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With games in the Southern and Gulf Coast Leagues being affected by rains, there were only four games played in the minors on Tuesday despite one team having a doubleheader. You will have a hard time finding a hitter that has had a better day this entire season, than one slugger in particular had in triple-A by clubbing three homers. There was also a couple of solid starting performances, including one in Rochester from a pitcher who started the season in Fort Myers.To find out everything that happened with your favorite prospects on Tuesday, keep reading! TRANSACTIONS Southern League All-Star Catcher Caleb Hamilton was promoted to Rochester from Pensacola as the Red Wings placed 3B Brian Schales on the temporarily inactive list.As a replacement for Hamilton, the Blue Wahoos received 1B Ryan Costello from Fort Myers.The Miracle were assigned IF Yeltsin Encarnacion from Cedar Rapids.RED WINGS REPORTNorfolk 3, Rochester 16 Box Score The Rochester lineup bludgeoned Norfolk on Tuesday, where if this were an amateur game the mercy rule would have come into play after the fifth inning. Drew Maggi started the bottom of the first with a home run to set the tone for everyone else, and Wilin Rosario added a trifecta of two-run blasts, and seven RBI in total, to break it wide open. The just promoted (again) Randy Dobnak took the mound for the Red Wings and did his thing, which is outfoxing and dominating opposing lineups. In six innings he gave up no runs on four hits and two walks to stem the Tides, while also striking out six to lower his triple-A ERA on the season to below 2.00 in 23 2/3 total innings. His ERA on the year is at 2.11 across 18 starts (20 games) with Fort Myers, Pensacola, and Rochester. In this one 54 of his 87 pitches went for strikes (62%), including 13 swinging as he picked up his ninth win of the year. Also this: The big inning for the Red Wings lineup was the second, where they scored six runs as they sent nine men to the plate and was punctuated by Rosario’s first blast. The top four hitters in the lineup combined to go 14-for-20 with 10 runs scored, four doubles, four home runs, and 10 RBI. Jaylin Davis had three of those doubles and scored four runs in a 5-for-5 night. Ronald Torreyes added two doubles and scored two runs, while Tomas Telis added a triple. The team combined for 22 hits and were 7-12 with runners in scoring position. Cody Allen came on for the seventh and had a one-two-three inning, striking out one. Sam Clay allowed a run on one hit in the eighth, while Preston Guilmet struck out two but also gave up a two-run homer in the ninth to account for the final score. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Mobile @ Pensacola - Postponed The Blue Wahoos matchup with the BayBears Tuesday night was affected by the weather and postponed. They’ll play a doubleheader on Thursday to make it up. MIRACLE MATTERS Game 1: Fort Myers 5, Dunedin 4 Box Score The Miracle struck first in game one of their doubleheader as Royce Lewis led off the inning with his ninth home run on the season for a 1-0 lead. Starting pitcher Cole Sands had breezed through the first three innings of his outing, but a two-out rally of the bloop and a blast variety got to him in the bottom of the fourth to put the Blue Jays up 2-1. His offense picked him back up right away though with a run in the fifth after three singles, and three more in the sixth when Ernie De La Trinidad connected for his first home run of the year to put them up for good at 5-2. Sands later would strike out the first two hitters he faced in the sixth before giving up a solo home run to end his day. He went 5 2/3 innings to pick up his fourth win, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out five. Zach Neff finished the final 1 1/3, allowing one run on a hit and a walk to pick up his third save. He struck out three. Game 2: Fort Myers 0, Dunedin 2 Box Score It was an even better pitcher’s duel in game two with the Miracle’s Jhoan Duran facing off against Maximo Castillo of the Blue Jays. A couple of walks from Duran in the second inning loaded the bases for a single to bring in two for Dunedin, and that would be it for the game. Duran went the first four innings, allowing those two runs on four hits and three walks, while striking out five. Joe Record would finish the game, striking out two in two innings. Both teams managed only five hits in the contest, but the Blue Jays went 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position while the Miracle went hitless in seven of their own opportunities, leaving eight men on base for the game. Lewis and Jose Miranda each contributed a double to the effort. KERNELS NUGGETS Scheduled Day Off The Kernels had Tuesday off after a six-game road trip where they went 3-3 against the Lake County Captains and Fort Wayne TinCaps. They will begin a six-game homestand against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Wednesday with right-hander Josh Winder on the mound looking to get back on the dominating track after a rough outing last time out. E-TWINS E-NOTES Princeton 8, Elizabethton 3 Box Score Elizabethton was unable to solve Princeton’s pitching for most of this one, as they managed just two hits and a walk as a team through the first eight innings. Both hits to that point were doubles off the bats of Parker Phillips and Trevor Jensen. They finally got on the board in the ninth when Seth Gray drew a two-out walk, and Phillips followed with his first home run in the Appalachian League. Max Smith then followed with one of his own to make the game at least appear closer when looking at only the box score. Taking the hill for the E-Twins was righthander Tyler Benninghoff, who was able to limit the damage against him through 5 2/3 by striking out eleven Rays hitters. He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk but was saddled with the loss. Ryan Shreve got them through the eighth inning, but at the expense of four runs (three earned) on six hits and a walk. He struck out two in 2 1/3. Erik Cha came on for the ninth and allowed a run on two hits and a walk, striking out one. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Pirates @ GCL Twins - Postponed Four games in the Gulf Coast League were affected by rain on Tuesday, including the Pirates facing the Twins at the Lee County Sports Complex. They will host the Orioles Wednesday morning looking to improve their record to .500 on the season. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Randy Dobnak, Rochester Red Wings (W, 6.0 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K) Hitter of the Day – Wilin Rosario, Rochester Red Wings (4-for-5, 3 R, 2B, 3 HR (13), 7 RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) - 2-for-8, R, 2B (17), HR (9), 3 K (2 games) #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Game postponed #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - Game postponed #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - No game #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL) - Game postponed #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Injured List (groin) #9 - Jhoan Duran (Fort Myers) - L (2-9), 4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K #10 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Minnesota) - Game in progress #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 1-for-5, K #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Fort Myers) - 1-for-3, K #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - Game in progress #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - Did not play #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - Game postponed #17 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Game postponed #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL) - No game #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - Game postponed WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Norfolk @ Rochester (6:05PM CST) - RHP Drew Hutchison (6-6, 5.88 ERA) Mobile @ Pensacola (6:35PM CST) - RHP Edwar Colina (0-0, 4.50 ERA) Fort Myers @ Dunedin (12:00PM CST) - LHP Tyler Watson (1-4, 4.10 ERA) Wisconsin @ Cedar Rapids (6:35PM CST) - RHP Josh Winder (6-2, 2.86 ERA) Princeton @ Elizabethton (5:30PM CST) - RHP Ben Gross (3-1, 2.08 ERA) GCL Orioles @ GCL Twins (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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It was a newsworthy day in the minor leagues on Sunday, though the biggest story may have been in the form of a promotion rather than from any of the games that were played. That's not to say there wasn't any noteworthy performances though, as a couple of pitchers had strong outings, a 2019 breakout prospect continued slugging, and the hitter of the day racked up four hits including a home run to lead his team to victory. To find out everything that happend on Tuesday in the minor leagues, including that promotion for a top prospect, keep reading!TRANSACTIONS There was a flurry of moves in the system on Tuesday, including some injuries to some notable names and a flurry of corresponding moves after a big promotion for a top prospect: In unfortunate injury news, OF Brent Rooker was placed on the injured list retroactive to July 14th.In Double-A the Blue Wahoos placed IF Travis Blankenhorn on the injured list retroactive to July 14th as well, but in his place recieved OF Trevor Larnach, the Florida State League leader in doubles, batting average, and OPS.OF Jacob Pearson was promoted to Fort Myers from Cedar Rapids to take the place of LarnachAfter laying waste to the Appalachian League with nine home runs in 23 games, OF Albee Weiss was promoted to Cedar Rapids.1B Parker Phillips was transferred to Elizabethton from the Gulf Coast LeagueRED WINGS REPORTRochester 3, Norfolk 6 Box Score Cody Allen made his third appearance with the Red Wings, serving as the opener in this one and throwing 19 pitches (12 for strikes, 3 swinging). A leadoff double was followed by a one-out version and the Red Wings were down 1-0 early. Left-hander Sean Poppen then served as the primary and went the next five innings. He allowed a three-run homer in the third that extended the Tides lead to 4-0, but otherwise was solid. He surrendered three hits, walked two, and struck out five. Of his 97 pitches, 64 went for strikes (66%). In the top of the sixth the Red Wings closed within one thanks to a three-run blast of their own from the scorching hot Zander Wiel, his fifth in his last four games, and now 18th on the season. Unfortunately for Rochester, that would be all they could muster on the day. Gabriel Moya finished the final two innings, allowing two insurance runs for Norfolk on three hits and a walk. He struck out one. Wilin Rosario (2-for-3, 2B, R) and Tomas Telis (2-for-4, 2B) added multiple hits for the Red Wings. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Montgomery 4, Pensacola 2 Box Score Just like on Monday, Pensacola got an opposite-field home run from their first baseman Lewin Diaz, this one a two-run shot, but it again was not enough to propel them to a victory. They were unable to take advantage of their opportunities as they finished just 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position on the game, leaving nine men on base. Diaz finished 2-for-4 to lead the offense as they collected only four other hits and three walks. Out of the leadoff spot former major leaguer Ivan De Je Jeusus Jr. drew a pair of walks. In his Southern League debut, outfielder Trevor Larnach made a good first impression, collecting a single in his first at-bat and reaching base on an error in front of Diaz's home run. Making the start for the Blue Wahoos was left-hander Bryan Sammons and he went the first two innings, allowing one run on two hits and a walk while striking out three. Edwar Colina then made his Blue Wahoos debut by coming on for the next four innings and found the primary-ish role not to his liking. He allowed two runs on four hits and four walks, striking out two. Jovani Moran allowed one run on a hit and a walk in the seventh, before Adam Bray finished out the game with two scoreless innings. MIRACLE MATTERS Tampa 2, Fort Myers 4 Box Score Both teams struck early with crooked numbers in the first inning but the Miracle came out on top with three for the early lead. Three consecutive singles from Royce Lewis, Ryan Jeffers, and Ryan Costello loaded the bases, before a sac fly from Jose Miranda scored one and was followed by a two-run double from Trey Cabbage. Starter Cole Sands allowed two runs (one earned) in the opening frame, but was fantastic from then on, tacking on six more scoreless innings to his line. He picked up his third win with the seven-inning effort by scattering seven hits and walking none. He punctuated his outing with a one-two-three seventh inning, including two of his six strikeouts. In the bottom of the seventh Jacob Pearson, fresh off his promotion, delivered an RBI double to tack on an insurance run for Fort Myers. Melvi Acosta went the final two innings to pick up his second save, allowing one hit and striking out three. On offense the number three and four hitters for the Miracle, Jeffers and Costello, each finished 2-for-4 and Gabriel Maciel stole his ninth base. KERNELS NUGGETS Scheduled Day Off Cedar Rapids had the day off on Tuesday as they hit the road to face the Lake County Captains in Eastlake, Ohio. They are coming off a 2-4 homestand and will look to get back on track away from Veterans Memorial Stadium with right-hander Tyler Palm on the mound. The Kernels are 14-10 in the second half of the Midwest League Season, sitting three games back in fourth place of the Western Division. E-TWINS E-NOTES Johnson City 5, Elizabethton 7 Box Score The Twins got a quality start from right-hander Tyler Benninghoff who went the first six innings, his longest outing of the year, and allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out six. The three runs charged to him were of the unearned variety thanks to errors in the second and fourth innings. When his day was done Elizabethton held a 6-3 lead thanks in most part to a five-run bottom of the third. Two one-out singles got the inning started, then three consecutive two-out hits broke it open, with the biggest knock a double from Matt Wallner to score two. A throwing error also allowed two more runs to score as the teams combined for six errors on the game. Max Smith added a solo home run in the fourth and Kidany Salva an RBI single in the seventh to account for all the Twins scoring. Reliver Frandy Torres was back with Elizabethton after a brief stint in Cedar Rapids and went the next 1 2/3 after Benninghoff. He allowed two runs on two hits and two walks, but also struck out four. Dylan Thomas picked up his third save by finishing the final 1 1/3, allowing only one hit. Smith (4-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI), Parker Phillips (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB), Wallner (2-for-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB), and Trevor Jensen (2-for-4, R) all had multiple hits on the day. Shorstop Will Holland stole two bases despite finishing 0-for-4. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Rays 1, GCL Twins 2 Box Score Pitching owned the day in the Gulf Coast League matchup as pitchers from both teams combined to allow just three runs on 13 hits and four walks combined, while striking out 20. Dakota Chalmers was on the mound for the Twins and went the first four innings. He worked around singles in the first and third before a couple of doubles in the fourth allowed the Rays to tie it. He struck out four and walked none in his four innings. The Twins had taken the first lead in the bottom of the second thanks to a bases- loaded walk, and then the lineup picked him up in the bottom of the fourth when Sergio Toribio led off with a triple and would score on a single from Erick Rivera. Relievers Williams Ramirez, Niall Windeler, and Anthony Escobar combined to shut out the Rays the rest of the way, allowing no runs on four hits and zero walks over the final five innings. Escobar did the bulk of the work, finishing the final three innings and striking out two. TWINS DAILY MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Cole Sands, Fort Myers Miracle (W, 7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 6 K) Hitter of the Day – Max Smith, Elizabethton Twins (4-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Fort Myers) – 1-for-4, R, 2 K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 1-for-5, K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) – 1-for-4, R, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - No game #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL) - 0-for-4, 3 K #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – Injured list #9 - Jhoan Duran (Fort Myers) – Did not pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Fort Myers) - Did not pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 0-for-5, 2 K #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Fort Myers) – 2-for-4, R, K #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) – 0-for-0, BB (incredible at-bat in replacing Schoop) #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) – 2-for-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – Did no tplay #17 - Akil Baddoo (Fort Myers) - Injured List (Tommy John surgery) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did not pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL) - Did not play #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) – Injured list WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Norfolk (6:05PM CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (4-4, 5.22 ERA) Pensacola - Scheduled day off Tampa @ Fort Myers (11AM CST) - RHP Jhoan Duran (1-8, 3.44 ERA) Cedar Rapids @ Lake County (6:00PM CST) - RHP Tyler Palm (1-5, 4.21 ERA) Elizabethton @ Greeneville (5:30PM CST) - RHP Ben Gross (2-1, 2.70 ERA) GCL Braves @ GCL Twins (11:00AM CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! 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The Elizabethton Twins are coming off back-to-back Appalachian League Championships and the club has qualified for the postseason in four of the last five seasons. Hopes are high again in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. With a handful of returning players and a new crop of rookies, can the E-Twins continue their winning ways?The Coaches Ray Smith will enter his 33rd season as a member of the E-Twins coaching staff and his 26th season as manager. On the way to Elizabethton’s eighth Apply League title last season, Smith recorded his 1000th career win. His managerial record sits at 1020-676 for a .601 winning percentage. He has been part of the Twins organization since he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 1977. Hitting coach Jeff Reed has been with Smith for a large chunk of his managerial journey. The 2019 season will be his 18th season as the E-Twins hitting coach. Richard Salazar will be in his first year as the pitching coach. He pitched seven seasons in the Orioles organization and reached as high as Triple-A (2007). From there, he pitched in independent leagues and was on Spain’s roster for the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Takashi Miyoshi will be in his second year as the fourth member of the coaching staff. Prospects to Watch No members of the preseason Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects are on the Elizabethton Twins Opening Day roster. However, we will be updating our list in the coming weeks so things could change, especially with an influx of newly drafted players. One name you won’t see on the list below was just signed by the Twins on Monday and he is on his way to Elizabethton. Matt Walner, a Forest Lake native, was Minnesota’s supplemental first round pick. He’s an outfielder that just finished his collegiate career at Southern Mississippi. He set that school’s career home run mark (58) and won three straight Conference USA home run titles THE ROSTER The Pitchers RHP Tyler Benninghoff (22)- 11th round pick in 2016 from Rockhurst HS in Kansas City, MO LHP Denny Bentley (21)- 33rd round pick in 2018 from Howard College RHP Prelander Berroa (19)- signed July 2, 2016 out of the Dominican Republic LHP Erik Cha (21)- 17th round pick in 2018 from Cal State Fullerton RHP Steven Cruz (20)- signed March 20, 2017 out of the Dominican Republic RHP Osiris German (20)- signed July 2, 2016 out of the Dominica Republic RHP Owen Grifith (21)- 20th round pick in 2019 from Clemson University RHP Ben Gross (22)- 10th round pick in 2019 from Duke University LHP Brent Headrick (21)- 9th round pick in 2019 from Illinois State RHP Cody Laweryson (21)- 14th round pick in 2019 from the University of Maine RHP Andriu Marin (20)- signed November 17, 2014 out of Venezuela LHP J.T. Perez (23)- 29th round pick in 2018 from the University of Cincinnati RHP Ryan Shreve (20)- 16th round pick in 2019 from University of the Pacific RHP Dylan Thomas (22)- 13th round pick in 2019 from the University of Hawaii RHP Louie Varland (21)- 15th round pick in 2019 from Concordia University-St. Paul LHP Ryley Widell (22)- 7th round pick in 2017 from Central Arizona College Prelander Berroa is certainly an arm to keep an eye on after he found some success with the GCL Twins last year. In 10 games (41 2/3 innings), he posed a 2.81 ERA with a 41 to 18 strikeout to walk ratio. Ryley Widell will be back with the E-Twins after making his pro debut with the club in 2018. He struck out 41 batters in 29 2/3 inning and only allowed eight earned runs (2.43 ERA). Tyler Benninghoff will be looking to transition his GCL success (3.89 ERA) to the Appy League. Out of the 2019 draft class, Brent Headrick and Ben Gross are the two highest drafted pitchers on this roster and they will be making their professional debuts. The Catchers Yeremi De La Cruz (21)- signed September 15, 2015 out of the Dominican Republic Alex Isola (20)- 29th round pick in 2019 from Texas Christian University Kidany Salva (20)- 17th round pick in 2016 from Klein Forest HS in Houston, TX Janigson Villalobos (22)- acquired from San Diego for Phil Hughes in 2018 With four catchers on the roster, the E-Twins will probably have each player catch twice a week with the possibility of getting some designated hitter appearances as well. Janigson Villalobos hit well with the GCL Twins last year as he finished with a .310 BA and .393 OPS. However, he was 1.2 years older than the competition in that league. Injuries cost Yeremi De La Cruz all but two games last season with the GCL Twins. The Infielders Seth Gray (21)- 4th round pick in 2019 from Wright State University Trevor Jenson (22)- 24th round pick in 2019 from Tulane University Charlie Mack (19)- 6th round pick in 2018 from Williamsville East HS in East Amherst, NY Daniel Ozoria (18)- acquired from Los Angeles for John Curtiss Anthony Prato (21)- 7th round pick in 2019 from the University of Connecticut Reuben Santana (21)- signed September 15, 2015 out of the Dominican Republic Seth Gray is the highest draft pick on the Opening Day roster, but he will shortly be joined by Walner. In 59 collegiate games this season, Gray hit .351 with 11 home runs and 70 RBI and that was good enough to earn him first-team, All-Horizon league honors. Ozoria is an interesting player since he’s young for the league and he was acquired this year for John Curtiss. In his pro career, he’s hit .222/.293/.263 with 13 extra-base hits in 111 games. The Outfielders Willie Joe Garry Jr. (19)- 9th round in 2018 from Pascagoula HS in Pascagoula, MS Max Smith (22)- 31st round in 2019 from UNLV Tyler Webb (23)- 40th round in 2018 from the University of Memphis Albee Weiss (23)- 23rd round in 2018 from Cal State Northridge Willie Joe Garry Jr. was one of only a few high school players drafted by the Twins in 2018. He struggled with the transition to the professional level, but he adjusted near the end of the season. In the final 14 games, he got on base over 29% of the time. Tyler Webb led the GCL Twins with a .398 on-base percentage. Albee Weiss has some power potential as he combined for 24 home runs between his collegiate (20 HR) and professional (4 HR) seasons last year. There are 30 players listed above and others like Walner are on their way after they sign with the Twins. Six players have previously played in Elizabethton (Widell, Perez, Cha, Berroa, Weiss, and Webb). Thirteen players were drafted by the Twins in 2019 (Grifith, Gross, Headrick, Laweryson, Shreve, Thomas, Varland, Isola, Gray, Jenson, Mack, Prato, and Smith). For more information on the 2019 Twins draft picks, please click here (links at bottom of the article) ------------------- Here are the rest of the minor league notes on Monday (written by Seth) I can’t remember the last time that there were no minor league games, at all, between April and August. However, that’s exactly what happened in the Twins farm system on Monday. Rochester had a scheduled day off.Pensacola and Cedar Rapids began their All-Star breaks.Ft. Myers was just set to start their second half with a home game against Charlotte, but the rains came and they were postponed.But there are still quite a few minor league notes from the day, we here we go: TRANSACTIONS The Twins signed Comp A pick Matt Wallner on Monday. Keep up with the signings of their their 2019 draft picks here.Rochester announced that Trevor Hildenberger was placed on the Injured List with a right flexor mass strain. He had not pitched since June 8th.Pensacola announced that Taylor Grzelakowski is going on the 7-day IL.Also, the Blue Wahoos announced that OF Tanner English and 3B Randy Cesar have been released.On Sunday night, we learned that LHP Zach Neff and 3B Andrew Bechtold have been promoted to FT. Myers.We also heard that Frandy Torres was being sent from Cedar Rapids to Elizabethton.RHP Tyler Palm has been transferred to Cedar Rapids. Jeff Johnson is also reporting that RHP Tanner Howell will also be joining the Kernels.ALL STAR FESTIVITIES At the Southern League All-Star site, they held the Home Run Derby. Blue Wahoos Jaylin Davis and Travis Blankenhorn will participate in the event. A year ago, Blankenhorn won the Florida State League home run derby. TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Columbus (6:05 CST) - TBD Pensacola (6:35 CST) - All Star Break Ft. Myers @ Charlotte (5:30 CST) - TBD Cedar Rapids - All Star Break Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Monday games or any other minor league topics you would like. Click here to view the article

The Red Wings, Lookouts, Miracle and GCL Twins combined to score three runs. Meanwhile, both the Kernels and E-Twins scored in double-digits thanks to big games from Jose Miranda, Ryan Jeffers and many others. Also, Royce Lewis made his debut in Fort Myers and Nick Gordon left the Lookouts' game with an injury. Check out what else happened across the system, here’s Saturday night’s Twins Minor League Report.TRANSACTIONS This was announced last night, but the promotion of Royce Lewis become official today. To take his spot in Cedar Rapids, Michael Davis, the team’s 24th-round pick from this year’s draft, was promoted up from Elizabethton. Also, Byron Buxton was placed on the seven-day DL in Rochester. The good news on Buxton is that he is suffering from a left wrist strain and not something more serious. Lewis Thorpe (Chattanooga) and Alex Kirilloff (Ft. Myers) were placed on the Temporary Inactive Lists of their teams. Both will be participating in the Futures Game on Sunday. RED WINGS REPORT Scranton/WB 4, Rochester 0 Box Score SP: Kohl Stewart (6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: None The Red Wings trailed 1-0 until Tyler Duffey gave up three runs in the eighth inning. Rochester had only four hits: a Jordan Pacheco double and singles from Taylor Motter, Gregorio Petit and Kennys Vargas. The big news out of this one is that Nick Gordon left early due to an apparent hand injury after fouling off a pitch. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Montgomery 5, Chattanooga 2 Box Score SP: Omar Bencomo (4.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K) HR: Mitchell Kranson (1) Multi-hit games: None Mitchell Kranson hit his first homer of the season, and that was the only extra-base hit for the Lookouts. Ryan Walker was 1-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base. Brent Rooker committed two errors in left field. Andrew Vasquez pitched two perfect innings out of the bullpen and struck out four batters. MIRACLE MATTERS Lakeland 3, Fort Myers 1 Box Score SP: Brusdar Graterol (5.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) HR: None Multi-hit games: Taylor Grzelakowski Royce Lewis was 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in his Florida State League debut. In his four trips to the plate, Miguel Sano struck out in two and walked in the other two. Taylor Grzelakowski was 2-for-4 with the lone Miracle RBI and Aaron Whitefield was 1-for-5 with a stolen base and the lone run scored. Brusdar Graterol gave up two runs on eight hits and a walk. Over five innings, he had just two strikeouts. Tom Hackimer gave up another run over his two frames before Adam Bray pitched a scoreless eighth. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids Box Score W: Jordan Balazovic (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) HR: Jose Miranda (10) Multi-hit games: Jose Miranda, Andrew Bechtold, Robby Rinn, Jacob Pearson, Akil Baddoo, Ben Rodriguez Ben Rortvedt, Alex Kirilloff, Brusdar Graterol and now Royce Lewis are all gone, so that means Cedar Rapids just isn’t worth watching anymore, right? HA! Jose Mirada was the star of this one, going 4-for-5 with a homer, a double and five RBIs. Miranda has now hit 21 homers in 138 games over the past two seasons. Andrew Bechtold also collected four hits and Robby Rinn had three hits and a walk. Akil Baddoo was 2-for-4 with a walk and Jacob Pearson filled up the stat sheet with a single, a double, two RBIs and two runs. Jordan Balazovic, 19, improved to 5-1 and has a 2.37 ERA in 38 innings pitched for the Kernels. Calvin Faucher gave up a run over his two innings, racking up three strikeouts, before Kevin Marnon finished things out with two scoreless frames and three strikeouts of his own. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 15, Kingsport 5 Box Score W: Austin Schulfer (5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) SP: Brian Rapp (4.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) HR: Ryan Jeffers (3) Multi-hit games: Chris Williams, Alex Robles, Ryan Jeffers, Trevor Casanova, DaShawn Keirsey, Michael Helman Ryan Jeffers hit the ground running as a pro, but through his first 18 games he hadn’t hit a homer. Well, Saturday he hit his third homer in the past five games. Jeffers went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer and two walks. He drove in a pair and scored three runs. Both Chris Williams and Alex Robles had three hits, a walk and scored three runs. Robles also had three RBIs. The E-Twins lead the Appy League West division with a 15-8 record. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Red Sox 1, GCL Twins 0 Box Score SP: Tyler Benninghoff (4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4K) HR: None Multi-hit games: None Tyler Benninghoff and six relievers combined to give up just one run, but the Twins could muster only three singles. Their hits came from catcher Kidany Salva, 2018 draftee Charles Mack and Agustin Marte. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Tyler Benninghoff, GCL Twins Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Jose Miranda, Cedar Rapids TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed. Please note that this Prospect Summary has been updated. 1. Royce Lewis (FM): 0-for-3, BB, K 2. Alex Kirilloff (FM): Did not play. 3. Brusdar Graterol (FM): 5.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K 4. Nick Gordon (ROC): 0-for-2, left with an injury 5. Stephen Gonsalves (ROC): Did not play. 6. Trevor Larnach (ET): Did not play. 7. Brent Rooker (CHAT): 1-for-4, 2 K 8. Akil Baddoo (CR): 2-for-4, BB, 2 R 9. Wander Javier: Out of for the season 10. Zack Littell (ROC): Did not play. 11. Blayne Enlow (CR): Did not play. 12. LaMonte Wade (ROC): 0-for-3, BB, K 13. Travis Blankenhorn (FM): 1-for-3, BB 14. Lewis Thorpe (CHAT): Did not play. 15. Ben Rortvedt (FM): 1-for-4 16. Yunior Severino (ET): 0-for-5, BB, R, K 17. Lewin Diaz (FM): 0-for-4, K 18. Ryan Jeffers (ET): 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 3 R 19. Jacob Pearson (CR): 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R 20. Luis Arraez (CHAT): 1-for-4 SUNDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester at Scranton/WB, 12:05 pm CT: Ervin Santana Chattanooga vs. Montgomery, 1:15 pm CT: Sean Poppen Fort Myers at Lakeland, 12:00 pm CT: Andro Cutura Cedar Rapids vs. Lake County, 2:05 pm CT: Bryan Sammons Elizabethton at Kingsport, 3:00 pm CT: Kody Funderburk GCL Twins OFF Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games. Click here to view the article

On Monday, the GCL Twins began their 2018 season with a win against the GCL Orioles. After previewing the Elizabethton Twinsyesterday, today we preview the Gulf Coast League Twins.After seven seasons of managing the GCL Twins (and Extended Spring Training), Ramon Borrego moved up to manager of the Ft. Myers Miracle this year. The Twins brought in Dan Ramsey as their new manager. He had been the coach at Whitworth University in Washington. He had led his team to the national Division III tournament three times. Ramsey is joined by two pitching coaches. Richard Salazar is in his first season on the job. He was drafted in 2001 and played pro ball right up through the 2017 season. Frank Jagoda joins the organization in 2018 as another pitching coach. He’s had a variety of roles in recent years including coaching at Patrick Henry Community College in Virginia and USA Baseball the last couple of summers. The Twins also hired a couple of new hitting coaches for the GCL. Luis Rodriguez originally signed as a player with the Twins in 1997. He worked his way up and spent time with the Twins for parts of 2005 through 2007. He spent parts of three more season in the big leagues. This is his first coaching opportunity. Also, Matt Borgschulte comes to the Twins organization after coaching in the Cardinals system in 2017. Prospects To Watch While none of the GCL Twins ranked among the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects coming into the season, this is a very talented group. Landon Leach is a very hard-throwing pitcher who will do well when he’s activated. Tyler Benninghoff was another high-ceiling prep pick from the 2016 draft who has a chance to jump up prospect rankings this year. The pitcher from the DSL that gets talked about the most is Michael Montero. Willie Joe Garry has a ton of potential, but he’s very raw. He may take a few years to get going, but has a very high ceiling. RHP Regi Grace also signed for significantly over slot value in the 10th round forgoing a scholarship to Mississippi State. While he wasn't on the roster yet, he obviously will appear soon, and he's got a ton of potential. THE ROSTER The Pitchers LHP Petru Balan (22) - signed November 2016 from Moldova RHP Tyler Benninghoff (20) - 11th round pick in 2016 from high school in Missouri RHP Prelander Berroa (18) - signed July 2016 out of the Dominican Republic RHP Donny Breek (18) - signed September 2017 from the Netherlands RHP Amilcar Cruz (22) - signed May 2016 from the Dominican Republic RHP Steven Cruz (19) - signed March 2017 from the Dominican Republic RHP Osiris German (19) - signed July 2016 out of the Dominican Republic RHP Tanner Howell (23) - 35th round pick in 2018 from Dixie State (Utah) RHP Landon Leach (18) - 2nd round pick in 2017 (37th overall) from high school in Canada RHP Andriu Marin (19) - signed November 2014 from Venezuela RHP Michael Montero (18) - signed July 2016 from Venezuela RHP Junior Navas (18) - signed July 2016 from Venezuela RHP Joe Record (23) - 28th round in 2017 from UC-Santa Barbara RHP Niklas Rimmel (18) - signed September 2017 from Germany LHP Fredderi Soto (19) - signed January 2015 from the Dominican Republic RHP Dylan Stowell (23) - 34th round pick in 2018 from California Baptist RHP Kai-Wei Teng (19) - signed October 2017 from Taiwan RHP Frandy Torres (22) - signed May 2016 from the Dominican Republic As I noted yesterday, it’s hard to always know the roles of the pitchers. Because of innings limits and innings already thrown in Extended Spring Training, as well as giving people opportunities, roles can shift throughout the short-season. Joe Record missed the entire 2017 season with Tommy John surgery and will likely not pitch in 2018 either. Soto is also on the 60-Day Disabled List. Meanwhile, Landon Leach and Junior Lavas will also begin the season on the 7-Day Disabled List. Tyler Benninghoff came back late last year to pitch a couple of innings in the GCL. Drafted in 2016, he immediately had Tommy John surgery. He has a chance to really step it up in 2018. The GCL Twins is a melting pot. As you can see, it has players from six different countries. This rotation consists of several players that performed very well in the Dominican Summer League. Steven Cruz went 4-0 with a 3.68 ERA in 29 1/3 innings. Andriu Marin went 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA in 47 1/3 innings. Michael Montero went 4-1 with a 2.78 ERA in 58 1/3 innings. Junior Navas went 4-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 18 2/3 innings. Fredderi Soto was 1-1 with a 1.34 ERA in 53 2/3 innings. Frandy Torres went 6-0 with a 0.72 ERA in 37 2/3 innings. Along with 2018 draft picks Tanner Howell and Dylan Stowell, Donny Breek, Niklas Rimmel and Kai-Wei Teng will make their professional debuts the first time they step on the mound in a game. The Catchers Yeremi De La Cruz (20) - signed September 2015 from the Dominican Republic Yeison Perez (22) - signed May 2016 out of the Dominican Republic Kidany Salva (19) - 17th round in 2016 out of high school in Texas (via Puerto Rico) Janigson Villalobos (21) - acquired in trade with San Diego Padres in May 2018 Villalobos came to the Twins organization last month as part of the trade that sent Phil Hughes to the Padres. This is Salva’s third season in the GCL yet remains younger than the two catchers who came to the States from the DSL. De La Cruz hit .286 with an .811 OPS a year ago. The Infielders Yeltsin Encarnacion (19) - signed in February 2015 from the Dominican Republic Edgar Herrera (21) - signed July 2013 out of Venezuela Agustin Marte (19) - signed February 2016 from the Dominican Republic Emmanuel Morel (21) - signed July 2013 out of the Dominican Republic Gabe Snyder (23) - 21st round in 2018 from Wright State Victor Tademo (18) - signed September 2015 out of Venezuela Estamy Urena (19) - signed July 2016 from the Dominican Republic Victor Tademo is the one player in this group that spent the 2017 season in the GCL. He was one of the youngest players in the league, and he still will be in 2018. Herrera and Morel were actually both eligible for the Rule 5 draft this year, and last year, but they have fought injuries. Morel is on the DL to start this season again. Herrera missed a lot of time last year with a hamate bone injury. Gabe Snyder was a big bat in the middle of the Wright State lineup. The three players who are making their Stateside debut this year all are intriguing. Encarnacion hit .318/.408/.523 (.931) with nine doubles, eight triples and two homers. Agustin Marte hit .299/.366/.419 (.785) with 11 doubles, three triples and a homer. Estamy Urena hit .306/.369/.434 (.802) with seven doubles, three triples and three homers. Outfielders Willie Joe Garry (18) - 9th round draft pick in 2018 from high school in Mississippi Alberoni Nunez (19) - signed July 2016 out of the Dominican Republic Samuel Vasquez (21) - signed October 2015 from the Dominican Republic Tyler Webb (22) - 40th round draft pick in 2018 out of Memphis The Twins went over slot to sign Willie Joe Garry and keep him from college. Tyler Webb was the team’s final draft pick this year. He was the centerfielder and third hitter for Memphis this season. Alberoni Nunez hit .352/.420/.545 (.965) in the DSL last year with nine doubles, seven triples and three homers. Vasquez hit .301/.396/.398 (.793) with four doubles, three triples and two homers. So there you have it, the Opening Day roster of the Gulf Coast League Twins. There are 30 players listed above, and as mentioned, more will likely be added in coming days as more players (hopefully Charlie Mack, at least) sign. For more information on the 2018 Twins draft picks, please click here (links at bottom of article). Click here to view the article

There were a lot of good stories in the Twins minor leagues on Tuesday. It started with the announcement in the morning that Clark Beekerwith his 33.2 innings scoreless streak has been promoted. The E-Twins and GCL Twins started their games in the morning too. The guy who pitched the first inning of the GCL game is quite the story, and we were able to talk to him after the appearance. The Kernels and Red Wings found ways to win, and a top prospect recorded his first AAA win and just might be pitching in a big league uniform next time out.Find out everything and more that happened happened in the Twins system on Tuesday. Let’s start with the transactions of the day: RHP Clark Beeker - he of the 32.2 inning scoreless streak - has been promoted from Cedar Rapids to the Ft. Myers Miracle. RHP Eduardo Del Rosario is moving back to the Kernels from the Miracle.Keaton Steele was placed on the Miracle’s disabled list. Cody Stashak started his rehab assignment in the GCL.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 6, Columbus 2 Box Score With Hector Santiago’s rehab put on hold, Stephen Gonsalves made the start for Rochester on his regular rest. He again performed very well. The southpaw went six innings and gave up just one run on four hits. He walked two and struck out eight. The run he gave up was on a double off the bat of the rehabbing Lonnie Chisenhall. Gonsalves struck out the side in both the second and fifth innings. With the help of the bullpen and the bats, Gonsalves recorded his first AAA win. Could his next start be in Chicago as a member of the big league club? Stay tuned. Drew Rucinski gave up a run on three hits in the seventh. John Curtiss pitched a perfect eighth. Michael Tonkin was given the ninth inning and finished off the win with a scoreless inning. A lot of guys contributed to the offense. Matt Hague led the way. He went 3-5 with three RBI. Mitch Garver went 2-4 and his 28th double drove in a run. Kennys Vargas went 2-4, was intentionally walked, and contributed his ninth homer. JB Shuck went 2-3 with his 23rd double and a sacrifice. Daniel Palka was 2-5. Niko Goodrum was 1-2 with two walks and a very, very long home run. It was his 11th of the season. Zack Granite went 1-3 before he left the game in the fifth inning. He is day-to-day. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga Box Score The Lookouts had an off-day on Tuesday before starting a five-game series against Tennessee on Wednesday. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers , Lakeland Box Score Rain won the day again in Florida and this game was postponed. The two teams will play two seven-inning games on Wednesday. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 5, Burlington 2 Box Score The Kernels got ahead early and were able to hold it thanks to some strong pitching. Lefty Bryan Sammons started and gave up two runs on four hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out six. Ryan Mason provided two scoreless innings before Colton Davis and Hector Lujan each threw a scoreless frame. For Lujan, who struck out two, it was his 13th save of the season. Caleb Hamilton provided the big blast in the first inning when he hit his ninth home run. Trey Cabbage went 2-4 with the seventh RBI. Aaron Whitefield knocked in a run with his sixth triple. He was 2-4 with a walk. He also stole his 29th base. Royce Lewis was given a game off for the first time since joining the Kernels. Tommy Watkins told Steve Buhr the following for an article which appeared in the Star Tribune. “‘I think the plan is to play him a couple of days, then give him a day or two (off),’ Watkins said. ‘Definitely not try to overload him with swinging every day. He’s coming from a high school season, first taste of pro ball, so we’ll ease him in.’” E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 4, Johnson City 11 Box Score It was a rare afternoon games for the E-Twins, particularly leading up to a rare off day for the team on Wednesday (they have three off days all season). Things didn’t exactly go well for the Twins. Edwar Colina started. He gave up four runs on five hits and three walks in just 3.2 innings. He struck out three. Juan Gamez came on next and the converted catcher struggled with his control. In two innings, he gave up five runs on one hit and five walks. He struck out one. Rickey Ramirez gave up two runs on three hits and a walk over the final 2.1 innings. He struck out two. The Twins had seven hits. Ariel Montesino went 1-2 with two walks and his fourth double. He drove in two runs. Gorge Munoz went 2-3 and was hit by a pitch. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 1, GCL Rays 4 Box Score Tyler Benninghoff was the Twins 11th-round pick last June out of high school. He fell to the 11th round because he wasn’t able to pitch much his senior year. The Twins signed him, for well over slot, and he immediately underwent Tommy John surgery. It was a gradual recovery, but on Tuesday, about 14 months following surgery, Benninghoff returned to a game mound. It went well. He threw one inning. He walked one and he struck out one. He was able to do what he wanted. Benninghoff told Twins Daily, “I had one inning or 20 pitches today whichever came first, but for me I wanted to fill up the zone and get out of the inning in less than 20 pitches.” Tyler Wells came on next and went the next five innings. He gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits, a walk and and a hit batter. He struck out four. Cody Stashak pitched the final two innings. He gave up one hit and hit a batter, but he did not allow a run. He struck out two batters. There wasn’t much offense for the Twins either. Shane Kennedy, also rehabbing, went 1-2 with two walks and a stolen base. Ben Rodriguez drove in the team’s lone run with his second home run. Emmanuel Morel was 1-4 with his ninth double. The big story of the game was the return (is it a return if it’s also his first pro appearance). It meant a lot to the right-hander, an end to one phase and a start to another. “It was a weight lifted of my shoulder being able to throw my first inning and get that under my belt. Now instead of focusing on rehab, I can focus on furthering my baseball career with the Twins.” TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Stephen Gonsalves, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Aaron Whitefield, Cedar Rapids Kernels WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Columbus (6:05 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut Chattanooga @ Tennessee (6:00 CST) - RHP Kohl Stewart Lakeland @ Ft. Myers (DH at 4:00 CST) - LHP Anthony McIver, RHP Randy LeBlanc Cedar Rapids @ Burlington (6:30 CST) - LHP Tyler Watson Elizabethton - No Game Scheduled GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (9:00 CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Tuesday’s games. Click here to view the article

The Twins had a scheduled off day on Tuesday so Hammond Stadium was very quiet. However, the back fields were busy. Practice began about 9:15 and went until around 11:30 when the players broke for lunch. At 1:00, there were two intrasquad games played. So there was a lot of action in the minor league ranks. Today I’ll be posting some of what I’ve seen and heard around the park.I’ve had the opportunity to watch a few practices and some games down on the minor league fields, and today will share some of what I have seen and heard. As always, I welcome your questions and comments in the forum below. And think of other questions that you would like me to ask players if I run into them this week. As a quick note, I’ll likely be doing some Live Twitter/Periscope broadcasting throughout the next week, so be sure to follow Seth and Twins Daily on Twitter. I’ll be taking a ton of photos too, so be sure to Like Twins Daily on Facebook. On Tuesday, I did a 17-minute Live Twitter in which I walked around the back fields right before the intrasquad games. It was windy, so the audio isn’t great, but it does give a good feel for the lay of the land down there. Also, there are cameos from Todd Van Steensel, Callan Pearce, TJ White, and a short (almost inaudible) interview with Lachlan Wells. INJURY UPDATES: Tommy John rehab and recovery: Andro Cutura, Tyler Benninghoff, Brusdar Graterol and Alex Kirilloff. Kirilloff is back in Ft. Myers following his surgery. I chatted with Tyler Benninghoff a bit on Tuesday afternoon. Earlier in the day, he was on the field playing catch from 130 feet. Coaches and trainers were nearby to monitor him. He said he was throwing 70-80% While the scar is impressive, he noted that he is scheduled to throw off of the mound for the first time next Friday (3/24). He is about 8 ½ months after his surgery and on pace. Who knows? He may be able to make his pro debut sometime in the GCL. Zack Jones is also in Ft. Myers rehabbing from his shoulder surgery. Stephen Gonsalves is listed on the DL, though he is expecting to throw a bullpen on Wednesday. Johan Quezada has shoulder impingement and is yet to pitch in spring training. He remains very tall. Right-hander Ryan Mason is fighting some back spasms right now. Brandon Peterson has suffered a lat strain. Vadim Balan continues to deal with his back issues as well. In terms of hitters, as you know, Trey Cabbage is likely out another week with his ankle/foot injury. I told him today that he’s looking too comfortable walking around in his walking boot. He agreed. Catcher Bryant Hayman had ACL surgery, so he’ll be out for a while. GRANITE’S SPEED I have to recommend that you read Phil Miller’s article in the Star-Tribune on Zack Granite and his speed. Miller chatted with Granite and with manager Paul Molitor about Granite. In the article, Miller used several quotes from the manager, but since we aren’t limited by space here, I wanted to include several more quotes. I think it shows just how much of a fan Molitor is of Granite and the type of player that he can become. Molitor is impressed by the speedster’s game. On one play, he was on second base and there was a looping liner to left field. With a runner on third making sure the ball wasn’t caught, Granite cautiously took off toward third. When the left fielder slightly bobbled the ball, Granite took off, rounded third and scored on the play. “You still need guys that can do those things, table set and run the bases. The play today was just... my favorite part about that play was that he made the decision himself. He didn’t come into third and look for help. He peripherally saw the slight bobble and just kicked it into gear. That was a good instinctive play. He’s done that a few times in different situations on the bases.” Not only that, Molitor noticed, “He turned around that 97 mph fastball and hit it up the middle. He’s coming off a really good year with a lot of people speaking very highly of him. I like those kind of players. It’s better when they blend in with guys who can produce in terms of hitting the ball over the fence and drive people in, but there’s a definite place for those guys.” Here are some other phrases that Molitor used to describe Granite: “Shows no fear.” “Strike zone knowledge.” “Defensive awareness.” “He’s thrown the ball well.” “He’s gone to get it.” “There’s a lot of people, but I was looking forward to watching him play.” While Granite remains a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, it’s clear that Granite has fans in important places in the Twins organization, and it’s easy to understand why. NIKO GOODRUM Before Paul Molitor joined the Twins’ big league coaching staff (and then became manager), he was a roving instructor in the Twins minor league system. He’s seen a lot of these younger players develop. On Monday, Niko Goodrum made a start at first base and finished the game in left field. Regarding Goodrum’s evolution since being drafted in the second round of the 2010 draft, Molitor noted, “It seems like he’s been here a long time. I remember him as a youngster coming in as a prospect, switch-hitter guy who could play around. His body developed. He had some injuries and things along the way, but he re-emerged and found himself back on the map. Molitor noted that he hasn’t played a ton because of a “little shoulder issue that’s plaguing him a bit, but he’s taken good at-bats when he gets the chance.” MORE NOTES Talked briefly with Tanner English, Ryan Walker and LaMonte Wade. All three of them had the opportunity to play for Team USA last Wednesday when they took on the Twins at Hammond Stadium. All three agreed that it was really cool to be in the dugout with that team, and that they were able to glean some good stuff from those players. They didn’t work out or practice with Team USA, but they did spend the morning working out with the Twins. All said it was just a very good day, and are grateful for the opportunity.Wander Javier is pretty impressive. He’s pretty big in person, though he certainly has room to grow. He looks like a guy who could probably stick at shortstop. And, he can hit. On Sunday, he drilled an opposite field double. On Monday, he had a home run against Bethel. He’s got a long ways to go. I would assume he will start in the GCL, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets to Elizabethton by the end of the season.Chatted briefly with Lewis Thorpe. He said he’s supposed to work three innings on Wednesday in a minor league game. He says he feels great and is strong. It’s been a long couple of years for the Australian southpaw. It’s hard to imagine that the Twins would want to start him in the cold of Cedar Rapids, so they could have him start with the Miracle.The wind was blowing out to right field on the field the Miracle and Kernels were playing on. Ben Rortvedt hit a long, long home run to right field that would have been well beyond the fence even without the wind. On Twitter, I estimated that it measured 7,000 feet. I talked to him afterward, and he said that felt pretty good. Through a couple of days of observing, he also appears to be real good defensively. He has the tools to become a very good defensive catcher, but I thought he also showed some real leadership vocally as well.I chatted a little bit with 2016 draft pick Caleb Hamilton. He was by the bullpen waiting his turn to catch a bullpen. I asked him if he had ever caught before coming to the Twins and switching positions in the Instructional League. He said that he had caught a little bit, and caught some bullpens in college at Oregon State. He said that with all of the injuries his team had last year, he played every position but first base. He said he even warmed up in the bullpen once and almost came in to pitch. He’s really enjoying learning to catch and all it entails.While it’s probably more random than anything else, side-winding Trevor Hildenberger was pitching on one field, side-winding Tom Hackimer was pitching on the other field. I took time to watch both from almost right behind home plate. They are very similar. I will say that I was incredibly impressed with Hildenberger’s changeup and how much command he has with that delivery. Hackimer was a little more wild, but I think could move up really fast too. Travis Harrison had the opportunity to travel to Bradenton with the big league club on Sunday. Not only did he travel, but he got to play. He also got two at-bats. He said that he just missed one in his first at-bat, flying out to the warning track in center. He was also (understandably) excited about his second at-bat when he homered. The homer came off of Pirates Rule 5 pick Tyler Webb.It was a lot of fun seeing Kernels pitching coach JP Martinez working with the young pitchers, many in their first spring training. Pitchers stood on the mound and went through their delivery (not throwing). As they did that, Martinez would load a ball into the pitching machine and “shoot” it toward the mound. The pitcher would have to field it and throw it toward second base. A big net was positioned at second base with a strike-zone sized box in the center. The pitcher had to field the ball, turn, and throw to second base. If they didn’t field the ball cleanly or they missed the target, they were “out.” Eddie Del Rosario was the winner of that particular competition. But it was fun to see the creativity and keeping things like PFPs, which are important but can get monotonous, fun.Starting pitchers in minor league camp are hoping to reach three innings (at 45 pitches) in their first outings. In their next start, they hope to go four innings (60 pitches). They will continue to ramp it up to 90 pitches which will likely be their limit for a couple of starts early in the season.Mike Radcliff told me the the team has signed several more minor league free agents than they have in the past. The idea is more players equals more competition equals better baseball. As we know, the new front office regime has talked about expanding the front office. They also want to make sure there are more players in minor league camp.The Twins had their first full minor league practices last Thursday. They had three days of just workouts. The last three days they have worked out in the morning and then played intrasquad games in the afternoon. On Wednesday, they will play their first games against other organizations. Rochester and Chattanooga will host Norfolk and Bowie, the AAA and AA affiliates of the Baltimore Orioles at 1:00 on the back fields. The Ft. Myers and Cedar Rapids rosters will travel to Sarasota to take on Frederick and Delmarva (High-A and Low-A affiliates). The affiliates will play all but one day right up until April 3rd when the teams travel to their cities. We’ll be back with more throughout the next week. Again, feel free to use the comments section below to ask questions about this article or things you would like me to dig into on the back fields. Click here to view the article

Today, I’m excited to post another Q&A with a Minnesota Twins prospect. Tyler Benninghoff was the Twins 11th-round draft pick in June out of high school in Kansas. He signed fairly quickly for well over slot. You see, many projected him to be drafted in the top three rounds, if healthy. When the Twins announced the signing, they also announced that he was going to have Tommy John surgery. He had the surgery in late June with Dr. James Andrews performing the procedure. Benninghoff got to spend a little time at home after surgery but soon went to Ft. Myers to begin his rehab. He’ll be spending a lot of time in Ft. Myers the next 12-18 months.Recently, Seth was able to catch up with the talented right-hander. Below you will find his responses. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Kansas, which was your favorite team to follow? Who were some of your favorite players? Tyler Benninghoff (TB): My favorite team to watch growing up was the Royals, and my favorite player has to be Alex Gordon. SS: What were some of the better memories of your high school baseball career? Did you play other sports or were you involved in other activities? TB: Some of the better memories from high school ball would include playing with my brother sophomore year. I did play football all four years and played basketball as well. SS: What was the recruitment process like for you in high school? Was it a process you enjoyed? TB: The recruitment process was definitely enjoyable, getting to go on visits to great schools like Oklahoma, Mississippi State, and Arkansas. SS: You committed to Arkansas. How difficult was the decision to sign with the Twins as opposed to going to college? What were some of the determining factors? TB: The decision was a difficult one especially having my brother at Arkansas. However, the opportunity at hand was too great to pass up and the decision was made between my family and I based on the fact I had the best opportunity to rehab and develop as a baseball player with the Twins. SS: Did you have the chance to speak with many scouts before the draft? What was your interaction with the Twins? TB: I had been in contact with Mr. Mike Ruth and he was fully aware of my situation and had said the Twins were still interested and after some negotiations we came to terms we all agreed on. SS: The Twins took you in the 11th round. What was your draft-following experience? How did you find out that you had been drafted? How busy was your phone at that moment? TB: My draft-following experience was very interesting considering I found out I had been drafted while at Premier Baseball doing some work on my arm. Following that, I received a bunch of congratulatory texts and phone calls from friends and family. SS: What has the adjustment like for you, from the high school game to the professional game, both on and off the field? TB: The biggest adjustment I have had to make so far is figuring out how to keep my body healthy and ready to work out or condition every day. SS:At what point during your season did you realize that something wasn’t right with your elbow? How difficult were the discussions and your eventual decision to have Tommy John surgery? TB: I had injured my arm throwing before the season. I had known immediately something was wrong with my arm, but I wanted to exhaust every possibility before getting Tommy John. Eventually that's what it came to, and I was at peace with that. SS: What have the last few months been like for you in terms of getting to Ft. Myers and your rehab process? TB: The last few month have been exactly what I expected and wanted, I get to do my rehab and work out every day and so far it's been great. SS: How would you describe yourself as a pitcher? What pitches do you throw? TB: I would say my best ability is my pitch ability. I throw a fastball, curveball, and a change-up. SS: What are the areas of your game that you would like to spend time working to improve? TB: Areas I want to work on are increasing my velocity and developing a true slider. SS: What do you have planned for the offseason? Are you going to spend most of your time in Ft. Myers? TB: I am going to be here rehabbing in Ft. Myers and will be here most of the time, but get to go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. SS: Who are some of the people who have helped you get to this point in your career? TB: There have been many people especially my family most importantly, and other important people like Jeremy Jones, Mark Goodwin, Casey Shaw, Keith Picht, Rob Jackson and many more. SS: Favorite Baseball movie? TB: Bull Durham. Thank you very much to Tyler Benninghoff for taking time to answer our questions. Feel free to send in your questions and comments. Click here to view the article