. He will be writing articles periodically at Twins Daily about life in the minor leagues. The left-hander was the Twins 17th round pick a year ago about of UNC-Wilmington. While in college, he spent time as an intern at Baseball America. This is his third Twins Daily article. He has written about the Kernels reading program and about having a big leaguers rehab with the minor league team. Today, he writes about an important part of any team, an unsung member of any team, the clubhouse attendant. Please feel free to comment below.For minor league baseball players every season, the clubhouse serves as your space to live and work and joke and play—your home away from home for the better part of each and every day. Here in Cedar Rapids, we are fortunate enough to enjoy a clubhouse that is well above the average for most A-ball teams around the country. But when the game is over, and out post game meals are finished, we are out the door, headed home for some rest. So whose job is it to make sure everything is ready to go again the next day? Meet Eric Oliver. Oliver, a retired school teacher, is working his first season for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and loving every minute of it. “The most fun part of the job is interacting with the ballplayers,” Oliver said. “It’s professional baseball and I have a passion for that.” After spending 34 years as a middle school physical education teacher, Oliver’s hand was forced when he was informed this would be that last year the school district would be offering a substantial health insurance plan for its retirees. After years of trying to find time to work with the Kernels in some capacity, Oliver saw a golden opportunity to both live and work around baseball while also satisfying his need to stay busy during retirement. “I’m a high energy person,” Oliver said, “and I don’t like a lot of down time. The thing I love about this job is you’re busy all day. You don’t have time to sit around and think about what’s wrong with life.” Busy would be an understatement for most of Oliver’s days during a home stand. On a typical game day, Oliver estimates that he arrives to stadium between 6-9 a.m. and leaves between 10 p.m. and midnight. Throughout the course of the day, it’s anyone’s guess as to what his responsibilities will be. From sorting and hanging laundry to stocking snacks and drinks to managing incoming mail and packages, Oliver is constantly on the go and willing to take on any odd job. In our most recent home series, Oliver could be found printing copies of pitching charts for the visiting Peoria pitchers who accidentally ran low. “This is a job you really can’t describe,” he said. “There is no job description. There was no training. Anything that pops up at any moment becomes your responsibly.” But the work doesn’t stop when we are on the road. Oliver generally spends about six hours working during most road trip days, using the absence of players and coaches to designate cleaning days for the floors and bathrooms around the clubhouse. Oliver anticipates that he will continue substitute teaching during the offseason, and will continue his involvement with Perfect Game’s local leagues with the hopes that he can stay active and working for another 15 years. He says that he will take his job with the Kernels one year at a time, making it clear, however, that he relates his time with the team much more closely to fun than to work. “I find myself sometime at 11 o’clock at night when everyone else has gone, and I’m sanitizing the shower, and I’m thinking, I probably have more education than anybody in the room, yet here I am sanitizing the shower. If it were anything else but baseball I wouldn’t want to be involved in some of the duties. But since its professional baseball, it’s special.” Click here to view the article

Doug Bernier was pulled from Rochester's game on Tuesday evening and he will be joining the Twins as Eduardo Nunez was placed on the DL with a left oblique strain. Bernier can be added to the 40-man in the spot of suspended Ervin Santana. After a scary scene Tuesday night, it’s been revealed that Chattanooga’s Levi Michael suffered a high ankle sprain while sliding into second base. If you saw the play, you probably expected much worse. It’s a tough break for Michael, who has missed extended periods of time throughout his professional career. Wilkin Ramirez was activated from Rochester’s disabled list. He takes the spot vacated by recently-promoted Eddie Rosario. Let's take a look at the on-field action for Tuesday night.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 15, Indianapolis 10 Box Score An offensive explosive for the Red Wings, led by Aaron Hicks. The Wings got contributions from all the starters and held on after jumping out to a 10-0 first inning lead. Hicks led off the game with a ground-rule double. This started off an inning that saw 14 batters come to the plate with seven hits, three doubles and ten runs scored. Hicks scored twice, came a home run short of the cycle and improved his batting average to .318. He would have had a chance to complete the cycle, but was pinch-hit for by Wilkin Ramirez in the eighth inning. Josmil Pinto and James Beresford also had three-hit games. The pitching staff was unimpressive, but did enough to get the win. Starter Jason Wheeler gave up five runs (two home runs) in five innings. Stephen Pryor gave up three runs in 2.1 and even #FreeLesterOliveros got roughed up for two runs on four hits (and allowed all three of his inherited runners from Pryor to score). He recorded two outs. A.J. Achter finished off the game with a perfect three-groundout ninth inning. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga - OFF Hopefully a day off doesn’t cool Byron Buxton off, as the Southern League Player of the Week has been on an absolute tear over the last 10 games. The Lookouts have used a hot start in May to propel themselves back to the top of a jumbled Southern League North, where they are tied with Tennessee among five teams who sit within two games of each other. Alex Wimmers will be on the mound tomorrow. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 6, Bradenton 3 (15 innings) Box Score For the 10th time already this season (in only 26 games), the last-place Miracle provided their fans with “free baseball”. Aaron Slegers really settled down after allowing two first-inning runs. He was able to complete seven innings on 86 pitches. He struck out one and walked one. Madison Boer, J.T. Chargois and Brian Gilbert (credited with the win) all made scoreless appearances. Brandon Peterson walked four and allowed an extra-inning tying run to score. Todd Van Steensel navigated a dicey bottom half of the 15th inning to pick up the save. The offense managed 13 hits, but many players had seven plate-appearances and the team batted only .217 on Tuesday night. Mitch Garver had two hits, two walks and drove in two, but didn’t play the last third of the game after being lifted for a pinch-runner in the 11th inning. Zach Granite, Bryan Haar and Jason Kanzler also contributed multi-hit games. Kanzler, who also stole two bases, has seen his batting average creep back up to .218 after a very slow start. Niko Goodrum drove in two runs with a triple in the 15th inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Wisconsin 3 Box Score The Kernels improved to 15-11 thanks to hanging up crooked numbers in two of the first three innings and getting a very solid game from a trio of pitchers. After a Wisconsin error, the Kernels were able to plate two in the first inning. Nick Gordon scored on the misplay and Trey Vavra scored on T.J. White's groundout. The Kernels gave the runs back in the second inning. In the third inning, DH Jorge Fernandez had a three-run double to give Cedar Rapids the lead for good. Fernandez had three hits on the night, including two doubles. Gordon added RBI singles in both the fourth and the sixth inning to provide insurance runs. He also stole his second base. Mat Batts earned his third win, pitching six innings and striking out four. He allowed three runs, but only one was earned. Randy LeBlanc and C.K. Irby combined to pitch three scoreless innings. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Mat Batts, Cedar Rapids Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Aaron Hicks, Rochester WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Indianapolis (12:35 CST) – RHP Mark Hamburger is listed as the scheduled starter; however, LHP Tommy Milone is expected to take his spot in the rotation. Chattanooga vs Jackson (6:15 CST) – RHP Alex Wimmers Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) – RHP Chih-Wei Hu Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (5:35 CST) – RHP John Curtiss Click here to view the article