Search the Community

Unlikable Chaska man shares opinion on Minnesota’s hot start. Barry Daniel is well aware of the Twins’ MLB-best record, and the power surge that’s propelled it. He’s not about to let anyone within his radius feel good about it.“They’re setting themselves up to fail in the long run,” said Daniel, as his disinterested co-workers poked at their Lean Cuisines. “If you’re not moving runners over and just relying on home runs, you’re not even playing baseball. Give me Whitey Herzog and some classic station-to-station ball any day of the week.” Daniel, who is 37, unmarried, and wears a fedora to chain restaurant bars, often regales trapped employees of a local IT consulting firm with his against-the-grain takes during their half-hour lunch break. “What if you have to manufacture a run, and (Byron) Buxton is up there swinging at fastballs instead of working the count,” pondered Daniel, as at least one employee audibly sighed. “Does Buxton’s allegedly good defense make up for that? All I know is Zach Granite and Robbie Grossman took pitches and weren’t all about flash.” Daniel’s few friends at work say they’ve grown used to his behavior. “It’s like, we get it Barry, you found out about the concept of devil’s advocate when you were in college and quit learning anything else,” said Amanda Molloy, the company’s CFO. “When someone talks about a TV show they like, Barry will be sure to note that the book was better, or that it used to be good but it sucks now, or that he doesn’t own a television.” As the lunchroom quietly emptied, Daniel, who has strident opinions on anime, continued listing his doubts. “The strikeouts and quote-unquote pitch framing may impress the spreadsheet geeks and people who don’t appreciate the real game’s nuances,” said Daniel. “Let’s see ‘em throw strikes, put some balls into play, and let the defense do its job. Maybe then I'll believe it's sustainable.” Click here to view the article

John reports on a spring training off day, answering audio questions about Phil Hughes' velocity, Paul Molitor's favorite player, Kennys Vargas' future and best places to eat. Listen here! Sorry! We posted this 15-minute download last night but forgot to link to it here. (We still had a ton of people download it because they are subscribing, which you can do using the instructions below.)To add this podcast to your iPhone podcast app, do the following: 1. Open up this page in your iphone and copy this link: http://twinsdaily.libsyn.com/rss 2. Go into your iPhone podcast app and click on the "Library" tab at the bottom and then click on "Edit" in the upper right-hand corner: 3. Click on "Add a Podcast by URL..." 4. Paste the link you just copied into the dialog box and click on 'Subscribe'. Now you'll get every episode delivered to your phone to listen to whenever you want Click here to view the article

FT. MYERS - It's all the thoughts, rumors, speculation and notes that don't make it into our stories. It's the nightly wrap. Tonight's focuses on a pregame injury, learning what a balk is in spring training, the suddenly competitive roster battles and a possibly overlooked bullpen arm. It's eight minutes long and you can ask questions for tomorrow night's Wrap below. Download it here.Download it here. Click here to view the article

Twins general manager Thad Levine sat down for an interview with Aaron at Target Field for the Baseball Prospectus event, followed by a roundtable discussion with Aaron, John, Parker Hageman, and Nick Nelson. Plus marveling at Bartolo Colon's complete game, assessing the trade deadline decisions a week later, thinking about Paul Molitor's job security, and putting Zack Granite's Hall of Fame case on hold, presented by Brady Mason. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link.http://traffic.libsy...3?dest-id=74590 Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about Bartolo Colon's upcoming Twins debut, Byron Buxton's injury and the domino effect on the defense, whether the Twins should be buying or selling at the trade deadline, Brandon Kintzler and Taylor Rogers saving the bullpen, Zack Granite's short-term opportunity, Ervin Santana's crazy numbers, the 1987 team reunion and matching shirt from Pick and Shovel Wear, and beer vs. burgers after the St. Paul Saints event. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link.http://traffic.libsy...3?dest-id=74590 Click here to view the article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins signing Bartolo Colon and calling up Zack Granite, review the Twins' first half by picking team MVPs, biggest disappointments, and biggest surprises, plus go over which prospects might get the call in the second half, Byron Buxton's amazing sprint home, break down Angel Hernandez's lawsuit with Bye, Goff, and Rhode, and what to do with Jorge Polanco. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. http://traffic.libsy...3?dest-id=74590 Click here to view the article

Aaron and John return to Lynlake Brewery for a special midweek podcast to check in on the Twins top prospects' first halves, and then rate them as possible second half contributors and also trade deadline assets. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Stitcher or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link.http://traffic.libsy...3?dest-id=74590 Click here to view the article

This time of year can get very busy in the Twins farm system. The rookie league teams are starting to get up and running while the full-season affiliates have shifted into second-half mode. New playoff spots are on the line and players have a lot to prove in the months ahead. After a plethora of roster moves over the last week, there are plenty of new faces in new places who are trying to make their marks. Whose Sunday performance got them closer to a call-up?RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 7, Lehigh Valley 4 Box Score Lehigh Valley has been the cream of the crop in the International League this season. In fact, the Red Wings were looking to avoid their 10th straight series loss to the IronPigs. Rochester pounced early as Zack Granite led off the bottom of the first with his third home run of the season. Mitch Garver followed with a double and he moved to third on a JB Shuck single. Matt Hague grounded into a double play but Rochester still took a 2-0 lead. Red Wings' starter Tim Melville ran into a little bit of trouble in the third. The first two batters reached on a hit-by-pitch and a walk before a three-run bomb gave Lehigh Valley the lead. Melville settled in from there and tossed five frames, scattering four hits. He struck out six and walked two. Phil Hughes made his third rehab appearance and allowed his first earned run, a solo home run. Drew Rucinski tossed two perfect innings while striking out two. Michael Tonkin earned his second save as he struck out the side in the ninth. Rochester took the lead in the fourth inning. Matt Hague and ByungHo Park both doubled to start the frame. Niko Goodrum drove in Park with a single before coming around to score on a Leonardo Reginatto double. The Red Wings were up 5-3. In the seventh inning, Hague drove in two important runs with his sixth home run of the season to cap off the Rochester victory. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Pensacola 0 (Game 1- 7 Innings) Box Score Dereck Rodriguez was rocking in this game as he picked up his first Double-A victory. In six innings of work, he allowed two hits while striking out six and walking two. There was only one time he faced a batter with a runner in scoring position. Paul Clemens made things a little interesting in the seventh as he allowed a walk and a hit but he struck out the side to finish the game. Travis Harrison put the Lookouts on the board with a solo home run, his first, to start the second inning. In the fourth inning, LaMonte Wade came up with a huge two-out single with the bases loaded to score a pair of runs. Andy Wilkins started the next inning with a double and Brain Navarreto had to use a two-out single to score Wilkins from third. Wilkins drovein another run in the sixth. Edgar Corcino walked and Wade walked before Wilkins brought them both home. Corcino reached base in all four plate appearances. Wilkins finished with a three-hit night. Chattanooga 6, Pensacola 0 (Game 2- 7 Innings) Box Score After only needing one relief pitcher in the first game of the day, Fernando Romero made sure the Lookouts could avoid using the bullpen in this one. He was masterful over seven shutout innings as he struck out six and walked three. The Blue Wahoos only managed three hits and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Romero hasn't lost a game since the middle of May and he has pitched into the sixth inning in five straight appearances. Nick Gordon got things going in the first as he led off with a single. TJ White brought him home with a two-out hit. Travis Harrison created a run by himself in the second. He doubled, stole second, and then scored on a throwing error. In the third frame, Wade singled and Wilkins walked before Levi Michael cracked his eighth double. Gordon and Harrison each reached base three times in the winning effort. Alex Perez went 3-for-3. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 8, Florida 3 Box Score The Miracle pounded out 13 hits including a four-hit night from Max Murphy on their way to an 8-3 victory. Jaylin Davis and Mitchell Kranson each had multi-hit games with Kranson recording his first double. Tanner English reached base three times including a triple. In the fourth, Jermaine Palacios recorded his first FSL RBI with a sac-fly to right. Nelson Monlina was the lone batter in the line-up who failed to record a hit. Anthony McIver was credited with his second win after he allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts. Keaton Steele took over for McIver and tossed two scoreless frames. David Fischer and Andrew Vasquez combined for two more scoreless innings as Vasquez struck out all three batters in the final frame. The Miracle have an off-day Monday before the start of a seven-game homestand. Mets farmhand Tim Tebow was recently promoted to St. Lucie and the Miracle have four-games against his squad starting next Friday. Stay tuned... KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 6, Quad Cities 2 Box Score The Kernels used a strong start from Clark Beeker and some timely hitting to come out on top in this one. Beeker pitched into the sixth inning, allowing one run on six hits. As part of his team-high seventh win, he struck out two and walked none. Max Cordy took over for Beeker and pitched 2.1 innings and he allowed one unearned run. He didn't surrender a hit but he walked three batters and struck out two. Hector Lujan pitched a scoreless ninth with a strikeout. With two outs in the first, Travis Blankenhorn singled before an Amaurys Minier double to stake Cedar Rapids to an early 1-0 lead. Caleb Hamilton and Ben Rortvedt cracked back-to-back homers to start the fourth frame. In the seventh inning with two outs, Rortvedt doubled in another run. Hank Morrison capped the scoring with a single to post a final score of 6-2. Minier reached base three times in six plate appearances. Christian Cavaness, Rortvedt and Morrison all had multi-hit games. The Kernels are now eight games over .500 on the season. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 12, Pulaski 3 Box Score The E-Twins compiled four three-run innings to blow out the Yankees. After trailing 1-0 early, Andrew Cosgrove singled to drive in a run and Jordan Gore doubled to plate two more. The fifth inning was the power inning as Matt Contreras and Brent Rooker both homered to extend the lead to 6-1. Contreras drove in another run with a bases-loaded single in the sixth. Carson Crites added a two-run double as the three-run inning streak continued. Six E-Twins batters had multi-hit nights led by Gore as he went 3-for-4 with two doubles. Melvi Acosta earned his first victory of the season. He scatted five hits over five innings while allowing three runs with five strikeouts. Jovani Moran was stellar in relief as he tossed three scoreless innings with six strikeouts and no walks. Juan Gamez finished with a scoreless ninth. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Fernando Romero, Chattanooga Lookouts (CG, 7 IP, 0 ER, 6 K, 3 BB, 3 H) Hitter of the Day – Max Murphy, Fort Myers Miracle (4-for-5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (4:35 CST) - LHP David Hurlbut (4-4, 3.36 ERA) Rochester @ Buffalo (Game 2) - RHP Aaron Slegers (6-4, 4.11 ERA) Chattanooga vs. Pensacola (6:15 CST) - RHP Randy LeBlanc (2-2 5.35 ERA) Fort Myers - Scheduled Off-Day Cedar Rapids vs. Burlington (6:35 CST) - RHP Tyler Wells (4-1 1.89 ERA) Elizabethton vs. Pulaski (6:00 CST) - RHP Griffen Jax (0-0, 0.00 ERA) GCL Twins vs. GCL Orioles (11:00 am CST)- TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

The Twins were off on Monday, but there was plenty of exciting minor league action. Find out everything that happened in the Twins minor league system on Monday. Transactions: Jonathan Rodriguez active from the seven-day DL (Chattanooga), replacing Kevin Garcia who was assigned to EST in Fort Myers. Fort Myers activated Jonny Drozd from the seven-day DL.RED WINGS REPORT Scranton/WB 6 @ Rochester 3 Box Score The Red Wings took an early lead in the bottom of the first thanks to some extra hustle from Zach Granite who singled to lead off the game, stole second base, advanced to third on a ground out and scored via a Tommy Field sacrifice fly. The Wings added another run to lead 2-0 in the third, again thanks to Zach Granite who singled, moved to second on a J.B. Shuck single, tagged up and took third on a long fly ball from Tommy field, and scored on a wild pitch. An active night on the base paths for Granite. With the 2-0 lead, the Wings ran into trouble in the sixth as Yohan Pino gave up a three-run homer before being lifted for D.J. Baxendale, who escaped the sixth inning only thanks to a timely double-play after putting men on the corners. Pino’s final line was 5.1 innings, three runs (all earned), two walks, and he struck out seven. Baxendale could not escape trouble in the seventh inning as he gave up three unearned runs after a fielding error by Mitch Garver followed by a sacrifice fly and then a couple of singles and another error. Alan Busenitz cleaned up with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, including a strikeout. Of note: ByungHo Park was 0-2 with a pair of walks and a strikeout and is hitting just .114 over his last 10 games CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Jackson 2 @ Chattanooga 4 Box Score Before the game, it was announced that Nick Gordon was the Southern League Player of the Month for May. Gordon had 32 hits, 17 for extra bases, to go along with 22 runs scored and 15 RBIs. Gonsalves earned his first win of the season and shut out the Jackson Generals for 5.0 innings on Monday night. Gonsalves gave up just two hits, he walked three, and struck out eight. After a quality start last time out (6.0IP 2ER, 8K) in which he received just a single run of support, on Monday Gonsalvez got four runs from the Lookouts in the first two innings. Gonsalvez, lifted after 96 pitches, was replaced by Jake Reed who gave up just one hit in 2.0 innings of relief. Raul Fernandez ran into trouble in the eighth inning and gave up a pair of runs in 0.2 innings before John Curtiss came in for the four-out save, striking out three of the four batters he faced, including the final two hitters of the game. While the Lookouts scored those four early runs, they managed only four hits on the game, but took advantage of three walks and a fielding error in the first inning to push three runs across and chase starting pitcher Gabe Speier after just two-thirds of an inning. Southern League Player of the Month Nick Gordon was 1-4 with a double and a stolen base, swiping third base in the bottom of the second inning. Ryan Strausborger was also 1-4 with a double, but without the stolen base to accompany his extra-base hit. No Lookouts player had multiple hits, but LaMonte Wade and Travis Harrison both had a pair of walks and a run scored to go along with an 0-2 night. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 0 @ Palm Beach 2 (SUSPENDED MID-FOURTH) Box Score Monday’s game will resume in the bottom of the fourth inning at 3:00 pm tomorrow afternoon. Before the rain forced the game into a delay and suspension, starter Lewis Thorpe gave up a pair of unearned runs in the second inning. KERNELS NUGGETS OFF TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Stephen Gonsalves, Chattanooga Lookouts Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Zach Granite, Rochester Red Wings TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Scranton/WB @ Rochester (6:05pm) - TBD Jackson @ Chattanooga (6:15pm) – Matt Tracy (3-4, 3.98) Ft. Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30pm, 7-innings) – Brady Anderson (2-1, 4.01) Cedar Rapids @ Clinton (6:30pm) – Tyler Wells (2-0, 2.37) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Monday’s games. Click here to view the article

It's hard to believe the calendar has already turned to June. Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers need to make runs at first half playoff spots in the weeks to come. Rochester and Chattanooga need to continue to fight for their own playoff positions even though their leagues don't hand out first half playoff spots. Would any teams be able to gain some separation on Sunday? Which players would shine? Read on to find out.RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 2, Norfolk 1 Box Score It took awhile for Rochester's offense to wake up in this contest. With the team trailing 1-0 late in the game, Tommy Field finally got things rolling. He started the seventh with a single and than moved to third on a JR Murphy single. Zack Granite came up with the go-ahead, a triple, to put Rochester on top by one. Adam Wilk started and allowed one earned run, a home run, on six hits over four innings. He struck out one and didn't walk a batter. Ryan Eades improved to 2-0 on the season as he tossed three shutout innings with four strikeouts and one walk. His season ERA dropped to 1.13. Ryan Pressly picked up his first save, a two-inning affair, as he only allowed two base runners. CHATTANOOGA CHATTER Chattanooga 6, Jackson 5 Box Score Chattanooga jumped out to any early 3-0 lead in the first inning. Three of the first four batters reached without recording a hit as Jackson committed an error, walked a batter and hit a batter. Dan Gamache took advantage with a one-out single to plate a pair of runs. Levi Michael capped the inning with a run-scoring single as things were looking good for the Lookouts. Top pitching prospect Fernando Romero pitched seven innings and saw five runs scored while he was on the mound. Lucky for him, only two of the runs were earned as he struck out eight and didn't allow a walk. Nick Gordon and Gamache each had an error in the fourth which allowed three unearned runs to score. Luke Bard and Mason Melotakis combined to allow one base runner over the final two frames. Bard struck out the side in the eighth. Trailing by one in the bottom of the ninth, LaMonte Wade and Travis Harrison started the inning with doubles. Gamache was intentionally walked before Levi Michael advanced the runners with a bunt. Ryan Walker played the hero as he doubled in the winning run. MIRACLE MATTERS Fort Myers 0, Palm Beach 5 Box Score It's tough to win many games when a team is limited to three hits. Fort Myers was shut out on Sunday. Zander Wiel, Tanner English and Trey Vavra all went 1-for-3 as English and Vavra both collected doubles. The Miracle didn't collect a walk in the game and only one batter stepped into the plate with a runner in scoring position. Lachlan Wells lost two full count battles in the bottom of the first before giving up a three-run home run. He went five innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Tom Hackimer pitched two scoreless innings with a couple of strikeouts. Sam Clay finished the game with a scoreless eighth. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 11, Burlington 6 Box Score The Kernels exploded for five runs in the second inning and they still needed a four-run eighth frame to separate themselves from the Bees. All of the Kernels second inning damage came with two outs. Caleb Hamilton and Christian Cavaness walked before a Brandon Lopez triple brought them home. Aaron Whitefield walked and stole second in front of a two-run single from Travis Blankenhorn. Jarmaine Palacios capped the inning with a run-scoring double. Hamilton played a key role later in the game as his two-run homer helped to separate Cedar Rapids. A couple of batters later, Travis Blankenhorm popped his sixth home run of the season to bust open the game. Blankenhorn finished with three hits and four RBI. On the defensive side of the ball, Cavaness threw out a runner at home in the seventh to keep the Kernels up one. Eduardo Del Rosario didn't have his best stuff but he was able to earn his fifth win. He struck out one and walked two while allowing four earned runs over five innings. Zack Tillery struggled a little as well. He walked three batters and saw a run scored without giving up a hit. Logan Lombana pitched 1.1 innings and gave up one earned run on three hits. Ryan Mason pitched two shutout innings to close out the game. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Pitcher of the Day – Fernando Romero, Chattanooga Lookouts (7 IP, 2 ER, 8 K, 0 BB) Hitter of the Day – Travis Blankenhorn, Cedar Rapids Kernels (3-for-5, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R) MONDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Scanton/WB (6:05 CST) - TBD Chattanooga vs. Jackson (6:15 CST) - LHP Stephen Gonsalves (0-2, 3.18 ERA) Fort Myers @ Palm Beach (5:30 CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (0-2, 1.38 ERA) Cedar Rapids - Scheduled Off-Day Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Sunday’s games. Click here to view the article

Developing MLB players is a tough task for any organization. There are so many factors that can impact the development of a team's top tier talent. Through the ups-and-downs of a players professional career, there can be moments where everything clicks or moments that push a player away from the game. When the Twins took Brian Dozier with an eighth-round pick, the organization probably never imagined he would turn into a hitter capable of belting 40 home runs. Now the Twins have another late round pick that is starting to blossom in the Twins system. Can Zach Granite follow Brian Dozier's footsteps?As a 24-year old, Dozier split the 2011 season between High-A and Double-A. He hit .320/.399/.491 with 54 extra-base hits in 127 games. He was almost a year and a half older than the competition in the Florida State League so it was tough to fit him into the Twins prospect picture. Because of the numbers he accumulated, the club named him the 2011 Twins Minor League Player of the Year. Granite was taken in the 14th round on the 2013 MLB draft. He spent all of the his age-23 season in the Lookouts outfield. He hit .295/.347/.729 with 30 extra-base hits in 127 games. His 56 stolen bases were the most steals by any minor league player last year. He was a year younger than the competition in the Southern League. Like Dozier before him, Granite was awarded the 2016 Twins Minor League Player of the Year. "He's one guy I was looking forward to watching play," Paul Molitor told the Star Tribune. "He's coming off a really good year with a lot of people speaking really highly of him. I like those kind of players. There's a place for those guys." There are some notable differences between Granite and Dozier. Dozier came up through the Twins system as a shortstop but was never strong enough to stay at that position. Granite's speed has seen him play the majority of his professional career in center field. Dozier is still a below average defender and Granite has the potential to be above average. Both players have a very different approach at the plate. Dozier has developed into one of the best power hitting infielders in baseball. Granite wants to put the ball in play and use his speed to his advantage. His speed and defensive ability should help him fit into the big league line-up in the near future. "I don't care who's on the mound, I think I can hit anybody," Granite said. "I've got the confidence to be here. Playing scared, that's not my game. I believe I belong, so hopefully somebody else does, too." Granite will never be a big home run hitter. However, he's on a path to go from being a late-round pick to a MLB regular. This type of late round find needs to continue to happen if Minnesota is going to get back to respectability in the American League. When will Granite make an impact on the big league squad? What type of MLB player do you think he will be? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. Click here to view the article

I can’t believe that it is already Labor Day. For most of our Minnesota readers, that means school starts tomorrow! The Dog Days of August can be difficult in a long minor league season. We saw yesterday how the starting pitchers were excellent during the month. Today, we consider the top hitters in the Twins system in August. Who ended the season strong? In case you missed it, here were the previous August winners: Starting Pitcher of the Month, Stephen GonsalvesRelief Pitcher of the Month, Jake ReedWhile the pitching did seem to be a bit above the hitting during the month, there were several hitters that had strong August performances as well. Congratulations to all of the players mentioned below. HONORABLE MENTION OF Shane Carrier (Elizabethton) - .296/.327/.454 (.781). 32-108 with seven doubles, two triples, two home runs and 13 RBIs.OF Jaylin Davis (Cedar Rapids) - .253/.333/.451 (.784). 23-91 with six doubles, four homers and 10 RBIss.IF Nelson Molina (Cedar Rapids) - .319/.376/.429 (.805). 29-91 with four doubles, two homers and seven RBIs.C John Ryan Murphy (Rochester) - .328/.361/.448 (.809). 19-58 with one doubles, two homers and ten RBIs.OF Daniel Palka (Rochester) - .228/.282/.525 (.807). 23-101 with six doubles, eight home runs and 13 RBIs.C Stuart Turner (Chattanooga) - .303/.321/.434 (.755). 23-76 with seven doubles, one homer and 12 RBIs.THE TOP SIX HITTERS Number 6 – Ft. Myers/Chattanooga – 3B TJ White - .312/.360/.473 (.833). 29-93 with six doubles, three triples, one home run and 15 RBIs. White was set to have a big season. At 5-11 and 230 pounds, he is incredibly strong, but he also runs very well. After a few games with the Miracle, he was moved up to AA due to some injuries. He struggled for a couple of months before finally being sent back to Ft. Myers where he again played quite well. He was again promoted to Chattanooga mid-month and has been very good since, much more ready. He’s got power potential, but for such a big, strong young man he gets a lot of triples and runs real well. A high school teammate of Rangers prospect Joey Gallo, White went to UNLV. The Twins used their 18th-round pick in 2014 on him. Number 5 – Ft. Myers – OF Joe Maloney - .330/.367/.477 (.845). 29-88 with seven doubles, two home runs and 14 RBIs. Maloney was the independent leagues player of the year in 2015. The Twins signed the catcher following the season. After a strong showing in spring training, he began the year in Chattanooga. With Mitch Garver and Stuart Turner on the roster, Maloney spent his time at DH and in the outfield. Midseason, he was struggling and was sent back to Ft. Myers where he started slow. However, he took off in August, hitting for average and showing good power in the Florida State League. Number 4 – Chattanooga – OF Zack Granite - .316/.354/.410 (.765). 37-117 with five doubles, three triples and 14 RBIss. Granite is no stranger to these hitter of the month awards articles. The speedy center fielder has had a terrific season with the Lookouts. He has been everything you would want from a leadoff man. He’s hit for average, been able to get on base, and even shown a little more pop in his bat than he has in the past. For the month, he hit over .300 and displayed his speed with the extra- base hits. He also stole 15 bases during the month. He currently sits at 55 steals for the season. He was also named to the Southern League’s postseason All-Star team this month. Granite was the team’s 14th-round pick in 2013 out of Seton Hall. Number 3 - Elizabethton/Cedar Rapids – 2B Travis Blankenhorn - .320/.371/.495 (.866) 31-97 with seven doubles, two triples, two homers and 15 RBIs. Blankenhorn has had a very good year with the bat in 2016. He was the Twins tihrd-round pick last year out of high school in Pennsylvania. He split last season between the GCL and Elizabethton. He began this season at extended spring training, in part learning to play second base. He demolished the Appy League and was soon promoted to Cedar Rapids where he has continued to hit. While his defensive position remains uncertain, his bat has kept him in the lineup most days. He had a big month in August, hitting for average, showing some speed and hitting a couple of Kernels homers. Number 2 - Elizabethton – 1B Lewin Diaz - .333/.381/.564 (945). 26-78 with four doubles, one triple, four homers and 13 RBIs. Late last week, we named Lewin Diaz our Short Season Hitter of the Year. When the season is just over two months, a strong month can propel a guy to such an award. Diaz was terrific in August. He hit for average, got on base and showed the tremendous power potential one might hope for in a 250 pound young man. The 19-year-old maybe should be ranked higher this month, but with playing time split more in the rookie leagues, he has 20-30 fewer plate appearances than others. However, Diaz is starting to become what the Twins envisioned when making him a big-money sign from the Dominican in 2014. Number 1B - Cedar Rapids – 2B Luis Arraez - .425/.444/.487 (913). 48-113 with seven doubles and 18 RBIs. Update - Due to Labor Day and the author of this article apparently began researching for the Hitter of the Month with the B's instead of the A's. Arraez had an incredible season with the Kernels and he has had many multi-hit games. His .347 average led the Midwest League. He became the youngest player to lead the MWL in hitting since Mike Trout. Still just 19, Arraez will advance to Ft. Myers in 2017. And the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is: Rochester – OF Adam Brett Walker - .269/.314/.537 (.851). 29-108 with four doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 21 RBI. Walker is not a stranger to appearing in hitter of the month award articles. He’s won a few and ranked highly several other times. In August, he again showed the type of power that he has. While he’ll never hit for a big average, and he’ll strike out too much, he has come a long way since the Twins used their third-round pick in 2012 on the strong outfielder. As I wrote last week, this is the fourth straight full-season that Walker has hit 25 or more home runs. He and Daniel Palka provided the Red Wings with some massive power in the middle of their lineup. When it comes to pure power, Walker (and Palka) are right up there with Miguel Sano for biggest in the organization. Walker was added to the Twins 40-man roster last November. With today being the last day of the Rochester season, it is possible he will earn his first big league call up today. There were a lot of real solid hitting performances in the Twins system in August. While there may not have been any 1.000 OPS months, there were quite a few in the .800-.900 range. Consolidating full-season players with the short-season players can be difficult. So, let me know what you think. Feel free to discuss the winner or any of the mentions in the comments. Congratulations to the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Month for August, 2016, Adam Brett Walker. Click here to view the article