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There was no denying the Minnesota Twins needed pitching help at the trade deadline, and the front office came through in every way imaginable. With 15 minutes left before the bell rung, the club acquired its second relief arm in the form of Michael Fulmer. Sending 24-year-old prospect Sawyer Gipson-Long to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Michael Fulmer, Minnesota picked up its first rental. A former first-round pick for the Tigers, Fulmer stepped away from working as a starter following a disastrous 2020 season. Since moving to the bullpen he’s been a great weapon and adds to the depth created with the acquisition of Pablo Lopez earlier today. Last season Fulmer posted a 2.97 ERA and 3.46 FIP across 69 2/3 innings. Utilized solely as a reliever this season, Fulmer has tallied a 3.20 ERA alongside a 3.22 FIP. Fulmer’s 28% hard-hit rate this season is a career-low and in 107 batted ball events he has allowed just a single barrel. While some pitchers see a spike in velocity when moving to the bullpen, that hasn’t been the case for Fulmer. He has remained consistent as a mid-90’s thrower. Much more fastball dominant as a starter, Fulmer has turned to a slider over 60% of the time this season and it’s among the best pitches in baseball. Despite throwing it that often, opponents are hitting just .140/.250/.151 against it. Like the previously-acquired Jorge Lopez, Fulmer has also recorded saves and pitched in late-game situations. Detroit employs All-Star Gregory Soto as their closer, but Fulmer has worked as a setup man and gives Rocco Baldelli another arm to work alongside Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. Drafted in the 6th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft, Sawyer Gipson-Long came from Mercer University. He started this season back at High-A Cedar Rapids and was dominant with a 1.99 ERA. That came on the heels of a strong showing across six starts to end the 2021 season with the Kernels. Having made eight appearances (7 starts) for Double-A Wichita, Gipson-Long owns a 7.17 ERA. The command and strikeout stuff have still been good, but he’s been hit around, allowing an 11.0 H/9. Certainly a prospect with some promise still, there’s plenty of risk here to not count on him for the future. Going into the deadline Minnesota wanted to avoid rentals, but this is one that makes sense. Fulmer is making just $4.95 million this season, and while there is some upside, Gipson-Long isn’t a substantial price to pay. Whatever value the Twins get from a bolstered relief unit this season is likely to outweigh contributions from Gipson-Long years from now. View full article

Despite some quality pitching performances, there was a farm-wide drought at the plate across the Twins Minor League System on Sunday. That didn't stop Jake Cave from another impressive performance and the Mighty Mussels from getting a shutout win! TRANSACTIONS Minnesota Twins recalled LHP Jovani Moran from St. Paul Saints. SAINTS SENTINAL Buffalo 2, St. Paul 1 Box Score Despite a solid outing from Mario Sanchez, the Saints lost their series finale against Buffalo on Sunday afternoon. Sanchez (L, 4-2) struck out six through six innings while allowing two runs on only three hits. The 27-year-old now has a 3.00 ERA and 0.84 WHIP through 12 games and six starts. The Saints scored their lone run on a Jake Cave solo home run (7) in the first inning. Cave has now hit safely in his last eight games and has a monstrous 41-game on-base streak! Cave also singled in the sixth inning to bring his batting average up to .270 and OPS to .831. Curtis Terry and Tim Beckham each knocked two singles, accounting for the only other four hits the Saints tallied all day. WIND SURGE WISDOM San Antonio 2, Wichita 1 Box Score Out-hitting the opposition and a solid start from Sawyer Gipson-Long wasn't enough to propel the Wind Surge to a win against the Missions on Sunday. In a pitching showdown, the Surge tallied six hits but left four baserunners in scoring position and were only able to plate one run on the day. That run came in the second inning when Leobaldo Cabrera drilled an RBI double (3) to center field to score DaShawn Keirsey from second. Keirsey was the only Wichita player to record multiple hits with a pair of singles in the second and fourth innings. Keirsey is now slashing .231/.300/.659 on the season and Sunday's singles were his first hits since the series opener on June 22. A staple for the Surge all season, Sawyer Gipson-Long was solid through five innings, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out five. The bullpen tandem of Jordan Gore, Bryan Sammons, and Denny Bentley were even more impressive, pitching four combined shutout innings while allowing just two hits. At the end of the day, the Surge just weren't able to get the bats going. KERNELS NUGGETS West Michigan 4, Cedar Rapids 3 (10 Innings) Box Score A pair of extra-inning runs kept the Kernels from the win column on Sunday afternoon in Cedar Rapids. Similar to the Saints and Wind Surge, the Kernels' pitching staff was rock-solid but the team ultimately fell short due to dry bats at the plate. Starting pitcher John Stankiewicz allowed one run on three hits while striking out three through six innings. After Stankiewicz's masterpiece, Derek Molina tossed two innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits. Bradley Hanner (L, 4-2) pitched a scoreless ninth inning but surrendered two runs in the 10th, ultimately taking the loss. Cedar Rapids scored its first two runs in the 8th inning thanks to a two-run homer from Pat Winkel (3). The Kernels added another run in their final frame when Dylan Neuse punched an RBI single that scored Wander Javier. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 2, Lakeland 0 Box Score A two-hit beauty from the pitching staff and a pair of timely runs drove the Mussels to a shutout victory on Sunday in the Sunshine State. Things didn't look promising right away; after striking out the first two batters of the game prized prospect Marco Raya left the game for undisclosed reasons. That didn't matter to RHP Mike Paredes. Coming in on short notice, the 21-year-old pitched 4 1/3 of perfect baseball, allowing no walks or hits while striking out two. Paredes (W, 3-2) has been stellar all season for the Mussels and now touts an impressive 2.29 ERA and 0.86 WHIP through 13 appearances. Following Paredes' showcase, Josh Wilson (H, 3) and Niklas Rimmel combined for two stellar innings to finish the game, each allowing only one hit. Fort Myers scored their first run in the opening frame when Noah Cardenas grounded into a double play with two men on that allowed Jake Rucker to score. In the fourth inning, Mikey Perez laced his 16th double of the season to left field. Perez would then advance to third on a wild pitch and scored on a failed pick-off attempt to give Fort Myers its second and final run. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day: Jake Cave (St. Paul)- 2-4, HR, R, RBI, K Pitcher of the Day: Mike Paredes (Fort Myers)- 4.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-1, BB #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 0-3 BB #9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 1-4, K #10 - Marco Raya (Ft. Myers) - 0.2 IP, 2 K #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 1-4, K #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-3, K #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-4, K TOMORROW'S STARTERS Mondays are off for the Minor Leaguers! Be sure to check out our Minor League Week in Review tomorrow! View full article

The Minnesota Twins dropped the first game of their series against the Guardians at Target Field in extra innings. Luis Arraez provided a go-ahead three-run home run but the bullpen couldn't hang on and the lineup failed to deliver in extras. Down in the minors, Jermaine Palacios refused to be denied a home run, Matt Wallner hit a pair of homers of his own, Cedar Rapids pulled off a come-from-behind victory and both Ronny Henriquez and Sawyer Gipson-Long had encouraging starts. All that and more in tonight's system recap. View full video

May has ended, and it is now time to crown the player we at Twins Daily believed is deserving of our coveted Minor League Starter of the Month Award. College arms dominating has been the story so far this year, and our list reflects that. Let's begin! Previous 2022 Starting Pitcher of the Month April - John Stankiewicz Methodology: This isn’t a scientific ranking by any stretch of the imagination. Other minor league writers gave feedback on their top players before the author weighed their choices with his own opinions. Results were less clear-cut than one would hope (one writer had Matt Canterino 2nd while another had him 6th). This is meant to act as a general spotlight to shine on many players, not just the one we deemed “the best,” so don’t take this any more seriously than it needs to be. Honorable Mention - Travis Adams - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, 3.15 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 29.7 K%, 20 IP Travis Adams, the Twins 6th round pick in 2021 out of Sacramento State, threw his hat in the ring of notable college arms making noise in 2022. He allowed a few more runs than the arms that will grace this list, but he was still outstanding—allowing an opponent batting average of .162 in May against a WHIP of 0.85. Honorable Mention - Chi Chi González - St. Paul Saints, 2.53 ERA, 2.52 FIP, 24.4 K%, 21 1/3 IP Chi Chi González joined the Twins organization this past off-season, inking a minor league deal hoping that he could pitch his way into an unsteady major league rotation. That hasn’t happened yet, but González took a significant step towards that future in May. He rebounded from a shaky April to pitch to a respectable 2.53 ERA in May without giving up a long ball in four starts. Number Five - Sawyer Gipson-Long - Cedar Rapids Kernels, 1.74 ERA, 3.59 FIP, 29.5 K%, 20 2/3 IP Sawyer Gipson-Long, another recent college arm (someone should write about that), popped up on the prospect radar last season and is proving that his success is no fluke. The righty from Mercer crushed his competition in May, allowing a sub-.200 batting average against while striking out batters at nearly a 30% clip. That’s good, folks. His age, combined with his status as an older arm, curses his evaluations to be bland; Eric Longenhagen and Tess Taruskin described him as someone who sits “90-94 with an above-average slider and plenty of strikes.” Keep an eye on him as an under-the-radar pitcher who could be in Wichita very soon. Number Four - Brent Headrick - Cedar Rapids Kernels, 0.93 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 26.0 K%, 19 ⅓ IP Another former-collegiate pitcher, Brent Headrick, has found command in 2022, and hitters have suffered for it. Headrick crushed May, holding a WHIP of just 0.78 with three of his four starts ending without him surrendering an earned run. His FIP held him back from placing higher on this list—the next three pitchers all dominated in ERA and peripherals—but that’s hardly a knock on Headrick’s pitching ability. Allowing two earned runs in an entire month is elite, no matter how you slice it. Number Three - Matt Canterino - Wichita Wind Surge, 2.00 ERA, 2.95 FIP, 37.3 K%, 18 IP Matt Canterino had an unusual month of May; he started four games while piggybacking in another but still ended up with fewer innings than all previously named starters. Nonetheless, he dominated. Canterino allowed runs in just one outing while striking out the world as he returns from an elbow injury that shortened his 2021 season. The Rice product walked more batters than one would prefer (12.0% of them), but his strikeout total in May was so ridiculous that he still ended up at the number three spot. Number Two - David Festa- Fort Myers Mighty Mussels/Cedar Rapids Kernels, 1.45 ERA, 2.32 FIP, 36.8 K%, 18 2/3 IP One of the most talked-about Twins prospects this year, David Festa, had a month to remember in May. The 13th-round pick out of Seton Hall embodied efficiency, striking out hitters like an elite MLB reliever while not sacrificing command in favor of his stuff; he walked just 5.9% of hitters in May. His performance earned him a promotion to Cedar Rapids, where he made two outings; one great and one forgettable. His ascent through the minors could be rapid, so make sure to stop and appreciate Festa before he switches levels again. Number One - Steve Hajjar - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, 0.51 ERA, 2.21 FIP, 42.6 K%, 17 ⅔ IP For a while, Steve Hajjar was like Cthulu—legendary and fearsome, but never seen as he pitched with a Fort Myers team that doesn’t broadcast their games and only occasionally plays against a team that does. Then May 26th happened. Hajjar took the mound against the Bradenton Marauders and shut them down completely, fanning 10 over 5 ⅔ innings with no earned runs. It was the perfect culmination of Hajjar’s ability. The Twins drafted the tall lefty out of Michigan in the 2nd round of the 2021 draft; enamored by his potential, they handed him over $1 million. Hajjar didn’t pitch for the organization that year, but grumblings from team sources indicated that they were pleased with his internal performance. 2022 hasn’t left much for the imagination. The fewest amount of strikeouts Hajjar netted in a single game is 5, and he’s already punched out 50 batters through 29 innings of work. 29; he’s thrown 29 innings and has 50 strikeouts. Walker Buehler has thrown nearly 60 innings and only has 49. The primary issue left for Hajjar is command—he’s walked 17 hitters in those 29 innings to give him a ghastly 14.7 BB% on the year. Although, there may be signs of control as he’s walked just one batter respectively in each of his last two starts. Hajjar is a starter with immense potential, and it will be a great joy to watch him develop in the Twins system. View full article

The Saints lost 13-3 one day after winning by that score. The Wind Surge lost to Jack Leiter in Game 1 of their doubleheader but were able to salvage it thanks to a big offensive game from Jair Camargo. Kyler Fedko had an amazing game. Emmanuel Rodriguez continued to show why he is one of the Twins’ best prospects, and Steve Hajjar continued to dominate. Let’s see what happened this Wednesday in the Twins organization. TRANSACTIONS The Twins optioned Cole Sands to AAA following Tuesday’s doubleheader The St. Paul Saints activated Jake Petricka from the 7-day IL The Cedar Rapids Kernels activated Yunior Severino from the 7-day IL SAINTS (AAA) St. Paul 3, Iowa 13 Box Score The St. Paul Saints dropped a tough one to the Iowa Cubs on Wednesday by a score of 13-3. Daniel Gossett made his fourth start of the year for the Saints and struggled mightily. Gossett only went two innings, allowing nine runs (seven earned) on eight hits and three walks and not striking out any batters. Gossett took the loss, dropping his record to 1-2 on the year. In his last two outings, he has allowed 14 earned runs in only five innings, as his ERA has skyrocketed to an unimpressive 10.65. The Saints were down 9-0 after the second inning, so the rest of the game was simply a formality. In the top of the fourth, Jake Cave closed the deficit to eight with a solo home run, his fifth homer of the year. In the fifth inning, Elliot Soto scored on a Spencer Steer groundout to make it a 9-2 game. Wladimir Pinto came on in relief of Gossett and gave up two earned runs in three innings of work, striking out five. Pinto has been very solid for the Saints this year, only allowing three earned runs in 20 innings for an ERA of 1.35. He has also struck out 27 batters in those 20 innings. In his first game since being activated from the 7-day IL, Jake Petricka came on in relief of Pinto and threw two scoreless innings, not allowing a hit and striking out two batters. His season ERA is now down to 4.22. Tim Beckham singled in Michael Helman in the top of the eighth to make it 11-3, but the Saints stranded two runners on base to end the inning. Beckham, Cave, and Jose Godoy all had multi-hit games for the Saints. With the loss, the Saints record falls to 21-28 on the year. They will be back in action on Thursday against Iowa. WIND SURGE (AA) Game 1: Wichita 0, Frisco 3 Box Score In a game that was picked up in the second inning after being delayed Tuesday, the bats were delayed too as the Wind Surge lost 3-0 to Frisco and Rangers’ top prospect Jack Leiter. Blayne Enlow took the mound when the game re-started on Wednesday, and he pitched well, going 2 2/3 innings, allowing no runs, and striking out four. Bryan Sammons and Alex Scherff each pitched in relief of Enlow, allowing two and zero runs respectively. Sammons went three innings, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out three. Sammons took the loss as his record moved to 1-3 on the year. Scherff pitched the final two innings, allowing one run on two hits and two walks. In the bottom of the seventh, the Wind Surge had a chance to tie the game but they stranded runners on first and second after DaShawn Keirsey and Leobaldo Cabrera singled. Keirsey went 2-for-3 with a walk and stole his 14th base of the year. Cabrera was 1-for-2 with a walk, Edouard Julien was 1-for-3 with a walk, and Ernie Yake picked up the only other hit for the Wind Surge in a disappointing loss. With the loss, the Wind Surge dropped to 26-18, half a game behind Tulsa for the best record in the Texas League. Game 2: Wichita 7, Frisco 1 Box Score The Wind Surge bounced back in Game 2, salvaging a doubleheader split with Frisco by winning 7-1 to improve to 27-18 on the season. Kody Funderburk got the ball in game two, throwing four scoreless innings in his debut as a starter. Funderburk struck out four batters and only allowed two hits. Denny Bentley, Steven Cruz, and Steve Klimek all threw in relief of Funderburk, and the only run allowed was by Cruz, but was unearned. Klimek picked up his first win of the season. The Wind Surge got the offense going early in this one, as Austin Martin led off the bottom half of the first with his second triple of the year and Jair Camargo followed that with a homer to make it 2-0. This was Camargo's first hit as a member of the Wind Surge. Three batters later, Dennis Ortega drove in Alex Isola with his seventh double of the year to make it 3-0. In the bottom of the second, Isola hit his sixth homer of the season to make it a 5-0 game. Isola started off June strong after a month of May where he had a .925 OPS in 68 at-bats. In the fourth, Camargo hit another two-run bomb to make it 7-0. The Wind Surge were resilient and split the double-header. Martin, Camargo, and Isola all had multi-hit games and Camargo picked up four RBI. They will send one of the Twins’ top prospects to the mound tomorrow in Matt Canterino. KERNELS (HIGH-A) Cedar Rapids 10, Lansing 2 Box Score The Cedar Rapids Kernels won in dominating fashion on Wednesday by a score of 10-2. The win pushed their record to 30-17, the best record in the West division of the Midwest league by a one-game margin. Sawyer Gipson-Long started on the mound for the Kernels and picked up his fourth win of the year. Gipson-Long went six innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out three batters. His season ERA improved to a very good 2.06. Orlando Rodriguez and Ryan Shreve pitched in relief of Gipson-Long. Rodriguez went two innings, allowing only one run despite walking three batters. Shreve pitched the final inning, only needing eight pitches to put the final touches on a Kernel victory. The Kernels put on a show offensively in this one, and it started right away when Anthony Prato led off the game with his eighth double of the year. Prato came around to score on a run-scoring single by Kyler Fedko. One batter later, Yunior Severino tripled in his first at-bat since being activated from the IL Fedko scored. Severino came around to score on a throwing error to give the Kernels a 3-0 lead before Gipson-Long had even thrown a pitch. In the top of the third, Alerick Soularie blasted a two-out, three-run homer to give the Kernels a 6-0 lead. The homer was Soularie’s fourth of the year. Two innings later, Fedko picked up his third hit of the game with a solo homer to right-field for his third homer of the season. Fedko finished 3-for-4 with four runs scored, two RBI, a walk, and a homer. His season OPS is now up to .913. Severino went 2-for-3 with two runs, a triple, and two walks. Soularie finished 1-for-2 with two runs, four RBI, the homer, and three walks. MIGHTY MUSSELS (LOW-A) Fort Myers 1, Tampa 2 Box Score The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels dropped a tough contest 2-1 on Wednesday, dropping their record to a still great 31-15. Steve Hajjar took the mound for Fort Myers, throwing 4.1 innings while allowing one run on two hits and two walks. Hajjar struck out seven batters, continuing his utter dominance over Low-A hitters in 2022. He has struck out 57 batters in 33 innings at Low-A and if he keeps dominating, he may not be in Fort Myers for much longer. Jorge Alcala made a rehab stint, throwing one inning and allowing one unearned run while striking out one batter. He took the loss in this one but his fastball averaged 96 miles per hour and he was up to 99, so it is safe to say he is feeling healthy. One unknown pitcher who has been dominant is Matthew Swain. Swain threw two scoreless innings in this game, making it 21 innings so far this year without allowing an earned run. He has struck out 31 batters while only allowing four hits and five walks on the year. Emmanuel Rodriguez continued to do Emmanuel Rodriguez things in this game, hitting his eighth homer of the year and drawing two walks. His season OPS is now up to .998, which leads the Florida State League by over 100 points, and he is one of the highest upside players in the Twins whole system as he is still only 19 years old. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Sawyer Gipson-Long (Cedar Rapids) - 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K Hitter of the Day – Kyler Fedko (Cedar Rapids) - 3-for-4, 4 R, 2 RBI, HR (3), 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: #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 2-for-8, 2 R, 3B (2), K #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 0-for-3, 3 K #5 - Simeon Woods-Richardson (Wichita) - 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (24 pitches, 11 strikes (45.8%)) (Tuesday) #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 0-for-5, RBI #8 - Emmanuel Rodriguez (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-2, R, HR (8), RBI, 2 BB #9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-3, BB, 2 K #14 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (65 pitches, 38 strikes (58.5%) #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 1-for-7, 2 K #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-3, BB, K #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, R, 2B (9), BB, K #19 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K (81 pitches, 47 strikes (58%)) THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Iowa (12:08 CST) - RHP Mario Sanchez (3-1, 3.99 ERA) Frisco @ Wichita (7:05 CST) - RHP Matt Canterino (0-1, 2.05 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Lansing (6:05 PM CST) - RHP John Stankiewicz (2-2, 6.38 ERA) Tampa @ Ft. Myers (6:00 PM CST) - RHP Marco Raya (3-1, 2.48 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Wednesday’s games! Thank you for reading, and Go Twins! View full article

We are soon about to reach the fifth anniversary of Derek Falvey and Thad Levine joining the Twins. It was to be an intellectual super-team of sorts; Falvey had drawn praise for building the dominant Cleveland starting rotation, with Terry Francona describing him as a do-it-all “rising star.” Thad Levine, a crucial cog in keeping Texas’ front office together, helped orchestrate two popular World Series teams in Texas. Key to their vision was sustainability, long-term planning, and the “method—” whatever system could best improve a depleted Twins franchise. Are we seeing this process at this moment? If you hadn’t been paying attention to the Twins’ minor leagues, you don’t read this site enough, which is a shame. Twins Daily has been covering the system, uhhh, daily, and there has been an apparent development so far in the season: college arms dominating. Cade Povich, Brent Headrick, Steve Hajjar, David Festa, Travis Adams, Matt Canterino, and Sawyer Gipson-Long have all performed well, especially in the context of a minor league system with less sheen after graduations and under-performance amongst the best prospects. Those names stand out. I find K-BB% to be the best quick-and-dirty stat analysis for pitching prospects. It sums up just how dominant a pitcher is against his penchant for walking batters, and it completely removes poor minor league defense from the equation. It’s an incomplete picture for sure, but that’s how minor league stat-scouting goes. How well are those arms performing in context with their peers? With a minimum of 30 innings pitched, here’s how they compare with pitchers in their division. Players ranked by rank relative to division: *Hajjar has 29 innings pitched as of writing this, but he’s an essential piece of the story, so I included him anyway. Festa has pitched with both Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids in 2022, which makes his placement in the table messy—just know his K-BB% would be elite in either league. The Twins have targeted college arms specifically for years now. Since 2017, their drafts have been 43%, 43%, 38%, and 45% college arms, respectively, with 2020 ignored as it should be for every topic. Bailey Ober, Cole Sands, and Josh Winder were college arms, and while they didn’t draft Joe Ryan, he came from the collegiate ranks as well. It took a few years of cleaning out the gutters, but the system is now overflowing with college arms. This focus is nothing new for Derek Falvey; he coveted multiple collegiate arms during his time as a Cleveland executive. Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Mike Clevinger, Shane Bieber, and Aaron Civale rose through the college ranks before joining Cleveland’s system and found varying levels of success in the majors. That’s three Cy Young winners for those keeping track. An advantage to drafting college arms is their seasoning; those players have more time performing against high-level talent and require less time in the minors than their high school counterparts. Teams know this; it’s why the Angels, probably foolishly, drafted 19 college pitchers in 2021. The draft is 20 rounds. Another truism about drafting college pitchers is that, because their cement is more dry, taking one is less a game of projections and more a project of finding undervalued characteristics. High schoolers might as well be light-years away from the majors, and their development presents an immense risk. The Moneyball book perfectly represented the idea with Billy Beane’s anger at drafting Jeremy Bonderman, a projectable arm with a “clean delivery, and a body that looked as if it had been created to wear a baseball uniform.” Although, Bonderman had the last laugh when he pitched more than 1,200 innings in MLB over a nine-year career. Is this simply just the game repeating itself; it’s meta-game moving full-circle back towards what was cutting edge thinking 20 years ago? Perhaps, perhaps not. If you looked carefully, you’d see that players like Povich and Hajjar found extra velocity ticks after joining the organization. The team could be identifying players with more data attached to them to target a fix or two and enjoy the benefits of a more realized player. After all, this is the landscape of Big Data in baseball, and the Twins might be using it to their advantage. View full article

Bailey Ober was supposed to make his first rehab start, but rain stopped him from ever taking the mound on Saturday. However, the three teams that did play all won their games. Read all about that and more in this edition of the Minor League Report. TRANSACTIONS RHP Bailey Ober assigned to AAA St. Paul on Major League Rehab. OF Alex Kirilloff optioned to AAA St. Paul. LHP Devin Smeltzer contract selected by Minnesota Twins. IF Miguel Sano placed on 60-Day IL. RHP Blayne Enlow added to AA Wichita Saints Sentinel The Saints were rained out on Saturday. They will play a double-header against Columbus tomorrow with Bailey Ober taking the mound in game one. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 7, Arkansas 6 Box Score Blayne Enlow: 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K HR: Spencer Steer (6), Chris Williams (1) Multi-hit games: Austin Martin (2-for-5, R, RBI), Spencer Steer (3-for-5, HR, R, 3 RBI), Andrew Bechtold (2-for-4, 2B, R, BB, 2 K) The Wind Surge kept rolling on Saturday. Blayne Enlow made his Wind Surge debut and his first non-rehab assignment start since undergoing Tommy John surgery. He’s back. The start wasn’t the best, but six strikeouts is nothing to sneeze at. It’s just great to see him healthy and back on a pitching mound this summer. While the game ended up close, Wichita’s offense took off quickly in this game, scoring pairs of runs in the first three innings. Spencer Steer was the main culprit, hitting a two-run homer in the first to go with an RBI infield hit in the second. That may be the biggest difference feet-wise between RBI hits in baseball. Arkansas would steal a run in the bottom of the 2nd inning, but Chris Williams belted a hearty laugh, and blasted a two-run homer to right-center field. The Naturals came scratching back, though. Chris Vallimont had a tough outing in relief, allowing two earned runs and walking four batters in 1 2/3 innings of work. Defense didn’t help either, as both Andrew Bechtold and Austin Martin made errors that allowed un-earned runs to score. That Martin error was especially deadly, as Arkansas rode their extra out to three runs and a tied game. In dramatic fashion, Martin then made good and gave Wichita the lead in the 8th with an RBI single. The Naturals could not recover from that deficit. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 7, Peoria 1 Box Score Sawyer Gipson-Long: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K HR: Anthony Prato (5) Multi-hit games: Aaron Sabato (2-for-4, 2B, R), Alerick Soularie (2-for-4, 3B, 2 R, RBI), Will Holland (2-for-3, R, RBI) The Kernels won on Saturday. Water is wet. These were the two sentences used last time, and they are still appropriate. Sawyer Gipson-Long Did the Darn Thing and completely silenced the Chiefs’ bats. It took the righty just 62 pitches to run through 15 outs with seven of those being strikeouts. Gipson-Long has been a surprising revelation since joining the Twins organization, and Saturday was another day in a line of impressive starts from him. Credit news to be given to Derek Molina, Tyler Palm, and Denny Bentley, as they combined for four clutch innings of work and just a single earned run allowed. Although the game ended up handily won by Cedar Rapids, the game flow was not always so simple. The score was 2-1 after eight innings with an Alerick Soularie little-league homer (triple with an error allowing him to score), and a Jair Camargo RBI single representing their only offense of the game. But the Kernels broke it open in the 9th inning, plating five runs off a few base knocks, and an Anthony Prato three-run bomb. Peoria had no response in their half of the inning. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 10, Palm Beach 4 Box Score Steve Hajjar: 4 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 K HR: Mikey Perez (3), Dillon Tatum (2) Multi-hit games: Emmanuel Rodriguez (3-for-4, 2B, 3 R, RBI, BB), Mikey Perez (3-for-4, 2B, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB) The Mighty Mussels won handily on Saturday. Is it a good thing to have four players reach base three times in one game? Asking for a friend. Fort Myers dominated with an equal attack amongst their offense—no one batter should own the means of run production after all. Noah Miller and Emmanuel Rodriguez continued to be on-base machines, which isn’t surprising. Mikey Perez was the big story though, as he doubled, homered, and reached base four times in the game. Eight hitters reached base at least once. Steve Hajjar took the mound, and while he allowed just one run, command eluded him. Hajjar walked five batters while throwing just 46 of his 80 pitches for strikes. Although, it appears he was “effectively wild” given that the Cardinals could only knock one hit off of him. Walks proved to be the name of the game overall. The Mighty Mussels walked more than they struck out (nine to eight) while the Cardinals weren’t far behind (seven to 10). One could refer to this game as “leisurely.” TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Sawyer Gipson-Long Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Spencer Steer PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Austin Martin (Wichita) - 2-for-5, R, RBI #2 – Royce Lewis (Minnesota) - 1-for-4 #3 – Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 0-for-5, 2 K #4 – Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - Did not pitch #5 – Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - Did not pitch #6 – Matt Canterino (Wichita) - Did not pitch #7 – Jhoan Duran (Minnesota) - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K #8 – Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - Did not pitch #9 – Josh Winder (Minnesota) - Did not pitch #10 – Noah Miller (Fort Myers) - 1-for-2, 2 R, 3 BB #11 – Gilberto Celestino (Minnesota) - 1-for-4, 2 K #12 – Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 0-for-3, 2 BB, K #13 – Cole Sands (St. Paul) - Did not pitch #14 – Louie Varland (Wichita) - Did not pitch #15 – Emmanuel Rodriguez (Fort Myers) - 3-for-4, 2B, 3 R, RBI, BB, K #16 – Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - Did not pitch #17 – Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K #18 – Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 3-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR, 2B #19 – Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, K #20 – Steve Hajjar (Fort Myers) - 4 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Columbus (12:05 PM) - RHP Bailey Ober St. Paul @ Columbus (Game Two) - RHP Dereck Rodriguez Wichita @ NW Arkansas (1:35 PM) - RHP Casey Legumina Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (1:35 PM) - RHP John Stankiewicz Palm Beach @ Fort Myers (12:00 PM) - RHP Marco Raya View full article

The Minnesota Twins farm system is replete with talent. But even so, some names haven't gotten the attention they deserve. Here are a few such names. Jair Camargo, C High-A Cedar Rapids stats: 28 PA, .333/.357/.741, 3 HR, 2 2B, .407 iso, .429 BABIP, 32.1% K-BB% Camargo is a stocky catching prospect who was originally obtained by the Twins in February 2020 along with Kenta Maeda as part of the deal that sent Brusdar Graterol to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Seen as simply a throw-in at the time, he has grown from a light-hitting teenager to a 22-year-old with legitimate pop. Prior to joining the Twins system, Camargo smacked 18 doubles in 79 games with the Dodgers Single-A affiliate in 2019, suggesting he had some power to unlock with appropriate tweaks to his swing. Well, unlock some power he has as 16 of his 27 career minor league home runs have come over his last 78 games, including three in his first seven games this season. (Note: Camargo, like all minor league athletes, did not play games during the 2020 season due to the pandemic.) His numbers are bolstered at the moment by small sample sizes and an unsustainably high BABIP, but the evolution he has displayed since joining the Twins is encouraging and suggestive of changes that will stick. However, Camargo’s game is not without its faults. His 35.7% strikeout rate is exceedingly high for the low minor leagues and his microscopic 3.6% walk rate is not only suggestive of poor discipline overall but has also prevented him from ever posting an OPS over .719. Additionally, he provides little to write home about defensively behind the plate. But among the Twins’ catching prospects, Camargo’s bat is perhaps the most exciting. Cedar Rapids Starting Pitchers LHP Aaron Rozek: 10 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 13 K LHP Cade Povich: 9 2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 17 K RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long: 9 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 14 K LHP Brent Headrick: 9 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 16 K The Kernels starting rotation has eviscerated opponents through each of their first two starts this season. They own a combined 1.19 ERA with a 15:1 K:BB ratio and have surrendered only a single home run. And only one of them—former Nebraska Cornhusker and 2021 third round pick Cade Povich—is universally considered a top prospect. At this time last season, Rozek was pitching in Indy ball. Headrick was selected in the ninth round in 2019 out of Illinois State. Gipson-Long—who, full disclosure, I voted as the TwinsDaily preseason Minor League Pitcher of the Year—was taken in the sixth round of the same draft. The Twins minor league coaching staff has developed all four into legitimate threats to appear at Target Field one day, which is a great accomplishment for all parties involved. John Stankiewicz, RHP Low-A Fort Myers stats: 11 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 19 K Stankiewicz signed with the Twins as an undrafted free agent during the summer of 2020 and all he has done since is strike batters out. In 36 1/3 minor league innings, the former Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year has struck out 49 batters—he has a 47.5% K rate through his first two starts this spring—and owns a 2.48 ERA. According to Eric Longenhagen at FanGraphs, Stankiewicz owns two pitches that could play at the MLB-level. His fastball sits in the low-90s while his slider is, get this, considered a plus offering. For an undrafted free agent, Stankiewicz has already exceeded expectations. Though, if he continues to progress at his current pace, he may just blow them out of the water. Anthony Prato, INF High-A Cedar Rapids stats: 47 PA, .351/.468/.514, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 3B, .162 iso, .480 BABIP, 6.4 K-BB% Prato’s bat doesn’t have pop. Defensively, he doesn’t necessarily do anything that stands out. However, what the 2019 7th round pick does exceptionally well is get on base and steal bases. Since beginning his minor league career, Prato has never posted an OBP below .370 and has successfully stolen 15 bases in 19 attempts. In a sense, Prato is the free version of Edouard Julien, a fellow 2019 Twins draftee who rocketed up prospect boards last summer due to his uncanny ability to reach base. Julien has more power—18 home runs and 28 doubles in his career compared to Prato’s three and 14, respectively—is a more prolific base stealer (35 steals in 40 attempts), and is a sounder glove in the field. However, Prato could act as a capable facsimile in the right situation. What are your thoughts on these unheralded prospects. Are there other Twins minor leaguers who are not getting as much attention as they should? Leave your COMMENTS below. View full article

Minor League starting pitching was a beacon of light in a roller-coaster year for the Twins organization. It is only fitting that a product of the Land of 10,000 Lakes serves as the crowned jewel amongst a talented crop of pitching prospects. Louie Varland spent his childhood on the dirt of ballfields across the northeast sector of the Twin Cities. The Maplewood native turned his successful tenure at North St. Paul High School into an even better pitching career at Concordia-St. Paul. After that? A 15th round selection in the 2019 MLB Draft by his hometown Minnesota Twins. And after a sprinkle of 2019 games in rookie ball and just one full season of pro ball, Varland has distinguished himself as one of the most prolific pitchers in the entire Twins organization. For that, he's been voted as our 2021 Starting Pitcher of the Month. Varland started the 2021 season with Low-A Fort Myers where he posted a 4-2 record and 2.09 ERA in ten appearances (eight starts). In that span he struck out 76 men and opposing batters hit a meager .208 against Varland. Those numbers earned him a promotion to High-A Cedar Rapids, just four hours from home. With his family able to finally attend games, Varland did not disappoint, going 6-2 with a 2.10 ERA in ten starts with the Kernels. While he didn't post as many strikeouts as he did in Fort Myers, Varland was more efficient, posting a stellar 0.99 WHIP and only 14 walks while holding opponents to just a .202 batting average. Varland joined a talented Cedar Rapids rotation of Ben Gross and company upon being called up. That rotation was amplified towards the end of the season with Sawyer Gipson-Long, Cody Lawyerson, and Casey Legumina joining the rotation. Yet despite the addition of talented arms, Varland was the clear choice to start Game 1 of the High-A Central Championship Series against Quad Cities. Following a career-high 11 strikeout performance against Peoria on September 16, Varland dazzled in his postseason debut, tossing seven innings of six-hit, one-run ball while striking out four and walking one en route to a 2-1 Cedar Rapids victory. There's no doubt that Varland's 2021 stat line makes him a clear-cut selection for this award. A 10-4 record and 2.10 ERA is pretty darn great at any level. For a pitcher to tally those numbers in his first full season? Unbelievable. Prior to this season Varland only had three professional baseball appearances, all with the Elizabethton Twins in 2019. Varland only started one of those games and compiled a slim 8 2/3 innings in that three game span. With the 2020 minor league season scrapped due to COVID-19, it's truly incredible that Varland was able to trailblaze such an incredible 2021 season. Congrats, Louie! THE TOP SIX Varland wasn't the only pitcher in the Twins' farm system to have a standout season. In addition to Varland, these five pitchers round out the top six starting pitchers in 2021 per the Twins Daily Minor League staff. 1. RHP Louie Varland, Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids (18 GS, 10-4, 2.10 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 103 IP, 82 H, 24 ER, 30 BB, 142 K) Check out Seth Stohs' interview with Louie prior to his electric season and other Twins Daily content on Varland! St Paul to Stardom: Louie Varland is the Real Deal Twins Prospect Varland Won't Stop at Pretty Good 2. RHP Cole Sands, Wichita (18 GS, 4-2, 2.46 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 80.1 IP, 59 H, 22 ER, 35 BB, 96 K) Despite loads of movement in the organization, Cole Sands was an absolute workhorse for the Wind Surge all season. While many of his starts did not surpass five innings, it wasn't because of poor performance. Sands was as efficient as could be, holding opposing hitters to a .203 average on the year and touting seven scoreless starts. Ironically enough, one of Sands' two losses came on August 14 against Tulsa in a start where he recorded a season-high ten strikeouts. 3. RHP Jordan Balazovic, Wichita (20 GS, 5-4, 3.62 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 97 IP, 98 H, 39 ER, 38 BB, 102 K) Arguably the most notable pitching prospect in the organization, Jordan Balazovic had a season full of ups and downs. When he's on, the 2016 5th round pick is unstoppable with his blazing fastball and deceptive off-speed pitches. We saw that on July 15th when the Ontario-native lit up the Tulsa Drillers with 11 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball. On the flipside, Balazovic has struggled with control, command, and pitch selection at times leading to a few bad outings that have deflated his stat line. It's clear that the talent is there, Balazovic will continue to hone in on consistency as he reflects on his first season of Double-A ball. 4. RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long, Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids (19 GS, 8-8, 4.55 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 97 IP, 99 H, 49 ER, 27 BB, 137 K) After a rocky month of May with Fort Myers, Sawyer Gipson-Long flipped a switch and was rock-solid through the summer, posting a combined 2.76 ERA in June, July, and August. That stellar summer in the Sunshine State earned Gipson-Long a promotion to High-A Cedar Rapids on August 9th. Gipson-Long has qualities that resemble both Balazovic and Varland. Similar to Balazovic, Gipson-Long had some incredible outings this season but also saw a few outings get out of hand. Like Varland, Gipson-Long was drafted in 2019 out of Mercer and had just a few opportunities to get his feet wet in pro ball that year. After his first full-season of pro ball, Gipson-Long should be happy with his quality performance. Yet like any other young pitcher, experience and innings on the mound will help garner the young pitcher's consistency. 5. RHP Josh Winder, Wichita/St. Paul (14 GS, 4-0, 2.63 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 72 IP, 55 H, 21 ER, 13 BB, 80 K) If it were not for injuries and bad luck, there's a good chance that Josh Winder would be higher on this list. After an amazing two months in Wichita, Winder was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul on June 28th. Winder dazzled in his first start with the Saints, throwing 5 2/3 innings of eight-strikeout ball while giving up one run. With all the momentum stacked his way, Winder was struck by a line drive in his next outing that removed him from the game. Two starts later, he was placed on the 7-Day IL for a shoulder injury and has not pitched since. It's likely that the Twins are taking the safe route when it comes to Winder's rehab. And why shouldn't they? The 2018 draft pick has been impressive each season since signing and will only continue to improve. If Winder continues his progress once healthy it wouldn't be shocking to see him at Target Field at some point next season. 6. RHP Ben Gross, Cedar Rapids/Wichita (17 GS, 5-4, 4.06 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 95.1 IP, 99 H, 43 ER, 32 BB, 122 K) Ben Gross closes out a talented crop of 2019 draft picks on this list. Gross was the heart and soul of the Kernels rotation prior to his late-summer promotion to Wichita. The 10th round pick has shown versatility on the mound with his pitch arsenal but also through how he retires hitters. Most of Gross' starts feature 4-8 strikeouts and a plethora of groundouts and pop flies. However, the 24-year-old diced on August 11th against Peoria when he struck out a career-high 13 batters. While there's certainly work to be done, Gross has shown that he can be a consistent starter day in and day out. If things continue the way they are, he'll have the opportunity to showcase that consistency at a higher level. HONORABLE MENTION RHP Tyler Beck, Cedar Rapids/Wichita (13 GS, 3-4, 3.00 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 84 IP, 64 H, 28 ER, 30 BB, 91 K) LHP Charlie Barnes, St. Paul (16 GS, 6-4, 3.79 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 76 IP, 73 H, 32 ER, 24 BB, 62 K) LHP Andrew Albers, St. Paul (16 GS, 7-4, 3.75 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 96 IP, 113 H, 40 ER, 11 BB, 85 K) RHP Austin Schulfer, Wichita (24 GS, 6-8, 4.34 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 110 IP, 109 H, 53 ER, 49 BB, 105 K) LHP Kody Funderburk, Cedar Rapids/Wichita (10 GS, 4-3, 2.55 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 67 IP, 46 H, 19 ER, 28 BB, 82 K) RHP Sean Mooney, Fort Myers/Cedar Rapids (12 GS, 0-2, 2.79 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 42 IP, 22 H, 13 ER, 23 BB, 71 K) Previous Starting Pitcher of the Year Winners: 2019 winner- Randy Dobnak 2018 winner - Tyler Wells 2017 winner - Stephen Gonsalves 2016 winner - Stephen Gonsalves 2015 winner - Jose Berrios 2014 winner - Jose Berrios 2013 winner - Taylor Rogers 2012 winner - BJ Hermsen Congrats to all those mentioned! Comment your thoughts below! View full article

One of the Twins minor league teams threw a no-hitter that, while fun, is most certainly not an official no-hitter. You'll see what I mean. Chase Petty made his second career outing, Aaron Sabato ripped, and Sawyer Gipson-Long punched out fools. TRANSACTIONS INF Drew Maggi selected by Twins from AAA St. Paul Saints Sentinel St. Paul 5, Indianapolis 9 Box Score Bryan Sammons: 3 1/3 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Tomás Telis (3-for-5), Drew Stankiewicz (2-for-4, RBI) The Saints lost on Saturday. Bryan Sammons had a rough day at the office. He allowed seven runs as Indianapolis put up back-to-back four-run efforts in the 3rd and 4th innings. The score was close at times. The Saints originally took the lead in the 2nd inning thanks to singles by Sherman Johnson and Drew Stankiewicz, but that lead did not last for long. Indianapolis instantly responded with five runs over the next two innings; runs that were capped off with a bases-clearing double from Taylor Davis. Damek Tomscha brought the game within striking distance with a triple and eventually came around thanks to a balk. The good news ends there as Indianapolis piled on four more runs in the 4th inning and essentially ended the game there. Mitch Garver went 1-4 with a single and a strikeout in his rehab appearance. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 3, Arkansas 5 Box Score Austin Schulfer: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The Wind Surge lost a close one on Saturday. Offensively, Wichita was limited to only singles and walks, but the team was able to scrap themselves to a few runs. Austin Martin, Aaron Whitefield, Jermaine Palacios, and Leobaldo Cabrera all stole a base on Saturday (and Palacios stole two). The steals directly to the three runs the Wind Surge scored. Three runs would not be enough to win. Austin Schulfer allowed two runs in his start, but Evan Sisk matched that total in relief of Schulfer. The Travelers tacked on another run, but that proved to just be unnecessary breathing room. Wichita put together a rally in the 9th inning as Palacios and Trey Cabbage both took walks, but Whitefield and Andrew Bechtold were unable to bring any more runners home. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 6, Peoria 3 Box Score Sawyer Gipson-Long: 6 1/3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 K HR: Edouard Julien (14), Aaron Sabato (8) Multi-hit games: Alex Isola (2-for-4) The Kernels won a close game on Saturday. Sawyer Gipson-Long continued his ridiculous strikeout streak by punching out eight Chiefs. He now has 134 punchies on the season, which, by my count, is pretty darn good. Gipson-Long might still fly under the radar on prospect lists, but he certainly is a name that should be kept track of. Offensively, the Kernels dominated. Only one hitter had multiple hits but that was because every other hitter was too busy taking walks. The team walked eight times with Aaron Sabato leading the way with three free passes on top of his homerun. Let’s talk about his homer. Sabato’s 5th inning shot was his eighth in 92 plate appearances with the Kernels. Over a 600 plate appearance season (a traditional full year of play), that would be good for 52 blasts. I don’t think you need me to tell you how good that is. Not to be outdone, Edouard Julien blasted his 14th homer with the Kernels in the 3rd inning. Julien has seen a dramatic boost in home runs since his promotion (three with Fort Myers, 14 with Cedar Rapids over a comparable amount of playing time), and the new power is quite intriguing. If he can find the perfect mix of discipline and power, then we may be looking at a great hitter for the Twins. Osiris German and Tyler Watson combined to end the game for Cedar Rapids with 2 2/3 clean innings of work between the two pitchers. Mussel Matters Fort Myers 5, Tampa 6 (7 innings) Box Score Jackson Hicks: 0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K HR: Willie Joe Garry Jr. (4) Multi-hit games: Willie Joe Garry Jr. (2-for-3, HR, R, 2 RBI) The Fort Myers Miracle lost their paused game on Saturday. Cade Povich took over for Jackson Hicks and performed admirably. He struck out five batters over his two innings of work without allowing an earned run. Povich now has 16 strikeouts over eight innings with Fort Myers, not a bad start at all. Fort Myers held the lead late in the game thanks to Willie Joe Garry Jr’s. two-run homer, Misael Urbina’s double, and some early-inning shenanigans from Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Kole McKinnon. The 6th inning proved to be the back-breaker, though. A single from Tyler Hardman, with the aid of a Garry Jr. error, scored the game-ending go-ahead run. The Mighty Mussels had three total errors in the game. The three errors, along with going 1-9 with RISP, proved to be too much for Fort Myers to overcome. Game two: Fort Myers 3, Tampa 0 Box Score Regi Grace: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The Mighty Mussels threw a no-hitter* in game two. ...Kind of. MLB already established that a seven-inning no-hitter does not technically count, but I find that to be lame, so Fort Myers threw a no-hitter on Saturday (as declared by Matt Braun.) Regi Grace was astonishingly efficient in his start. Landon Leach, Bradley Hanner, and Matthew Swain combined to complete the game in relief of Grace. In total, the Mighty Mussels struck out 11 batters, allowed no hits (duh), and walked just one batter. That lone walk proved to be the sole blemish on the night. The Fort Myers offense, to their credit, did their part as well. Will Holland doubled home a run, Jake Rucker brought in another with a sacrifice fly, and Patrick Winkel added on with a run-scoring double. Those three runs were more than enough for the Mighty Mussels in game two. Quotes following the game: Matthew Swain, who struck out the side in the ninth inning, said, "I just focused and took it pitch-by pitch. Just trying to get strike one and eliminate hitters. Just wanted to finish out the season strong, on a good note. I had a little chip on my shoulder this game." Tonight's starter, Regi Grace, said of the group, "It's just our organizational philosophy; throw nasty (stuff) in the zone. I guess all four of us were all a little extra nasty tonight." Catcher Patrick Winkel said, "(Manager) Brian (Meyer) told us before the week, this might be the last time you guys play together, so try to have fun with it, and that's exactly what we're doing. That just comes through on the field, the level of energy and the focus we have. We're just trying to enjoy these last few days as a group. We don't know if or when we'll ever play together again. Just trying to go out on a good note." Winkel said of his pitchers, "Regi was dominating with his fastball and then going to his curveball, keeping them off balance. Leach came out and was working really fast, not giving them a chance to breathe and catching them off guard. Working down and away. Putting the ball where he wanted to put it. Hanner came in and had great energy and focus. He didn't back down. He had the top of the order, some of the best hitters in this league, and obviously Swain came in and closed the door by just blew fastballs by them." Hanner said, "I just wanted to end the season on a high note, and I can't think of a better way to do it." Complex Chronicles FCL Twins 4, FCL Red Sox 3 (7 innings) Box Score Mike Paredes: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K HR: Kala’i Rosario (5) Multi-hit games: Kala’i Rosario (2-for-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI), Gregory Duran (2-for-3, 2B) The FCL Twins won their paused game on Saturday. Technically, Kala’i Rosario kicked off the game yesterday with a monstrous first-inning home run. But, because the game did not end until today, I am commandeering the content for today’s write-up. Here it is: Mike Paredes mowed through the FCL Red Sox offense to begin the game before Chase Petty took over to carry the torch. His second professional outing resulted in three earned runs over his three innings of work-not the best performance on the surface, but he also struck out four batters. Those three earned runs turned the tide of the game against the FCL Twins as they now found themselves down by a run. The team was not finished, though. A 6th inning double-steal brought home the tying run, and a 7th inning single from Ricardo Olivar ended the game for good. The Twins and Red Sox were supposed to play a second game, but that game was canceled. Today was also the last day of the season for the FCL and it appears that the team will not make up the game on Sunday. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Sawyer Gipson-Long Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Aaron Sabato PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 – Royce Lewis (Rehab) - Out for season (torn ACL) #2 – Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-4, K #3 – Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) - Did not pitch #4 – Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - Did not pitch #5 – Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) - Injured List (Right Elbow Strain) #6 – Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 1-5, 2B #7 – Joe Ryan (Minnesota) - Did not pitch #8 – Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List (Right Elbow Strain) #9 – Chase Petty (Complex) - 3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K #10 – Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) - Did not play #11 – Josh Winder (St. Paul) - Injured List (Right Shoulder Impingement) #12 – Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 1-5, R, 2 K #13 – Gilberto Celestino (St. Paul) - 0-3, 2 R, K #14 – Drew Strotman (St. Paul) - Did not pitch #15 – Noah Miller (FCL Twins) - 1-3, RBI, BB, 2 K #16 – Brent Rooker (Minnesota) - 0-3, BB, K #17 – Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Out for Season (Tommy John surgery) #18 – Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) - 1-6, R, RBI, 2B, BB, K #19 – Cole Sands (Wichita) - Did not pitch #20 – Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Tampa @ Fort Myers (10:00 AM) LHP Zarion Sharpe St. Paul @ Indianapolis (11:35 AM) RHP Drew Strotman Arkansas @ Wichita (12:05 PM) RHP Simeon Woods Richardson Cedar Rapids @ Peoria (12:35 PM) TBD View full article

Yesterday, Twins Daily announced our Minor League Hitter of the Month for August. Today, we turn our focus to pitching and name our Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Month. Below are a few names, mentioned in descending order based on minor league affiliation, that just missed the top three. HONORABLE MENTIONS RHP Joe Ryan, St. Paul Saints: 9 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 17 K, 2.00 ERA RHP Jordan Balazovic, Wichita Wind Surge: 24 1/3 IP, 32 H, 16 R, 10 ER, 11 BB, 19 K, 3.70 ERA RHP Cole Sands, Wichita Wind Surge: 18 2/3 IP, 20 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 7 BB, 25 K, 3.38 ERA RHP Louie Varland, Cedar Rapids Kernels: 22 2/3 IP, 20 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 23 K, 3.18 ERA RHP Casey Legumina, Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels: 15 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 19 K, 1.80 ERA And without further ado, the bronze, silver, and gold medal finishers. 3. RHP Sean Mooney, Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels Stats: 13 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 26 K, 2.08 ERA The Mighty Mussels handle starting pitching differently than their other minor league affiliate counterparts. As the bulk of their pitchers have yet to complete an entire minor league season due to the pandemic, their focus is less on having pitchers go deep into games and more on tossing them out there in spurts to keep their workload low. Regardless, Mooney put up great numbers during his four starts in August. In fact, he's put up great numbers all season and has arguably been the Mighty Mussels' best, most consistent starter. Stints on the IL have been the only thing that have slowed him down this year. For that reason, he recently earned a promotion to High-A. 2. RHP Andrew Albers, St. Paul Saints Stats: 20 IP, 19 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 14 K, 1.80 ERA Albers' 2021 campaign is an excellent footnote in an otherwise gloomy Twins' season. The 35-year-old, who signed a minor-league deal last offseason, had not pitched in the majors since 2017 and likely did not think he would return anytime soon. However, after some brief struggles at the beginning of the season and a successful Olympic Trials run (he threw 7 innings of a no-hitter) with Team Canada, Albers earned a promotion to the Twins due to solid performance and multiple injuries. He's not going to strike many batters out and likely won't be with the team beyond this season, but it's hard not to feel happy for the wily vet. 1. RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long, Cedar Rapids Kernels Stats: 17 IP, 17 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 26 K, 2.12 ERA I'll repeat what I mentioned in my recent scouting report: Sawyer Gipson-Long is one of the Twins' best under-the-radar pitching prospects. Gipson-Long was dominant during August, racking up strikeouts and not allowing free passes. His strong performance at High-A continued on Wednesday evening when he tossed six innings of one-hit ball. (Although the one hit was a two-run homer, and he also walked three while striking out four. They can't all be Cy Young caliber.) Other than four lackluster starts to begin the season, due at least in part to poor defense behind him, Gipson-Long has been solid all year. Don't be surprised if his name starts popping up in top prospect lists. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Thursday night had a little bit of everything across the Twins' farm. Read up on all the action! TRANSACTIONS RHP Hector Lujan was activated from the Wichita IL. 1B Gabe Snyder assigned to Wichita Wind Surge from Cedar Rapids Kernels SAINTS SENTINEL Toledo 9, St. Paul 8 (11 innings) Box Score Despite a solid rehab outing from Randy Dobnak and a total team performance from the St. Paul offense, the Saints dropped a tightly contested game in the Buckeye State on Thursday night. After giving up an early run in the third inning the Saints pounced back with a three runs in the fourth frame. Gilberto Celestino punched a double to right that scored Mark Contreras to put St. Paul on the board. Sherman Johnson followed suit with a single that scored Celestino from second. The most impressive hit of the inning and arguably the game came when Dreg Maggi crushed a triple to centerfield that scored Johnson all the way from first to put the Saints up 3-1. St. Paul punched two more runs in the fifth inning when Jimmy Kerrigan smacked a two-out single to score Jose Miranda and Trevor Larnach. Larnach tallied an RBI single of his own in the sixth inning that drove in JT Riddle. On his rehab journey back to the Twins, Randy Dobnak was solid on the bump against the Mud Hens. Dobnak pitched 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball while giving up five hits, four walks, and striking out two. The start marked Dobnak's second rehab start. The fan-favorite struck out five batters over three perfect frames at Low-A Fort Myers this past weekend. It's only a matter of time before he is back with the parent club! After Dobnak left the game, Ian Hamilton gave up three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Yet when it looked like Toledo would mount a comeback, Ryan Mason stepped in and shut down the Mud Hens, tossing 1 2/3 innings of one-hit scoreless baseball. Chandler Shepherd followed that with a perfect inning on the mound to put the Saints in a position to hold a 6-4 lead in the ninth. That didn't happen, as Toledo plated two runs in the inning to tie the game despite a valiant effort from reliver Nick Vincent. The Saints and Kernels played a game of cat and mouse in the 10th and 11th innings, with both teams scoring runs thanks to the extra-innings rule that puts a runner at second to start the inning. Unfortunately for St. Paul, Toledo managed to squeak out two runs in the 11th to secure the win. Despite the loss, every single player in the Saints starting lineup tallied a hit. Drew Maggi, Tomas Telis, and Gilberto Celestino all tallied two-hit games. Sherman Johnson had an impressive three-hit game with a run and RBI for the Saints. WIND SURGE WISDOM Tulsa 4, Wichita 2 Box Score A late-inning power display wasn't enough for the Wind Surge to push past a dominant pitching performance from Tulsa on Thursday at Riverfront Stadium. A team known for their offense, Wichita was only able to manage four hits on the night. Wichita failed to put any runs on the board until the bottom of the ninth inning. The dynamic duo of Trey Cabbage and Spencer Steer mounted a final-inning comeback attempt for the Surge. After Steer drew a walk, Cabbage launched his 16th homer with the Wind Surge (25th overall) over the wall to bring Wichita within two runs. Jordan Balazovic didn't have his strongest night of the year, giving up four runs on nine hits over six innings. However, the Wichita bullpen tandem of Mitchell Osnowitz and Adam Lau were rock-solid, tossing a combined three innings of scoreless ball. The two didn't give up any runs and surrendered only one walk while striking out three batters. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 8, Beloit 0 Box Score The Cedar Rapids Kernels have had moments of brilliance on both sides of the ball so far this season. Tonight, they combined all five tools of the game for a dominant 8-0 win over regional rival Beloit. The Kernels punched their first five runs thanks to the long ball. After Yunior Severino led off the inning with a single Wander Javier launched a home run (12) over the left field wall to give the Kernels a 2-0 lead. Two innings later the Kernels found themselves with runners on base thanks to a walk from Seth Gray and a single from Javier. Michael Helman followed with a three-run shot over the left field wall to break the game open for Cedar Rapids. Helman continued his stellar night in the seventh inning by leading off with a triple to the right field gap. He later scored thanks to an RBI single from Edouard Julien. That wasn't the final run of the inning. Following a Matt Wallner single and a pair of walks, Julien scored lucky number seven for Cedar Rapids. The offensive performance was one of the most dominant on the season for Cedar Rapids, who now have a +52 run differential overall. Cedar Rapids starter Sawyer Gipson-Long was absolutely brilliant in this one, posting arguably his best outing of the year. Gipson-Long (W, 2-1) tossed six scoreless innings while giving up six hits and striking out nine batters. It was the third time that the Lithia Springs, GA, native's has hit nine strikeouts this season, second to his season-best 11 K's on July 21. And while Gipson-Long's performance was incredible, reliever Tyler Palm was just as effective. Palm tossed two innings of one-hit ball while striking out three batters. The appearance was a well-needed cleanser for Palm, who gave up two runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings on last week against Wisconsin. Osiris German sealed the deal for the Kernels with a scoreless ninth inning to secure an important win for Cedar Rapids in the playoff race. The Kernels are now 55-44 are sit a full 2.5 games ahead of Great Lakes for second place in the High-A Central League. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 4, Bradenton 2 Box Score Despite an early deficit, the Mighty Mussels used dominant pitching and timely hitting to grind out a close game in the Sunshine State. After Bradenton scored two runs in the third inning, the Mussels responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning. After walking and stealing a base Jake Rucker scored courtesy of a Willie Joe Garry Jr. single. Rucker's momentum carried into the fourth inning. With runners on first and second, Rucker laced an RBI triple to right field to give Fort Myers a 3-2 lead. That lead would expand 4-2 when Rucker scored during the next at-bat thanks to a wild pitch. Fort Myers starter Sean Mooney was absolutely outstanding on the evening. Mooney tossed 4 2/3 innings of 10-strikeout ball, only surrendering a pair of runs on three hits and two walks. RHP Logan Campbell was just as dominant in his Mussels debut, throwing 2 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and one hit. Zaquiel Puentes sealed the deal with his first save of the year, tossing 2 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Pirates Black 6, FCL Twins 3 Box Score A multi-hit game from Kala'i Rosario wasn't enough to push the FCL Twins to a victory against the Pirates on Thursday afternoon. The Pirates jumped on Twins' starter Giovahniey German early, plating four runs in the first three innings. German (L, 2-2) pitched three innings, giving up seven hits, four runs, and a walk while striking out five. Rosario's first hit was a single in the second inning. He followed that with a leadoff double in the sixth inning and was later driven in on an RBI single from Argenis Jimenez. 2021 Competitive Balance round pick and Twins Daily Top 20 Prospect Noah Miller knocked an RBI double (2) in the third inning to score the Twins' first run. Miller and Rosario are both having excellent seasons at the plate. Miller touts a .269 batting average and Rosario has a .290 average. After reliever Jordan Carr gave up three runs, LHP Elpidio Perez was excellent. Perez pitched three scoreless innings for the FCL Twins, giving up only one hit and two walks while striking out four. Despite the loss, the Twins' pitching staff managed to strike out 15 batters on the day. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY YOU decide! PROSPECT SUMMARY Our most recent (post deadline and draft) prospect rankings are up! Check them out here. #1 - Royce Lewis (rehab) - Out for season (torn ACL) #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 0-for-4, 2 K #3 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) - 6 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, 5 K #4 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - Did not pitch #5 - Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) - Injured List (elbow strain) #6 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 1-for-6, R, 3 K #7 - Joe Ryan (St. Paul) - Did not pitch #8 - Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch #9 - Chase Petty (Complex) - Did not pitch #10 - Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) - 0-for-4, 4 K #11 - Josh Winder (St. Paul) - Injured List (shoulder) #12 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 1-for-5, 3 K #13 - Gilberto Celestino (St. Paul) - 2-for-4, 2B R, RBI, BB, K #14 - Drew Strotman (St. Paul) - Did not pitch #15 - Noah Miller (Complex) - 1-for-5, 2B, RBI, 2 K #16 - Brent Rooker (Minnesota) - 0-for-2, 2 BB, K #17 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Out for season (Tommy John surgery) #18 - Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) - 1-for-4, R #19 - Cole Sands (Wichita) - Did not pitch #20 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 1-for-5, R, 2B, BB FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Toledo (6:05PM CST) – LHP Bryan Sammons (0-1, 5.32 ERA) Tulsa @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) – RHP Chris Vallimont (5-5, 6.08 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Beloit (6:35PM CST) – RHP Cody Lawyerson (1-4, 5.15 ERA) Bradenton @ Fort Myers Game One: (3:30PM CST) – RHP John Stankiewicz (0-0, 3.86 ERA) Game Two: (30 minutes after game one) - LHP Zarion Sharpe (4-2, 3.59 ERA) View full article

There were some notable performances tonight across the Twins system, but none may have been more impactful than how recently-acquired prospect Joe Ryan started his tenure with the organization. TRANSACTIONS Twins placed Miguel Sano on paternity list and recalled Edgar Garcia from Triple-A Nick Vincent cleared waivers and was assigned to Triple-A SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 7, Iowa 4 Box Score Saint Paul was a hot ticket tonight as both Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan were in the starting lineup. The former was kicking off a rehab assignment while the latter was making his organizational debut after being acquired in the Nelson Cruz deal while pitching in the Olympics. Returning from Tokyo and his efforts with Team USA, Ryan was every bit as impressive as you could’ve hoped. He worked four innings allowing just a single run on a solo shot, but struck out the first six batters he saw, and nine in total. Ryan Mason also looked great in relief of the Saints starter going 2 1/3 innings giving up a single hit and punching out five. The scoring started for the Saints when Byron Buxton drove in Jose Miranda on a sacrifice fly (that replay showed should have been a double). Iowa walked six batters in the first frame, so opportunities were plentiful. Jimmy Kerrigan plated Trevor Larnach on a single before a bases-loaded walk to Ben Rortvedt scored Tomas Telis. Drew Stankiewicz then walked scoring Mark Contreras, and Miranda singled in both Kerrigan and Rortvedt on his first hit. After Iowa's run scored in the 4th, Ryan Mason came on to slam the door. He picked up his first Triple-A win working 2 1/3 innings and allowing just a single hit and striking out five. Chris Nunn also extended his scoreless streak with another 1 1/3 innings worked without a run. Jimmy Kerrigan drove in Larnach in the 7th inning to match a Cubs run from the fourth frame, and Iowa did make things interesting with three in the 9th, but ultimately St. Paul held on. Kerrigan and Drew Maggi were the only Saints with two hits tonight. WIND SURGE WISDOM Wichita 6, Springfield 4 Box Score Blossoming Twins prospect Cole Sands took the ball tonight for the Wind Surge, but he was chased after just 1 1/3 innings of work. He allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits and two walks while striking out one. Sands needed 39 pitches to record his four outs tonight. After trailing 2-0 through two innings, Wichita picked up their starter. Spencer Steer singled to drive in Austin Martin, and Trey Cabbage plated Roy Morales on a 3rd inning single of his own. The score wouldn't hold with Springfield adding a third run in the bottom half of the inning, but Aaron Whitefield singled in the 4th inning to score Andrew Bechtold and knot things at three. Getting behind again in the 4th, Wichita took the lead for good in the 5th. Cabbage reached on a throwing error that scored B.J. Boyd before Leobaldo Cabrera drove in Morales with a sacrifice fly. In the 7th inning, Cabrera hit his seventh longball of the year and gave the good guys two runs worth of breathing room. Jordan Gore continues to be great on the bump and worked 2 1/3 innings to close this one out. Morales had a three-hit night while Whitefield picked up two of his own. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 3, Wisconsin 1 Box Score The Kernels sent Sawyer Gipson-Long to the bump tonight, and he was great over six strong innings. He allowed just a single, unearned run on three hits and gave up one free pass. He did punch out eight batters on the evening and dropped his ERA to 3.27 since joining the Kernels. Michael Helman opened the scoring with a solo shot in the 3rd; his 13th home run of the season. After the Timber Rattlers answered in the 4th, Cedar Rapids went back to work. Wander Javier drove in Yunior Severino with a 5th inning single, and Helman lifted his second solo shot of the game in the 6th to make it 3-1. That’s where this one would end with Zach Featherstone (2.0 IP, 4 K) and Melvi Acosta (1.0 IP 1 K, SV) both providing hitless relief efforts. Helman, Javier, and Max Smith all recorded two-hit nights for the Kernels. MUSSEL MATTERS Dunedin 5, Fort Myers 4 (F/10) Box Score Taking the ball for Fort Myers tonight was Sean Mooney. He worked 3 2/3 innings and allowed just a single run on three hits and two walks. He punched out seven and his ERA now sits at a miniscule 1.08 on the campaign. Getting behind in the first, the Mighty Mussels evened things up on an Alerick Soularie single that scored Justin Washington. Keoni Cavaco then put a run on the board when Willie Joe Garry to score on his sacrifice fly in the 5th. Trailing again in the 7th, it was Cavaco who knotted things at three. A second sacrifice fly plated Justin Washington before Aaron Sabato left the yard for his 11th homer of the season. After recording the first out in the bottom of the 9th, Carlos Suniaga gave up a base runner who then came around on the inning’s second single. Tying the game at four. This one was headed to the 10th. With Fort Myers coming up short in the top half of extras, Dunedin took advantage with their turn and walked off the Mighty Mussels in the bottom half. 2021 draftee Patrick Winkel had two hits on the evening while Washington added three of his own. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 7, FCL Red Sox 2 Box Score Erasmo Moreno was on the bump for this one and provided four strong innings of work. He allowed just one run on two hits while striking out two and walking one. Malik Barrington, recently signed as an undrafted free agent from Albany State University, made his professional debut and picked up the save. He worked three innings and struck out six allowing just a single hit. The Twins took the lead in the third inning after getting down by one run. 2020 draft pick Kala’i Rosario hit his third homer of the year, a two-run shot, that also plated Zander Wiel. After giving up the lead in the 5th, and 6th inning Wander Valdez solo shot put the Twins back up by a run. Rosario was back at it again in the 7th inning as his seventh double scored another run and pushed the lead to 4-2. Two wild pitches in the 8th allowed Valdez and Argenis Jimenez to score before a Luis Gomez double plated Noah Cardenas to push the final tally out to 7-2. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day- Joe Ryan (St. Paul) - 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K Hitter of the Day- Michael Helman (Cedar Rapids) - 2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR(14) PROSPECT SUMMARY Our most recent (post deadline and draft) prospect rankings are up! Check them out here. #1 - Royce Lewis (rehab) - Injured List (ACL) #2 - Austin Martin (Wichita) - 1-3, R, 2 BB, K #3 - Jordan Balazovic (Wichita) - Did not pitch #4 - Simeon Woods Richardson (Wichita) - Did not pitch #5 - Jhoan Duran (St. Paul) - Injured List (elbow strain) #6 - Jose Miranda (St. Paul) - 1-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, K #7 - Joe Ryan (St. Paul) - 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K #8 - Matt Canterino (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch #9 - Chase Petty (Complex) - Did not pitch #10 - Keoni Cavaco (Fort Myers) - 1-3, 2 RBI, K #11 - Josh Winder (St. Paul) - Injured List (shoulder) #12 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - 1-3, 2B, B, K #13 - Gilberto Celestino (St. Paul) - 0-1, K #14 - Drew Strotman (St. Paul) - Did not pitch #15 - Noah Miller (Complex) - Did not play #16 - Brent Rooker (Minnesota) - Did not play #17 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Out for season (Tommy John surgery) #18 - Misael Urbina (Fort Myers) - 0-3, BB, K #19 - Cole Sands (Wichita) - 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K #20 - Spencer Steer (Wichita) - 1-4, RBI, K SATURDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Iowa @ St. Paul (7:05PM CST) – TBD Wichita @ Springfield (6:05PM CST) – RHP Jordan Balazovic (4-2, 3.74 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) – RHP Cody Laweryson (1-3, 5.06 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (5:30PM CST) – TBD View full article