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Tomorrow we will start sharing the Twins Daily Top 30 Twins Prospects heading into the 2023 season. Today, you can see some of the depth in the organization with others who were outside our Top 30 but showed up on some Top 30 lists. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photos of Holland, Laweryson), William Parmeter (photo of Cardenas) In the past, we have presented our selections for the Top 20 Twins prospects before each season. In 2022, that list was the starting point for the Prospect Tracker which we updated at the beginning of each month and after the trade deadline, and then at the end of the season. Since the season’s end, there have been several changes. Several players became free agents. The Twins lost a couple of pitchers in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft. They made a couple of trades to bring in new talent from the Angels and Marlins while sending two upper-level relievers to the Royals. In addition, our minor-league writers have learned more and more about several prospects, particularly those drafted or signed most recently. With all that said, this year, we are moving to a Top 30 Twins prospect rankings for a couple of reasons. First, ten of our minor-league writers provided a list of their Top 30 Twins prospects. Second, why not recognize another ten Twins prospects at this time of year? Now, we are going to do that by adding just one more article. Tomorrow, we will share our choices for Twins Prospects 21-30. With the current schedule, starting next week, we will be jumping into the Top 10 prospects. However, today, we will be starting this series by sharing a list of Honorable Mentions, or Also Received Votes, if you prefer. Even within this group, which could make up our prospects from around 31 through around 45, there are several future big-leaguers in the group, a couple that we could see in 2023. I’ve really enjoyed writing this Honorable Mention article because it can show the organization’s depth. If we are being honest, it can also show the limitations of prospect ranking. This can be former prospects coming off of bad years. It can be recently-acquired players (via trade or draft) that may not be the top picks but there is something intriguing. There may be players who have never been looked at as top prospects but continue to consistently get moved up and keep themselves in the conversation. In 2019, Luis Arraez and Jordan Balazovic appeared in this range of the list. The 2020 Honorable Mention article named players such as Jorge Alcala, Bailey Ober, and Akil Baddoo.) Last year’s Honorable Mentions were quite interesting. It included 2021 picks that have been traded in key trades such as Cade Povich and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. It also contained 2019 pick Sawyer Gipson-Long who was traded to the Tigers at the deadline. Casey Legumina was traded to the Reds for Kyle Farmer after being added to the Twins' 40-man roster. Oh, and wait until you see which players jumped from Honorable Mention last year into the Top 10 this year. Before we start, the following players are no longer “prospects” according to Baseball-Reference: Jose Miranda, Gilberto Celestino, Joe Ryan, Jovani Moran, Josh Winder, and Jhoan Duran. FIRST-ROUND FEATURE 2019 first-round pick Keoni Cavaco fell out of the top 20 last year and this year, out of the top 30. Honestly, the tools, speed, power, and arm strength are all still there. He returned to the Mighty Mussels in 2022 but made the move to third base. In 99 games, he hit .231/.275/.397 (.672) with 18 doubles, five triples, and 11 home runs. He missed a little time. He should move out of the Florida State League, so don’t give up on him yet. UTILITY TYPES IN UPPER LEVELS They may not be top prospects, but you have to have noticed that this organization places a lot of value on versatility and being able to play multiple positions. That becomes more valuable as guys reach the upper levels. Michael Helman’s ‘stock’ soared in 2022 when he split his season between Wichita and St. Paul. In 135 games, he hit .258/.337/.432 (.769) with 23 doubles and 20 homers while stealing 40 bases in 45 attempts. Drafted as an infielder, he has played all three infield and outfield spots over the past two seasons. Anthony Prato was a 7th-round pick from UConn in 2019. He split 2022 between Cedar Rapids and Wichita. Combined, he played 60 games in left field, 34 games at second base, 22 games at third base, and 12 games at shortstop. He also made starts, and first base and in right field. He played a combined 132 games and hit .285/.383/.444 (.827) with 30 doubles, eight triples, and 10 homers. He also stole 22 bases. Will Holland was the Twins 5th round pick in 2019 from Auburn. While he was drafted as a shortstop and made 15 starts at that position in Cedar Rapids, he has made a pretty clear transition to the outfield. He is arguably the fastest player in the organization and has played a lot of center field. After a late-season promotion to Wichita, he played solely in the outfield, playing more in the corners with DaShawn Keirsey in center. In 116 games, he hit .227/.339/.366 (.705) with 13 doubles, six triples, and nine homers. He also stole 32 bases in 38 attempts. BACKSTOPS The Twins added Christian Vazquez this offseason to team with Ryan Jeffers behind the plate. They have also added several veteran backstops, including Tony Wolters , Grayson Greiner and Chance Sisco, to play in St. Paul along with David Banuelos. While the Twins don’t have any high-ranking catcher prospects, there are a few intriguing guys who can catch if needed. Chris Williams was the team’s 8th-round pick in 2018 from Clemson. He played 117 games between Wichita and St. Paul. He hit .246/.343/.500 (.843) with 21 doubles and 28 home runs. While he made 81 starts at first base, he continued to get time behind the plate with 21 starts. A 29th-round pick in 2019 from TCU, Alex Isola, missed time in 2022 with an injury. However, he made 17 starts at first base and 17 more behind the plate. He got a few at-bats and continued to work in the Arizona Fall League where he caught three times and played 12 games at first base. Noah Cardenas was the team’s 8th-round pick in 2021 out of UCLA. He was the Twins Daily Minor league All-Star catcher in 2022 when he hit .261/.421/.413 (.834) with 18 doubles and nine homers. He started at first base 25 times and at catcher 56 times. He has thrown out 29% of would-be base stealers. WE HARDLY KNOW YE, YET There are several players that we just need to learn more about, and they fit in this category. Alejandro Hidalgo is the 19-year-old right-hander that the Twins received in the Gio Urshela deal. In Low-A in 2022, he made ten starts and went 0-3 with a 4.62 ERA and 1.36 WHIP. In 39 innings, he walked too many (19) but had an impressive 58 strikeouts (13.4 K/9). He currently has a low-90s fastball, but a changeup that can be really, really good. He is definitely one to watch in 2023. Brayan Medina was part of the Opening Day trade between the Twins and Padres. The 20-year-old pitched in just 10 games for the FCL Twins in 2022. It didn’t go well. In 23 2/3 innings, he struck out 24 batters, but he also walked 20 batters. Ariel Castro signed with the Twins about two weeks ago as a 16-year-old from Venezuela for $2.5 million. He hits left-handed, and he’s from Cuba. He’s got a sweet swing, but it’ll be fun to start following his career, which is likely to start in the DSL this year. Players from the 2022 draft to get some Top 30 recognition include right-handed pitcher Andrew Morris (4th round, Texas Tech) and Cory Lewis (9th round, UC-Santa Barbara), and infielders Ben Ross (5th round, Notre Dame College, OH), and Omari Daniel (14th round, The Walker School in Georgia). The reports are very interesting on both Lewis and Ross. INTERESTING ARMS Cody Laweryson’s 2022 season started a little late, but it ended spectacularly. The 2019 14th-round pick from Maine played in the Arizona Fall League in 2021. He began with 16 games (2 starts) in Cedar Rapids and posted a 2.57 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. He finished the season with 19 games, including eight starts, in Wichita. He dominated to the tune of a 1.06 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. In 94 2/3 innings, he had 111 strikeouts. He doesn’t throw really hard, but he’s got a funky delivery and hides the ball well. (See Laweryson's episode of Twins Spotlight.) Sean Mooney had Tommy John surgery in 2019 and the Twins selected him with their 12th-round pick that year. Since his return, he’s struggled to pitch consistent innings, but he has been a strikeout machine. In 2022 in Cedar Rapids, he posted a 3.30 ERA, and in 60 innings, he walked 30 but struck out 82 batters. Travis Adams split the 2022 season between Ft. Myers (15 starts) and Cedar Rapids (7 starts). He went a combined 6-8 with a 3.93 ERA. He had 108 strikeouts in 100 2/3 innings and had just 26 walks. While the numbers don’t jump out, the 2021 sixth-round pick is incredibly intriguing and could jump into the Top 20 a year from now. ---------------------- That is a lot of talent, and those are guys who rank outside of the Twins Daily Top 30 prospects. Check back over the next two weeks to see who our 2023 Top 30 Twins Prospects are. View full article

By 5:00 central time on Tuesday, teams will need to make their 40-man roster additions to keep eligible players from being selected in next month's Rule 5 draft. There are probably only a couple of sure-fire additions for the Twins, but there are at least another dozen players that the Twins likely had to have some discussion about as well. Who will they add? Image courtesy of William Parmeter / Mighty Mussels Since the end of the season, the Twins' front office has been cleaning up the 40-man roster that, had way more than 40 men on it. When the World Series finished, several players automatically came off the roster and became free agents. Carlos Correa exercised his option and became a free agent. The Twins Designated five players for Assignment early in the offseason. Three of them (Jermaine Palacios, Jake Cave, Caleb Hamilton) were claimed by other teams. Just last week, players still on the 60-Day Injured List were removed from the Injured List. At the same time, Cody Stashak was outrighted from the roster and elected free agency. All that is to say that a lot of roster work has been done already. Some of that is because, on Tuesday, teams have to submit additions to their 40-man rosters by 5:00 central time. The Twins' 40-man roster is currently at 36 players. There are 21 pitchers, one catcher, five infielders, and nine outfielders. The Twins (and other teams) may make a few small trades to clean up a couple more roster spots before the additions. Friday is another key date in the offseason when teams will need to decide which arbitration-eligible players to tender (or non-tender) a 2023 contract. A couple more players could potentially come off of the roster at that time. Before getting into the predictions for which Twins minor leaguers will be added to the team’s 40-man roster, it is important to note that some of these decisions were already made during the season. Louie Varland, Matt Wallner, and Simeon Woods Richardson all were added to the roster in September. If they had not been, they would have been Givens to be added now. Those three put up tremendous 2022 seasons in both Wichita and St. Paul and earned their late-season promotions. Secondly, who is eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft if they are not protected? Players who signed when they were 18 or younger in 2018 or earlier. Players who were 19 or older when they signed in 2019 or earlier. The age at signing is the key, but a general rule would be: Players drafted out of high school in 2017 or 2018. (unless they signed when they were 19) Players drafted out of junior college or four-year college in 2017, 2018, or 2019. International players signed at 16, 17, or 18 years old in 2016, 2017, or 2018. Finally, players added to the 40-man roster on Tuesday cannot be removed from the 40-man roster until spring training. That is important to remember when the team signs free agents or makes a trade this winter. So, here are my quick thoughts on players that should be, or at least should be considered to be, added to the Twins' 40-man roster. THE GIVENS 1.) 2B Edouard Julien - The 23-year-old from Quebec was the Twins 18th round pick in 2019 out of Auburn. Just this weekend, he was named the Breakout Prospect in the Arizona Fall League after he hit .400/.563/.686 (1.248) with five doubles and five home runs in 21 games. However, you could argue that he broke out during the 2022 regular season in Wichita where he hit .300/.441/.490 (.931) with 19 doubles and 17 home runs in 113 games. He even stole 19 bags. Of course, I would argue that he broke out in 2021, his professional debut after missing 2019 and 2020 due to Tommy John surgery and the Covid pandemic. He split that season between Ft. Myers and Cedar Rapids. In 112 games, he hit .267/.434/.480 (.914) with 28 doubles, 18 home runs, and 34 stolen bases. Where will he play? Well, he spent most of 2022 at second base. He has played first and third base in pro ball. Yes, he played a couple of games in left field in 2021, but that isn’t an option. Regardless, his all-around offensive game makes him a future top-of-the-lineup contributor. 2.) RHP Matt Canterino - Maybe not quite as “given” as Julien, but Canterino is absolutely a given to be added. He was the team’s second-round draft pick in 2019 out of Rice University. Since turning pro, two things have been true of the 24-year-old righty. First, when he has pitched, he has been absolutely dominant. In 11 games and 34 1/3 innings for Wichita in 2022, he posted a 1.83 ERA and struck out 50 batters. In 23 innings in 2021, he struck out 45 batters. His stuff is electric. Unfortunately, the second truth is that he has missed a lot of time with injury. He was shut down early in the 2021 season after experiencing some elbow pain. The rest-and-rehab was tried, but in 2022 at Wichita, he was limited to three innings per start and eventually four innings, but as his arm threw more, the pain continued. Finally, in mid-August, he underwent Tommy John surgery in Arlington making his availability to pitch in 2023 unlikely. But again, with this kind of talent, particularly with a pitcher, you keep him around and add him and don’t even give it a second thought. STRONG CONSIDERATIONS 3.) LHP Brent Headrick - In 2022, Headrick made 15 starts in Cedar Rapids before moving up to Double-A Wichita. In 2021, he was limited in the second half with some shoulder impingement. He stayed healthy throughout the 2022 season and went 10-5 with a 3.32 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. In 108 1/3 innings, he walked just 25 batters and struck out 136 batters. Now, his Double-A numbers don’t look as good. In 10 games, he went 2-3 with a 4.81 ERA. However, in his first Wind Surge appearance, he gave up seven runs on 10 hits (including five home runs) in 2 1/3 innings. Take away that outing, and he went 2-2 with a 3.54 ERA, and in 40 2/3 innings, he gave up just six more home runs. Headrick was the Twins seventh-round pick in 2019 out of Illinois State. 4.) UT Michael Helman - The Twins were excited to select Helman out of Texas A&M in the 11th round of the 2018 draft. After a strong pro debut that year, he really struggled in 2019 at High-A Ft. Myers and ended the season injured. After a lost 2020 season, he hit .246/.336/.462 (.798) with 21 doubles, four triples, and 19 home runs in Cedar Rapids. He added 21 steals. He finished that season by playing in the Arizona Fall League. He began the 2022 season with 39 games at Wichita where he hit .278/.368/.472 (.840) with six doubles, two triples, and six home runs. He finished the season in St. Paul where, in 96 games, he hit .250/.325/.416 (.741) with 17 doubles and 14 home runs. Combined, he ended the season with 23 doubles, 20 home runs, and an impressive 40 stolen bases. He has made himself a solid contributor at the bat. He has also worked very hard to get strong all over the field on defense. Drafted as a middle infielder, he started playing all over the place in 2021. In 2022, he played 43 games in center field, 41 games at second base, 29 games at third base, and 11 games at shortstop. In 2021, he played more in the corner outfield spots than in center field. He legitimately can play seven positions on the field, and maybe I should mention that when he went to junior college, he was a catcher. 5.) Misael Urbina - This is the potential upside addition. This is the guy with talent and athleticism and tools. The 20-year-old Urbina signed in July of 2018 out of Venezuela. He spent 2019 in the Dominican Summer League where he posted a solid .825 OPS with 21 extra-base hits and 19 stolen bases in 50 games. After the lost 2020 season, he came to the States in 2021. He didn’t make the Mighty Mussels Opening Day roster, but he was on the roster about a week later. He played 101 games for the Mighty Mussels and hit .191/.299/.286 (.585) with 12 doubles, four triples, five homes, and 16 steals. Unfortunately, Urbina missed about half of the 2022 season due to some visa issues. In 50 games for the Mighty Mussels, he hit .246/.323/.419 (.741) with 16 doubles, five homers, and nine stolen bases. The Twins have added players after they spend a year in Low-A. They did it in November 2013 when they added Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler after they played in Cedar Rapids that season. Of course, they also added Deibinson Romero and Estarlin de Los Santos to the 40-man roster after their Low-A seasons. (I’m sure @Roger will appreciate that reference.) It’s hard for me to believe that Urbina would be able to stick on a big-league roster all season, so this is very borderline. 6.) IF Yunior Severino - As you know, Atlanta signed Severino as a 16-year-old in 2016. He spent the following season with the Braves organization until they were deemed to have broken the rules of international signing and a bunch of their recently-signed international players became free agents again. This time, it was the Twins that gave him a big, seven-figure signing bonus. Severino has shown glimpses of talent, but he’s also missed time with injury. He broke out with a strong 35 games at the end of the 2021 season in Cedar Rapids when he hit .321/.414/.493 (.907) with 12 doubles and three homers. He began 2022 with 46 games with the Kernels and hit .283/.398/.572 (.970) with nine doubles, two triples, and 11 homers. He moved up to Wichita and hit .273/.338/.497 (.834) with eight doubles and eight home runs. At Cedar Rapids, he played mostly second base (and DH). With the Wind Surge, he played almost exclusively at third base. He is now 23 and could be a year away from being ready. 7.) C/1B Chris Williams - Chris Williams was the Twins' eighth-round pick in 2018 out of Clemson University. In 75 games for Wichita this summer, Williams hit .277/.372/.542 (.915) with 16 doubles and 18 home runs. He finished his season with 42 games in St. Paul. He hit just .192, but he had five doubles and 10 more home runs. This season, he played 83 games at first base and caught 24 games. He will turn 26 this month, but the Twins have a need for right-handed power and currently have just one catcher on their 40-man roster. Now, Williams is not going to do a lot of catching in the big leagues, but he can be a guy who can be a #3 catcher, a backup first base option, and a power bat off the bench might provide some value to the organization. 8.) RHP Cody Laweryson - Laweryson (pronounced Lor-ih-sun) was the Twins 14th round draft pick out of the University of Maine in 2019. In 2021, he missed the first two months of the season and then posted a 4.91 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 15 games for Cedar Rapids. He did have 73 strikeouts and just 19 walks over his 58 2/3 innings. He went to the Arizona Fall League and struck out 18 batters in 14 innings and pitched in the Fall Stars game. He began 2022 in the Kernels' bullpen. In 35 innings, he struck out 42 and walked 12 batters. He posted a 2.57 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. He moved up to Wichita where after 11 bullpen appearances, he made eight starts. He went 5-0 with a minuscule 1.06 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. In 59 2/3 innings, he struck out 69 and walked just 15 batters. In the entire season, he gave up just two homers over 94 2/3 innings. He’s got decent stuff and a bit of a funky delivery. Was his half-season in Wichita enough for someone to select him in the Rule 5 draft, or for the Twins to add him? 9.) OF DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. - Keirsey was the Twins' fourth-round pick in 2018 out of the University of Utah. He had a brutal injury after crashing into the wall at the end of his sophomore season in college, but inexplicably returned for his junior season and posted an OPS of 1.049. Since the Twins drafted him, his biggest issue has been staying on the field. He was limited to 45 games in Cedar Rapids in 2021 due to leg muscle issues. He never was able to get into a rhythm. In 2022, he was bumped up to Wichita and was on the field for 121 games. He had a solid showing, if not a bit of a breakout season. He hit .271/.329/.395 (.724) with 26 doubles, three triples, and seven home runs. While not a power hitter, at times he can really drive the ball and use the whole field. But his speed is absolutely electric and can be game-changing. He stole 42 bases in 49 attempts this year (86%), but he is an elite defensive center fielder, able to run down almost anything and unafraid to throw his body around to make a catch. His athleticism alone has to get him considered, and in 2022, he stayed on the field and really contributed. 10.) LHP Kody Funderburk - When the Twins drafted the lefty from Dallas Baptist in the 15th round of the 2018 draft, they had him as a pitcher only. In college, he was a very good hitter as well. Over time, he has worked solely as a pitcher and very quietly has made himself into a prospect to watch. He had a solid 2021 season between Cedar Rapids (where he started) and Wichita (where he was a reliever). He then went and made six starts in the Arizona Fall League. In 2022 at Double-A Wichita, he went 10-5 with a 2.94 ERA. In 107 innings, he had 103 strikeouts to 44 walks. He has a bit of a funky delivery that might make him intriguing to a team in the Rule 5 draft. 11.) C/1B Alex Isola - In 2017, Isola and Keirsey were teammates at Utah. Isola transferred a couple of times before the Twins made him their 29th-round pick in 2019 out of Texas Christian University. Isola just completed his six-week stint in the Arizona Fall League where he hit five doubles, and in the semi-final game launched a 420+ foot home run to help send his team to the championship game. Like Williams, part of the allure of Isola is his ability to play behind the plate as needed. With Wichita, he made 17 starts at first base and 17 starts behind the plate. He won’t win any Gold Gloves, but he could be a #3 catcher in the big leagues. His calling card is his bat. In 58 games with the Wind Surge in 2022, he hit .286/.377/.471 (.848) with nine doubles and 10 home runs. He puts together solid plate appearances with a good knowledge of the strike zone. He’s willing to take his walks, but he also can drive the ball to the gaps and over the wall. 12.) RHP Austin Schulfer - The 26-year-old was the Twins 19th round pick in 2018 out of UW-Milwaukee. In 2021, he led all Twins minor-league pitchers with 110 innings pitched over 24 starts at Double-A Wichita. In 2022, he returned to the Wind Surge to start the season and worked in 15 games out of the bullpen. He gave up just one earned run over 23 innings (0.39 ERA) and struck out 30 and walked only four batters. He recorded seven saves. He moved up to St. Paul where he went 4-3 with a 5.23 ERA. In 32 2/3 Triple-A innings, he struck out 31 batters and walked 13 batters. Schulfer has always made adjustments and should return to the Saints in 2023. Depending on the injury front in the Twins bullpen, we could see him debut at some point. HAVE TO AT LEAST CONSIDER LHP Evan Sisk - Acquired from the Cardinals at the deadline in 2021, he was the 2022 Twins Daily Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. 5-1, 2.08 ERA in a combined 63 innings between Wichita and St. Paul. Had 76 strikeouts to go with 29 walks. SS/OF Will Holland - the fastest runner in the Twins minor leagues, he is a great athlete and could provide a team with solid outfield or shortstop defense and pinch-running abilities. He was the team’s 5th-round pick in 2019 from Auburn. LHRP Denny Bentley - Bentley has been very good in the Twins minor leagues and can record a lot of strikeouts, but he does walk a lot of batters, as he did in the Arizona Fall League. RHRP Osiris German - German remains a very intriguing 24-year-old reliever. His best pitch is his changeup. After six games in Cedar Rapids, he worked in 37 games for Wichita. He posted a 3.02 ERA and had 17 walks and 59 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings. RHRP Hunter McMahon - he was the ninth-round pick by the Nationals in the 2019 draft. The Twins acquired him that offseason for Ryne Harper. He has pitched very little since. In 2021, he pitched in just five games. This year, he began in Ft. Myers (2.23 ERA), moved up to Cedar Rapids (1.19 ERA), and finished with four games in Double-A. In 73 2/3 combined innings. He had 76 strikeouts and just 16 walks. RHP Sean Mooney - The Twins 12th round pick in 2019 from St. John’s had Tommy John surgery that spring. So, he didn’t make his pro debut, officially, until 2021. In 42 innings, he had 71 strikeouts. In 2022 with Cedar Rapids, he posted a 3.30 ERA and had 82 strikeouts in 60 innings. Needs to stay healthy. UT Anthony Prato - 7th round pick in 2019 from UConn, Prato had a nice breakout season in 2022. He was limited in 2021 due to a broken hamate bone. In 2022, he played 45 games in Cedar Rapids before ending with 87 games in Wichita. Combined, he hit .285/.383/.444 (.827) with 30 doubles, eight triples, 10 homers, and 22 stolen bases. He played 60 games in left field, 34 games at second base, and 22 games at third base. RHP Randy Dobnak - Off the 40-man roster, if a team selected Dobnak, they would take on his contract too, so that’s unlikely. But, when he was healthy in 2019 and 2020, he was a solid back-of-rotation starter, and if he is healthy, could be that for a non-contender. RHRP Steven Cruz - MLB Pipeline ranks Cruz 28th in the organization. Ten (or even five) years ago, he would have ranked higher because he is capable of reaching triple-digits with his fastball. At 23, he posted a 5.14 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP in Wichita in 2022. In 56 innings, he had 72 strikeouts, but he also walked 35 batters. Love the arm, but hard to see him sticking in the big leagues. OTHER ELIGIBLE PLAYERS Hitters: David Banuelos, Andrew Bechtold, Kyle Schmidt, Seth Gray, Charles Mack, Jeferson Morales, Daniel Ozoria, Willie Joe Garry, Carlos Aguiar, Luis Baez, Wilfri Castro, Alexander Pena. Pitchers: Tyler Beck, Francis Peguero, Jon Olsen, Ryan Shreve, Brock Stewart, Michael Boyle, Jordan Brink, Jordan Gore, Casey Legumina, Alex Phillips, Regi Grace, Bradley Hanner, Derek Molina, Owen Griffith, Tyler Palm, Miguel Rodriguez, Matthew Swain, Zaquiel Puentes, Niklas Rimmel, Elpidio Perez, Wilker Reyes, Rafael Feliz, Danny Moreno, Alex Scherff, Andrew Cabezas, Ben Gross, Zach Neff, Josh Mitchell, Jose Brito. My prediction? This is as tough as I can remember this being. Again, we should be able to assume Canterino and Julien are added. After that, there are at least six to 10 others (and maybe more) where a legitimate case could be made. I am going to officially predict that they will also add Headrick, Helman, and Severino. I think Urbina is just not yet in a spot where he could stick in the big leagues, but I think he is at risk of being taken. He is probably the most interesting case (which is why I found a photo of him for the article). I think Chris Williams and Alex Isola are guys that could be at risk as well. Your turn? How many players will the Twins add to their 40-man roster by Tuesday’s deadline? Make your predictions for which players get added below. View full article

It's fun when the only game results in a win. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints TRANSACTIONS RHP Melvi Acosta placed on restricted list and removed from active roster (St. Paul) Saints Sentinel St. Paul 6, Indianapolis 3 Box Score Ariel Jurado: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K HR: Michael Helman (14), John Andreoli (15) Multi-hit games: Roy Morales (3-for-4, 2 R), John Andreoli (2-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI) Indianapolis struck first, leaving St. Paul at a 1-0 disadvantage before the first inning concluded; a Brendt Citta line-drive single plated Tucupita Marcano, and Citta reached second after a flub from right-fielder Cole Sturgeon. The Saints battled back; it took a few innings, but Sturgeon—perhaps looking to cancel out his error—broke the dam, tripling to right field while scoring two runs. Chris Williams knocked Sturgeon in with a well-placed groundball. Indianapolis jabbed back, nabbing a second run after a Marcano infield single. One inning later, a Mason Martin homer knotted the game at three. Undeterred, the Saints waited patiently, allowing innings to slip away harmlessly, leading the Guardians into an 8th-inning ambush. Michael Helman dealt the first blow; his solo homer out to right-center broke the tie and netted the speedy utility player his 14th bomb of the season. Three batters later, John Andreoli smoked a two-run shot to center, gifting the Saints the breathing room they needed; Indianapolis did not score in the final two innings. Ariel Jurado pitched five quality innings; July 14th was the last time he allowed more than two runs in an appearance. Ryan Jeffers caught the entire game and walked once in four trips to the plate. Evan Sisk and Brad Peacock both pitched a scoreless inning in relief. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Ariel Jurado Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – John Andreoli PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: Matt Wallner (Minnesota) - 0-for-4 SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Championship Series, Game 1: Wichita @ Frisco (5:05 PM) - LHP Kody Funderburk View full article

Louie Varland pitched great in his debut for the Minnesota Twins, striking out five Yankee batters over 5 1/3 innings pitched. He gave up a pair of runs on three hits with one walk. Down on the farm, both Michael Helman and Mark Contreras had big games in support of Ronny Henriquez, who struck out nine batters while giving up a pair of runs in five innings. Check out those highlights plus a rundown of the other minor league action in tonight's system recap. View full video

The Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox had a benches-clearing incident Friday after Jorge Lopez hit Andrew Vaughn with a pitch. Manager Rocco Baldelli was, once again, very animated. The Twins remain a game back in the division after losing 4-3. On the minor league side, tonight's recap includes highlights of Simeon Woods Richardson, Michael Helman, Travis Adams, Marco Raya, Keoni Cavaco and more. View full video

In about a year, the country is going to turn its eyes on Iowa for non-sports reasons. On Saturday night, the Saints were in Iowa and managed to steal a victory against the Cubs. Whitey Herzog would be proud! Wichita's balanced offense made a big comeback, and the late-season rains in Florida wreaked havoc again on Saturday. TRANSACTIONS OF Leobaldo Cabrera was activated by Wichita. OF Cole Sturgeon was activated by the Wind Surge and then promoted to the Saints. RHPs Ben Heller and Ariel Jurado were also activated by the Saints. SAINTS SENTINEL Iowa 3, St. Paul 6 Box score Simeon Woods Richardson took the mound for his second Saints start. In 5 2/3 innings, he gave up two runs on four hits and a walk. He also struck out eight batters. He earned his first Triple-A wins. Michael Feliz had one walk and one strike out in 1 1/3 innings. Mario Sanchez gave up a run in the eighth frame, but Brad Peacock locked things down in the ninth for his first Save. He struck out two batters in a perfect inning. Power and speed can be a great combination, right? The Saints used both to earn the win. The power? Mark Contreras hit a two-run in the fifth inning to put the Saints in the lead for good. It was his 13th home of the year. The speed? In yesterday’s report, we showed the organization’s leaders in stolen bases. In this game, the Saints added an incredible NINE stolen bases to their season total. Contreras stole two bases to go with his home. Michael Helman, who went 2-for-4 with a walk, led the way with four stolen bases. John Andreoli also stole two bags, and Matt Wallner added one as well. WIND SURGE WISDOM Frisco 6, Wichita 8 Box Score Lefty Aaron Rozek made the start and gave up four first-inning runs. After a scoreless second inning, the first two batters of the third inning reached. Andrew Cabezas allowed one of the inherited to score, so Rozek’s final lie was five runs on nine hits over two innings. Cabezas, other than the inherited runner that scored, tossed two scoreless frames. Francis Peguero gave up one run on a hit and a walk. He had two strikeouts over his two innings. Jordan Gore pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Casey Legumina came on and struck out three batters in a scoreless eighth frame. The Wind Surge had a very balanced offensive attack to put up their eight runs. All nine starters had one hit. No one had two, just one hit for everyone. In the first inning, Yunior Severino hit a two-run homer. In the fifth frame, Jair Camargo hit his ninth Wichita homer. The two each drove in two runs, as did Austin Martin who went 1-for-5. With an 8-6 lead going to the bottom of the ninth, Blayne Enlow was brought in for the save opportunity. After a leadoff walk, he struck out two batters on his way to a scoreless inning and his second Save. KERNELS NUGGETS Lake County 6, Cedar Rapids 0 Box Score OF Dylan Neuse hit a double. OK, that is it for the Hitters portion of the Kernels report. That’s it. One hit, two walks and 12 strikeouts. To the defensive portion of this game. OF Dylan Neuse had two outfield assists in this game, twice throwing out runners at first base. The Kernels also had two errors in the game. Lefty Jaylen Nowlin made his second Kernels start. He gave up three runs on four hits (2 homers) over five innings. He walked three and struck out six batters. He was replaced by Sean Mooney who gave up three runs on three hits in an inning. Jon Olsen came on and gave up one run on one hit over the final two innings. MUSSEL MATTERS Lakeland 2, Fort Myers 6 (Final-6) Box Score As per usual at this time of year, the Weather has been the “Winner” in Florida of late. As we mentioned yesterday, Brock Stewart started for the Mussels and went the first two innings. He gave up two runs on just one hit. Michael Boyle pitched a scoreless top of the third inning. Noah Cardenas hit a solo home run in the second inning, his ninth of the year. In the bottom of the third inning, Misael Urbina led off with a double. Ben Ross drove him in with a double. One batter later, Ross stole third base and then scored on a Cardenas single. Kala’i Rosario followed with an RBI double, his 20th two-bagger of the season. And that’s when the game was delayed by rain. It resumed in Ft. Myers on Saturday afternoon. After the second out of the bottom of the third inning was recorded, 2022 draft pick Alec Sayre singled to score Rosario. . Later in the game, the Mussels got one more run on the first professional home run from Tanner Schobel. In this game, Noah Cardenas went 3-for-3 with a single, double, and home run. When the Mussels took the field, they sent Marco Raya to the mound. Raya gave up a single and then was removed from the game with an injury. We are trying to learn more about the specifics. Malik Barrington came on and worked three scoreless, hitless innings. He walked one, hit one, and struck out four batters. Then the rains came again. The Mussels held the 6-2 lead after 5 1/2 innings, so the game was called complete. Boyle got the Win, and Barrington recorded the well-earned Save. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Malik Barrington (Ft. Myers) - 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Noah Cardenas (Ft. Myers) - 3-3, 2B (15), HR (9), 2 R, 2 RBI PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #4 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-5, 2 RBI, R #6 - Simeon Woods-Richardson (St. Paul) - 5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (78 pitches, 55 strikes) #8 - Marco Raya (Ft. Myers) - 0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (left with injury) #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 0-2, 2 BB, K, R, SB #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-3, R, RBI, 3 K #15 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, Save #18 - Tanner Schobel (Fort Myers) - 1-3, R, RBI, HR(1), #20 - Kala'i Rosario (Fort Myers) - 1-3, 2B(20), RBI, K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Here are the start times and probables for Sunday’s games. St. Paul @ Iowa (1:08 PM CST) - RHP Dereck Rodriguez Wichita @ Frisco (6:05 PM CST) - LHP Brent Headrick Cedar Rapids @ Lake County (12:00 PM CST) - TBD Lakeland @ Fort Myers (DH starting at 10:00 AM CST) - TBD, RHP Regi Grace Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Saturday's games. View full article

The Minnesota Twins were one out away from being shutout but rallied to tie the Giants in the bottom of the ninth inning and ended up winning on a walk-off walk in the 10th. Down in the minors, Simeon Woods Richardson had an impressive start for the Saints, Michael Helman stole four bases and Jair Camargo hit another homer for Wichita. All that and more in tonight's recap. View full video

The Minnesota Twins lost their fifth-straight game Wednesday night in Houston. An unfortunate misplay in the outfield by non-outfielder Tim Beckham helped unravel what was a disastrous bridge inning for Michael Fulmer. Prospects highlighted tonight include Michael Helman, Cody Laweryson, Edouard Julien, Austin Martin and Anthony Prato, who made a brilliant diving catch in left field. View full video

No time for an intro—Twins affiliates played eight games on Saturday and we have to go over all of them. TRANSACTIONS LHP Devin Smeltzer recalled from St. Paul Saints Sentinel (Game One: 7 Innings) St. Paul 4, Scranton Wilkes-Barre 5 Box Score Mario Sanchez: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K HR: Chris Williams (4), Braden Bishop (2) Multi-hit games: None The Saints lost the first game of their doubleheader. Devin Smeltzer was slated to start this match, but the Twins required his services, and Mario Sanchez became the game-one starter. A 1-2 punch 1st and 2nd inning dashed his hopes of dominating; he walked away from those frames with four earned runs to his name. St. Paul’s bats scratched across four runs—on just two hits—with Chris Williams and Braden Bishop both swatting homers in the effort. Two other runs scored off a groundout from Caleb Hamilton and a sacrifice fly donated by Williams. There is something aesthetically strange when a game has two homers—both solo shots—and no other hits while still ending up with four runs. That conundrum worked because of seven walks taken by Saints’ batters. Austin Schulfer tossed a pair of scoreless frames in the final two innings. (Game Two: 7 Innings) Saints 0, Scranton Wilkes-Barre 4 Box Score Juan Minaya: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The Saints lost an even uglier match for game two. The offense mustered up just two hits; the team took an equal number of walks and strikeouts (6 to 6), but the BABIP gods frowned upon St. Paul, and nothing came of their free passes. Juan Minaya pitched three scoreless innings as the opening act; Jovani Moran struck out five over two frames. Evan Sisk added a pair of punch outs in his scoreless frame. Michael Helman took two walks and swiped his 19th base of the season; no other hitter reached base more than once. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 10, Tulsa 7 Box Score Kody Funderburk: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K HR: Jair Camargo (6), Yunior Severino (2) Multi-hit games: Jair Camargo (3-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), DaShawn Kiersey Jr. (2-for-4, RBI) Wichita won a high-scoring game on Saturday. Despite the runs, most of the effort stemmed from just two innings; Wichita bunched homers in the 3rd inning, then bombarded Tulsa with piranha-style small ball in the 7th frame. Three singles and a groundout scored four runs. Outside of the blasts, Wichita took more walks than strikeouts (6 to 5) and collected eight other hits; Edouard Julien reached base five times. Kody Funderburk found the most success of all arms, swallowing five innings with just a pair of earned runs to his name. The 25-year-old lefty owns an ERA of 2.82 with the Wind Surge this season. Kernels Nuggets (Game One) Cedar Rapids 2, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 6 Box Score Luis Rijo: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Charles Mack (2-for-4, 2B, R) In the first game, the Kernels lost a battle that had begun the day before. The rain ended the prior engagement, but that pause did not gift the Kernels enough fortunate to win the game; Jake Rucker knocked in two runs with a 5th inning double but capped the scoring for Cedar Rapids. The Timber Rattlers had jumped on Luis Rijo on Friday; the righty allowed four credited runs in an eventful early game showing. Cedar Rapids’ bullpen smothered Wisconsin’s bats after play resumed, as the group allowed a single earned run—a 9th inning addition off an infield hit. Derek Molina carried the effort, tossing a trio of clean innings with two strikeouts. (Game Two) Cedar Rapids 8, Wisconsin 3 Box Score David Festa: 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K HR: Seth Gray (13) Multi-hit games: Seth Gray (3-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI), Jake Rucker (2-for-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB), Pat Winkel (2-for-2, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB) The Kernels found better fortune in the second game. David Festa led the way with an unusual stat line; the righty allowed three unearned runs, walked four batters, and still walked away with an improved season ERA. This game probably falls into the “we take those” category of starts. A trio of batters—Seth Gray, Jake Rucker, and Pat Winkel—led the offensive charge; the batters accounted for every hit by Cedar Rapids and knocked in seven runs. No other batter really contributed, but none needed to, thanks to the tremendous effort by the Gray-Rucker-Winkel triumvirate. Hunter McMahon and Matt Mullenbach worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings, giving Cedar Rapids pitchers a clean earned-run slate in this effort. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 2, Palm Beach 14 Box Score Marco Raya: 2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Noah Miller (2-for-4, R), Kala’i Rosario (2-for-4) The Mighty Mussels endured an old-fashioned clock-cleaning on Saturday. The Cardinals piled up 14 runs on 16 hits, haunting Mighty Mussels’ pitchers in six of the eight innings they hit in; no arm walked away with a clean ERA. Fort Myers batters racked up an impressive tally of hits as well—10 of them, in fact—but they failed to extend any of those knocks beyond the chance to claim first base. The team served up a doughnut—0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Keoni Cavaco earned his 18th error of the season; Noah Miller collected two hits. Complex Chronicles FCL Twins 2, FCL Red Sox 3 Box Score Wilker Reyes: 3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4K HR: Danny De Andrade (4) Multi-hit games: None The DSL Twins lost a slow, tightened game on Saturday. The arms did their part; DSL Twins pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 2 earned runs. Seven players participated. Unfortunately, an extra un-earned run proved deadly, as the batters failed to hold up their end of the bargain. Hitters collected just three hits; one of the knocks found its way over the fence, but that would be it for extra-base damage. Danny De Andrade was the culprit, and his 1st inning two-run shot both started and ended the night’s scoring output. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 9, DSL Rockies 10 Box Score Cesar Lares: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K HR: Yilber Herrera (1) Multi-hit games: Brayan Acuña (2-for-5, R, RBI), Anderson Nova (3-for-4, R, RBI), Denyerbe Gervis (2-for-5, R) The DSL Twins lost in an absurd affair. The game was your typical 5-5 matchup; neither team found an advantage over the other as each squad landed an equal total of jabs. An unbelievable flourish broke out in the 9th inning, as the DSL Rockies plated four runs and the DSL Twins called with four of their own. A two-run homer from Yilber Herrera—his first of the year—lead the offensive charge. Cesar Lares worked another impressive start; the lefty allowed one run over five innings, picking up five strikeouts along the way. His ERA on the season now stands at 2.93. No single batter stood out—it was more of a democratic approach on Saturday—but Jose Rodriguez collected his 15th double of the season, and Yasser Mercedes earned his 13th. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Cesar Lares Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jair Camargo PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 - Brooks Lee (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, BB, K #7 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 2-4, R #8 - Marco Raya (Ft. Myers) - 2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K #9 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-6, 2 BB, 2 K #13 - David Festa (Cedar Rapids) - 3 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K #14 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-1, 2 R, 3 BB, HBP #15 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K #20 - Kala’i Rosario (Ft. Myers) - 2-4 SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton Wilkes-Barre @ St. Paul (2:07 PM) - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Tulsa @ Wichita (1:05 PM) - LHP Aaron Rozek Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 PM) - TBD Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (11:00 AM) - RHP Regi Grace View full article

It was the MLB trade deadline on Tuesday, and the Minnesota Twins were one of the most aggressive buyers throughout the day. They acquired three MLB pitchers and a depth catcher, and in doing so parted with the #6, #10, #16, #19, and #20 prospects in their system per our own rankings—which will be receiving an update with a lot of changes tomorrow—as well as several other minor leaguers. TRANSACTIONS By acquiring MLB talent and giving up nothing but prospects, there was a lot to follow when it comes to transactions in the minors. Try to keep up… Trade #1: Twins acquire RHP Jorge Lopez from the Baltimore Orioles, sending off Cedar Rapids’ LHP Cade Povich (#10 TD prospect), RHP Yennier Cano (St. Paul), RHP Juan Nunez (DSL), and LHP Juan Rojas (FCL) in the deal. Trade #2: Twins acquire RHP Tyler Mahle from the Cincinnati Reds, trading away St. Paul IF Spencer Steer (#6 TD Prospect), Wichita slugger Christian Encarnacion-Strand (#16 TD Prospect), and Fort Myers LHP Steve Hajjar (#19 TD prospect) in the swap. Trade #3: In a depth trade between division rivals, the Twins sent RHP Ian Hamilton to the Cleveland Guardians for C Sandy Leon. Leon was assigned to triple-A after the move. Trade #4: Twins acquire RHP Michael Fulmer from the Detroit Tigers, parting with Wichita RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (#20 TD prospect) to get Fulmer to swap clubhouses at Target Field. To cover the exiting players and corresponding moves with the Twins (IL: Miguel Sano (60 Day), Alex Kirilloff (10 Day); Paternity: Gilberto Celestino; DFA: Jharel Cotton, Aaron Sanchez), the St. Paul Saints received RHP Ben Heller and C Frank Nigro from the Florida Complex, as well as IF Mikey Perez from Fort Myers. OF Jake Cave also had his contract selected by the Twins. In Double-A, the Wind Surge transferred C Dennis Ortega from the IL to the Development List. For the Mighty Mussels, RHP Zaquiel Puentes was assigned from the FCL, and RHP Regi Grace was activated from the injured list. Did I miss any?! Probably… SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 13, Omaha 4 Box Score If you were worried that the St. Paul Saints would lose some firepower sending off their top-hitting prospect earlier in the day, you would have been wrong. Very Wrong. Saints starter Devin Smeltzer was spotted a big lead before he ever took the mound, and his lineup continued to provide him breathing room as the game went on. The first three hitters of the game reached base for St. Paul, with Matt Wallner’s double scoring two before John Andreoli clubbed the team’s first home run of the game, making it 4-0 after a half-inning. Smeltzer was able to battle through five innings, surrendering four runs of his own on five hits and a walk, but also struck out six Storm Chasers. Of his 79 pitches, 54 went for strikes (68%) including 12 swinging. The Saints used the long ball to extend their lead throughout the rest of the game, with Michael Helman blasting a pair of homers, including a two-run blast in the fourth and solo shot in the eighth, with David Banuelos adding another two-run dinger in the sixth. Helman, in fact, was electric in every at-bat, becoming the second player in affiliated franchise history to ever collect five hits in a game, joining Jose Miranda who did the same in his triple-A debut last year on his 23rd birthday. Relievers Juan Minaya and Drew Strotman combined to hold the Storm Chasers scoreless over the final four innings. Minaya was nearly perfect, hitting the first batter he faced with a pitch but retiring the next six in a row, including one strikeout. Strotman worked around one hit allowed and three walks in the final two frames by inducing two inning-ending double play balls. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 3, San Antonio 4 Box Score The Missions jumped on Wichita starter Casey Legumina in the first two innings, and Wichita needed to claw their way back the rest of the game. Legumina got the first two hitters of the game, but a single and a walk were followed by a two-run triple and an RBI double that put them ahead 3-0 early. An error against the leadoff man in the second led to their fourth run a few batters later. In all, Legumina finished four innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk. He struck out two. The Wind Surge got their first run of the game in the top of third after DaShawn Keirsey Jr. led off the inning with a single. He advanced to second on a groundout, then third on a balk, before scoring on another groundout off the bat of Ernie Yake. The bullpen trio of Bryan Sammons (2 IP, H, 3 K), Steven Cruz (1 IP, 2 K), and Denny Bentley (1 IP, BB, K) kept the Missions off the board and gave Wichita a chance the rest of the way. In the eighth, the Wind Surge had the bases loaded with no outs, but a sac fly and RBI groundout were all they could muster after a pitching change, getting within one heading to the ninth. They went down one-two-three and fall to 51-45 on the season, but still lead the North division with a 16-12 record in the second half. Julien (2-for-4, R, K) and Nash Knight (2-for-4, K) had multiple hits. The Wind Surge did not have an RBI come from a hit in the scorebook, were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, and left six men on base for the game. KERNELS NUGGETS Beloit 11, Cedar Rapids 6 Box Score Luis Rijo took the mound for the Kernels and his outing was predictive of how it would go for their pitchers as a whole, and not in a good way. In his 3 2/3 innings, Rijo ended up surrendering four earned runs on six hits and a pair of walks, while only picking up one strikeout. Bradley Hanner got them through the fourth, allowing one inherited runner to score, but allowed four straight hits to open the fifth, culminated by a grand slam that put the Sky Carp in front 8-3. Matt Mullenbach finished the fifth and added a scoreless sixth before he too, ran into some trouble in the seventh. While both his runs allowed were unearned due to an error, it was 10-3 after seven. Jon Olsen (1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 K) and Ryan Shreve (1 IP) finished off the game for the Cedar Rapids pitching staff. The Kernels did have a lead after the third inning, thanks to an RBI single from Yunior Severino in the first that he followed up with a two-run homer in the third that made it 3-2. This continues a scorching hot start to the second half of the season for the infielder. While they did rack up 13 hits as a team, they were just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, compared to 15 hits and a 6-for-16 effort from Beloit to account for the scoring discrepancy. Kyler Fedko (3-for-5, 2 R, 2B), Rucker (2-for-5, R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, K), Severino (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, K), Gray (2-for-5, RBI, K), and Will Holland (2-for-4) all had multiple hits in the loss. MUSSEL MATTERS Bradenton 2, Fort Myers 1 (7 innings) Box Score After a two-hour delayed start, the Mighty Mussels game on Tuesday would only go seven innings. Fort Myers probably would have liked to have those two more. Right-hander Pierson Ohl took the bump and was fantastic over his five innings. He allowed no runs, scattered five hits, and struck out seven Marauders, including all three in the fourth inning. He left the game with a 1-0 lead, but it could have been more, as the Mighty Mussels managed to only scratch one run across the plate in the second inning after having the bases loaded with no outs. That run came in the form of a sac fly from Daniel Ozoria to score Dillon Tatum, who had drawn a walk to lead off the frame. They loaded the bases again in the third but were unable this time to score any runs, as hits were hard to come by for the home team. They had just three singles in the game, were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position, and left only five men on base. After Ohl’s game was done, Malik Barrington came on for the sixth and Bradenton took advantage of two consecutive walks and a wild pitch to start the inning. Barrington would record just two outs, allowing the go-ahead runs on a flyout and single before being replaced by Zaquiel Puentes. Puentes finished the final 1 1/3 innings, striking out two in his first Mighty Mussels game of the season. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Orioles 1, FCL Twins 7 (7 innings) Box Score The Twins used a five-run fifth inning to pull away from the Orioles, and kept them in check the rest of the way to secure the victory. Veteran Ryan Horstman started on the mound and struck out all three hitters he faced in the first. Develson Aria then went the next three innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six. Leyner Ponce (1 IP, 2 BB, K), Cole Bellair (1 IP, H, K), and Ricardo Velez (1 IP, K) each tacked on a scoreless inning. With the bases loaded in the fifth, the Twins got a 2-run single from Andres Centeno, which was followed by a two-run double off the bat of Gregory Duran that made the score 6-1. Willie Joe Garry Jr. tacked on an RBI single to cap the scoring. Garry Jr. (2-for-4, RBI) and Duran (2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB) each had two hits, and Jefferson De La Cruz added a 2-RBI triple in the fourth. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 4, DSL Miami 0 (7+ innings) Box Score The Twins pitching staff held Miami to just four hits in the game, which was called official in the bottom of the seventh inning. DSL standout Miguel Olivares picked up his first win of the year by finishing five innings. He allowed three hits, walked one, and punched out five, lowering his ERA in 39 total innings to just 1.15. Leonardo Lugo picked up his first save by going 1+ innings, allowing one hit, one walk, and striking out one. The offense was led by two hits from Brayan Acuna (2-for-4, RBI) and Anderson Nova (2-for-3), and got a triple from Yasser Mercedes, and two-run homer from Ricardo Pena. Mercedes also stole two bases, giving him 20 on the season in 30 games. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day - Pierson Ohl, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 7 K) Hitter of the Day - Michael Helman, St. Paul Saints (5-for-5, 4 R, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY #8 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 0-for-3 #12 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 2-for-4, R, K WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Omaha (7:05 PM CDT) - RHP Ronny Henriquez (1-4, 5.71 ERA) Wichita @ San Antonio (7:05 PM CDT) - TBD (Sawyer Gipson-Long had been scheduled) Beloit @ Cedar Rapids (12:05 PM CDT) - LHP Aaron Rozek (7-4, 4.35 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CDT) - LHP Jaylen Nowlin (3-3, 4.24 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! View full article

Michael Helman started his breakout last summer in Cedar Rapids. It continued in the Arizona Fall League, and he's taken it to a different level in 2022. After a strong start in Wichita, Helman has been impressive with the Saints. Recently, Twins Daily's Theodore Tollefson sat down with the Saints super utility player to talk about his hitting, fielder, and season so far. Michael Helman is not used to the frigid Minnesota cold which is why he was thankful to be called up the St. Paul Saints on May 31 instead of in April. Although he grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, the cold there never reaches the frigid temps it does in Minnesota. Helman was drafted by the Twins in the 11th round of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft as a second baseman out of Texas A&M. Now he finds himself playing almost every position as the Twins organization has developed him into a super utility player at both Double-A Wichita and Triple=A this season. Helman spoke on the shifts around to different positions as the season has gone on saying, “I always feel comfortable in the outfield. Third base, I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable there and actually starting to get some shortstop now [including tonight], which is just definitely new and I'm not opposed to trying every single position.” Last night, Helman played his first game at shortstop for the season. He has only played 15 games at the position professionally and while he is still making adjustments to the position, he is ready to take on the challenges ahead to become the super utility player he hopes to be. “I would say it's mainly just you're clocking in and field. At second base, I feel like I usually have a lot more time. Same with third base because everything's usually hit pretty hard. Shortstop is a little different, where you have to have good rhythm, timing, getting to the ball and getting it out quick,” said Helman. Current manager for Helman, Toby Gardenhire, spoke on the greatness of having him as a versatile utility player, "That's the goal with the way baseball is heading nowadays. To be able to put different guys in different positions on any given day based on who the pitcher matchups are and you see teams like the Dodgers do a really good job of that there. If you can get guys like Michael to play in the outfield, sometimes at the corner positions, you can do so many different things. All it does is help you out when you're trying to make out a lineup because, I can speak for example, when I'm making a lineup I don't really worry about where Helman or Soto are. I just worry about the rest of the guys and I figure out where we don't have a guy and then I put down Helman there, and that's a really nice thing about him." Along with covering every corner of the diamond, Helman has had his best season at the plate in 2022 too. In 77 total games this season, Helman is hitting .284/.370/.470 (.840) with 12 home runs, 39 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. Helman has attributed his hitting success this season and in 2021 to Twins Minor League Hitting Coordinator Bryce Berg. Berg has spent three seasons with the Twins organization, originally hired to be the Cedar Rapids Kernels hitting coach for the 2020 season. With that season canceled across the minor leagues due to COVID-19, Helman was able to get a lot of one-on-one mentorship with Berg that has shaped him into the hitter he is today. “Having 2020 off was kind of a big refresher because I just came off a tough year with the Miracle. Going into that spring training, I felt the best I've ever felt. When they ended up canceling the season that hurt. But at the same time, I built off what I was feeling and/or doing during that spring training and just worked out through 2020 with Bryce Berg, our hitting coordinator now. He had a lot of good things to help me with and everything just clicked,” said Helman. "Mike's journey was was pretty fun to work through. I think the best testament to him was just the fact that from a growth perspective, he was always open to grow. He was always open minded about new things, which was going to be really helpful for him, he came off of a season in 2019, where he got hurt. He's done a great job throughout his career of making contact, not striking out," said Berg on his experience mentoring Helman since 2020. Helman went into sharing the small details where he really felt helped with his hitting from Berg saying, “It was mainly timing with my swing and being able to get ready earlier in the box than I usually expected. Working with Bryce, I found I needed to have a more vertical swing path. We did a lot of drills that helped with that.” In addition to Berg, Helman has received mentorship from current teammates John Andreoli and Mark Contreras. Being around these two and other teammates with Big League experience has helped him grow a lot in his short time with the Saints. “I played with Mark before our time here. A lot of these guys I've played with earlier in my career, and it's just nice to have them around and be able to talk to them about certain things that they've seen coming up through the system. Mark talks to everybody, and he's shared everything on his time with the Twins this year. He's a great guy who loves to make friends around the clubhouse, and now he shares his experiences and I think it's definitely worthwhile to listen in.” The month and a half that Helman has spent on the Saints roster has been the longest amount of time he has spent in Minnesota in his life. He did make a trip up to the state as a kid for a softball tournament his sister participated in and made a stop at Mall of America during that time. Now, he’s becoming accustomed to the state and fully aware the warm weather won’t be around forever as his Saints teammates who played frigid games in April have reminded him. “I am from Nebraska. I’ve played in cold weather, snow and everything else there. But after going out to Texas for school and coming back, I mean, I don't know what it’s like playing in the cold weather anymore.” No matter how the weather is on game days for the remainder of the season, Helman is excited to see what comes his way. Whether it's trying to play as many different positions in the field as possible, bringing his season totals at the plate to all-time career highs, or finally making his MLB debut. Helman has nothing but high hopes for the remainder of the 2022 season. View full article

Matt Wallner had four hits. Christian Encarnacion-Strand homered again. Jaylen Nowlin continued to strike out batters. 54 runs were scored throughout the Twins’ minor league system tonight. Read about this and more in Wednesday’s Minor League Report! Let’s see what happened this Wednesday in the Twins organization. TRANSACTIONS The Twins activated RHP Joe Smith from the 15-day IL RHP Josh Winder was optioned to AAA St. Paul AAA St. Paul released RHP JC Ramirez SAINTS (AAA) GAME 1 (CONTINUATION OF 7/12) St. Paul 11, Toledo 6 Box Score The Saints continued the game from Tuesday in which they only played 1+ innings before getting suspended. On Tuesday, Cole Sands started and gave up three runs in two innings. The Saints, however, gave him some support thanks to a homer from Michael Helman, an RBI double from Mark Contreras, and a two-run double from Miguel Sano. This game was picked up in the bottom of the second, where the Saints' rally (which ended after Sano’s double) was put to a halt to end the second inning. After the continuation, the Saints decided to use a bullpen game for the remaining seven innings. Tyler Viza, Hunter Wood, and Wladimir Pinto each threw two innings. Viza allowed two runs, and the other two didn’t allow any runs. The trio struck out seven batters and allowed four hits over six innings. The Saints got some offensive fireworks in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Jake Cave hit a two-run homer for his 12th of the season. One inning later, Caleb Hamilton hit a two-run shot for his 10th of the season, and Helman hit his second of the game, sixth of the season, to give the Saints a 10-5 lead. In the eighth, Contreras added another RBI double to pad the lead. Toledo scored one run in the top of the ninth, but it wasn’t enough as the Saints cruised to a five-run victory backed by four homers. Viza picked up the win for the Saints. Tim Beckham and Contreras had 3-hit games. Helman added two hits, and John Andreoli scored three runs. The Saints improved their record to 41-43 with the win. GAME 2 St. Paul 2, Toledo 8 Box Score The Saints should’ve saved some runs for game two. Through two innings, it looked like it was going to be a pitchers’ duel. Ronny Henriquez started for the Saints, cruising through two innings as he had struck out three and not allowed a run. On the other side, it was Shea Spitzbarth for Toledo. He, like Henriquez, had skated through two without allowing a run. Unlike Henriquez, Spitzbarth didn’t blow up in the third. For Toledo, Kody Clemens hit a three-run homer off of Henriquez to give Toledo their first lead of the game. Toledo went to their bullpen in the fourth, which backfired when Caleb Hamilton laced a two-run double into the left-field corner. Hamilton has been on fire in July, slashing .308/.400/.808 (1.208) across 26 at-bats. Sadly, those would end up being the only runs of the game for the Saints. Tyler Thornburg came in and had a disastrous outing, allowing four runs in a third of an inning. He went into a one-run game in the top of the sixth with a runner on first. He allowed a single, got a guy to ground out, walked a batter, then allowed a bases-clearing double and a two-run homer. He exited, and the Saints had a six-run deficit with six outs to play. After the sixth, the Saints couldn’t get anything going offensively, and they took the disappointing loss 8-2. Henriquez picked up the loss for the Saints as his record fell to 1-4. Helman went 2-for-3 to lead the offense, along with Hamilton’s two RBI. The Saints had to resort to a doubleheader split as their record fell to 41-44. WIND SURGE (AA) Wichita 16, Arkansas 12 Box Score The Wichita Wind Surge won in an absolute slugfest on Wednesday afternoon by a score of 16-12. The game was all Wichita early on. In the first inning, Cole Sturgeon started the scoring with a three-run homer, his seventh of the year. Later that inning, DaShawn Keirsey hit an RBI single to give Wichita an early 4-0 lead. In the second, Chris Williams scored Matt Wallner with an RBI single. In the third, Keirsey hit another RBI single, Wallner hit a two-run single, and Chris Williams hit a three-run homer to increase the lead to 11. And in the fourth, Daniel Ozoria hit an RBI single, Wallner hit another RBI single, and Edouard Julien hit a sac-fly to increase the lead to 14-0 early on. But Arkansas said not so fast. After Wichita starter Sawyer Gipson-Long survived the first four innings, only allowing three hits and no runs, he blew up in the fifth. Arkansas scored nine runs in the fifth, seven off of Gipson-Long, and two off of reliever Steven Klimek thanks to five doubles and a homer. Denny Bentley came in to pitch in the sixth, hoping to settle things down, and he did, throwing three strong innings, allowing one run, and striking out two. The lead was down to four, but Wichita increased it back to six in the bottom of the eighth thanks to an RBI single from Anthony Prato and a sac-fly from Wallner. Manuel Acosta allowed a two-run homer in the ninth, but it was not enough for Arkansas as the Wind Surge held on for a 16-12 win. Bentley picked up the win for Wichita, his second of the year. Wallner and Prato each had four hits to lead the offense. Sturgeon and Keirsey had three hits apiece, while Julien, Williams, and Nash Knight had two to help the offense. Every Wind Surge starter recorded a hit as the offense recorded 20 hits in the win. Wallner and Williams drove in four runs each in a memorable win for Wichita as they improved their record to 42-40. KERNELS (HIGH-A) Cedar Rapids 4, Beloit 2 Box Score The Kernels rode an all-around solid pitching performance and one particular hot bat to a victory Wednesday night that put them nearly 20 games above .500. The Kernels got off to a hot start in the top of the first when Christian Encarnacion-Strand belted his 20th homer of the season. Encarnacion-Strand has burst onto the scene this year in his first full professional season and has an impressive .969 OPS. Like the Saints, the Kernels went with a bullpen game. Jon Olsen started on the mound for Cedar Rapids and allowed two runs in the first. These proved to be the game's only runs for Beloit as the rest of the pitching staff was shut down. Matthew Swain gave two scoreless innings of relief, Orlando Rodriguez gave three, Tyler Palm gave two, and Ryan Shreve gave one. The four only allowed three hits in eight innings while striking out seven batters and not walking any. The Kernels took the lead for good in the top of the fifth when who else, but Encarnacion-Strand hit a two-run double to score Charles Mack and Kyler Fedko. Seth Gray followed with an RBI single to give the lead a little padding. With the win, the Kernels improve to 51-32 on the year. Rodriguez picked up his third win, and Shreve got the save, his first of the year. Encarnacion-Strand went 3-for-4 with three RBI to lead the offense, and Gray added two hits in the contest. MIGHTY MUSSELS (LOW-A) Fort Myers 6, Clearwater 2 Box Score The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels continued their dominant season on Wednesday with a convincing 6-2 win over Clearwater. Jaylen Nowlin made a start for Fort Myers in this one. He threw four innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out seven batters. In 2022, Nowlin has struck out 14.69 batters per nine innings, which ranks second in the Florida State League among pitchers with at least 40 innings. Fort Myers got the scoring started in the bottom of the first when Misael Urbina hit a leadoff double, and Noah Miller followed with a single, scoring Urbina to give the Mighty Mussels a 1-0 lead early. Clearwater responded with an unearned run in the top of the second after a Keoni Cavaco throwing error allowed a runner to reach base. The runner came around to score on a two-out RBI single. Fort Myers broke the game open at the bottom of the fourth inning. The game was tied 1-1 when Mikey Perez roped a two-run single to left, scoring Miller and Kala’i Rosario. One pitch later, Noah Cardenas hit a two-run homer, his fourth of the year, to give Fort Myers a 5-1 lead. Manager Brian Meyer called on Juan Mendez to relieve Nowlin in the top of the fifth with a four-run lead. Mendez threw two perfect innings of relief to keep the score intact while striking out two batters. After Mendez was done, Anthony Escobar came in and threw two scoreless innings of his own, lowering his season ERA to 0.93. Alex Rodriguez (no, not that one) plated Luis Baez with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to give Fort Myers another insurance run. Clearwater plated a run in the top of the ninth, but it wouldn’t be enough as the Mighty Mussels held on for the victory. Mendez picked up the win on the mound for Fort Myers, and multi-hit games led the offense from Rosario and Cardenas. Baez stole two bases, and Miller reached base three times in the win. Fort Myers improved their record to 46-32 with the win. DOMINICAN DAILIES GAME ONE DSL Twins 7, DSL Nationals 2 (Continuation of Suspended Game) Box Score Starting Pitcher: Jeferson Lopez (0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K) Winning Pitcher: Roger Duran (3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K) Multi-Hit Games: Daniel Pena (2-for-2) 2B: Anderson Nova (1) HR: Rafael Cruz (1) GAME TWO DSL Twins 8, DSL Nationals 0 Box Score Starting Pitcher: Jose Betancourt (0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) Winning Pitcher: Ledwin Taveras (4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K) Multi-Hit Games: Junior Marino (3-for-3), Jose Rodriguez (2-for-4), Anderson Nova (2-for-4) 2B: Nova (2), Rodriguez (7) TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Jaylen Nowlin (Fort Myers) - 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K) Hitter of the Day – Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 4-for-4, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B (15), BB PROSPECT SUMMARY We will again keep tabs on the Twins' top prospects. You’ll probably read about them in the team sections, but if they aren’t there, you’ll see how they did here. Here’s a look at how the current Twins Daily Top 20 performed: #8 - Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 1-for-2, R, RBI, 2 BB #12 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 4-for-4, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B (15), BB #14 - Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 4 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, 3B (2), BB #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B (23), HR (20), SB (7) #17 - Cole Sands (St. Paul) - 2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K #20 - Sawyer Gipson-Long (Wichita) - 4 2/3 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 0 BB, 6 K THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Toledo @ St. Paul (7:07 PM CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (0-3, 9.55 ERA) Arkansas @ Wichita (7:05 PM CST) - RHP Cody Laweryson (1-0, 0.87 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35 PM CST) - RHP David Festa (5-0, 1.91 ERA) Clearwater @ Fort Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Mike Paredes (4-2, 2.19 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! Thank you for reading, and Go Twins! View full article