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Needing help on the starting pitching front, the Minnesota Twins teamed up with the Cincinnati Reds at the 2022 trade deadline to acquire Tyler Mahle. He made just four starts for Minnesota before succumbing to a season-ending injury, but how good can he be with a clean bill of health? Image courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports There’s no denying that the Twins and Reds front office have found favor with one another. After dealing for Sonny Gray prior to the 2022 season, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine sent, Steve Hajjar, Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand to Cincinnati in exchange for Tyler Mahle. Heck, the two sides continued making moves this offseason when Casey Legumina was flipped for Kyle Farmer. It’s clear the two organizations see ways to help one another. Although Mahle was unable to provide much of a boost for Minnesota down the stretch as he dealt with a shoulder injury, the hope is that he enters Spring Training at 100% and ready to go. If that is the case, then there’s a lot of excitement to dream on should the Twins be able to unlock the talent. Over the previous three seasons coming into 2022, Mahle owned a 3.95 ERA with the Reds, and it was backed by a 3.84 FIP. His 10.2 K/9 was plenty exciting, and he was producing at that level despite allowing a 1.2 HR/9 playing in the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark. In over 400 innings with Cincinnati last season, his 4.40 ERA equated to a career best 3.60 FIP. Although the velocity dipped slightly to a 93 mph average, he maintained strong chase and whiff rates. Plenty of the excitement surrounding Mahle has long been tied to expected numbers. He has controlled hitters and found himself unlucky at times. That could be a byproduct of playing in a less-than-ideal stadium, or pitching in front of bad teams. Either way, there’s a path to unlocking more if the Twins can figure him out. In Mahle, Minnesota was looking for a pitcher under team control that they can work with and attempt to find another level. The former Reds starter isn’t a free agent until 2024, and this may be a decent time for the sides to hammer out an extension if they so choose. Although the shoulder issue popped up last season, Mahle threw 180 innings in 2021. Suggesting a pitcher can be an ace is tough. While each team has their best arm, there’s probably only 10 or so arms across the entirety of the game that earn the definition of true Ace. Even at his best, Mahle becoming peak Justin Verlander seems unlikely. He could, and maybe even should, outperform anyone on the Twins staff though and that then allows a more nuanced conversation to happen. We won’t see the best of Mahle until he’s healthy, but if the Twins spend the offseason making sure he is, then helping to unlock what the numbers say is there gets increasingly more exciting. View full article

The trade deadline really heated up for the Twins, and it was exciting to say the least. The front office did not hold back getting pitching that the team so desperately needed. All season fans have been clamoring and hoping that Tyler Mahle would be available and on Tuesday that’s exactly what he was, giving the Twins an opportunity to make a trade. Jon Heyman was the first to report that the Twins had acquired RHP Tyler Mahle from Cincinnati for three top prospects, infielders Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and starting pitching prospect Steve Hajjar. The 6’3 210 pound right-handed pitcher has been a solid starter with the Cincinnati Reds. In his most-recent game, three days ago, he recorded his fifth win of the season. He pitched six innings and had seven strikeouts, just two days after coming off the IL. While he had to go on the IL due to shoulder issues right before the All-Star break. He made two starts before the deadline and his medicals must have been to the Twins' liking. Mahle is 27 years old and is under team control through the 2023 season. In 2022, he's 5-7 with a 4.40 ERA, 3.60 FIP, 1.25 WHIP and 114 strikeouts in 104 1/3 innings. He was 13-6 with a 3.75 ERA and 210 strikeouts in 180 innings last season and has resembled a mid-rotation workhorse for the last three seasons or so. Mahle was the lone starting pitcher added by the Twins at the deadline. They also added two, late-inning relievers at the deadline. What did the Twins give up? The Twins gave up three top-20 prospects to make the trade happen. Spencer Steer, a St. Paul favorite, will be a great asset to the Reds and is likely to be called up sooner than he would if he stayed with the Twins. He hit .269/.361/.528 with 20 home runs and just a 17.0 K% in 388 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A. He is a very nice prospect, but as a third baseman. he is currently blocked by the likes of Jose Miranda, Gio Urshela and others. Steer has seen time at third base, second base, and even shortstop this season. Christian Encarnacion-Strand is a huge bat on the Wichita team. He was named the Midwest League's Hitter of the Month in two of the three months he was with Cedar Rapids. Overall, he hit .302/.374/.612 with 25 home runs and a 33.1 percent hard-hit rate in 390 plate appearances between High-A and Double-A. He is only 22-years-old and has seen time at third base, first base and designated hitter this season. The 2021 fifth-round draft pick's best position defensively is DH. Steven Hajjar is the only pitcher sent in the package to Cincinnati. Hajjar is a young left-handed pitcher. He was the Twins second-round draft pick in 2021 out of Michigan. He has spent this season with the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels where he has posted some outstanding numbers. Through 12 starts, he has logged a 2.47 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 71:22 K:BB in 43 2/3 innings. He has been limited by a couple of stints in the Injured List this year. His potential to move up in the Reds system looks good and could potentially start at High-A. The Twins front office has been making stealthy deadline-day moves and keeping fans on their toes. Do you think the Twins have made the right moves? What do you think of giving up three top-25 prospects for Mahle? View full article

The Twins have at least seven prospects they'd need to be added to the 40-man to protect from this winter's Rule 5 Draft. How will those names play into the team's trade deadline strategy? Minnesota is going to have some tough decisions to make this winter when it comes to protecting players from the Rule 5 Draft. Multiple top prospects will be added to the 40-man roster before the deadline, but there are only so many prospects a team can protect. One way to avoid some of these decisions is to include these players in trades before the deadline. Simeon Woods Richardson, SP Woods Richardson is no stranger to deadline deals as he has been part of two blockbuster trades in the past. He is also arguably one of the team's top pitching prospects after a breakout season at Double-A. The Twins will undoubtedly add him to the 40-man roster, but his stock has risen since last year's trade deadline. Can the Twins use him as a part of a trade for a veteran starting pitcher? Matt Canterino, SP Canterino has dominated the minor leagues when he has stayed healthy. However, he has been limited to fewer than 90 innings in three professional seasons. Teams looking to deal for prospects at the deadline might not be interested in someone who misses as much time as Canterino. Minnesota might also need to consider moving Canterino to a relief role to keep him healthy for the long term. Spencer Steer, INF Steer has been one of Minnesota's breakout prospects this season as he has an OPS over .900 at Double- and Triple-A. When looking at Minnesota's roster, it's easy to see why Steer might be a more easily tradable asset. He plays a lot of defensive time at second and third base, where the Twins have other players ahead of him on the depth chart. His defensive flexibility (over 100 innings at three infield positions) could be intriguing to other organizations. Matt Wallner, OF Wallner put his name on the national stage when he hit a powerful home run during the Futures Game. He has been destroying baseballs all season at Double-A, where he had 15 doubles and 21 home runs in 78 games. Minnesota promoted Wallner to Triple-A following his Futures Game heroics. He's clearly a right fielder who will also get some DH time, so does that have a lot of value on the trade market? Louie Varland, SP Varland surprised many by being named the TD 2021 Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. He posted a 2.10 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP and 142 strikeouts in 103 innings. Minnesota was aggressive with him and moved him to Double-A this season, where he is younger than the average age of the competition. In 2022, Varland continued to strike out more than ten batters per nine innings. Currently, he doesn't rank as one of the team's top-5 pitching prospects, which might make the team more likely to part with him. Edouard Julien, INF Minnesota selected Julien in the 2019 MLB Draft, so he didn't make his professional debut until last season in Fort Myers. In 112 games between Low- and High-A, Julien hit .267/.434/.480 (.914) with 28 doubles and 18 home runs. An eye-popping 110 walks helped his unbelievable OBP. This season at Double-A, he has continued to get on base over 40% of the time while playing exclusively at second base. His college experience and plate discipline might be intriguing to other organizations. Misael Urbina, OF Urbina was one of the top prospects in the 2018-19 international signing class as he got $2.75 million from the Twins. Minnesota was aggressive with him last season and sent him to Fort Myers, where he was over two years younger than the average age of the competition. He posted a .585 OPS but showed reasonable control of the strike zone with 54 walks. So far in 2022, Urbina has been limited to fewer than 20 games, so it seems unlikely that a team would take him in the Rule 5 Draft. Do you think any of these players will be included in trades before the deadline? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Everyone's favorite player, Miguel Sanó, ended his rehab assignment with a bang and a blunder. Read all about that and more in this edition of the minor league report. TRANSACTIONS With Caleb Thielbar going in the IL, the Twins recalled RHP Yennier Cano. Minnesota Twins sign RHP Michael Feliz to a minor-league deal, assign him to St. Paul The Saints placed RHP Josh Winder on the 7-Day IL (right shoulder impingement syndrome) LHP Brent Headrick promoted to Wichita RHP Tyler Palm transferred to Cedar Rapids INF Daniel Ozoria transferred from Wichita to Fort Myers OF Emmanuel Rodriguez transferred from 7-day IL to 60-day IL RHP Logan Campbell transferred from 7-day IL to 60-day IL C Jair Camargo reinstated from 7-day IL INF Ernie Yake reinstated from 7-day IL C Roy Morales transferred from Wichita to St. Paul Saints Sentinel St. Paul 6, Indianapolis 7 Box Score Jordan Balazovic: 2 2/3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K HR: Spencer Steer (12), Miguel Sano (3), Curtis Terry (9) Multi-hit games: Spencer Steer (2-for-5, HR, R, RBI), Jake Cave (2-for-5, R), Miguel Sanó (3-for-3, HR, R, 2 RBI), Curtis Terry (2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) The Saints lost on a walk-off Saturday. Jordan Balazovic could not exorcise his first-half demons; the righty allowed four runs while netting just eight outs. Triple-A has been a nightmare for the top prospect, as advanced batters have knocked Balazovic around to the tune of a 10.41 ERA. The top of St. Paul’s lineup had the good vibes going; all three batters recorded multiple hits, and half of the team’s runs came from this triumvirate. Spencer Steer kicked off the scoring quickly with a lead-off homer. Then Miguel Sanó blasted his own bomb in the 4th inning. Curtis Terry capped the firework show with his home run in the sixth frame. The bullpen held their own until the final frame; Dereck Rodríguez shouldered most of the burden, allowing one run over 3 1/3 innings. The arms only wobbled when it mattered the most, as Indianapolis hopped all over Wladimir Pinto in the 9th inning, plating a game-winning run with some help from a Sanó error. Wind Surge Wisdom Wichita 4, Tulsa 10 Box Score Louie Varland: 4 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K HR: Jair Camargo (3), Chris Williams (17) Multi-hit games: Jair Camargo (2-for-4, HR, R, RBI), Anthony Prato (2-for-4, 2B, R) The Wind Surge lost handily on Saturday. Louie Varland could not win against Tulsa’s bats. He allowed eight hits and a relatively-low total of three runs over four innings. It appears the Dodgers’ typically elite minor league talent shone through once again. Wichita’s offense put up a fight, as both Jair Camargo and Chris Williams homered in the effort. Williams’ blast was expected—the catcher now has seven homers in his last seven games—while Camargo’s home run ballooned his Double-A OPS to 1.000. Leobaldo Cabrera, Edouard Julien, and Anthony Prato doubled on Saturday. Brent Headrick met his Double-A debut with a trip and a faceplant; the Drillers dropped 10 hits, and seven earned runs on the fresh lefty before he could net his eighth out. In his first inning, the fifth, he gave up homers to the first two batters he faced. He gave up some soft contact on a couple of singles after that, but with two outs, he served up a three-run homer. Hopefully, this outing is just the result of unruly nerves. Kernels Nuggets Cedar Rapids 8, Peoria 11 Box Score Cade Povich: 4 IP, 6 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 2 K HR: Yunior Severino (6), Jeferson Morales (5), Aaron Sabato (11) Multi-hit games: Seth Gray (3-for-5, 2 R, RBI), Yunior Severino (3-for-4, HR, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB) Cade Povich pitched one of his worst games as a young professional; it was a textbook clunker. The lefty allowed runs at a 2-1 pace compared to his innings. Hopefully, Povich can throw the memory of this start away and start fresh the next time he climbs the mound. Cedar Rapids’ bats were efficient, mirroring eight runs with eight hits; nearly the entire lineup contributed to the impressive showing, as six batters claimed hits on Saturday. Yunior Severino, sitting in the heart of the lineup, stole the show, knocking a homer and speeding for a triple in a three RBI effort. Wander Javier also tripled. The Chiefs pounced on multiple Cedar Rapids pitchers; Bradley Hanner and Derek Molina felt their wrath, allowing three runs each long after Povich exited the game. Molina suffered through three homers. He had given up just two homers in 24 previous outings (33 1/3 innings). Sabato blasted a two-run homer in the final frame to pull the game within four while ensuring that the team scored in all but two innings. Mussel Matters The Mighty Mussels started play on Saturday, but early rain pushed the game to tomorrow as part of a double-header; Keoni Cavaco hit a two-run homer in the first inning. Complex Chronicles FCL Twins 0, FCL Red Sox 3 Box Score Juan Nunez: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K HR: None Multi-hit games: None The FCL Twins were silenced on Saturday. Juan Nunez was a bright point; he did not allow a run over four innings while striking out six. Danny Moreno and Isaiah Rivera also had scoreless outings. FCL Twins hitters were flummoxed, with just three hits and four walks to their name; no knock went for extra bases. Dominican Dailies DSL Twins 6, DSL Brewers 2 Box Score Cesar Lares: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K HR: Yasser Mercedes (3) Multi-hit games: Yasser Mercedes (2-for-4, HR, R, 4 RBI), Isaac Pena (2-for-3, R, BB) The DSL Twins won easily on Saturday. Breakout arm Cesar Lares pitched wonderfully again; the lefty struck out seven batters on his way to nabbing 12 outs. Just one score blemishes his performance. Yasser Mercedes continued his impressive first impression, launching a game-breaking grand slam in the 4th inning; Mercedes already collected a single in the previous frame. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Cesar Lares Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Miguel Sanó PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #6 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 2-for-5, HR, R, RBI, K #7 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 2 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K #8 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - Suspended game #10 - Cade Povich (Cedar Rapids) - 4 IP, 6 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 2 K #11 - Louie Varland (Wichita) - 4 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K #12 - Matt Wallner (St. Paul) - 1-3, BB #15 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-4, 2B, RBI, K #16 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Wichita) - 0-4, 2 K #19 - Steve Hajjar (Ft. Myers) - Suspended game SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (12:35 PM) - RHP Cole Sands Wichita @ Tulsa (1:05 PM) - RHP Daniel Gossett Peoria @ Cedar Rapids (2:05 PM) - RHP David Festa Clearwater @ Fort Myers (DH @ 11:00 AM) - RHP Travis Adams View full article

The Minnesota Twins opened the second half of the season with an 8-4 victory over the Tigers. Joe Ryan and Carlos Correa helped set the tone while Luis Arraez helped push the Twins over the top. Down on the farm, Miguel Sanó was 3-for-3 with a home run and a walk for the Saints. His rehab assignment will be ending soon. Also included in tonight's video are highlights of home runs from Spencer Steer and Chris Williams. View full video

With the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline moved to August 2 this year, the Minnesota Twins have nine games left before the opportunity to acquire talent comes and goes. There’s no denying Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have work to do in that area, but how realistic is it that they have the talent to move? Now, to be completely fair, the Minnesota Twins farm system has plenty of talent. While the group may not be topping charts across the league as a whole, there’s a glut of future Major Leaguers within the ranks. The larger question here is to what extent are Minnesota’s prospects coveted by other organizations, and what can they realistically bring in return. That question is not easy because so many of the Twins top prospects have recently graduated. Jose Mirnada is thriving at the Major League level. Alex Kirilloff looks healthy and competitive. Gilberto Celestino may be near his ceiling, but it’s clear he’s a capable big-league outfielder. Trevor Larnach is currently hurt, but has flashed being an impact bat. There shouldn’t be any desire to trade Royce Lewis, and Jhoan Duran may wind up as Minnesota’s best rookie. The top of the farm system is now being coached by Rocco Baldelli. After recently updating my top 30 prospects following day one of the Major League Baseball Draft, each of Minnesota’s three picks has found their way into the group. I can’t imagine a scenario in which any of them are considered in a package right now, and that’s before considering the complications limiting any of them being moved. At the top of the group, you find Austin Martin. Looking to increase his power potential, Martin has changed his swing and approach this season. What was once a high-average hitter is a guy posting a .691 OPS and no longer a shortstop. He’s far too young to suggest this is a bust, but the prospect luster around him when acquired in exchange for Jose Berrios has worn a bit. Simeon Woods-Richardson has taken over for Jordan Balazovic as Minnesota’s top pitching prospect, but he’s currently on the injured list and his rebound has been just to the tune of 53 innings this season. Matt Canterino looks like he could be a dominant reliever, but there has to be a better string of health there. Speaking of Balazovic, he’s looked completely lost at Triple-A and couldn’t be dealt at a time where his value looks any lower. Realistically speaking, the first two names that come to mind when constructing a trade package are Spencer Steer and Matt Wallner. The former is following a path similar to that of Miranda last season and has done incredibly well at both Double and Triple-A. Steer should absolutely be a name that the Twins start conversations with, but I don’t know that a recent addition to the back half of top 100 lists will be enough of a building block to land a big-name starter like Frankie Montas. In Wallner, Minnesota has a better version of what Brent Rooker could have been. Wallner is a massive power bat that has made strides when it comes to controlling the strike zone. It will be interesting to see if he can keep that up while remaining at Triple-A, but there’s a saving grace in the outfield. Wallner isn’t exactly Max Kepler out there, but his massive arm provides plenty of assist opportunity. The Twins didn’t work him as a pitcher in pro ball, but that could be a fallback option for an acquiring team if need be. Ultimately I think it’s evident that Minnesota has the pieces to acquire just about any amount of relief help they need. On the starting front though, especially the big-name talents, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which prospects alone are enough to get a deal done. View full article

The Minnesota Twins are just a couple of weeks from the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline. Needing to get better before that point, they’ll have to look at which pieces they’re willing to swap for new talent. Focusing on the rotation and bullpen, they have more than a few options to consider. Looking at teams that could consider being sellers, I came up with 49 names as part of a Trade Deadline Manifesto. Any number of those players could be had, and there will be plenty of buyers looking to acquire their talents. Although Minnesota could use a bat, and now with the injury to Ryan Jeffers, some catching help, the focus should still be on the mound. Using Baseball Trade Values in an attempt to build some realistic packages, here’s a trio of options for Minnesota to consider. Working from a starter to a package and finally just bullpen help, you decide if the juice is worth the squeeze on any of these swaps. Minnesota Twins get: Frankie Montas Oakland Athletics get: Spencer Steer, Matt Canterino, Steven Hajjar, Marco Raya Arguably the most discussed name on the open market, Montas’ value is a complete question mark right now due to his health. If the shoulder isn’t serious, he’s going to be moved and Oakland should command a haul. He’s probably not quite the level of Luis Castillo, but that could help Minnesota’s chances to land him. Whatever you make of it, they are currently the betting favorite to do so per Bovada. Netting an ace like Montas, who is also under team control through 2023, isn’t going to come cheap. In this scenario, Minnesota would need to part with one of their Futures Game participants in Steer. Canterino is probably a reliever, but he could be an elite one at that. Hajjar is a former 2nd round pick, while Raya was a 4th round pick. Both have started their professional careers on a high note and the early returns look promising. It’s fair to suggest this may still not be enough and that makes the Twins give even greater. Minnesota Twins get: Jose Quintana, David Bednar Pittsburgh Pirates get: Matt Wallner, David Festa, Aaron Sabato This is a tricky swap given the amount of team control Bednar still has to his credit. He’s a reliever and is already 27-years-old, but he also has earned his first All-Star appearance and looks the part of among the best arms on the market. Quintana has thrived for the Pirates and has previously experienced success as a frontline starter. He’s a free agent at the end of the season, but could provide valuable innings down the stretch. With Ke’Bryan Hayes and O’Neil Cruz manning the left side of the infield, Pittsburgh may be more inclined to target Wallner from the Twins than Steer. Festa was a 13th round pick out of Seton Hall, but he’s posted a dominant 2.01 ERA across his first 80 2/3 professional innings. The hope for the Pirates on Sabato would be that a change of scenery could help him. He’s flopped hard as a big bat prospect that’s limited to anything beyond first base. This could be an area for additional value to be squeezed from this trade if they are able to make it work. Depending on the market for Bednar, this return could be entirely too light. Minnesota Twins get: Daniel Bard Colorado Rockies get: Kala’i Rosario, Steven Cruz This is the type of deal Minnesota should have plenty of ammunition for. They need help in the bullpen, so any amount of relievers on deals that expire this season make sense. Bard is 37-years-old and his journey back to the big leagues is well documented. The 2.02 ERA and 20 saves has him looking like one of the best closers on the market. Pairing Bard at the back of the bullpen with Jhoan Duran would be a nice come-up for Minnesota. Rosario might be a lot to give up for an aging reliever, but there’s also a ton of volatility with a hitter so young and so strikeout prone. The power is absolutely there, and that would play nicely in Colorado, but it’s hard to project if he’ll ever make enough contact for it to matter. Cruz has one of the biggest fastballs in Minnesota’s system, but command has been a problem. He’s 23-years-old and at Double-A, so there’s still time for someone to make it work. What do you think? Are you in on any of these trades? Is there a prospect that is completely hands off for you? View full article

Today prospects Spencer Steer and Matt Wallner were announced as Futures Game participants prior to their contests. Unfortunately weather caused issues for both Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers, although St. Paul did come out with a win. Transactions: Spencer Steer and Matt Wallner named to Futures Game roster. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 5, Louisville 4 Box Score Star pitching prospect Jordan Balazovic got the start tonight for St. Paul. He went just two innings throwing 49 pitches. Balazovic gave up three runs on six hits while striking out three. This is now the fifth straight start in which Balazovic has been limited to less than 50 pitches. Tim Beckham, who has been red hot since joining the Saints, started the scoring with a solo blast in the top of the 1st inning. After giving up three runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning, St. Paul had work to do. Caleb Hamilton doubled home Michael Helman in the 6th inning to bring the good guys back within one, and then Helman drove in Jake Cave on an 8th inning sacrifice fly to tie it. Standing on third, Braden Bishop raced home after a passed ball and the Saints had regained the lead. Providing a bit of breathing room, Bishop singled in the top of the 9th inning to score Elliot Soto and give St. Paul a two-run lead. That was necessary as a Louisville solo shot in the 9th inning brought the lead back down to one. Beckham and Helman had two-hit nights for the Saints while Ronny Henriquez was great in relief working four scoreless innings and striking out four. WIND SURGE WISDOM Amarillo 6, Wichita 3 Box Score Sawyer Gipson-Long took the ball tonight for Wichita and worked four innings. Amarillo hit him around a bit as the Turbo Tubs starter gave up five runs on nine hits. Gipson-Long did avoid free passes while fanning four. Former Twins backstop Juan Centeno started the damage when he hit a solo shot in the 2nd inning. From there it would be 5-0 before Wichita got on the board. Playing as the Turbo Tubs tonight, Chris Williams erased the zero with his 10th homer of the season. Leobaldo Cabrera then singled to drive in Andrew Bechtold and make it a three-run game. After giving up a 7th inning solo shot, the Turbo Tubs found themselves behind by four runs and the only comeback they could muster was a wild pitch allowing Wallner to scamper home after a leadoff double in the 9th inning. Seven of the nine Wichita batters recorded hits tonight, but Cole Sturgeon and Matt Wallner were the only batters to have two. KERNELS NUGGETS Postponed The Kernels game was postponed tonight due to wet field conditions. It will be played as part of a double header on Saturday. MUSSEL MATTERS Tampa 3, Fort Myers 2 (F/6) Box Score Originally scheduled for a double header with two 7-inning games, the Mighty Mussels had another weather delay tonight that changed things to one 9-inning affair. Jaylen Nowlin drew the start for Fort Myers tonight and worked four innings of three-hit baseball. He did allow three runs but posted four strikeouts while walking two. The Mighty Mussels waited out a delay only to find themselves playing just six innings after all. Keoni Cavaco smacked his 5th dinger of the season, driving in Noah Cardenas, to make it 2-0 in the top of the 2nd inning. Unfortunately, that was the lone production for Fort Myers, and a three-run 5th inning for Tampa did them in. Five hits were scattered throughout the lineup tonight, but three of them went for extra bases with Kala’i Rosario recording a triple. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Orioles 6, FCL Twins 4 Box Score Miguel Sano played first base today for the FCL Twins and went 1-for-3 with a run scored. He also struck out once. Sano continues to progress through what’s expected to be a lengthy rehab assignment. Yonardy Soto, Ricardo Olivar, and Fredy Michel all had two-hit games. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 8, DSL Phillies Red 3 Box Score Yasser Mercedes had a three-hit game with a double while Isaac Pena was 4-for-5 in the contest. The Twins pounded out 16 hits and tagged each of the three different Phillies pitchers for multiple runs. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Ronny Henriquez (St. Paul) - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K Hitter of the Day – Michael Helman (St. Paul) - 2-4, R, RBI, 2B, K 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: #4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 2.0 IP,, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 1-4, BB, 2 K #9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 1-3 #13 - Ronny Hendriquez (St. Paul) - 4.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 2-4, 2B, R, BB, K #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 0-4, BB, 3K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Louisville (6:05PM CST) - RHP Aaron Sanchez Amarillo @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - LHP Blayne Enlow Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Sean Mooney Fort Myers @ Tampa (5:30PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates and the two Complex Season affiliates back and playing. View full article

On Thursday morning, MLB announced the participants in the upcoming Futures Game. Two Minnesota Twins prospects will participate, infielder Spencer Steer and outfielder Matt Wallner. The 2022 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game will be played at Dodgers Stadium on Saturday, July 16th at 6 pm central time. You can watch Twins prospects Spencer Steer and Matt Wallner live on Peacock and SiriusXM with MLB Network producing the telecast and re-airing the game at 7:30 pm that night. The two Twins representatives are the two hitters with the most home runs in the system. Wallner has hit 20 homers, and Steer has hit 19. It is a big deal for the players. Not only does it show that they are recognized by their own organization, but they are given the respect of the other organizations too. And finally, their names can become more well known to fans on a national level. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I'm so excited to get to experience." Steer said following the announcement. It is extra special for him for another reason. "It means so much to me that I get to go play a game so close to my hometown. This will be the first time a lot of my family have seen me play professionally, so I couldn't be more excited about that as well." Spencer Steer, 24, grew up in Long Beach (CA) and went to the University of Oregon to play college ball. The Twins drafted him in the 3rd round of the 2019 draft. He began the 2022 season at Double-A Wichita where he hit .307/.385/.591 (.976) with 13 doubles and eight homers. He was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul where he has now played 36 games. He has hit .243/.330/.533 (.862) with nine doubles and 11 home runs. Just so you don't have to look it up, combined, he has played in 71 games and hit .273/.356/.561 (.916) with 22 doubles, 19 homers and 58 RBI. One more reason for Steer's excitement? "It's awesome that I get to go play with Wallner, who is a great friend of mine." Wallner is a 24-year-old from Forest Lake (MN). He was the Mr. Baseball choice in Minnesota in 2016 and drafted in the 32nd round by the Twins, as a pitcher. He went to Southern Mississippi and became an All-American outfielder with immense power. The Twins drafted him with the 39th overall pick in 2019. He has been on fire this season. In 73 games at Double-A Wichita, he has hit .282/.422/.585 (1.007) with 13 doubles and 20 home runs. He also has 58 RBI. When the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospect rankings were updated on July 1st, Spencer Steer ranked #6 with Matt Wallner ranking #12. Below is an interview with Spencer Steer shortly after his promotion to St. Paul. Check it out! (Then below the interview you can see the players that Steer and Wallner join as Futures Game Twins representatives since the game's first year.) Past Twins in the Futures Game 1999: Michael Cuddyer, JC Romero, 2000: Luis Rivas, Brad Thomas, 2001: Grant Balfour 2002: Justin Morneau, Michael Restovich, 2003: JD Durbin, Joe Mauer, 2004: Jason Kubel, Justin Morneau, 2005: Travis Bowyer, Francisco Liriano, 2006: Trent Oeltjen, 2007: Matt Garza, Matt Tolbert, 2008: Luke Hughes, Denard Span, 2009: Rene Tosoni, 2010: Liam Hendriks, Ben Revere, Anthony Slama, 2011: Kyle Gibson, Liam Hendriks, 2012: Oswaldo Arcia, 2013: Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, 2014: Jose Berrios, Trevor May, Alex Meyer, Kennys Vargas (at Target Field) 2015: Jose Berrios, Max Kepler, 2016: JT Chargois, 2017: Nick Gordon, 2018: Alex Kirilloff, Lewis Thorpe, 2019: Jordan Balazovic, Royce Lewis, 2020: No Futures Game 2021: Josh Winder 2022: Spencer Steer, Matt Wallner View full article

Before being injured, Royce Lewis was being used in a multi-position role at Triple-A. With Lewis out of the picture for 2022, one prospect might be stepping up to fill the void. Depth is vital to any roster trying to stay in contention throughout a 162-game season. Organizations adopt a next-man-up mentality as injuries or poor performance push other players out of the picture. Minnesota has seen this occur multiple times this season, and another player might be ready to step into a second-half role. The Twins selected Spencer Steer in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Oregon. He immediately impacted the organization as he hit .280/.385/.424 (.809) in 64 games between rookie ball and Low-A. Defensively, he played over 120 innings at shortstop, third base, and second base, and it looked like the 2020 season was going to be vital for his development as a prospect. Unfortunately, no minor league games were played that season and Steer didn’t get a plate appearance in his age-22 season. As the 2021 season began, the Twins had Steer start the year at High-A, where he was slightly older than the average age of the competition. He posted a .915 OPS in 45 games before being called up to Double-A, where his OPS dropped by over 140 points. Steer accumulated 45 extra-base hits in 110 games which was quite the jump from the power numbers he posted during his collegiate career. Signs pointed to Steer adjusting as a professional, but few predicted what was coming in 2022. Steer headed back to Double-A to begin this season, and he destroyed the ball. In 35 games, he hit .307/.385/.591 (.976) with 22 extra-base hits and a 23-to-14 strikeout to walk ratio. Minnesota promoted him to Triple-A, and unlike the 2021 season, he didn’t miss a beat with the change in competition. Since joining the Saints, Steer has a .907 OPS with six doubles and 11 home runs in 28 games. He is 2.5 years younger than the average age of the competition at Triple-A, and he has faced older pitchers in 74% of his at-bats. His succeeding on the doorstep to the big leagues, so a call-up is not out of the question. Connecting back to Lewis, Steer is a powerful right-handed bat with the defensive flexibility to play multiple infield positions. Unlike Lewis, Steer has been playing multiple defensive positions throughout his professional career, so there isn’t a learning curve involved with his transition. During the 2022 season, Steer has played over 100 innings at every infield position besides first base. The Twins have other players ahead of Steer on the current depth chart, but one injury may result in the team needing a replacement. During the 2021 season, Twins fans watched as Jose Miranda had one of the best minor league seasons in franchise history. At Double- and Triple-A, he posted a .973 OPS with 30 doubles and 32 home runs in 127 games. It seemed like Miranda earned a late-season call-up, but he wasn’t on the 40-man roster, and the Twins didn’t see a reason to rush him. Steer faces the same hurdle as he isn’t on the 40-man roster, and the team isn’t required to move him quickly. Steer isn’t considered the same prospect type as Lewis, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help a contending team. There is a lot of baseball left to be played, and Steer has moved his name into the conversation as one of the organization’s best prospects. Do you think Steer will make his debut in 2022? Can he help fill the void left by Lewis? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

The Minnesota Twins played a doubleheader in Cleveland Tuesday 6/28. Here are highlights of both of those games plus some of the minor league action across the system. Spencer Steer, Austin Martin and Christian Encarnacion-Strand are among the prospects featured. View full video

The St. Paul Saints won in convincing fashion today thanks to a rebound performance from star prospect Spencer Steer. The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Fort Myers Mighty Mussels both played tight contests on the farm. Pierson Ohl and Aaron Rozek looked great on the bump. Take a look at the other Twins Territory happenings. Transactions: None to report SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 7, Buffalo 1 Box Score Top pitching prospect Jordan Balazovic got the start today for the Saints and worked three scoreless innings. He has put together shorter outings of late, but this one was a good one. He allowed just two hits and struck out three while walking none. Balazovic was lifted after 39 pitches. Roy Morales started the scoring for St. Paul when he singled in Spencer Steer in the top of the 3rd inning. After allowing Buffalo to knot things up in the 4th inning, the Saints came marching in during the 7th inning. A night after going 0-for-4, Steer blasted his 10th homer at Triple-A, a three run shot, to score both Michael Helman and Braden Bishop. Caleb Hamilton then lifted a dinger of his own to plate Jermaine Palacios and Morales, making it a 7-1 game. Steer and Morales were the lone Saints with multi-hit games on the evening. WIND SURGE WISDOM San Antonio 11, Wichita 4 (Resumption of Wednesday’s game) Box Score The Wind Surge resumed the first game tonight following a postponement in the 4th inning on Wednesday. It was played as a nine inning game with the originally schedule tilt being a seven-inning affair afterwards. Wichita 7, San Antonio 4 (F/7) Box Score Southpaw Blayne Enlow was on the bump for the shortened regularly scheduled game and he went 3 2/3 innings. Enlow gave up two runs on four hits while walking two and striking out three. The only damage against Enlow came on a 2nd inning homer. It took a few innings for Wichita to push a run across despite leading in the hit column, but Kevin Merrell tallied the first Wind Surge run when he singled in Cole Sturgeon during the bottom of the 4th inning. Just an inning later, Wichita got their first lead when Sturgeon singled in both Matt Wallner and Austin Martin. After seeing the lead evaporate in the 6th inning, Wichita buckled down and got back to work. With the bases loaded, Martin got plunked and drove in a run the hard way. Edouard Julien singled driving in both Daniel Ozoria and Wallner before a Sturgeon ground out brought in Martin. Pulling away and putting some distance behind them, Wichita was able to ride the three-run lead to a victory. KERNELS NUGGETS West Michigan 3, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Tonight was Aaron Rozek's turn on the bump for Cedar Rapids and he twirled a good one. Throwing five innings of one hit ball, Rozek kept West Michigan scoreless while allowing just two walks and punching out four. He lowered his ERA to 3.35 on the year. Runs were tough to come by, and that made Will Holland's double in the 4th inning that much more impactful. Scoring both Seth Gray and Yunior Severino, the two runs were enough to fend off a comeback from the Whitecaps. Cedar Rapids tallied just six hits on the evening. The lack of production bit the Kernels when West Michigan pushed two across in the top of the 9th inning. With Cedar Rapids trailing for the first time, Aaron Sabato doubled to lead off their last at bat. Stranded at third base though, that's as close as the comeback attempt came. MUSSEL MATTERS Fort Myers 6, Lakeland 4 Box Score Pierson Ohl took the ball tonight for the Mighty Mussels. He pitched six innings of one-run ball allowing just three hits and a walk. Ohl struck out eight and lowered his ERA to 4.70 on the season. Noah Cardenas started the scoring early with a 1st inning single allowing Noah Miller to cross the plate. Miller then followed suit in the 3rd inning when his single drove home Jake Rucker. After giving back a run on a 4th inning wild pitch, Fort Myers grabbed an insurance run in the 8th inning on a Rubel Cespedes single to score Cardenas. With the bases loaded, LaRon Smith drew a walk to score Cespedes, but that's where the scoring ended for the Mighty Mussels. Unfortunately Fort Myers watched their lead evaporate in the bottom of the 8th inning, and no team could push a run across in the 9th inning. Going to extras, Nelson Roberto launched his second homer of the season and gave the Mighty Mussels a two run lead as Cespedes began the inning on second. Things got dicey in the bottom half with Lakeland having runners on 2nd and 3rd and only one out but Matt Mullenbach came on to relieve Malik Barrington and slammed the door. Miller, Cespedes, Cardenas, and Smith all picked up two-hit nights. Smith recorded doubles for both of his. COMPLEX CHRONICLES FCL Twins 6, FCL Pirates 5 Box Score Elpidio Perez pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief work to end this game and got the win. He allowed two hits, no runs, and punched out four. Gregory Duran and Andres Centeno both had two hits for the Twins. Centeno launched his first homer of the season and Alex Rodriguez hit his first dinger as a professional. DOMINICAN DAILIES DSL Twins 8, DSL Cubs Blue 3 Box Score Roger Duran got the win, improving to 3-0. He worked four innings of relief allowing just a single run. Harold Grant had a 2-for-3 night with a double after coming off the bench and taking over as the designated hitter. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Pierson Ohl (Ft. Myers) - 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K Hitter of the Day – Spencer Steer - (St. Paul) - 2-4, 2B, HR(10), 2 R, 3 RBI 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) - 2-3, R, K #3 - Jose Miranda (Minnesota) - 0-2, BB, K #4 - Jordan Balazovic (St. Paul) - 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K #7 - Spencer Steer (St. Paul) - 2-4, 2B, HR(10), 2 R, 3 RBI #9 - Noah Miller (Ft. Myers) - 2-5, R , RBI #14 - Blayne Enlow (Wichita) - 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K #15 - Matt Wallner (Wichita) - 1-1, 2 R, 3 BB #16 - Edouard Julien (Wichita) - 1-4, 2 RBI, K #18 - Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS St. Paul @ Buffalo (6:05PM CST) - RHP Cole Sands San Antonio @ Wichita (7:05PM CST) - RHP Casey Legumina West Michigan @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Cade Povich Fort Myers @ Lakeland (5:30PM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Thursday’s games! It sure is exciting to have all four Twins full-season affiliates and the two Complex Season affiliates back and playing. View full article