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A week ago, we ran our first Winter League report of the season (offseason?). Play had begun in Venezuela a couple of weeks earlier. The Dominican Winter League began Friday of a week ago. Last night the Puerto Rican Winter League began its schedule. We are still a couple of weeks from the start the Australian Winter League.Here is a quick look at how Twins players have started in their winter leagues. VENEZUELAN WINTER LEAGUE The following players have played so far in Venezuela: Luis Arraez played five games this past week. He went 5-20 with a double. Overall, in 17 games, he is hitting .270/.288/.349 (.637) with three doubles and a triple in 63 at-bats. Niko Goodrum also played in five games this week for Caribes. He went 5-17 with two doubles and scored four runs. In 71 total at-bats, he is hitting .282/.350/.394 (.744) with six doubles and a triple. Heiker Meneses went 6-18 in his five games this past week. He had a double. In 15 total games and 51 at-bats, he is hitting .314/.375/.471 (846) with three doubles, a triple and a home run. Jairo Rodriguez played in four games this week. He went 4-9, which included a two-run double. In 12 total games and 34 at-bats, he is hitting .294/.300/.324 (.624) with the double and six RBIs. Reynaldo Rodriguez played in five games this week and went 5-12 with a double and a homer. Overall, he has 69 at bats in 18 games. He’s hitting .348/.384/.594 (.978) with three doubles, a triple, four homers and 14 RBIs. He will play for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic next spring. Wilfredo Tovar went 4-21 with two doubles over five games this week. In 18 games, he is already 25-75 and hitting .333/.383/.427 (.809) with seven doubles. Victor Tademo pinch ran once this week. He has played in four games, all pinch-running. He has one stolen base and scored a run. Omar Bencomo made one start this week. In it he gave up two runs on seven hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out five. He has thrown 20.1 total innings in four stars. He is 1-0 with a 2.21 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. Opponents are hitting just .234 off of him. He has two walks and 13 strikeouts. Lefty Nick Greenwood did well in his start. He gave up one run on three hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked none. In his three starts, he is 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. In his 14 innings, he has given up 14 hits, walked two and struck out seven. Opponents are hitting .269 off of him. Ryan O’Rourke pitched in three more games. He accumulated just 1.2 innings and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk. Overall, he has worked 3.2 innings in eight appearances.His ERA is north of 19 and his WHIP is approaching three. Left-handed batters are hitting just .143 against him. However, right-handers are hitting a robust .545 off of him. Edwar Colina pitched a scoreless inning in his only appearance to this point. He gave up two hits. In the DSL this year, he posted a 2.30 ERA in 58 innings. Of these players, Meneses, both Rodriguez’s, Tovar, Bencomo and Greenwood will likely all become free agents following the completion of the World Series. DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUE Last week, the DSL was just one game old. This week, they put in a full week of action. Daniel Palka has now played in six games. He it hitting .240/.240/.240 (.480). He is 6-25 on the young season with no walks and seven strikeouts. Carlos Paulino has played in seven games and is 6-24. He is hitting .250/.250/.250 (.500). He can become a free agent at the end of the World Series. PUERTO RICAN WINTER LEAGUE The schedule started on Friday night. Juan Centeno went 0-5 last night for Tiburones de Aquadilla. Nelson Molina went 0-2 with a strikeout and a run scored. He is playing for Indios de Mayaguez. A quick glance at the league rosters shows that several Twins players are on rosters. It will be interesting to see who plays when, or if at all. On Molina’s Mayaguez roster are Jose Berrios, Kennys Vargas, and Eddie Rosario. Also, Dereck Rodriguez is on the roster. Hector Santiago, JJ Fernandez and Lean Marrero are on the Carolina roster. AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE The ABL will begin in mid-November. Please feel free to ask questions and discuss these players and leagues. Click here to view the article

Minnesota's minor league affiliates are starting to hit their stride as the season is underway and players are beginning to settle into their roles with the club. The weather is still chilly in many parts of the country and this can impact both pitchers and hitters at this early junction of the season. Over the last two weeks, I've tried to pick out some breakout minor league players on both sides of the ball. Some of the hitters I selected are off to decent starts and I expect their bats to heat up as the weather improves. Pitchers can be up and down but one of the players I picked had a tremendous start on Tuesday night. Let's dive into the action.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Lehigh Valley 6 Box Score (Game 1- 7 Innings) Lehigh Valley wasted little time jumping on Logan Darnell as the IronPigs used a two-run home run in the first inning to take the lead and never looked back. Darnell allowed six earned runs on seven hits in five innings of work. Buddy Boshers and Dan Runzler put up zeros the rest of the way but there wasn't enough offensive firepower in game 1. Rochester was held with out an extra-base hit and Reynaldo Rodriguez was the only batter to record multiple hits. Jorge Polanco knocked in the team's only run with a sacrifice fly and he ended the game hitting .462 so far this season. Rochester 0, Lehigh Valley 4 Box Score (Game 2- 7 Innings) Mark Appel showed Rochester why he was the first overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. He pitched into the sixth inning while scattering five hits and striking out five. David Martinez started opposite Appel and was pulled after 6.1 innings as he allowed three earned runs on seven hits. Ryan O'Rourke recorded the last two outs but not before allowing the final run to score. Both Rochester pitchers failed to strike out a batter. Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with a couple of singles to complete a four-hit day. Juan Centeno had the team's only extra-base hit, a double, and it was his first double of the season. The team saw very limited action with runners in scoring position (0-for-3 with RISP) and left seven men on base. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Jackson 4 Box Score A day after the Twins competed in their home opener the Lookouts returned to Chattanooga for a home opener of their own. The Lookouts have struggled out of the gate this season (1-5 record) and that trend continued on Monday as the club lost a back-and-forth battle with Jackson. Jason Wheeler started the night on the mound and he did not allow an earned run in six frames. However, an Engelb Vielma error at shortstop led to three unearned runs in the top of the fourth inning. One inning later, Travis Harrison collected a two-out RBI single after Zach Granite had started the inning with a double. Granite went 2-for-5 while scoring twice. Leonardo Reginatto, Stuart Turner and Joe Maloney all had doubles but the team left 10 runners on base and was 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position. Alex Wimmers pitched a perfect seventh inning with a strikeout and no walks. Mason Melotakis was charged with his first loss of the season as he gave up the go-ahead run in the eighth frame. J.T. Chargois struck out a pair of batters to close out the ninth. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 2, Brevard County 1 Box Score Randy Rosario was the story of this game as he took a perfect game into the sixth inning and the Miracle were able to survive with a 2-1 victory. Rosario retired the first 16 batters and struck out four batters in the first two frames. By the time he was removed, he had eight strikeouts across six innings with no walks and two hits. Luke Bard got into some trouble by allowing a single and a double before inducing a double play and a ground out. Yorman Landa earned a hold even though he allowed the Manatees one run. Todd Van Steensel earned his first save with one strike out and a walk in the ninth. The scoring got started early for the Miracle as Chad Christensen blasted a two-run home run in the first inning. Tanner English started the game with a walk and stole second before the home run. Nick Gordon reached base two times in four trips and T.J. White ended the game 2-for-4, his third multi-hit game. Trey Vavra extended his hitting streak to five games. Every batter in the line-up recorded at least one hit with the exception of Brian Navarreto. With the win, the Miracle improved to 3-3 and send Stephen Gonsalves, one of the organization's top pitching prospects, to the mound on Wednesday night. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 7, Kane County 2 Box Score In his first start in the Midwest League, Miles Nordgren took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before back-to-back batters reached base. He ended the day with five innings pitched and one earned run on one hit with two strikeouts and two walks. Cody Stashak was nearly as impressive in relief. He allowed one earned run on two hits in four innings of work for his first professional save. Cedar Rapids got their scoring started in the third inning. A pair of walks and an infield hit left the bases loaded. Sean Miller hit a foul ball that was deep enough to score the game's first run. LaMonte Wade followed this up with a sacrifice fly of his own to push the lead to 2-0. Chris Paul was the only Kernel with multiple hits as he went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. Jermain Palacios plated a pair of runs and Wade cracked his third double of the young season. The Kernels improved to 5-1 with the win and sit atop the Midwest League Western division. Cedar Rapids will look to take the series from Kane County in tomorrow morning's (11:00 am CST) rubber match with Randy LeBlanc on the mound. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day- Randy Rosario, Fort Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day- Chad Christensen, Fort Myers Miracle WEDNESDAY'S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Lehigh Valley (12:35 CST)- RHP Tyler Duffey (0-0, 0.00 ERA) Chattanooga vs. Jackson (10:15 am CST)- RHP DJ Baxendale (0-1, 4.50 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Brevard County (6:05 CST)- LHP Stephen Gonsalves (0-1, 4.50 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (11:00 am CST)- RHP Randy LeBlanc (1-0, 1.80 ERA) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Tuesday games. Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins announced their first batch of cuts from spring training this afternoon. They reassigned five players to minor league camp. Infielders Engelb Vielma, Reynaldo Rodriguez, Heiker Meneses, catcher Alex Swim, and right-handed pitcher Jake Reed will report to the minor league facilities on Monday morning. More transactions are anticipated by the club Monday morning.There were no real surprises among the list of players reassigned. The surprise was that, at this time, the Twins have not officially optioned any players off of their 40-man roster. (Again, expect information on that to come on Monday) Reynaldo Rodriguez is leaving Twins spring training to join the WBC-Qualifying team from Colombia. He will most likely spend the season in Rochester again. Engelb Vielma had a solid showing in his first big league spring. Earlier in the day, he was awarded the organization's top defensive infielder award in the minor leagues. He is likely to spend the season in Chattanooga. Heiker Meneses spent all of last season in Chattanooga and is likely to return there. He played a lot of second base, though he played shortstop when Jorge Polanco was with the Twins or Red Wings. Alex Swim spent last season in Ft. Myers. He could go back there after missing time in the second half due to injury, though he is likely to spend time in Chattanooga as well in 2016. Jake Reed pitched a clean inning today and has been solid in his first big league camp. As Paul Molitor said after the game, it is his command that will need work. He should go back to Chattanooga to start the season, but he could surface in the big leagues late in the season. Feel free to discuss this group, and remember to check back tomorrow for more roster decisions. Click here to view the article

Last Monday, Labor Day, the Minor League seasons came to an end. Yes, Cedar Rapids and Chattanooga are still playing in the playoffs, but it is time to start handing out some awards. All week, we will be handing out some (proverbial) awards. The Twins Minor League Report authors each voted for these five awards. Today, we’ll take a look at the top hitters in the Twins minor league system in 2015. We each voted for our top eight performers.We’ll do short profiles of our Top 8, but first, here are some Honorable Mentions. Honorable Mention James Beresford – Rochester Red Wings – 153-498 - .307/.341/.359 (.701) – 21-2B, 1-3B, 1-HR, 50-RBIDanny Ortiz – Rochester Red Wings – 120-484 - .248/.295/.430 (.725) – 31-2B, 3-3B, 17-HR, 78-RBITravis Harrison – Chattanooga Lookouts – 95-396 - .240/.363/.356 (.719) – 23-2B, 4-3B, 5-HR, 54-RBINiko Goodrum – Ft. Myers Miracle/Chattanooga Lookouts – 96-414 - .232/.331/.367 (.698) – 17-2B, 6-3B, 9-HR, 38-RBIAlex Swim – Ft. Myers – 107-344 - .311/.349/.360 (.709) – 13-2B, 2-3B, 0-HR, 38-RBITJ White – Cedar Rapids/Ft. Myers Miracle – 113-450 - .251/.336/.342 (.678) – 23-2B, 6-3B, 2-HR, 54-RBIEdgar Corcino – Cedar Rapids Kernels – 90-330 - .273/.340/.376 (.715) – 16-2B, 3-3B, 4-HR, 41-RBINick Gordon – Cedar Rapids Kernels – 133-481 - .277/.336/.360 (.696) – 23-2B, 7-3B, 1-HR, 58-RBIHitter of the Year Here are the top eight vote-getters for Twins Minor League hitter of the year. #8 – Jorge Polanco – Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings (139-525 - .288/.339/.386 (.725), with 23 doubles, 3 triples, 6 HR, 53 RBI) Polanco has had another solid season in the Twins system. As he did in 2014, Polanco moved around frequently. He spent the first half in Chattanooga. He has again had two brief cups of coffee with the big league club. He spent 22 games in Rochester. Following his most recent demotion from the Twins, he went back to the Lookouts. In 95 AA games this year, Polanco hit .289/.346/.393 (.739) with 17 doubles, three triples and six home runs. In 22 AAA games, he hit .284/.309/.352 (.661). Defense has been a much bigger concern for Polanco as he committed 28 errors in the minor leagues. In four games with the Twins, he had two more errors, though he was 3-10 at the plate. Where does he fit in the organization? Can he play enough defense at shortstop to be a big league regular? It will be interesting. #7 – Kennys Vargas – Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings (69-244 - .283/.414/.496 (.910), with 9 doubles, 2 triples, 13 HR, 46 RBI) Though there were consistently rumors in spring training that Vargas could begin the season in the minor leagues. However, he was the fifth hitter in the Twins Opening Day lineup. However, he struggled mightily and was sent to Rochester. Weeks later, he returned, but the struggles continued. On July 1st, he was sent down to AA Chattanooga. It was what he needed to jump-start his season again. In 35 games, he hit .287/.417/.516 (.934) with three doubles, two triples and seven homers. He moved back up to AAA. He was the Twins Daily Hitter of the Month in August and returned to the Twins on September 1st. This is obviously not a list that Vargas wanted to be on, but he handled it well and the hope would be that he takes what he learned and take a step forward in his big league career. #6 – Byron Buxton – Chattanooga Lookouts/Rochester Red Wings (89-292 - .305/.367/.500 (.867), with 10 doubles, 13 triple, 7 HR, 45 RBI) After missing much of the 2014 season, excitement was high for the Twins (and baseball’s) top prospect. 2015 has been a topsy-turvy year for the phenom. He hit .180 through the first 12 games. Doug Mientkiewicz gave him two straight days off to clear his mind. He responded by hitting .338 (1.056 OPS) over the next 16 games. Then he went 1-21 (.048) over the next five games. However, over the next 25 games, he hit .347/.422/.564 (.987) with 12 extra base hits. He was called up to the Twins and hit .189 in his 11 games with the Twins. However, he missed about six weeks due to a thumb injury. When he returned, he was sent to Rochester. He hit .400 and hit in all 13 games he played in with the Red Wings. At that point, Aaron Hicks was hurt and Buxton returned to the Twins lineup. He had multiple hits in four of his first six games and has hit .282/.326/.378 (.705) in 31 games since his return. More important to the 2015 Twins, his defense is centerfield has been even more impressive than touted. It’s clear in watching him that he has the potential to be great, but he still has work to do. #5 – Tanner English – Cedar Rapids Kernels (75-243 - .265/.359/.406 (.764), with 22 doubles, 8 triples, 5 HR, 36 RBI) English was the Twins 11th round pick just last year out of the University of South Carolina. He struggled early in the season, batting ninth for the Kernels and working through some mechanical issues. From July 4 through August 14 (36 games), he went on a tear. He hit .328/.400/518 (.918) with 13 doubles, two triples and three home runs. Looking for a longer sample size, he hit .285/.364/.440 (.805) with 18 doubles, seven triple and four home runs over his final 76 games. Unfortunately, his season came to an abrupt end on August 14th with a collision in left centerfield that ended his season with a thumb injury. English is a tremendous defensive centerfielder with great range and a strong arm. He has good speed and stole 28 bases in 33 attempts this year. #3 (Tie) – Reynaldo Rodriguez – Rochester Red Wings (113-401 - .255/.307/.446 (.753), with 34 doubles, 7 triples, 16 HR, 80 RBI) Rodriguez just finished his third season in the Twins organization. Although he has been good and productive in his first two seasons, 2015 was his best. The 29-year-old from Colombia originally signed with the Yankees in 2005. He played some independent league ball and also spent four years in the Red Sox organization. He spent the entire 2013 season in New Britain. He spent most of 2014 with the Rock Cats, though he did play ten games with the Red Wings. Rodriguez punished left-handed pitching to the tune of a .882 OPS compared with a .707 OPS against right-handers. #3 (Tie) – Miguel Sano – Chattanooga Lookouts (.274/.374/.544 (.918), with 18 doubles, 1 triple, 15 HR, 48 RBI) As we all know, Sano missed the entire 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. As one would expect after not playing a meaningful game for nearly 17 months, Sano struggled early, shaking off rust. After an 0-3 on May 1st, Sano was hitting .152/.300/.364 (.664) in 19 games. At that point, he took off. Over his next 47 games, he hit .320/.403/.611 (1.014). That was through June 29th. His next game was with the Twins on June 2nd, and he has continued to rake, hit home runs, drive in runs, walk, and strikeout with strong regularity. #2 – Adam Brett Walker – Chattanooga Lookouts (100-356 - .239/.309/.498 (807), with 31 doubles, 3 triples, 31 HR, 106 RBI) Walker was the Twins 3rd round pick in 2012. He put together a very interesting 2015 season. His batting average dipped a little, and yet his walk rate improved. He also led minor league baseball in strikeouts with 195. However, it’s hard to ignore the productivity, and the consistent productivity. He led his league in home runs for the third straight season. He drove in over 100 runs for the second time in three seasons. He continued to surprise people with some sneaky stolen bases. He moved from right field to left field. The strikeouts, of course, remain a huge concern in the short and long term. However, few minor leaguers have as much raw power as Walker. His power is on par with Miguel Sano’s. Still just 23-years-old, the hard-working Walker will be added to the Twins 40-man roster following the season. Hitter of the Year – Max Kepler – Chattanooga Lookouts (131-407 - .322/.416/.531 (.947), with 32 doubles, 13 triples, 9 HR, 71 RBI) Kepler’s spring training ended a little early due to a minor injury. He started his season with six games with the Ft. Myers Miracle. But that was just a tune up. He was promoted to Chattanooga and after that, he didn’t stop hitting. He was the Twins Daily minor league hitter of the month in May when he hit .359/.400/.583 (.983) with 13 doubles, two triples and two home runs. He was the runner up for Twins Daily hitter of the month in June and July (though the Minnesota Twins named him their top minor league hitter both of those months. In June, he hit .364/.472/.580 (1.052) with five doubles, two triples and three homers. In July, he hit .306/.412/.556 (.967) with five doubles, two triples and three homers. In August, he finished fourth in Twins Daily hitter of the month voting, but he still hit .301/.405/.495. In his career, he had struggled against left-handed pitching. In 2015, he hit .322/.394/.478 (.872) against southpaws. At 6-4 and 220 pounds, Kepler should continue to develop power. For now, he has a lot of doubles power and his speed turns some of them into triples. He even stole 19 bases in 23 attempts in 2015. Last month, Parker wrote about Kepler’s continued improvement. In it, Lookouts hitting coach talked about the incorporation of a leg kick and how they made him more aggressive. It worked. Kepler put up numbers that aren’t seen often. He was named the Southern League MVP. Baseball America and MLB.com put them on their 2015 Minor League All Star teams. He has led the Lookouts to the Southern League playoffs. Many were worried about his overall numbers the last couple of years. However, he is still just 22-years-old. In 2013, he turned his remarkable tools into skills. So there you have it. There were some really terrific offensively performances by Twins minor leaguers in 2015. THE BALLOTS In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers: Seth Stohs – 1.) Max Kepler, 2.) Adam Brett Walker, 3.) Reynaldo Rodriguez, 4.) Miguel Sano, 5.) Kennys Vargas, 6.) Byron Buxton, 7.) Tanner English, 8.) James BeresfordJeremy Nygaard – 1.) Max Kepler, 2.) Aaron Hicks, 3.) Kennys Vargas, 4.) Miguel Sano, 5.) Byron Buxton, 6.) James Beresford, 7.) Adam Brett Walker, 8.) Reynaldo RodriguezCody Christie – 1.) Max Kepler, 2.) Adam Brett Walker, 3.) Tanner English, 4.) Jorge Polanco, 5.) Reynaldo Rodriguez, 6.) Mitch Garver, 7.) Danny Ortiz, 8.) Travis HarrisonSteve Lien – 1.) Max Kepler, 2.) Adam Brett Walker, 3.) Miguel Sano, 4.) Byron Buxton, 5.) Reynaldo Rodriguez, 6.) Nick Gordon, 7.) Danny Ortiz, 8.) Travis HarrisonEric Pleiss – 1.) Max Kepler, 2.) Adam Brett Walker, 3.) Tanner English, 4.) Travis Harrison, 5.) Jorge Polanco, 6.) TJ White, 7.) Mitch Garver, 8.) Reynaldo Rodriguez.Feel free to discuss. How would your ballot look? Click here to view the article

Congratulations to Tyler Duffey on his first major league win on Saturday night. The right-hander, who is a strong candidate for Twins Daily Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished with six shutout innings. Those who have read these minor league updates and stories on Duffey knew not to make a big deal out of his major league debut. You’ve read about that great curve ball that we witnessed on Saturday. These minor league reports highlight players who perform. You just never know which ones will make it to the big leagues, much less stick there. That’s why it’s fun to get to know them.It was a quieter night in the Twins farm system, but still some strong performances to highlight in today’s minor league report. TRANSACTIONS It was another busy day of transactions through the Twins minor leagues. Following the Twins win on Saturday night, the team announced that Michael Tonkin will make yet another trek back to Rochester with Tommy MiloneLefty David Hurlbut has been promoted to Rochester and will start on Sunday. It may just be a one-game start, but he is excited for the opportunity.In Cedar Rapids, Tanner English was put on the 7-Day disabled list with a thumb sprain. Infielder Sean Miller was activated from the DL.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Scranton/Wilkes Barre 2 Box Score Down 2-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Red Wings mounted a nice comeback and earned a win against the division’s top team. Reynaldo Rodriguez led off with his 15th home run of the year. Later in the inning, Argenis Diaz hit a sacrifice fly to score Kennys Vargas to tie the game. And Xavier Avery scored the go-ahead run on a balk. Rodriguez was 2-4 with his 32nd double to go with his home run. Byron Buxton singled twice in four at-bats. He is now hitting .390 in his stint with the Red Wings. Michael Bowden, one week from his opt-out date, earned his ninth win of the year. He gave up two runs on five hits over seven innings. He walked one and struck out eight. Mark Hamburger got the next four outs, and Aaron Thompson got the final two outs to record his first save of the year. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 1, Tennessee 4 Box Score Max Kepler hit his eighth home run of the season in the first inning. Unfortunately, the Lookouts had just two more hits the entire game and fell to Tennessee. DJ Baxendale started and gave up four runs (two earned) on nine hits and two walks over six innings. He did not record a strikeout. Alex Muren threw two perfect innings. Corey Williams made his first AA appearance since the final day of the 2013 season. He walked one and struck out two in a scoreless inning. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 5, Palm Beach 1 Box Score Mitch Garver led the Miracle offense. He went 2-3 with a walk, his 19th double and two RBIs. Aderlin Mejia went 1-2 with two walks, his seventh double and two RBI. Ryan Walker added his fourth double. Ryan Eades made the start and struggled with his control. However, he gave up just one run on two hits in 4.2 innings despite five walks. He struck out two. However, he had to leave the game due to injury. We’ll share more information when we hear something. Brian Gilbert walked one over 1.1 scoreless innings. Tyler Jay struck out two in his perfect inning. Trevor Hildenberger struck out four over his two innings. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Ft. Wayne 3 Box Score Sam Gibbons was solid in six of the seven innings he pitched on Saturday night. Unfortunately, he gave up three runs in the second inning. He gave up just those three runs on seven hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out six. Jared Wilson struck out one in his perfect inning. Celebrating his 21st birthday, infielder Rafael Valera hit his fourth and fifth doubles. Nick Gordon went 2-4 with his 19th double. Pat Kelly went 3-4. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 0, Bristol 0 Box Score Rain postponed this game. It will be made up at a later date. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 0, GCL Red Sox 3 Box Score The GCL Twins don’t play on Sundays. Their bats forgot to show up on Saturday. The team collected just three hits in the game. Robert Molina’s third double was the lone extra-base hit. Eduardo del Rosario started and gave up two runs on four hits in 5.1 innings. He walked a batter and hit two. He struck out four. Hector Lujan gave up two hits but no runs over the next 1.2 innings. He struck out one. Brandon Poulson worked the eighth inning. He gave up a run on one hit and two walks. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Michael Bowden, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Reynaldo Rodriguez, Rochester Red Wings SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/Wilkes Barre @ Rochester (12:35 CST) – LHP David Hurlbut Tennessee @ Chattanooga (1:15 CST) – LHP Jason Wheeler Palm Beach @ Ft. Myers (5:05 CST) – RHP Ryan Eades Cedar Rapids @ Ft. Myers (6:05 CST) – RHP Sam Gibbons Elizabethton @ Bristol (6:00 CST) – RHP Miles Nordgren GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (9:00 CST) – TBD Feel free to leave any questions or comments below Click here to view the article

It’s been a couple of weeks since we last updated the Twins Minor League Leaderboard, so it is time. Due to minimum plate appearances, both Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton are now off of these lists. But, it’s interesting to see which names are consistently rising to the top. We’re about a month from the minor league season’s end, the dog days, one might say.Here is a look at the updated list of Twins minor league statistical leaders through Saturday, August 8. Feel free to discuss. HITTERS For batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, IsoD and IsoP, we used a minimum of 300 plate appearances. Plate Appearances: Zach Granite (450), Reynaldo Rodriguez (448), Adam Brett Walker (436), Nick Gordon/Jorge Polanco (431) Batting Average: Max Kepler (.326), James Beresford (.314), Alex Swim (.311), Jorge Polanco (.292), Nick Gordon (.274) On-Base Percentage: Max Kepler (.409), Mitch Garver (.362), Tanner English (.357), James Beresford/Alex Swim/Zach Granite (.349) Isolated Discipline: Mitch Garver (.116), Travis Harrison (.112), Niko Goodrum (.100), Marcus Knecht (.094), Tanner English (.092) Slugging Percentage: Max Kepler (.539), Adam Brett Walker (.526), Reynaldo Rodriguez (.459), Danny Ortiz (.432), Tanner English (.409) Isolated Power (IsoP): Adam Brett Walker (.276), Max Kepler (.213), Reynaldo Rodriguez (.192), Danny Ortiz (.186), Tanner English (.144) OPS: Max Kepler (.948), Adam Brett Walker (.844), Reynaldo Rodriguez (.771), Tanner English (.767), Jorge Polanco (.731) Hits: James Beresford (.122), Jorge Polanco (116), Reynaldo Rodriguez (110), Max Kepler (109), Alex Swim (107), Nick Gordon (105) 2B: Reynaldo Rodriguez (31), Max Kepler/Danny Ortiz (28), Adam Brett Walker (24), Tanner English (21) 3B: Byron Buxton (12), Max Kepler (11), Tanner English (8), Max Murphy (7), Reynaldo Rodriguez (6) HR: Adam Brett Walker (26), Miguel Sano (15), Danny Ortiz (13), Reynaldo Rodriguez (12), Oswaldo Arcia (10), Kennys Vargas (9) Runs: Reynaldo Rodriguez (68), Zach Granite (67), Tanner English/Max Kepler (64), Nick Gordon (61), Adam Brett Walker (58) RBI: Adam Brett Walker (86), Reynaldo Rodriguez/Danny Ortiz (65), Zach Larson (52), Max Kepler (51), Nick Gordon (50) SB: Tanner English (34), Engelb Vielma (27), Niko Goodrum (24), Nick Gordon (23), Zach Granite (22), Byron Buxton (21) STARTING PITCHERS (>95 IP) Innings: Pat Dean (141.2), Taylor Rogers (140.1), JO Berrios (135.1), Tyler Duffey (132.0), Aaron Slegers (126.1) ERA: Stephen Gonsalves (1.77), Mat Batts (2.10), Tyler Duffey (2.66), Felix Jorge (2.76), Aaron Slegers (2.92) WHIP: Felix Jorge (1.02), Aaron Slegers (1.05), Mat Batts (1.06), Stephen Gonsalves (1.10), JO Berrios (1.116), Tyler Duffey (1.121) K/9: Stephen Gonsalves (9.4), JO Berrios (9.0), Mat Batts (8.5), Tyler Duffey (8.0), Alex Wimmers (7.6) BB/9: Aaron Slegers (1.6), Mat Batts (1.9), Pat Dean/Tyler Duffey (2.0), Felix Jorge (2.1), Greg Peavey/Jason Wheeler (2.2) Strikeouts: JO Berrios (135), Tyler Duffey (117), Stephen Gonsalves (112), Mat Batts (105), Taylor Rogers (100) Wins: Stephen Gonsalves (11-2), JO Berrios (11-4), Mat Batts (8-5), Aaron Slegers (8-7), Taylor Rogers (8-9), Pat Dean (8-10) RELIEF PITCHERS (>35 IP, Games: AJ Achter (40), Todd Van Steensel (39), JT Chargois (38), Alex Muren (37), Mark Hamburger/DJ Johnson/Zack Jones (36) Innings: Randy LeBlanc (65.1), Alex Muren (61.1), Mike Theofanopoulos (57.0), Todd Van Steensel (56.0), Trevor Hildenberger (52.2), Tim Shibuya (52.1) ERA: Trevor Hildenberger (1.03), Brandon Peterson (1.65), Luke Bard (2.11), Matt Summers (2.31), Randy LeBlanc (2.48) WHIP: Trevor Hildenberger (0.68), AJ Achter (0.85), Brandon Peterson/Matt Summers (1.00), Luke Bard (1.12), Randy LeBlanc (1.15) K/9: Cameron Booser (12.5), Trevor Hildenberger (12.0), Lester Oliveros (11.6), Brandon Peterson (11.4), Zack Jones (11.3), Todd Van Steensel (11.1) BB/9: Trevor Hildenberger (0.9), Tim Shibuya (1.7), Luke Bard (2.3), AJ Achter (2.4), Matt Summers/Randy LeBlanc (2.6) Saves: AJ Achter/Trevor Hildenberger (14), JT Chargois (13), Todd Van Steenself (12), Zack Jones (11), Michael Tonkin/Cameron Booser (10) There you have it. The Twins Minor League Leader Board through Saturday, August 8. What are your thoughts? Any names jump out as surprising? There are certainly some candidates emerging for the 2015 Twins Minor League Awards. Click here to view the article

Tyler Duffey made his big league debut for the Twins and didn’t go as well as we hoped. There was good news before the Twins game, though, when it was announced that Byron Buxton will be joining the Red Wings as soon as Friday to begin his rehab assignment. The Kernels activated starting pitcher John Curtiss from the disabled list and placed reliever Cameron Booser on the DL with left shoulder impingement. Later in the evening, Seth announced on Twitter that Aaron Slegers was promoted to Chattanooga. Baseball America’s minor league transaction log included the detail that the Twins have signed minor-league pitcher Loek Van Mil. Van Mil, a 7’ 1” pitcher from the Netherlands, signed with the Twins in 2006 and pitched in the system until he was traded for Brian Fuentes. His last stop was in Japan, but pitched in AAA for the Reds organization as recently as 2013. Oh, and typically when you get your picture on a minor league report, you’ve done something good. Today is not a typical day. Read more about Nick Burdi and the rest of the day below.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 3, Gwinnett 4 Box Score Taylor Rogers had a rough four-run fifth inning, but still managed to pitch seven innings, surrendering those four runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out four. Mark Hamburger pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Reynaldo Rodriguez, fresh off being named IL Player of the Week, went 3-4 with two doubles and a triple. He scored twice. Xavier Avery and Chris Herrmann both had two hits. Oswaldo Arcia went 0-3, but managed to drive in two runs. Rochester drops to 56-55. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga vs Jackson Wednesday’s game was postponed due to rain. The Lookouts will play two on Thursday. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 4, St. Lucie 7 Box Score Nick Burdi may very well be a pitcher who enters a game as a ticking time-bomb. Now, there’s a chance he’ll dominate the opposition. Blow them away with a 100 mph fastball and a slider so sick batters will wet their pants. But there’s also a chance that he will explode (or, more accurately, implode) and his team will lose because they brought him into the game. That’s what happened tonight. The Miracle turned to Burdi to save their one-run lead. He didn’t. He walked two of the first three batters. And after striking out the next batter allowed the next three hitters to single-walk-single. He ended his night by getting ejected after throwing a wild pitch and arguing with the umpire whether the runner was safe or not. Two outs, four runs (three earned), two hits, three walks, two wild pitches, one strikeout. Blown save. Loss. Burdi’s game overshadowed a poor start from Stephen Gonsalves. Gonsalves allowed three runs on three walks and six hits in 4.2 innings. He struck out three. Trevor Hildenburger (2.1 IP, 5 K), Tyler Jay (IP, K) and Todd Van Steensel (.1 IP) were effective. Aderling Mejia had three hits - including a triple - that drove in two runs. Michael Quesada had an RBI double. Engelb Vielma had two hits. The Miracle drops to 21-18 on the second half, trailing Palm Beach by 5.5 games. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Dayton 8 Box Score Felix Jorge struggled for the second straight start. On Wednesday, he gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits and two walks. He gave up two home runs and struck out four. Yorman Landa (struck out three) and Ethan Mildren each gave up a run in relief. Nick Gordon drove in two runs, getting two hits, including a triple. His average broke .270 for the first time since May 2. His OPS is the highest it’s been since April. He did, however, commit his 16th error of the season. Brian Navarreto went 1-4, but his defensive presence was felt. He picked a runner off of first base in the fourth inning. He threw out a potential base-stealer in the fifth inning. In the eighth, Navarreto combined with Nick Gordon to complete the strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play. He’s got a ways to go offensively, but it would be hard to find a higher-ceilinged catcher in the system. The Kernels, who have already qualified for the playoffs, drop to 22-17 in the second half. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton - Off Day E-town had a scheduled off day on Wednesday. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 2, GCL Rays 1 (12 innings) Box Score Robert Molina led the charge offensively, going 3-4 with two walks, two stolen bases and a double. Luis Arraez, Blake Schmit, and Kolton Kendrick all contributed doubles. Despite scoring twice, no one was credited with an RBI. The whole staff pitched well, which is the case when you give up one run in twelve innings. Jovani Moran started and pitched three no-hit innings. He allowed one walk and struck out four. Luis Hernandez was charged with the lone run. Moises Gomez allowed an inherited runner to score, blowing the save, but struck out two in three innings. Andrew Vasquez and Matz Schutte both pitched multiple scoreless innings. The GCL Twins improve to 19-16. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jovani Moran, GCL Twins Daily Minor League Hitters of the Day – Reynaldo Rodriguez, Rochester and Robert Molina, GCL THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester at Gwinnett (5:35 CST) – LHP Jason Wheeler Chattanooga at Jackson (5:05 CST) – RHP Greg Peavey Chattanooga at Jackson (Game 2) – LHP David Hurlbut Ft. Myers – OFF DAY Cedar Rapids vs Dayton (6:35 CST) – RHP Zach Tillery Elizabethton at Johnson City (6:00 CST) - LHP Sam Clay GCL Twins vs GCL Orioles (11:00 CST) - TBD Feel free to leave any questions or comments below! Click here to view the article

The Red Wings won, and the GCL Twins split a doubleheader. Other than that, it was a night of tough losses in the Twins minor league system. The Twins made a trade that affected a couple of players in the Twins farm system as well, but there was another well-earned promotion.All that and more can be found as you work your way through today’s minor league report. TRANSACTIONS The trade deadline came and passed on Friday afternoon, and the Twins minor league system was affected. The Twins acquired RH RP Kevin Jepsen from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for RHP Chih-Wei Hu and RHP Alexis Tapia. With Jepsen joining the Twins on Saturday, along with the return of Trevor Plouffe from the paternity list, the Twins needed to take two players off of the 25-man roster. Danny Santana has been optioned to Rochester and Jorge Polanco has been optioned to Chattanooga. Also, hot-hitting GCL shortstop Jermaine Palacios was promoted to Elizabethton. So was catcher Brian Olson. Infielder Ariel Montesino was sent down to the GCL Twins. Also, a week ago, the Twins signed outfielder Christian Cavaness. He was an NAIA All-American and Lindenwood University-Belleville player but went undrafted. He was playing for the Bend Elk in the college West Coast League and after a tryout, signed with the Twins. Two years ago, the Twins signed LHP Cameron Booser from the same team as a non-drafted free agent. Cavaness came on as a pinch runner on Saturday, his first pro appearance. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 8, Syracuse 3 Box Score Taylor Rogers evened his season record at 8-8 on Friday night. The southpaw gave up three runs on four hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out eight. Mark Hamburger struck out two over two perfect innings. Aaron Thompson walked one in a scoreless ninth. The Red Wings got a lot of contributions in this win. James Beresford went 2-5 with his 18th double. Reynaldo Rodriguez was 2-5 with his 25th double and 12th home run. Danny Ortiz had two hits, including his 26th double. Chris Herrmann went 2-3 with his first home run. He also stole his second base. Argenis Diaz was 2-3 with a walk. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 1, Pensacola 4 Box Score Greg Peavey made his first start since returning from Rochester. He gave up two runs (1 earned) on five hits in 6.1 innings. He walked two and struck out four. Jake Reed pitched an inning. He gave up two runs on one hit and three walks. DJ Johnson got the final five outs. The Lookouts managed just five hits in the game. Max Kepler’s tenth triple drove in the team’s lone run. Shannon Wilkerson hit his fourth double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Daytona 8 Box Score Kohl Stewart spent the last several days reading rumors that he might have been traded. His start was pushed back a day to occur after the trade deadline. Finally able to focus on pitching, Stewart had a rough one. He gave up seven runs on seven hits, a walk and two hit batters in 5.1 innings. He struck out one. Zack Jones struck out three of the five batters that he faced. Tyler Jay gave up one run on one hit and a walk in his inning. The Miracle mustered just three hits. Engelb Vielma hit his ninth double. Ryan Walker hit his third double. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Kane County 6 Box Score The Kernels had nine hits, but 13 strikeouts ended several threats. Edgar Corcino and Brett Doe each went 2-4. Tanner English hit his 15th double. Randy Rosario started and was charged with four runs on six hits. He gave up nine hits, walked one and struck out four. Mike Theofanopoulos gave up one run on two hits in two innings. He struck out two. E-TOWN E-NOTES Elizabethton 6, Burlington 12 Box Score After hitting .421/.472/.589 (1.061) in 26 GCL games, Jermaine Palacios was promoted to Elizabethton. He started out with a bang. He went 3-5 with a three-run homer and added another RBI. Of course, it wasn’t all great. He had two errors at shortstop in the game. Amaurys Minier went 2-4 with his seventh and eight doubles. Travis Blankenhorn went 2-3 with a walk and his third double. Brad Hartong hit his second double. Cody Stashak started and gave up three runs on five hits in just three innings. He struck out three. Anthony Mciver came on and gave up four runs on six hits and a walk in just 1.2 innings. He struck out one. Tyler Stirewalt gave up two runs (1 earned) on three hits in three innings. He struck out two. Josh Guyer went the final 1.1 innings. He gave up three runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk in 1.1 innings. GCL TWINS TAKES Game 1 – GCL Twins 0, GCL Red Sox 1 Box Score Williams Ramirez takes the loss in this one, though he continues to pitch great. He gave up one run on two hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out eight. His falls to 3-1 with a 0.57 ERA in 31.1 innings. Again, he will turn 23 in one week, so I asked about him. Turns out that he is a converted third baseman who had done almost no pitching growing up. He has a strong arm and good feel for his secondary pitches, but he’s still quite raw. He’s certainly making a strong impression. Johan Quezada, another strong-armed right hander, came on and struck out two (and walked one) in two innings. Unfortunately in the first game, the GCL Twins – like the big league club – managed just one hit, a Ruar Verkerk single. In some good news, infielder Blake Schmidt returned to the field. He went 0-1 with a walk in his first game since he was hit in the face with a pitch in Cedar Rapids. He required surgery and has been working to come back for a month. Game 2 – GCL Twins 10, GCL Red Sox 2 Box Score After getting just one hit in the first game, the Twins put up ten runs. They had eight hits but were also helped by 10 walks. Luis Arraez went 2-4 with two RBI. Kolton Kendrick went 1-2 with three walks. Robert Molina and Ariel Montesino each walked twice as well. Jose Martinez started and gave up only an unearned run on two hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out two. John Curtiss continues to rehab. He threw two perfect innings. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jose Martinez, GCL Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Jermaine Palacios, Elizabethton Twins SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Syracuse @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – RHP Tyler Duffey Pensacola @ Chattanooga (6:15 CST) – RHP Alex Wimmers Ft. Myers @ Daytona (6:05 CST) – RHP Aaron Slegers Cedar Rapids @ Kane County (6:30 CST) – RHP Sam Gibbons Burlington @ Elizabethton (5:00 CST) – RHP Dereck Rodriguez GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (9:00am CST) – TBD Feel free to leave any questions or comments below Click here to view the article

Winning has been a trend throughout the Twins system this season. Entering play on Monday night, the Twins had the third highest winning percentage for any farm system. Twins affiliates have won 54.29% of their games and trail only the Astros and Mets for the top spot. Did Minnesota's affiliated teams continue their winning ways? There were multiple doubleheaders scheduled for Monday so you'll have to read on to find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 1, Toledo 2 Box Score Pat Dean pitching a complete game and limited the Mud Hens to two runs but he didn't get enough run support and was handed his ninth loss of the season. He scattered nine hits and walked two while striking out one. It was his third straight start of seven innings or more while allowing two earned runs or fewer. He's taken the loss in two of those three starts. The lone Rochester run came courtesy of a Reynaldo Rodriguez solo home run. Eric Farris matched Rodriguez with a 2-for-4 night at the plate. Jorge Polanco and Chris Herrmann both reached base twice with a pair of walks. The team had only three at-bats with runners in scoring position but they were held hitless in those RBI situations. With the loss, the Red Wings have lost five straight games and sit three games over .500. The club currently sits three games behind the Scranton/WB RailRiders for first place in the International League North Division. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 5, Lakeland 1 (7 Innings) Box Score Aaron Slegers earned his eighth victory after pitching a seven inning complete game. He allowed one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks. It was his sixth straight start of pitching at least seven innings and allowing two earned runs or fewer. During that stretch, he has gone 4-1 while limiting opponents to one walk. Michael Quesada drove in a pair of runs to help add to the Miracle lead. Engelb Vielma and DJ Hicks finished the game with two hits, each having a double. T.J. White went 2-for-3 with a run scored. The team had more than enough offense to back the stellar pitching performance by Slegers. Fort Myers 1, Lakeland 6 (7 Innings) Box Score After the strong pitching performance from Slegers in the first half of the double- header, Chih-Wei Hu had a tough time on the mound. He allowed five earned runs on 10 hits while striking out six in less than five innings of work. Brian Gilbert, Tyler Jay, and Trevor Hildenberger put up zeros for the rest of the night but it was too big of a hole. No Miracle batter had more than one hit and none of the team's hits were for extra bases. Michael Quesada scored the lone run for the team. Engelb Vielma reached base twice and finished the doubleheader 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a run and a walk. E-Twins E-Notes E-Twins 0, Johnson City 4 (7 Innings) Box Score The E-Twins were held to three hits as no one on the team had more than one hit. Chris Paul reached base two times and cracked the team's lone extra-base hit, a double. A.J. Murray, Alex Perez, and Manuel Guzman each reached base two times. The team went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. Alexis Tapia pitched into the sixth inning but took the loss after allowing four runs, three earned, while striking out nine and walking three. Tyler Stirewalt pitched 1.1 innings without allowing a run. He struck out one and didn't walk any. The loss dropped the E-Twins to four games under .500. E-Twins 4, Johnson City 1 (7 Innings) Box Score The E-Twins struggled to get on the board in the first half of the doubleheader but they found a way to scratch out some hits in the second half. LaMonte Wade had a pair of hits including a double to go along with two RBI. Alex Perez scored two runs and hit his fourth double of the season. The E-Twins two through seven hitters each had at least one hit and the team left only four men on base. Onesimo Hernandez remained perfect on the season after throwing five innings of one-run ball. He struck out four and walked one and the lone run was scored on a solo home run. C.K. Irby picked up his first save after pitching two scoreless innings to close out the contest. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 2, GCL Rays 1 (Suspended- 2 Innings) Box Score The GCL Twins were scheduled for a doubleheader but they weren't able to get through two innings of work before rain interrupted play. Lewin Diaz and Jermaine Palacios each drove in a run before the rain came atumblin' down. Look for a full report on both of these games when the rain finally stops falling in Florida. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Aaron Slegers, Fort Myers Miracle Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Engelb Vielma, Fort Myers Miracle TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Toldeo (6:00 CST) – RHP Jose Berrios Chattanooga vs. Pensacola (6:15 CST) – LHP Brett Lee Ft. Myers vs. Lakeland (6:05 CST) – RHP Ryan Eades Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (6:30 CST) – RHP Keaton Steele Elizabethton vs. Johnson City (6:00 CST) – TBA GCL Twins vs. GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) – TBA GCL Twins vs. GCL Rays (Completion of 7/27 Game) Click here to view the article

It was a busy day for the Rochester Red Wings. Not only did they have parts of two games to play but they also announced that right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffey was named the International League Player of the Week. Duffey won both of his starts over the last seven days and he's in the midst of a 22.1 inning stretch without allowing an earned run. In 14.1 innings this week, he did not allow an earned run while walking two and tying for a league-best 10 strikeouts. Miguel Sano was also honored on Monday with the Southern League Player of the Week. Sano led the league with seven runs, 10 hits, seven extra-base hits, 21 total bases, five doubles, and tied for the league-lead with seven RBI. He hit .588 last week with a pair of home runs, a .632 OBP and a .1235 slugging percentage.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 6, Pawtucket 0 (Completion of 6/5/15) Box Score Rain forced a game to be suspended between these two clubs earlier this month. Rochester held a 1-0 lead in the second inning before the rain came tumbling down. There were a lot of zeros put on the board before the Red Wings pushed across five runs between the sixth and seventh frames. Reynaldo Rodriguez, Oswaldo Arcia, and Doug Bernier all finished the game with three-hit efforts. Rodriguez scored three runs and fell a home run shy of the cycle. Arcia drove in a pair of runs and added his second double. Aaron Hicks went 1-for-2 with an RBI as part of his rehab stint. Pat Dean had originally started the game back at the beginning of the month. He pitched two shutout innings before the rain interrupted things. Taylor Rogers picked up where Dean left off. Rogers earned his sixth victory by tossing seven scoreless frames with four strikeouts and two walks. Rochester 3, Pawtucket 0 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score A trio of Red Wings pitchers kept the shutout innings piling up. Logan Darnell started the game and took a no-decision after lasting four innings and limiting the Red Sox to two hits. Caleb Thielbar earned his fifth win after pitching two innings with a pair of walks. AJ Achter collected his 13th save even after allowing a hit in the final frame. Argenis Diaz, Jose Martinez and Carlos Paulino each picked up two hits with Diaz scoring two of the team's three runs. Martinez hit his 9th double and drove in a run. Reynaldo Rodriguez continued his hot hitting from earlier in the day as he drove in a run and added his 17th double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 3, Montgomery 5 Box Score Adam Brett Walker homered for the third straight game and the fifth time in the last six games but it still wasn't enough for Chattanooga to scrape out a win. Niko Goodrum added a solo blast, his first of the season, and Max Kepler went 1-for-4 with a double. Miguel Sano didn't see a lot of good pitches as he was walked in two of his five tripe to the plate. The team was a dreadful 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base. Jason Wheeler was forced out of the game with two outs in the sixth after giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits with seven strikeouts. Brandon Peterson and J.T. Chargois finished out the game without allowing another run to score and this left the Lookouts with a chance for a comeback. It was the fourth loss in the last five games for the Lookouts after winning eight of nine games. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 1, Dunedin 3 Box Score After seeing their 10-game winning streak snapped on Sunday, Fort Myers finds themselves in the midst of a two-game losing streak. Kohl Stewart took the loss even though he put together quite the pitching performance. Over six innings, he allowed two earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Alex Muren and D.J. Johnson finished the game with two scoreless innings but it wasn't enough. The Miracle lacked offensive punch on Monday night. Alex Swim had the lone extra-base hit, a double that drove in the lone run for his team. Mitch Garver went 2-for-4 while Engelb Vielma reached base twice and scored a run. The team went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Wisconsin 0 Box Score Sam Gibbons took the hill for the Kernels and lasted six frames. He had mixed results on the mound as he didn't allow an earned run and he struck out five but he did allow four walks and two hits. Luke Bard was good in relief as he didn't allow a run in two innings of work. Trevor Hildenberger finished off the shutout with a perfect ninth inning. Jorge Fernandez was right in the middle of a lot of the offensive action for Cedar Rapids. He went 2-for-4 including a triple in the top of the ninth that led to a big insurance run. Tanner English picked up a pair of hits but was very close to having a three-hit night as he was thrown out on a close play. Nick Gordon drove in a run and he made multiple tough defensive plays at shortstop. E-Twins E-Notes E-Twins 6, Bristol 0 Box Score Like their counterparts at Triple-A, the E-Twins kept their opponents off the board with an impressive pitching performance. Dereck Rodriguez was superb as took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning. He allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and one walk. C.K. Irby and Tyler Stirewalt finished off the shutout by allowing a combined three base runners. It was only the fourth start of Rodriguez's career and he admitted he didn't realize he had a no-hitter going until it was too late. "To be honest... I didn't even think about it until the seventh inning, when I got that first out and everyone started cheering," he said. "And I made the mistake of looking at the scoreboard, and sure enough the next guy got a hit." The E-Twins scored at least one run in each of the first four innings and that was more than enough for Mr. Rodriguez. Austin Diemer scored two runs and smacked his first double. Tyler Kuresa drove in a pair of runs. Kamran Young and Rainis Silva both went 2-for-3 and Young scored twice. GCL Twins Takes GCL Twins 3, GCL Rays 1 Box Score The GCL Twins bounced back over the .500 mark with today's win against the GCL Rays who have one victory to their name. The rehabbing Randy Rosario picked up his first win after tossing five shutout innings. He scattered three hits and struck out four. Johan Quezada earned his second save by striking out two in 1.2 innings of work. Luis Martinez lead the offensive charge. He finished the day 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Lewin Diaz had his first multi-hit game of the season, The team didn't have any extra-base hits and they left six men on base. Luis Arraez stole his second base of the season and Martinez and Diaz each collected his first stolen bag. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Dereck Rodriguez, Elizabethton Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Reynaldo Rodriguez, Rochester Red Wings TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Pawtucket (6:05 CST) – RHP Ervin Santana Chattanooga- Scheduled Off Day Ft. Myers @ Dunedin (5:30 CST) – LHP Stephen Gonsalves Cedar Rapids @ Wisconsin (12:05 CST) – LHP Luke Westphal Elizabethton vs. Bristol (6:00 CST) – TBA GLC Twins vs. GCL Rays (11:00 am CST) – TBA Click here to view the article

It was a busy Saturday night in the Minnesota Twins farm system. Four members of the Ft. Myers Miracle played in the Florida State League All-Star Game. Seven Rochester Red Wings posted multi-hit games in a big win. That game was started by Ervin Santana. Chattanooga got a huge hit in a come-from-behind win. Check out all of the details from the Twins minor leagues on Saturday night.TRANSACTIONS Following the Red Wings game on Saturday night, the team announced that they would be receiving RHP Greg Peavey from Chattanooga. Jason Wheeler has been sent down to Double-A. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 10, Louisville 1 Box Score Ervin Santana returned to the mound in a game for the first time since his final spring training tune-up. He is not eligible to return to the Twins for two weeks, but the rules allow for him to get a few tune-up, rehab outings in the minor leagues. On Saturday night, Santana threw 88 pitches for the Red Wings. He went 5.2 innings and gave up just one run on five hits. He walked two and struck out three. Lester Oliveros then walked one and struck out two over two innings in relief. It was his first appearance since his seven-day suspension for throwing at Austin Romine’s head. Cole Johnson got the final four outs without allowing a run. However, the Red Wings offense became the bigger story in this game. Doug Bernier was the only starter without a hit. He was 0-4. Actually, Danny Ortiz was the only player with just one hit. It was a two-run double. Reynaldo Rodriguez hit his 15th double and sixth home run. He drove in three runs. Argenis Diaz went 3-4. Danny Santana went 2-5 his second triple. James Beresford went 2-5 with his 12th double. Eric Fryer went 2-4 with a walk. Jose Martinez went 2-5 with his seventh double. Eric Farris went 2-4 with his fourth double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 7, Jacksonville 4 Box Score Down 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Travis Harrison hit his second double of the night and it cleared the bases, giving the Lookouts a 5-3 lead. They added on and gained a 7-4 win. Harrison went 2-5 with his 17th and 18th doubles. Niko Goodrum went 3-5 with and his second double. Heiker Meneses went 2-4 with his sixth double. Max Kepler stayed hot. He went 2-3 with two walks. JO Berrios made the start. He went the first five innings and was charged with three runs. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out three. He left after just 76 pitches. Jake Reed came on and struck out three in two perfect innings. Nick Burdi gave up an unearned run and a walk in the eighth inning. Zack Jones pitched the ninth inning. He walked one and recorded his tenth save of the season. MIRACLE MATTERS Florida State League All Star Game Box Score Four Miracle players represented Ft. Myers and the Twins organization on Saturday night at the Florida State League All Star game. · Alex Swim batted second. He started at catcher and then moved out to right field for the rest of the game. He went 1-4. · Chih-Wei Hu pitched a scoreless second inning. He gave up one hit and struck out one. · Ryan Eades pitched a perfect fifth inning. · Todd Van Steensel gave up one hit, but he got the final out of the eighth inning and the first out of the ninth inning. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 4, Clinton 7 Box Score Sam Gibbons had a rough start. He gave up four runs in the first inning, two more in the third and another one the fourth inning. In all, he was charged with seven runs (6 earned) on eight hits in four innings. He walked two, hit one and struck out three. Miles Nordgren came on and worked three scoreless innings despite allowing five hits. He walked none and struck out three. Mike Theofanopoulos gave up one hit but no runs in his inning. The Kernels responded with ten hits, but they were unable to work out of the early hole. Nick Gordon went 2-4 with a walk and his eighth double. Brian Navarreto went 3-4. Max Murphy added a late home run, his third of the season. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Jake Reed, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Travis Harrison, Chattanooga Lookouts SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Louisville @ Rochester (12:35 CST) – LHP Pat Dean Jacksonville @ Chattanooga (1:15 CST) – TBD Ft. Myers – All Star break Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (2:00 CST) – RHP Jared Wilson Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Saturday games. Click here to view the article

On Thursday in the Minnesota Twins minor league system, there were some really strong offensive performances. The pitching wasn’t on par with Wednesday when three starting pitchers threw at least six innings of shutout baseball. However, one starter looks like he could be turning his season around in a positive way.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 5, Lehigh Valley 6 (11 innings) Box Score Alex Meyer was back on the mound. Though the results weren’t great, it was certainly a step in the right direction, an improvement. The right-hander gave up five runs (just three earned) on seven hits. He walked two and struck out four. His fourth strikeout was the first out in the seventh inning. He walked the next batter and was removed from the game. Logan Darnell came in and gave up a single. Mark Hamburger replaced him and gave up two hits, one allowing a run, the other resulted in a runner thrown out at the plate. Tim Stauffer continued his rehab. He threw two quick, scoreless innings and struck out one. Caleb Thielbar pitched a scoreless tenth inning, but the takes the loss after giving up one in the 11th. Reynaldo Rodriguez went 2-5 with his third home run. Jose Martinez was also 2-5 with his first home run. Eric Farris went 2-5. Josmil Pinto hit his fourth double. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 5, Birmingham 1 Box Score Greg Peavey’s season couldn’t have started much worse. Through his first five starts (22.1 innings) he had 10.48 ERA and opponents had a 1.048 OPS off of him. In his last start, he gave up just one run over five innings. On Thursday night, he continued that positive trend. He gave up just one run on four hits over seven innings. He walked none and struck out three. Zack Jones finished things up with two scoreless innings in relief. He struck out two. Max Kepler continued to rake. He went 2-4 with his seventh and eighth doubles. Travis Harrison went 2-3 with a walk and his league-leading 11th double. Mike Gonzales went 2-3 with a walk. Adam Brett Walker hit his first triple of the season. One To Watch: In his last 12 games, Kepler is hitting .422/.447/.622 (1.069) with seven doubles and a triple. In his current six-game hitting streak – during which he has four multi-hit games – he is hitting .522/.522/.826 (1.348) with seven doubles. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 3, Dunedin 6 Box Score Ryan Eades has been very good this season, but he had a clunker on Thursday night. He gave up six runs in the game’s first two innings. He did settle down and gave up only those six over five innings. He gave up ten hits, walked three and struck out two. Alex Muren came on and struck out three in two scoreless innings. Todd Van Steensel then struck out two more over the final two innings. The Miracle bats came to play. They had 11 hits and walked four times. However, they were only able to muster three runs in the game. Jason Kanzler went 2-5 and hit his third home run of the season. Zach Granite went 2-4 with a walk and his first FSL double. Alex Swim’s 16-game hitting streak came to an end on Wednesday, but he started a new one. He went 2-5 in this one. Mitch Garver went 2-3 with a walk. Logan Wade was 2-4 with his sixth double. One To Watch: Earlier this week, the Minnesota Twins named Zach Granite their minor league hitter of the month for April. In 19 games with Cedar Rapids in April, he hit .358/.463/.463 (.925) with five doubles and a triple. He also walked 12 times while striking out just six times. When the calendar changed to May, he was promoted to Ft. Myers. He had just one hit in his first 14 at bats (three games) with the Miracle, but since then, he has been terrific. In ten games since, he is hitting .425/.500/.525 (1.025) with a double and his first professional home run. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids, Peoria (Game Suspended in fourth inning) Box Score There was rain at Perfect Game Field at Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids most of the day. The tarp was removed from the field about thirty minutes before game time. They were able to get through three innings, but in the top of the fourth, the rains came and the game was suspended. It will continue where it left off next Monday in Peoria before their regularly-scheduled game. Stephen Gonsalves started and gave up two first-inning runs. Through four innings, he gave up just those two runs on four hits. He walked none and struck out four. Trey Vavra gave the Kernels a lead in the second inning when he launched his fourth home run of the season, a three-run shot. Tanner English had a triple and a walk in the game. 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 – Reynaldo Rodriguez, Rochester Red Wings; Jose Martinez, Rochester Red Wings; Jason Kanzler, Ft. Myers Miracle FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (6:05 CST) – LHP Jason Wheeler Chattanooga @ Birmingham (7:05 CST) – RHP DJ Baxendale Ft. Myers @ Jupiter (5:35 CST) – LHP Brett Lee Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) – RHP Michael Cederoth LEADERBOARD Be sure to check back on Saturday morning to see who is leading the Twins organization in many of the statistical categories. Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Thursday games. Click here to view the article

Over the weekend, I handed out the “awards” for Twins minor league relief pitcher and starting pitcher of April. Whether coming out of the bullpen or starting the game, the Twins had some minor leaguers put up some very good numbers.. Today, I am going to profile five Twins minor league hitters who had solid Aprils. There were a few strong offensive performances, but in my mind, one stood out above the rest.Here are my selections for the Top 5 Twins minor league hitters in April. But first, here are a few honorable mentions: Rochester C Josmil Pinto (18-59) .305/.397/.373 (.770) with one double, one homer and nine RBIs.Rochester 2B James Beresford (17-50) .340/.382/.380 (.762) with two doubles and five RBI.Cedar Rapids 1B/LF sTrey Vavra (19-68) .279/.319/.500 (.819) with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and 12 RBIs.THE TOP FIVE HITTERS Number 5 - Chattanooga – Adam Brett Walker - (16-66) .242/.301/.530 (.832) with four doubles, five home runs and 11 RBI.s Walker had a solid month in his Double-A debut for the Lookouts. He put up Walker-like numbers. He didn’t hit for average, but he showed the type of immense power that we have seen in the lower levels. His five home runs led the league and the Twins organization for the month. In 71 plate appearances, he walked six times and struck out 29 times. Four of his six walks came in one game. It was a solid performance for Walker. Number 4 – Rochester – Aaron Hicks - (22-71) .310/.398/.493 (.891) with four doubles, three triples, 1 home run and 12 RBIs. Through the season’s first seven games, Aaron Hicks was hitting just .194. In his final 11 games of the month, he hit .400/.479/.525 (1.004) with three doubles and a triple. Though he’s got a .980 OPS against left-handed pitchers (as a right-handed batter), he has a solid .813 OPS against righties as well. He’s also playing some very good defense in center and right field. He ended the month on an 11-game hitting streak. Maybe May 4th wasn’t the date he was called up, but I can’t imagine it will be too much longer before he’s back at Target Field, patrolling center field. Number 3 - Rochester – Reynaldo Rodriguez - (22-68) .324/.403/.500 (.903) with five doubles, two triples, one home run and nine RBIs. Rodriguez is in his third season in the Twins organization after years in the Yankees and Red Sox systems. The 28-year-old from Colombia is back to playing first base and DHing, but he has been a force in the middle of the Red Wings lineup. After starting the season going 2-16 in his first four games, he went on an 12-game hitting streak. His batting averaged reached a high of .345. Number 2 – Cedar Rapids – Zach Granite – (24-67) .358/.463/.463 (.925) with five doubles, one triple, one home run and five RBIs. After playing in just 21 games for the Cedar Rapids Kernels in 2014 because of two separate injuries, Zach Granite was sent back to Iowa to start the season and get caught up. After hitting like he did at the top of the Kernels order, he was promoted when the calendar turned to May. Granite, the Twins 14th round pick in 2013 out of Seton Hall, is not going to hit for a lot of power. However, he takes really good at-bats, doesn’t expand the strike zone, hits line drives and turns singles into doubles and doubles into triples. He’s a very good base runner and base stealer. He can be a terrific instigator at the top of a lineup. The April Minnesota Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is... Chattanooga Lookouts 1B Dalton (DJ) Hicks (22-66) .333/.436/.576 with five doubles, one triple, three home runs and 11 RBIs. Listed at 6-5 and 250 pounds, Hicks is a powerful presence in the middle of the Chattanooga lineup. For one reason or another, he is an under-rated “prospect,” but he has been one of the more productive hitters in the Twins organization since the Twins used their 17th round pick in 2012 on the slugger out of the University of Central Florida. He drove in 25 runs in 31 games for Elizabethton that first year. His walk-off grand slam won the Appalachian League title for the E-Twins. In 2013, he spent two-thirds of the season in Cedar Rapids and the final third in Ft. Myers. His 110 RBIs was one more than Kernels teammate Adam Brett Walker. He spent all of the 2014 season with the Ft. Myers Miracle and was a key component in the Miracle’s Florida State League championship. Right now, he is the three-hitter in that power- and potential-packed Lookouts lineup. In May, he was the organization’s top hitter. However he credits some of his hot start to his teammates. Hicks said, “It’s always important to get off to a hot start. Obviously easier said than done. But, when you play with the guys I play with, it’s pretty easy to be patient and look for what I want to hit knowing the guy behind me will get the job done if I don’t.” Though he hit .414 with a 1.071 OPS in the season’s first eight games to jump-start his season, he remained consistent throughout the whole month. Over the final ten games of the month, he hit .270 and still had a .968 OPS thanks to finding his power stroke. For the second straight season, his manager is former Twins infielder Doug Mientkiewicz. When you have success, a lot of it is due to what work and preparation was done in the offseason. The 25-year-old credits his offseason work. “Working with Slice (Miracle hitting coach and long-time big leaguer Jim Dwyer) and Dougie from last year, I knew what I needed to ‘fix’ in order to have better success.” This Chattanooga team is pretty special. Many of the players were on last year’s Miracle championship team and the Elizabethton championship team. They won a lot of games in Cedar Rapids in 2013 as well. They may be off to a slower start early this season, but Hicks said the atmosphere in the Lookouts clubhouse is the same. “It’s the same as it has always been. This is a special group. We know that. We are a team that likes to have fun. Guys are always looking out for each other on and off the field.” As for the remainder of the season, Hicks won’t set many goals. “I’m not a guy with big goals. The best advice I think I have ever received is to always ‘stay the same’ and look at making today the best today. When we as baseball players can be the same, day in and day out, success will find its way our way. At the end of the year, goals will take care of themselves.” Dalton Hicks – who is also just fine if you prefer to call him DJ – made the best of his April. He is a big part of this Chattanooga Lookouts roster, and he is a name the Twins fans should really get to know. ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- There were several strong performances in April around the organization. Earlier in the week, we named the Twins Relief Pitcher and Starting Pitcher of the month of April. Please feel free to discuss. Click here to view the article