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On Tuesday night (6:00 central time), Seth will be chatting with Twins minor league first base prospect Zander Wiel on a new episode of Twins Spotlight. The discussion was live on the Twins Daily social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages. Zander Wiel grew up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Like fellow Blackman High School graduate David Price, he then headed northwest on highway 24 to Nashville where he went to Vanderbilt. He had a terrific career that included a College World Series championship in 2014 and a runner up in 2015. He was the Twins 12th round pick in 2015 and went to Elizabethton. He led the Midwest League in RBI in 2016. He moved up to Ft. Myers in 2017. In 2018, he hit well in Double-A Chattanooga before finishing the season with 15 games in Rochester. In 2019, he had a terrific season for the Red Wings. In 126 games, he hit .254/.320/.514 (.834) with 40 doubles, five triples and 24 RBI. He was invited to big league spring training in 2020 and was getting a lot of playing time in games when the pandemic cut things short. He worked at the alternate site in St. Paul throughout the 2020 season. On Monday, he was among players invited to big-league spring training. Join us live at 6:00 tonight to watch, and participate by sending your questions. We'll cover a ton of topics from his youth ball, Vanderbilt, draft, development, his '2020 season' and heading to Ft. Myers for spring training and more. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Please watch LIVE at 6:00 pm (central time) Tuesday night on the Twins Daily Twitter, Facebook or YouTube pages live. Also feel free to ask questions in the comments below or on those platforms during the show and we'll ask them. Subscribe to the Twins Daily podcast on Libsyn, Apple iTunes or anywhere you download podcasts. Here is the YouTube link where you can watch the show. For More on Zander Wiel: Follow Zander on Instagram at @zwiel43. Follow Zander on Twitter at @Zander_Wiel. Previous Episodes Click here to see more previous episodes of Twins Spotlight. Episode 13: Edwar Colina Episode 14: Tyler Wells Episode 15: Sawyer Gipson-Long Episode 16: Adam Bray Episode 17: Chris Vallimont Episode 18: Ben Gross Episode 19: Regi Grace Episode 20: Louie Varland Episode 21: Max Smith Episode 22: Zander Wiel View full article

Now that you’ve had your Thanksgiving feast and are relaxing after a day of family and festivities, it’s time to prepare for the next logical step…Let’s go shopping! Entering Black Friday, we’ve got as good of an opportunity as ever to take a look at what players teams may snipe from the Twins in the Rule 5 Draft.A week ago, Seth did a great job outlining players that the Minnesota Twins needed to add to the 40-man roster. With five of them being handed promotions to the 40- man, a handful of players are left open to the possibility of selection through the Rule 5 process. Although a well-positioned contender like the Twins aren’t an ideal candidate to make a selection, they are a team that could get pulled from. When taking a player through the Rule 5 Draft process a major league team must keep the player on their active 26-man (New for 2020) roster throughout the full season or offer him back to the original team. That caveat makes low-level prospects a bit of a reach to select, and the most often targeted are pitchers that can immediately slot into a relief role. Although Wander Javier is the headliner of the bunch that went unprotected, he is just 20 years old (soon to be 21) and struggled in his first exposure to full-season ball. The ceiling on Javier remains high but asking him to contribute at the big-league level right now seems like a massive leap. That leads us to the question of who is likely to get selected from the organization. Here’s some names that make sense: RHP Griffin Jax Jax recently turned 25 and the third-round pick in the 2016 draft is as close to the big leagues as he’s ever been. Having pitched initially intermittently due to a military commitment, he was as advertised in 2019. Throwing 127 innings, he combined to post a 2.90 ERA at AA/AAA with a 6.6 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9. The ceiling isn’t much here as he’s more finesse than velocity, but Jax has command and control down and that should help him at the next level. There’s no reason a non-contender couldn’t find a place for him at the back end of their rotation. LHP Sam Clay Pitching is generally the easiest commodity to control through Rule 5 stipulations, and a high-strikeout lefty can be plenty enticing. Clay was selected by the Twins in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. He’ll be 27 in 2020 but owned a 9.3 K/9 across 69.1 IP at AA/AAA in 2019. In the 22 innings at Triple-A, the 10.3 H/9 is pretty concerning. However, Clay didn’t give up a single home run last year and surrendered just one in 2018. Across 405 minor league innings he’s allowed six balls to leave the yard. In a game that’s now power rich, it’s a skill set that any manager would love to employ in their pen. 1B/OF Zander Wiel The former Vanderbilt star was a 12th-round pick in the 2015 draft. Wiel started slowly in his professional career but turned in his best season as a 26-year-old for Rochester last season. He posted an .834 OPS that was buoyed by 40 doubles and 24 dingers. He’s not a huge on-base guy and driving up his plate discipline could lead to a longer big-league leash. With the Twins he’s blocked at both first and corner outfield so he became expendable, but there could be a nice bat to be had here for someone looking to take a flier on their bench. RHP Jake Reed Appearing in columns like this for the past couple of years, Reed finds himself here once again. Originally expected to blitz the system as a fifth-round pick in 2014, being passed over at the end of 2018 seemed to be the book closing on potential with the Twins. His 1.89 ERA a year ago was watered down by a 4.0 BB/9. In 2019 he posted an ugly 5.76 ERA but pushed his strikeout rate to a career best 11.0. Minnesota changed up his arm action a significant amount last season, and there were stretches of productivity, but he was often done in as evidenced by the career worst 1.467 WHIP. As a high-velocity arm, it’s more than arguable that a sink or swim moment at the big-league level should come from some organization. Do you think the Twins lose anyone during the Rule 5 Draft, and if so, who are you most certain gets taken? Click here to view the article

Throughout this week, Twins Daily has handed out our 2019 minor league awards. Today we continue the series by looking at the top hitters in the Twins organization this season. There were a lot of strong performances, and unlike last year, the vote was not unanimous. In fact, it was closer than you probably think and has a chance to create a lot of discussion. Previous 2019 Awards Short-Season Minor League Hitter of the Year: Matt Wallner Short-Season Minor League Hitter of the Year: Cody Laweryson Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year: Anthony Vizcaya Today: Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year: Randy Dobnak Minor League Hitter of the Year: See below… Previous Twins Daily Minor League Hitters of the Year: 2012 - Oswaldo Arcia 2013 - Miguel Sano 2014 - Mitch Garver 2015 - Max Kepler 2016 - Daniel Palka 2017 - Mitch Garver 2018 - Alex KirilloffBefore we get to the Top Eight, let’s take a look at the others who received votes. This year’s group is interesting. You’ll see players who spent time at a couple of levels. You’ll see a couple of players who finished the season elsewhere. We have some minor league veterans who signed, looking for an opportunity, and there are a few of the top prospects. The six Twins Daily Minor League writers were asked to vote for the various awards. For the hitter of the year, we each voted for eight players. The player who was voted as #1 received eight points, #2 received seven points and so on with the #8 vote receiving one point. Results were tabulated and can be found below. Short profiles of our top eight are to follow, but first, some players worthy of honorable mention. These players also received votes. Honorable Mention Tomas Telis - Rochester Red Wings - 82 games, 101-306, .330/.364/.490 (.946), 21-2B, 2-3B, 8 HR, 44 R, 46 RBITravis Blankenhorn - Ft. Myers Miracle/Pensacola Blue Wahoos - 108 games, 122-440, .277/.321/.466 (.787) with 22-2B, 2-3B, 19 HR, 56 R, 54 RBILuis Arraez - Rochester Red Wings - 54 games, 73-212, .344/.409/.401 (.810) with 10-2B, 1-3B, 0 HR, 26 R, 22 RBI.Jake Cave - Rochester Red Wings, 48 games, 69-146, .352/.393/.592 (.984) with 18-2B, 4-3B, 7 HR, 37 R, 39 RBISpencer Steer - Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels, 64 games, 70-250, .280/.385/.424 (.809) with 18-2B, 3-3B, 4 HR, 40 R, 33 RBINick Gordon - Rochester Red Wings, 70 games, 87-292, .298/.342/.459 (.801) with 29-2B, 3-3B, 4 HR, 49 R, 40 RBIGilberto Celestino - Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle, 125 games, 133-480, .277/.349/.410 (.759) with 28-2B, 3-3B, 10 HR, 58 R, 54 RBI.Minor League Hitter of the Year Here are the top eight vote getters for Twins Minor League Hitter of the Year: 8. Gabe Snyder – Cedar Rapids Kernels - 114 games, 110-424, .259/.338/.462 (.800), 21-2B, 4-3B, 19 HR, 63 R, 58 RBI Snyder really had an impressive season. He was a Midwest League All-Star at the midseason and for the postseason. The burly first baseman was relatively consistent and quite productive at the top of in the middle of the Kernels lineup most of the year, but he was not on the team’s opening-day roster. That said, he was called up very quickly and made his debut on April 11th, the team’s eighth game. At 6-5 and 235 pounds, Snyder looks the part at first base and has the power to hit the ball a long way. The 24-year-old was the #MNTwins 21st-round pick in 2018 out of Wright State. 7. Ryan Jeffers – Ft. Myers Miracle/Pensacola Blue Wahoos – 103 games, 97-368, .264/.341/.421 (.762) with 16-2B, 14 HR, 48 R, 49 RBI. Jeffers was a surprise (to many) second-round pick for the Twins in 2018 out of UNC-Wilmington. He dominated at Elizabethton before ending his 2018 with 36 games in Cedar Rapids. Despite limited time in the Midwest League, Jeffers made the jump to Ft. Myers to start the 2019 season. After a slow start, he really got things going. In 79 games with the Miracle, he hit .256/.330/.402 (.732) with 11 doubles and ten homers. He earned a promotion to Double-A Pensacola where he hit .287/.374/.483 (.856) with five doubles and four homers in 24 games. The night that he was promoted to Pensacola, he didn’t start, but in the 14-inning game, he hit a walk-off double. 6. Wilin Rosario – Rochester Red Wings – 105 games, 124-413, .300/.339/.504 (.843) with 24-2B, 20 HR, 71 R, 91 RBI From 2011 through 2015, Rosario hit 71 home runs for the Colorado Rockies. He hit 28 homers in 2012 and another 21 homers in 2013. He spent some time in Korea and then in Japan. This past offseason, he wanted to get back to playing in affiliated ball and the Twins gave him an opportunity. He made the best of it by putting up fantastic numbers in Rochester. He hit for average. He hit for power. The Red Wings named him their team MVP this season. He did some catching early in the season, but he was mostly the team's DH. 5. Brent Rooker – Rochester Red Wings – 65 games, 64-228, .281/.398/.535 (.933) with 16-2B, 14 HR After a strong showing at Double-A Chattanooga in 2018, Rooker got his first big league spring training invitation and started the season at Triple-A Rochester, just one step away from the big leagues. It is fair to say that things started slowly for the slugger. In 16 April games, he hit just .214 and struck out 28 times in 56 at bats. After that, things changed. In 49 games from May 1st on, he hit .302/.432/.558 (.990) with 14 doubles and 10 homers. Along with the improved hitting, walk rate and power, he also reduced his strikeout rate from 45.9% in that first month to just 31.5% the rest of the season. Unfortunately, a mid-July injury prematurely ended his season. 4. Lewin Diaz – Ft. Myers Miracle/Pensacola Blue Wahoos – 90 games, 100-340, .294/.336/.553 (.889) with 27-2B, 2-3B, 19 HR, 46 R, 62 RBI 2018 was a frustrating year for Diaz. He had worked really hard and lost some weight, but he struggled in Ft. Myers until his season ended with a wrist injury. In 2019, he came to camp in even better shape and the work paid off. He returned to the Miracle where he hit .290/.333/.533 (.860) with 11 doubles and 13 homers in 57 games. He was again named a Florida State League All-Star and soon moved up to Pensacola. In 33 games, he hit .302/.341/.587 (.928) with 16 doubles and six homers. Then came the trade deadline and he was dealt to the Miami Marlins in exchange for RH RP Sergio Romo, RHP Chris Vallimont and Cash. In 31 more games for Jacksonville, he added six doubles and eight home runs. 3. Zander Wiel - Rochester Red Wings – 126 games, 119-469, .254/.320/.514 (.834) with 40-2B, 5-3B, 24 HR, 86 R, 78 RBI Zander Wiel has quietly put together a strong resume, moving up one level each year. While he ended the 2018 season with a few games with the Red Wings, he was a very productive hitting in their lineup in 2019. As you can see, the Vanderbilt product (12th-round pick in 2015) was an extra-base machine. He plays a good first base and generally puts together good at-bats, though he will strike out a lot. 2. Jaylin Davis - Pensacola Blue Wahoos/Rochester Red Wings – 99 games, 109-366, .298/.391/.563 (.954) with 20-2B, 1-3B, 25 HR, 73 R, 67 RBI Jaylin Davis had an incredible 2019 season, and it will continue through the end of the MLB season. His season began in Pensacola with the Blue Wahoos. In 58 games, he hit .274/.382/.458 (.840) with nine doubles and ten home runs. He was promoted to Rochester and just took off. In 41 games, he hit .331/.405/.708 (1.112) with 11 doubles, a triple and 15 home runs. The Twins wanted to add bullpen, and Davis headlined a trade in which the Twins sent three prospects to the Giants for Sam Dyson. He went to AAA Sacramento where he hit .333/.419/.686 (1.105) with six doubles and ten homers in just 27 games. And then, he got The Call. He joined the Giants in St. Louis and singled in his first at-bat. Obviously for this Twins award, only his numbers with the Twins were to be considered, and those numbers were incredible. Davis was the Twins 24th-round draft pick in 2015. Hitter of the Year Trevor Larnach – Ft. Myers/Pensacola Blue Wahoos – 127 games, 147-476, .309/.384, 458 (.842) with 30-2B, 1-3B, 13 HR, 59 R, 66 RBI. Trevor Larnach was named the Florida State League Player of the Year last week. As we end our week of Twins Daily Minor League awards, he has now been named the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Year by our panel. I’m sure the honor are pretty equivalent. But it is very deserved. Trevor Larnach grew up in California. Following his high school career, he was the 40th-round pick in the 2015 draft by the Padres by chose to attend Oregon State. It was a decision that proved wise for him. Three years later, he had the opportunity to play hero and win a College World Series title. In June 2018, he was also the 20th overall draft pick of the Minnesota Twins. He split the remainder of that season between the Elizabethton Twins and Cedar Rapids Kernels. Despite just 24 games with the Kernels, he began 2019 with the Ft. Myers Miracle. Larnach put together a strong season. In 84 games with Ft. Myers, he hit .316/.382/.459 (842) with 26 doubles, a triple and six home runs. He was promoted to the Blue Wahoos where he hit .295/.387/.455 (.842) with four doubles and seven homers in 43 games. His 147 hits led the organization, as did his .309 batting average (for anyone with over 300 plate appearances). The Ballots In an attempt to be transparent, here are the votes from our Twins Daily minor league writers: Seth Stohs – 1) Jaylin Davis, 2) Trevor Larnach, 3) Zander Wiel, 4) Lewin Diaz, 5) Wilin Rosario, 6) Brent Rooker, 7) Spencer Steer, 8) Travis BlankenhornMatt Braun - 1) Jaylin Davis, 2) Lewin Diaz, 3) Trevor Larnach, 4) Luis Arraez, 5) Jake Cave, 6) Brent Rooker, 7) Ryan Jeffers, 8) Travis BlankenhornCody Christie – 1) Jaylin Davis, 2) Trevor Larnach, 3) Zander Wiel, 4) Wilin Rosario, 5) Lewin Diaz, 6) Brent Rooker, 7) Tomas Telis, 8) Gabe SnyderTom Froemming – 1) Jaylin Davis, 2) Trevor Larnach, 3) Lewin Diaz, 4) Ryan Jeffers, 5) Gabe Snyder, 6) Zander Wiel, 7) Wilin Rosario, 8) Travis BlankenhornSteve Lein – 1) Trevor Larnach, 2) Jaylin Davis, 3) Zander Wiel, 4) Lewin Diaz, 5) Brent Rooker, 6) Gabe Snyder, 7) Travis Blankenhorn, 8) Gilberto CelestinoTed Schwerzler – 1) Brent Rooker, 2) Zander Wiel, 3) Wilin Rosario, 4) Tomas Telis, 5) Travor Larnach, 6) Ryan Jeffers, 7) Nick Gordon, 8) Gabe SnyderFeel free to discuss. What do you think? Do you agree with our rankings? How would your ballot look? Click here to view the article

Season’s end can separate the star prospects from the rest of the roster. Many affiliated teams are fighting for a playoff spot and batters can make the difference between a playoff team and one that is sending players home in the weeks ahead. A winning culture starts in the minor leagues and Minnesota will need to rely on some of the players left in their minor league system. There are few top prospects on this list, but that’s further evidence of how deep the Twins farm system has become in recent years. From veteran cast-offs to DSL teenagers, this list has a wide array of players.Previous 2019 Hitters of the Month: April - Trey Cabbage May - Lewin Diaz June - Brent Rooker July – Jaylin Davis Let’s take a look at the Top 5 hitters for the month of August, but first here are some of the players deserving of honorable mention. HONORABLE MENTION Gilberto Celestino – Cedar Rapids Kernels/Fort Myers Miracle, 32-98, .327/.396/.500 with three home runs and eight doubles.Rhodery Diaz – DSL Twins, 13-36, .361/.477/.444 with one home run and one double.Ramon Flores – Rochester Red Wings, 29-98, .296/.434/.449 with three home runs, four doubles and one triple.Trevor Larnach – Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 30-98, .306/.395/.510 with six home runs and two doubles.Anthony Prato – Elizabethton Twins, 24-71, .338/.410/.451 with one home run, three doubles and one triple.Gabe Snyder – Cedar Rapids Kernels, 21-90, .233/.300/.478 with six home runs, two doubles and one triple.Tomas Telis – Rochester Red Wings, 31-76, .408/.439/.553 with two home runs and five doubles.Tyler Webb – Cedar Rapids Kernels, 24-75, /320/.370/.400 with one home run, one double and one triple.THE TOP FIVE HITTERS Number 5 – Pensacola Blue Wahoos – 1B/3B/OF Ryan Costello – 21-85, .247/.369/.529 with six home runs, four doubles and one triple. Costello, Seattle's 31st-round pick in 2017 (came to Twins in July 2018 trade from the Mariners (Zach Duke)), continues to show his value as he moves through the Twins system. August was his first full month at Double-A and he made sure to leave his mark. He had hits in 10 of his first 12 games of the month and that included a stretch of three straight games with a home run. He ended the month with hits in eight of his final 11 games to be one of the organization’s top five hitters for the month. Number 4 – DSL Twins – 3B/1B Rubel Cespedes – 16-46, .348/.423/.630 with one home run, four doubles, and three triples. The Dominican Summer League Twins can be forgotten about with the plethora of other affiliated minor league squads. Cespedes made sure that hitters in this league wouldn’t be forgotten. In his first taste of professional ball, the teenager finished the season on a hot streak. He collected multiple hits in five of his 12 August contests and he only failed to reach base in one August game. Through the month’s first seven games, he was hitting .423/.516/.731 with six extra-base hits and one strike out compared to four walks. Number 3 – Elizabethton Twins/Cedar Rapids Kernels – OF/3B Seth Gray – 24-92, .261/.361/.533 with five home runs and 10 doubles Gray, a 2019 fourth-round pick, ended the month with a promotion from E-Town to Cedar Rapids. He hit safely in his final six Appy League game and he had multiple hits in three of his final games with that club. Even after the promotion, he ended the month on an eight-game hitting streak which included five extra-base hits and a .977 OPS. He was only hitting .231 through the first 12 games of the month but he finished August going 15-53 (.283) with eight extra-base hits. Number 2 – Rochester Red Wings – OF Alejandro De Aza – 28-71, .394/.469/.676 with thee home runs, seven doubles and two triples De Aza is 35-years old, but he made it clear in August why the Twins picked him up in the middle of July. He ended the month on an 11-game hitting streak and there were actually only two games in the entire month where he was held without a hit. Apparently, the guy knows how to hit because he was only failed to collect a hit in six games so far in the Twins organization. He had multiple hits in nine of his 19 games. What makes it even more impressive is the fact the Red Wings were fighting for their playoff lives for a good portion of the month. And the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is: Rochester Red Wings – OF/1B Zander Wiel – 30-105, .286/.350/.600 with six home runs, 11 doubles and two triples. Someone had to step up and fill the offensive void left by Jaylin Davis and Zander Wiel did his best to fit this role with the Red Wings. Wiel, a 12th-round pick back in 2015, has spent the entire season in Rochester. Much like De Aza, Wiel ended the month on an 11-game hitting streak that included three multi-hit games. Overall, Wiel collected seven multi-hit efforts throughout the month. Wiel was coming off a rough July where he struggled by hitting .200/.243/.484 (.727). All of those totals were season lows for him. Something switched in August as he had a season high in OPS, SLG and extra base hits. As a 26-year old, he has also been facing older pitchers in roughly have of his plate appearances. A study was done at the University of Rochester after the Red Wings broke their franchise home run record. It was a simple experiment to see if the new Triple-A baseballs were bouncier and could be one of the reasons for the power hitting surge. Wiel was interviewed for the story and said, “These balls this year…they’ve been going and that’s why you see the rise in numbers. All the production, extra-base hits and stuff we’re seeing.” Even with a bouncier ball, Wiel still must do one of the hardest things in sports by making solid contact between a round bat and a round ball. He did it better than anyone else in the Twins system this past month so congratulations to him. Feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions in the comments below. Click here to view the article

It’s hard to believe, the minor league seasons are coming to an end very quickly. On Wednesday night, Pensacola played their final home game. Elizabethton has one more game. The GCL Twins are finishing out their season with a few days of doubleheaders. Ft. Myers is done on Sunday. There have been a lot of stories. Some good. Some bad. Some crazy. While not a Twins minor league story, one interesting transaction from Tuesday does have Twins ties. The San Francisco Giants have called up RH RP Tyler Rogers. When the submarining Tyler gets into a game, he and Taylor will be the tenth set of twins to play in the big leagues. Congratulations to the Rogers family. GCL TWINS TAKES Game 1 - GCL Twins 3, GCL Rays 2 (10 innings) Box Score The game was suspended on Monday in the bottom of the fourth and resumed on Tuesday morning. On Monday, non-drafted free agent Evan Gillespie started the game and gave up just two hits over four scoreless innings. He struck out four. When the game resumed on Tuesday, Jordan Gore was on the mound. He faced five batters. He walked three and struck out two batters before exiting the game. Yes, this is the same Jordan Gore who began the season as the starting shortstop of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. In a game he pitched for Pensacola earlier this season, he was regularly hitting 96 mph on the radar gun. Anthony Escobar turned 19 a couple of days ago. He went the final 5 1/3 innings He gave up two runs on four hits to record the win. He struck out three without issuing a walk. In the game, Luke Raley went 3-for-5. Brent Rooker went 1-for-3 before exiting. Alex Craig had a single and two walks. LaRon Smith hit his fifth double, and Jesus Feliz hit his ninth double. Game 2 - GCL Twins 6, GCL Rays 4 Box Score Regi Grace made the start and gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits in four innings. He walked one and struck out seven batters. Danny Moreno came on and gave up one hit in a scoreless inning. Junior Navas gave up a run on three hits in the sixth inning. Steve Theetge worked a perfect seventh inning for his first pro save. The GCL Twins scored six runs with just five hits. However, in what was certainly an enjoyable game to watch, they walked 12 times. Jesus Feliz, Eric Jones, Francisco Martinez, Alec Craig and Jim Caceres each walked twice. Feliz added his third triple. In rehab news, Luke Raley was 1-4 with a sacrifice fly. He again played center field. Brent Rooker went 1-for-3 with a walk. DHd after playing left field in Game 1. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Bailey Ober, Pensacola Blue Wahoos Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Trey Cabbage, Ft. Myers Miracle PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Pensacola) - 1-4, 2B(9), K #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 1-4, R, K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Rochester) - 1 IP, 1 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, HBP #4 - Trevor Larnach (Pensacola) - 1-3, BB, R, K #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - Game 1 (1-4, R, 2 K) #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - GCL Rehab Game 1 (1-3), Game 2 (1-3, BB, 2 R) #9 - Jhoan Duran (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured List (lower leg contusion) #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Pensacola) - 2-3, R #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - Did Not Play #15 - Matt Wallner (Cedar Rapids) - Did Not Play #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - Injured List #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured (Tommy John) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - Season Complete #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - Did Not Play. WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Buffalo (6:35 CST) - RHP Preston Guilmet (2-6, 4.81 ERA) Pensacola - No Game Scheduled Ft. Myers @ Dunedin (DH @ 4:00 CST) - RHP Jordan Balazovic (6-4, 3.04 ERA), TBD Quad Cities @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Matt Canterino (1-1, 1.80 ERA) Greeneville @ Elizabethton (5:30 CST) - TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Braves (9:00 am CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Tuesday games or any other minor league topics you would like. Click here to view the article

With Hurricane Dorian looming, the Florida State League made the decision to cancel the rest of the regular season, and even the playoffs. Trevor Larnach was named the Florida State League Player of the Year this afternoon, then hit another home run for Pensacola this evening. Come see what else happened across the system Thursday night.TRANSACTIONS Cedar Rapids activated LHP J.T. Perez from the seven-day IL. IF Jake Hirabayashi assigned to the GCL roster from Cedar Rapids. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 7, Buffalo 6 Box Score Lewis Thorpe: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 70.5% strikes (31 of 44 pitches) HR: Willians Astudillo (5), Zander Wiel (23) Multi-hit games: Alejandro De Aza (3-for-4, 3B, BB), Tomas Telis (3-for-5), Astudillo (2-for-4, HR, HBP), Ian Miller (2-for-5), Ronald Torreyes (2-for-5) The Red Wings pulled out a victory to even their season record to 68-68 in a game in which many hopeful September callups shined. Lewis Thorpe was excellent in a brief start, striking out six batters while giving up one run over three innings. Willians Astudillo hit his fourth home run in just the 13th game of his rehab assignment. Fernando Romero was perfect over the final two innings, protecting a one-run lead to earn the save. Rochester entered the top of the eighth trailing, but Zander Wiel blasted his 23rd home run of the season, a two-run shot, to put the Wings up for good. Alejandro De Aza was 3-for-4 with a triple and a walk, boosting his OPS to 1.059 since signing with the Twins. BLUE WAHOO BITES Montgomery 5, Pensacola 2 Box Score Jhoan Duran: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 70.8% strikes (51 of 72 pitches) HR: Trevor Larnach (7) Multi-hit games: Larnach (3-for-5, HR), Alex Kirilloff (2-for-4, 2B, BB), Ryan Costello (2-for-3, 2B, BB), Travis Blankenhorn (2-for-5, 2B) How’s that for a day at the office? Trevor Larnach was named the Florida State League Player of the Year, then went 3-for-5 with his seventh home run since being promoted up to Pensacola. In just 39 games, Larnach has already posted more homers in the Southern League than he had in 84 games in the FSL. That homer put the Blue Wahoos up 2-1, but it was all Biscuits from there. Jhoan Duran turned in another encouraging start for Pensacola, striking out six batters over five innings of one-run ball. He’s managed to lower his Southern League ERA from 7.13 to 4.86 over his last two outings. Marcos Diplan surrendered the game-tying run in the sixth inning before Andrew Vasquez gave up the lead in the eighth. MIRACLE MATTERS Dunedin 3, Fort Myers 0 Box Score Blayne Enlow: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K, 60.5% strikes (46 of 76 pitches) HR: None Multi-hit games: None Blayne Enlow was cruising along, pitching a shutout through the first four innings, but was unable to pitch around a leadoff triple in the fifth inning. That runner eventually came around to score, Enlow was lifted in that inning and two of his runners who were inherited also scored. That was it for the scoring in this one. The Miracle were only able to muster three hits in this game, a triple from Jacob Pearson and singles from Trey Cabbage and Yeltsin Encarnacion. KERNELS NUGGETS Quad Cities 3, Cedar Rapids 2 Box Score Tyler Palm: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 0 K, 55.3% strikes (47 of 85 pitches) HR: Gabe Snyder 2 (18) Multi-hit games: Snyder (2-for-3, 2 HR, BB) Gabe Snyder was a one-man wrecking crew, but unfortunately the rest of the Kernels struggled to provide any additional support. Snyder hit his 17th and 18th home runs of the season and also drew a walk. Tyler Palm gave up three runs over the first five innings, but the Cedar Rapids bullpen was lights out from there. Austin Schulfer struck out three batters over two shutout innings before Rickey Ramirez finished things out with a pair of clean innings of his own. The Kernels got a leadoff walk from Albee Weiss to open the eight inning, ended up loading the bases with two outs, but Wander Javier struck out swinging to end the threat. Matt Wallner then led off the ninth inning with a walk of his own, but was immediately erased by a double play. STARS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Jhoan Duran, Pensacola Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day: Gabe Snyder, Cedar Rapids TOP PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Prospects performed: 1. Royce Lewis (PNS): 0-for-5, K, E (fielding) 2. Alex Kirilloff (PNS): 2-for-4, 2B, BB, E (throw) 4. Trevor Larnach (PNS): 3-for-5, HR, OF assist 5. Wander Javier (CR): 0-for-4, K 9. Jhoan Duran (PNS): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 70.8% strikes (51 of 72 pitches) 10. Blayne Enlow (FM): 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K, 60.5% strikes (46 of 76 pitches) 11. Lewis Thorpe (ROC): 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 70.5% strikes (31 of 44 pitches) 13. Ryan Jeffers (PNS): 0-for-5, 2 K 15. Matt Wallner (CR): 0-for-3, BB, 2 K 20. Travis Blankenhorn (PNS): 2-for-5, 2B FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Syracuse, 6:05 pm CT (Devin Smeltzer) Pensacola at Montgomery, 6:35 pm CT (Bryan Sammons) Cedar Rapids vs. Quad Cities, 6:35 pm CT (Andrew Cabezas) Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the games. Click here to view the article

We hear it from time to time, but it is a phrase that is important to remember. Player development is not linear. From the time a player signs until he reaches the big leagues - should that happen - is filled with ups and downs. The hope, of course, is that there are more ups than downs. But more important is the development. Not the stats, but the development. Several of the Twins top prospects have had rough first halves this season. A few former prospects had a rough year last year. A few of them have regained prospect status in 2019. At the end of the day, it is really hard to get to the big leagues, much less stay there. Wander Javier has been struggling since joining the Kernels about six weeks ago. He also missed all of 2018 and the first couple of months this season with injury. Hopefully he is working on things. Royce Lewis hasn’t put up huge numbers in Ft. Myers, but as we know, he continues to work on things. Pitchers are working on new pitches, or tightening up their current pitches, or working in a different role. Remember that the goal isn’t about being great, or even necessarily good, in Cedar Rapids or Ft. Myers. The goal is for them to be great or at least productive big leaguers. And again, that is a lofty goal. On Monday, Wander Javier had the kind of game that hopefully can help relax him and propel him to a strong second half. Perhaps playing in the Futures Game and in that environment will catapult Royce Lewis to a strong second half, maybe pushing toward a promotion to Double-A. Zander Wiel and Jaylin Davis are two late-round draft picks out of college who have gradually worked their way up to the minor league’s highest level where they are finding a lot of success. Lewin Diaz's prospect status has certainly been regained with his 2019 performance. The list is - or at least could - go on and on with examples, good and bad… and that’s what makes following the minor leagues and the prospects fun and intriguing. With that little sermonette, I certainly hope that you will enjoy today’s Twins Minor League Report. Enjoy the ups and downs and remember it’s all about the process, and it’s all with a goal to get productive players to the big leagues.Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS Pensacola announced that LHP Jovani Moran was activated from the IL. Also, Tom Hackimer was activated from the suspended list. Veterans Jeff Ames and Zack Weiss were released.AWARDS Cedar Rapids Kernels RHP Kai-Wei Teng was named the Midwest League Pitcher of the Week.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 11 Norfolk 4 Box Score Zander Wiel continued his impressive power display in 2019. For the third time this season, and the second time in three games, he hit two homers in a game. Wiel last played last Thursday in a doubleheader. In Game 1, he went 4-for-4 with two doubles and two homers. Before Friday’s game, he tweaked his back and missed the Red Wings weekend games. He returned on Monday and went 2-for-4 with his 16th and 17 home runs. The second came in the team’s five-run fifth inning when his two-run homer was later followed by a three-run homer by Drew Maggi. It was Maggi’s eighth homer of the Red Wings season. He went 1-for-3 with two walks. But obviously in a 14-run game, the Kernels got offense from many others besides Javier. Spencer Steer (2019 third round, Oregon) went 3-for-4 with a walk and his first MWL homer. Gilberto Celestino had two hits including a bases-clearing double. Gabe Snyder knocked his ninth home run. Tyler Webb hit his first Kernels home run. Alex Isola, another 2019 draft pick (29th round, TCU) who has been with the Kernels for about ten days, went 3-for-5 with his first MWL home run (he did have one with Elizabethton). Austin Schulfer started and gave up six runs (five earned) on eight hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out six. Alex Schick got the next four outs. 2019 25th-round pick (from UCLA) Nate Hadley picked up his first Kernels win. He struck out two over a scoreless 1 1/3 innings. Ricky Ramirez got the final six outs and gave up just one run on two hits. E-TWINS E-NOTES E-Twins 5, Johnson City 9 Box Score Things didn’t exactly start out well for the E-Twins hitters. Through six innings, 18 batters came to the plate and 18 batters were gotten out. In the seventh inning, Ruben Santana singled to break up the perfect game. Anthony Prato was then hit by a pitch. Soon after, Albee Weiss came up and drilled a three-run homer, his ninth of the E-Twins season. In the ninth, Weiss tripled in a run and then scored on a ground out. However, it wasn’t enough and the Twins fell to 15-11. Lefty Ryley Widell started and was charged with six runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six batters. Erik Cha came on and gave up one run on three hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out four. Osiris German gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in the ninth inning. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 1, GCL Rays 3 Box Score Dutch right-hander Donny Breek was on the mound to start Monday’s game. He gave up three runs (just one earned) on two hits and three walks over the first four innings. He struck out one. Moldovan lefty Petru Balan walked two and struck out two over two scoreless, hitless innings. Recently-signed Evan Gillespie worked two scoreless frames. The lefty gave up one hit, walked one and struck out two. Top 2019 draft pick Keoni Cavaco went 2-for-5 and drove in the team’s lone run. Parker Phillips went 2-for-4. Jake Hirabayashi got hit by a pitch twice. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Devin Smeltzer, Rochester Red Wings Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Wander Javier, Cedar Rapids Kernels PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - No Game Scheduled. #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 2-4, R, K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - No Game Scheduled. #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 4-5, 2 HR(4), 2 R, 6 RBI #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - No Game Scheduled. #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - 2-5, RBI, K #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Did Not Play. #9 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - No Game Scheduled. #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - No Game Scheduled. #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch. #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - 2-5, 2B(23), R, K #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - No Game Scheduled. #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - All Star Break #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - 1-4, K #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - 1-3, BB, 2B(3), K #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured (Tommy John) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - 2-5, HR(2), 2 R, RBI, K, OF Assist #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - Did Not Play. TUESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Norfolk (6:05 CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (5-0, 2.39 ERA) Montgomery @ Pensacola (6:35 CST) - LHP Bryan Sammons (2-2, 5.30 ERA) Tampa @ Ft. Myers (6:00 CST) - RHP Cole Sands (2-2, 2.22 ERA) Cedar Rapids - No Game Scheduled. Johnson City @ Elizabethton (5:30 CST) - RHP Tyler Benninghoff (1-1, 9.49 ERA) GCL Rays @ GCL Twins (11:00 CST) - TBD 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 returned from their All-Star break with a doubleheader. In game 1, Ronald Torreyes had three hits and homered twice. But as we have known since childhood, Zander Wiel makes the Red Wings bus go round and round. Quietly the 2015 12th round pick from Vanderbilt is putting together a monster season in Triple-A. He deserves to be noticed and a game like this will get a player noticed. There were a large number of transactions again on Thursday including the transfer of Cody Allen from the Miracle to the Red Wings.Find out everything that happened happened in the Twins system on Thursday, starting with the transactions of the day. TRANSACTIONS RH RP Cody Allen was reinstated from the temporary inactive list and promoted from Ft. Myers to Rochester.IF Brian Schales was promoted from Pensacola to Rochester.The Red Wings officially received recently-optioned RHP Kohl Stewart and LHP Devin Smeltzer from the Twins.DJ Baxendale was placed on the Red Wings Injured List.LH RP Andrew Vasquez was sent from Rochester to Pensacola.The Blue Wahoos also announced that the Twins have signed veteran infielder (and former big leaguer) Ivan De Jesus, Jr. to a minor league deal and assigned him to Pensacola.RHP Edwar Colina was promoted from Ft. Myers to Pensacola.RH RP Moises Gomez was promoted from Cedar Rapids to Ft. Myers.RH RP Nate Hadley, the Twins 25th round pick last month, was promoted to the Kernels from Elizabethton.RED WINGS REPORTGame 1 - Rochester 13, Lehigh Valley 5 Box Score Zander Wiel continues to quietly put up big numbers for the Red Wings this year. In this game, he hit his 23rd and 24th doubles and his 14th and 15th home runs. He drove in seven runs. That is a good week! Ronald Torreyes knocked his sixth and seventh homers and drove in four runs. He went 3-for-4. Wilin Rosario was also 3-for-4 in the game. Jaylin Davis went 2-for-4. Nick Gordon drove in two runs with a single. Sean Poppen started Game 1 and gave up three runs on four hits and four walks over four innings. He also struck out four batters. Carlos Torres came on to start the fifth inning. He went the final three innings and gave up two runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out three… to win his third game since joining the Red Wings. Game 2 - Rochester, Lehigh Valley Box Score Game is in progress. This will be updated upon game's completion. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 2, Montgomery 6 Box Score Lefty Bryan Sammons started and gave up four runs on four hits over the first four innings. He walked one, hit two batters, and struck out three batters. Zack Weiss came on and gave up one run on one hit over 2 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out one batter. Alex Phillips gave up two runs on two hits over the next two innings. He walked three and struck out one. Hector Lujan got the final two outs of the top of the ninth inning, but not before allowing an inherited runner to score and two more of his own. He gave up three hits and struck out one batter. Travis Blankenhorn led the offense. He went 2-for-4 with his 14th double. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers, Daytona Box Score Game cancelled by Rain. It will not be made up. KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 1, Great Lakes 3 Box Score Luis Rijo put together one of the best starts in the organization in his most recent starts, and he followed it with another really strong start. The right-hander started with six shutout innings. He gave up two runs in the seventh. In 6 2/3 innings, he gave up those two runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out six batters. Alex Schick came on and gave up one run on two hits over the final 2 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two batters. For the second straight game, Trevor Casanova hit a home run, his third in 15 games since joining the Kernels. A catcher, he has been playing often in the Kernels outfield, and on this night he threw out a runner at home. It provided the team their lone run. Gabe Snyder went 2-for-3 with a walk. --------------------------------------------- In case you missed it, on Wednesday night in Cedar Rapids, they introduced their 2019 Hall of Fame class. The group included long-time Board of Directors member Gary Keoppel, players Jerry Reuss and Hector Cruz ,and manager Jake Mauer. Jeff Johnson chatted with Mauerabout getting away from the game, what he misses and what he’s up to these days. E-TWINS E-NOTES E-Twins 0, Burlington 5 Box Score The E-Twins had a rough game. The offense only managed four hits, the same number of errors that they had in the night. Spencer Steer hit a triple, the team’s lone extra-base hit. Matt Wallner had a single, and he also threw out a runner at third base from right field. Ben Gross made the start for the E-Twins. He went the first four innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits. He struck out six without a walk. Lefty Erik Cha came on and gave up three runs on five hits and two walks in two innings. He struck out three. Steven Cruz struck out six batters in three scoreless, hitless innings. He walked one. GCL TWINS TAKES GCL Twins 3, GCL Orioles 2 Box Score German right-hander Niklas Rimmel made the start for the Twins on Thursday afternoon. He gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits over five innings .He struck out five without walking any, though he did hit one batter. Venezuelan righty Miguel Rodriguez came on and tossed three scoreless innings for his second straight outing. On this day, he gave up one hit, walked one and struck out seven batters. Lefty Evan Gillespie, recently signed out of Faulkner University, gave up one hit in a scoreless ninth. He was credited with his first professional win. The Twins entered the bottom of the ninth inning down 2-0. With one out, Wander Valdez, Francisco Martinez and Bryson Gandy all singled to load the bases. Alec Craig walked to bring in the team’s first run. Martinez scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Jesus Feliz walked to reload the bases. Parker Phillips ended the game with a sacrifice fly deep enough to score Bryson Gandy with the winning run. LaRon Smith went 2-for-4. Along with the game-winning RBI, Phillips went 2-for-4. Wander Valdez entered the game late and went 2-for-2. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day - Luis Rijo, Cedar Rapids Kernels Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Zander Wiel, Rochester Red Wings PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Midseason Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - 0-4, RBI, 3 K #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - Injured List (shoulder) #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) - 0-4, 2 K #6 - Jordan Balazovic (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #7 - Keoni Cavaco (GCL Twins) - Did Not Play #8 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Game 2 ( #9 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #10 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) - Did Not Pitch #11 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did Not Pitch #12 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Game 1 (1-4, R, 2 RBI), Game 2 ( #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - Rained Out #14 - Luis Arraez (Minnesota) - All Star Break #15 - Matt Wallner (Elizabethton) - 1-3, 2 K, OF Assist #16 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) - 1-4, K #17 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - Injured (Tommy John) #18 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - Did Not Pitch #19 - Misael Urbina (DSL Twins) - 0-3, 2 BB, R, RBI #20 - Travis Blankenhorn (Pensacola) - 2-4, 2B(14), RBI FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Lehigh Valley @ Rochester (5:05 CST) - LHP Lewis Thorpe (4-4, 5.50 ERA) Montgomery @ Pensacola (6:35 CST) - RHP Randy Dobnak (4-0, 2.92 ERA) Ft. Myers @ Bradenton (5:30 CST) - RHP Blayne Enlow (2-2, 1.95 ERA) Great Lakes @ Cedar Rapids (6:35 CST) - RHP Josh Winder (6-1, 2.32 ERA) Burlington @ Elizabethton (5:30 CST) - Andriu Marin (1-1, 2.77 ERA) GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (11:00 CST) - TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss the Thursday games or any other minor league topics you would like. Click here to view the article

June is always an interesting month in the minor leagues. The short-season teams get started. Three affiliates play in half-season leagues, so playoff spots are up for grab. Those same affiliates also were well represented in their league All-Star games. And, there are a lot of players that received promotions during the month of June. So, there can be transitions. But there were still some great hitting performances in the Twins system in June! Previous 2019 Hitters of the Month: April - Trey Cabbage May - Lewin Diaz June - Keep Reading (or just look at the graphic of this article…)Let’s take a look at the Top 5 hitters for the month of June, but first here are some players deserving of honorable mention. HONORABLE MENTION Andrew Bechtold - Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle - 22-74, .297/.404/.405 (.810) with 5 doubles, 1 home run.Travis Blankenhorn - Pensacola Blue Wahoos - 28-108, .259/.308/.491 (.798) with 7 doubles, 6 home runs.Ryan Jeffers - Ft. Myers Miracle - 16-65, .246/.320/.477 (.797) with five home runs.Trevor Larnach - Ft. Myers Miracle - 28-92, .304/.360/.424 (.784) with 3 doubles, 1 triple.Gabriel Maciel - Cedar Rapids Kernels/Ft. Myers Miracle - 25-82, .309/.378/.395 (.773) with 3 doubles, 2 triples.Wilin Rosario - Rochester Red Wings - 30-94, .319/.354/.489 (.843) with 7 doubles, 3 home runs. (27 RBI)Tomas Telis - Rochester Red Wings - 18-52, .346/.382/.500 (.882) with 5 doubles, 1 home run.THE TOP FIVE HITTERS Number 5 - Ft. Myers Miracle/Pensacola Blue Wahoos – 1B Lewin Diaz - 24-94, .255/.297/.521 (.818) with 8 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs. It’s been a terrific season for the Dominican first baseman. He has put in the work over the last couple of years to improve his body, to improve his tools and his talents, and it has to be rewarding to see the results. He was the Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Month in May and had a big June too. He played in his second straight Florida State League All-Star game, and when that was done, he made the move up to Double-A Pensacola where he got off to a fast start. In his first dozen games with the Blue Wahoos, he had nine doubles, a triple and two home runs. Number 4 - Rochester Red Wings - 1B Zander Wiel - 26-101, .257/.315/.505 (.820), 7 doubles, 6 home runs. Wiel just continues to fly under the radar, but he has been a quality, consistent contributor for the Red Wings all season. He continues to play most every day. He may not hit for average, but he does a nice job around the plate. He also has really increased his extra-base hit power, including home runs. Through June, Wiel had an .834 OPS, 19 doubles and 13 home runs. And to make his month better, Vanderbilt won the College World Series. Number 3 – Rochester Red Wings - OF LaMonte Wade, Jr. - 23-81, .284/.429/.432 (.861) with 6 doubles, 2 home runs. Wade got off to a slow start in 2019, but he had a real strong month in June. The key seemed to be regaining his on-base percentage. He did a great job of getting on base in June, and that seemed to help him find more pitches to drive for extra-base hits. Late in the month, Wade received The Call every ballplayer dreams of. He was called up to the Twins. He watched one game, and then he made his big league debut over the weekend. He came to the plate twice. He was hit by the first pitch thrown to him. He was then robbed of a hit in his second plate appearance by a diving catch in center field. He returned to the Red Wings the next day, but he will be back. Number 2 - Pensacola Blue Wahoos/Rochester Red Wings – OF Jaylin Davis - 28-105, .267/.366/.543 (.909) with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs. Another Twins prospect that just doesn’t get talked about as much as he should. However, Jaylin Davis has consistently produced and worked his way up the Twins organizational ladder. In mid-June, Davis was promoted to the Red Wings where he has hit five home runs in his last nine games. Drafted out of Appalachian State in 2016, Davis big tool is his power, but he has made improvements this season, particularly an improved approach at the plate which has created more contact. He’s also made big strides in the outfield. And the Twins Minor League Hitter of the Month is: Rochester Red Wings – LF Brent Rooker - .337/.507/.612 (1.120) with 9 doubles, 6 homers. There were a lot of Twins minor league hitters that had strong months in June, but the choice for the minor league hitter of the month was pretty easy. Rooker has been one of the best hitters in the entire minor leagues. He has hit for average. He got on base more than half of his plate appearances. He showed the power that makes him such an impressive power prospect coming out of Mississippi State when the Twins drafted him with the 35th overall pick in 2017. He was named to the International League All-Star team last week. Rooker got off to a slow start. In April, he hit just .214/.279/.464 (.743). Not horrible numbers, but he had 28 strikeouts in 61 plate appearances (45.9% K-rate). In June, he struck out 39 times in 134 plate appearances (29.1%). When Rooker hits the ball, good things happen. But Rooker also walked 27 times (20.1%), a great rate. Will we see Rooker at some point in 2019? That is a question that comes up often. The Twins have an outfield of Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler. Marwin Gonzalez can play the corners. If there is a short-term outfield need (as there has been recently), Jake Cave and LaMonte Wade, Jr., are already on the 40-man roster. If there were a long-term need, Rooker could be an option. He also plays first base and DH. The Twins have CJ Cron and Nelson Cruz. If one of them were to be hurt for a long period of time, Rooker could be an option. Rooker doesn’t need to be added to the 40-man roster until after the 2020 season. However, I can also see a scenario in mid-to-late August where the Twins want to start considering a playoff roster. If they want to add a big bat off the bench, Rooker could be an option at that time. Of course, the other question being asked more frequently now is if Rooker could be a trade target for other teams. The obvious answer is Yes, teams will be asking about Rooker. However, Rooker fits into a category where you better get something really good (and long-term) to give up his bat for the next six or seven seasons. We would like to congratulate Brent Rooker, Twins Daily’s choice for Minor League Hitter of the Month for June 2019. Feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions. Click here to view the article

Red Wings outfielder Brent Rooker has been destroying the baseball and he was recognized for it on Thursday. The International League announced the league’s All-Star rosters and Rooker will be joined by catcher Tomas Telis as Rochester’s representatives. Stu Cliburn, the team’s pitching coach, will also make the trip to El Paso, TX for the game. Would Rooker or Telis impact the Red Wings line-up on Thursday? Read on to find out.TRANSACTIONS OF LaMonte Wade promoted to Minnesota from Rochester. IF Ronald Torreyes promoted to Rochester from Fort Myers. LHP Andrew Vasquez reinstated from the IL with Rochester. RHP DJ Baxendale placed on IL with Rochester (left ankle sprain). RHP Adam Bray transferred to Pensacola to Rochester. LHP Bryan Sammons placed on the IL with Pensacola. RHP Tom Hackimer placed on the suspended list for Pensacola. LHP J.T. Perez promoted to Cedar Rapids from Elizabethton. SS Tanner Brubaker assigned to Elizabethton. LF Carlos Agular placed on the IL with the GCL Twins. RHP Regi Grace placed on the IL with the GCL Twins. RED WINGS REPORT Rochester 8, Lehigh Valley 7 Box Score Rochester snuck out to an early 4-0 lead in this one and they needed every run in the end. Zander Wiel and Nick Gordon both had three-hit nights. Gordon had his 15th double while Wiel had his 13th home run and his 19th double. Jordany Valdespin, Wilin Rosario and Brian Schales all joined the multi-hit parade with two hits apiece. The Red Wings pounded out 15 total hits, but the club only went 4-for-21 with runners in scoring position. Devin Smeltzer pitched into the fifth inning, allowing one run, a home run, with five strikeouts and a walk. Rochester’s bullpen did little to support Smeltzer’s effort as every relief pitcher allowed at least one run. Jake Reed surrendered three runs in two innings. Carlos Torres pitched 1 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on two hits. Ian Krol earned his third save but he also allowed a run in the ninth as the result of three walks. BLUE WAHOO BITES Pensacola 1, Biloxi 5 Box Score The Blue Wahoos offensive struggled to string together hits and found themselves on the wrong end of this one. Only one batter stepped in with a runner in scoring position and the team went 0-for-1 in those situations. Lewin Diaz continued his hot hitting ways since being called up. He homered for the second time in three games. Alex Kirilloff and Mark Contreras both added doubles. Andro Cutura was used as an opener and held Biloxi off the scoreboard even though he allowed two hits. Charlie Barnes was used as the primary pitcher. He allowed two earned runs but errors from Alex Kirilloff and Travis Blankenhorn allowed two unearned runs to score. Barnes struck out six and walked one in six innings. Jeff Ames allowed one run on one hit in two innings. He struck out one and walked two. MIRACLE MATTERS Ft. Myers 1, Charlotte 2 Box Score Blayne Enlow ended up on the wrong end of a pitcher’s duel. Both starting pitchers allowed a home run but Enlow’s was a two-run shot to baseball’s best prospect, Wander Franco. In 6 1/3 innings, Enlow allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks. He’s pitched six innings in every appearance with Fort Myers and he has yet to allow more than two runs. Ryan Jeffers accounted for the lone Miracle run. He knocked his 10th home run in the fourth inning and it gave Fort Myers a 1-0 lead. He finished 2-for-4. Royce Lewis and Gabriel Maciel both went 1-for-4. Andrew Bechtold picked up a hit in three trips. He’s now gone 3-for-20 since being promoted from Cedar Rapids. Joe Record finished off the seventh inning for Enlow. He allowed a walk and a hit. Derek Molina continued his tremendous streak. Over his last 11 appearances, Molina hasn’t allowed an earned run. In this one, he pitched two perfect innings and struck out four. In other news... KERNELS NUGGETS Cedar Rapids 2, Wisconsin 5 (11 Innings) Box Score Cedar Rapids scored two runs in the first three innings. However, they would be shut out from there and Wisconsin plated three runs in extra-innings for the win. Jacob Pearson did his best to keep Cedar Rapids in this one. In the first inning, Pearson set up a run all by himself. He led off the inning with a single and then he stole second. Gabe Snyder followed with a single and Pearson came around to score. In the bottom of the third, he cracked his fourth home run of the year. Chris Williams and Daniel Ozoria both went 2-for-4 in the losing effort. Tyler Palm was terrific on the mound as he was nearly unhittable. He retired the first 14 batters he faced and carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. In 5 1/3 innings, he limited the Timber Rattlers to one run on three hits. He struck out three and walked one. Carlos Suniaga pitched 1 2/3 innings and only allowed one baserunner while striking out two. Moises Gomez struck out six batters in three innings, but he allowed the tying run in the eighth. Tanner Howell took the loss after Wisconsin put up a three spot in the final frame. Three walks would come back to haunt him. E-TWINS E-NOTES Elizabethton 2, Bristol 6 Box Score Bristol jumped all over E-Twins starter Tyler Benninghoff in his first start of the year. The first batter doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch. Six straight batters reached before Benninghoff was able to record an out. He was only able to collect two outs and he allowed six runs on four hits. The E-Twins bullpen did fantastic in relief. Frandy Torres took over for Benninghoff and did well in a tough spot. Over 3 1/3 shutout innings, he limited the Pirates to two hits and added four strikeouts. Louie Varland continued the shutout innings. He tossed three innings and allowed two hits. Nate Hadley finished off the final two frames. He only allowed one baserunner and struck out three. Elizabethton was limited to four hits in the game. Matt Wallner collected his first professional home run as part of a two-hit effort. He also scored both of the team’s runs. Trevor Jensen reached base two times. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY TD Pitcher of the Day- Tyler Palm, Cedar Rapids (5.1 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 3 K, BB) TD Hitter of the Day- Zander Wiel, Rochester (3-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, R, 2 K) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) – 1-4 #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) – 1-3, 2B, BB #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) – Injured list #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) – 0-4 #5 - Wander Javier (Cedar Rapids) – 0-4, BB, K #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) – 0-5, BB, 3 K #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) – Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) – Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Ft. Myers) – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 6 K, 2 BB #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) – Tommy John surgery, out for the year #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) – 3-6, 2B, 2 R, BB, 3 K #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) – Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) – 2-4, HR, R, RBI #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Pensacola) – 1-4, 2 K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) – Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) – 1-4, RBI, BB, K #17 - Zack Littell (Minnesota) – 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 BB #18 - LaMonte Wade (Minnesota) – Did not play #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) – Did not pitch #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) – 0-4, K FRIDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester vs. Pawtucket (6:05 CST) – LHP Lewis Thorpe (3-4, 5.71 ERA) Pensacola vs. Biloxi (6:35 CST) – RHP Jorge Alcala (5-5, 5.65 ERA) Fort Myers vs. Bradenton (6:00 CST) – TBD Cedar Rapids vs. Wisconsin (6:35 CST) – RHP Luis Rijo (1-4, 2.72 ERA) Elizabethton @ Greeneville (5:30 CST) – TBD GCL Twins @ GCL Red Sox (11:00 AM CST) – TBD Please feel free to ask any questions and discuss Thursday’s games. 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Yes, it is that time again!! It’s time to revisit our top Minnesota Twins prospect rankings. (Be sure to look back at the preseason 2019 Top 20 Prospects.) Sure, it’s a lot more fun to follow the Minnesota Twins big league club this year than it has been much of the decade, but it’s still important to know the minor leaguers as well. Already this season we have seen several prospects make their major-league debuts. Some are top prospects, but the Twins farm system is deep and several players that many hadn’t even heard of are getting an opportunity.Over the next two weeks, Twins Daily will be revealing the Twins Daily Midseason Top 40 Prospects rankings. Our preseason Top Prospect rankings go 20 deep. Our midseason rankings double that output and give some recognition to twice as many players. Several of our minor league writers provided player rankings. They were consolidated Continue reading, and then discussing, the Twins Daily choices for 36th through 40th prospects of the Minnesota Twins below. 40. Sean Poppen – RHP Age: 25 ETA: 2019 2019 Stats MLB: 4.0 IP, 6.75 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, 4.5 K/9, 9.0 BB/9, 0.50 K/BB MILB (AA/AAA): 57.2 IP, 2.97 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 11.4 K/9, 4.5 BB/9, 2.52 K/BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: NR Seth: 23 | Tom: NR | Cody: NR | Ted: NR | Steve: NR From a timing standpoint, we couldn’t ask for anything more. If you watched Poppen in his Major League debut on Wednesday night, you saw why he has impressed coaches and decision-makers in the organization over the last couple of months. The fastball is consistently 95 to 97 mph with movement. His mid-80s slider is sharp. He showed a few changeups as well, which is his clear third pitch. He struggled with control, something that he has done the last year or two, but if he can relax and throw more strikes with his stuff, he can be successful. Look at his strikeout numbers. They have increased dramatically the last year or so. The changeup may determine whether his future is in the bullpen or as a starter. Poppen was the Twins 19th-round pick in 2016 out of Harvard. 39. Zander Wiel - LF Age: 26 ETA: 2019 2019 Stats (AAA): .252/335/.472 (.807 OPS), 13 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 76 K, 23 BB 2019 Ranking: NR Seth: 42 | Tom: 35 | Cody: 47 | Ted: NR | Steve: NR Wiel was the Twins 12th-round draft pick in 2015 out of Vanderbilt University. He has gradually worked his way up the ladder, approximately one year at a time and continuing to be productive. He leads the 2019 Red Wings in home runs this season with ten. Wiel isn’t afraid to work a count, though he does strike out quite a bit. He has mostly played first base in 2019 after splitting his time in left field the past couple of seasons. Wiel is big and strong, but he has made himself a little more athletic in the last year or two and he runs well. He finds himself in a tough spot with CJ Cron as the primary first baseman but with the likes of Marwin Gonzalez and Ehire Adrianza and Willians Astudillo also getting time at first base. The Twins also have strong depth in the corner outfield positions. 38. Bailey Ober - RHP Age: 23 ETA: 2022 2019 Stats (High-A): 24.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, 1.1 BB/9, 8.67 K/BB 2019 Ranking: NR Seth: 30 | Tom: 39 | Cody: 44 | Ted: NR | Steve: NR Ober was the Twins 12th-round draft pick in 2017 out of the College of Charleston. He was the national freshman of the year his first year of college. Unfortunately injuries cost him much of the next two seasons, but the Twins saw enough to draft him. When the 6-9 right-hander has been healthy, he’s been really good. In 2018 in Cedar Rapids, he went 7-1 with a 3.84 ERA in 75 innings. His season began late and then ended early. His numbers (above) are from April when he was the runner-up in Starting Pitcher of the Month voting. But when the month ended, Ober went back on the IL with an elbow injury. 37. Kohl Stewart - RHP Age: 24 ETA: 2021 2019 Stats: MLB: 12.0 IP, 6.00 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 2.3 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, 0.60 K/BB MILB (AAA): 51.1 IP, 4.56 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, 1.88 K/BB 2019 Preseason Ranking: HM Seth: 44 | Tom: 37 | Cody: 30 | Ted: NR | Steve: NR The fourth overall pick in the 2014 draft out of high school, Stewart worked his way up the ladder. It was a surprise when he was called up last August, he showed some glimpses, and the same can be said with his two MLB starts so far in 2019. In late April, he gave up five runs over six innings at Houston. In mid-May, he earned a win with a quality start (6 IP, 3 ER) against Detroit. Stewart is approaching a career crossroads of sorts now. He could be a back-of-the-rotation MLB starter for some teams, or he could move to the bullpen and see what he can do in shorter stints. 36. Gabriel Maciel - OF ETA: 2018 Age: 20 2019 Stats (Low-A): ..309/.395/.377 (.771 OPS), 3 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 31 K, 23 BB. 2019 Ranking: HM Seth: 46 | Tom: 40 | Cody: 24 | Ted: 30 | Steve: 27 The Twins acquired Gabriel Maciel from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Eduardo Escobar trade last July. He joined the Cedar Rapids Kernels and hit .263 (.683) with four doubles, two triples and two homers in 30 games. He began this season on the injured list. He returned to the Kernels and he has taken a step forward. He is not a big guy, but the Brazilian has a real solid approach at the plate and terrific speed. He has primarily played in center field this year but has seen quite a bit of time in right field too. That's it for now. Feel free to ask questions and leave comments below. Learn about another five pack of Twins prospects tomorrow. Click here to view the article

With the Pensacola Blue Wahoos having a travel day and the Cedar Rapids Kernels being rained out, there were just two games on Tuesday night in the system. A Minnesota Twins slugger made his first appearance in game action on the year, kicking off his rehab assignment with Fort Myers while Rochester’s offense clubbed their way to double-digit runs.To find out how all of your favorite Twins prospects who were in action on Tuesday fared, keep reading! TRANSACTIONS As alluded to above, Miguel Sano was officially sent on a rehab assignment to the Fort Myers Miracle.RED WINGS REPORTRochester 11, Scranton/WB 2 Box Score The Rochester lineup pounded out 12 hits and drew four walks as they blew out the RailRiders 11-2 behind home runs from Drew Maggi, Zander Wiel, and Jordany Valdespin. Wiel’s fifth inning blast was his sixth of the year as he continues to slug above his career norms in the season’s opening month. He finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, three RBI, and also drew a walk. They took a 3-1 lead in the top of the third and never looked back as they tacked on more in each of the fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. Randy Cesar (2-for-5, R, 2B, RBI), Valdespin (2-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBI), and Maggi (2-for-4, 2 R, 3B, HR, 2 RBI) also collected multiple hits on the game. Kohl Stewart got the start for the Red Wings, his first turn back with Rochester after making a spot start for the Twins and delivered a quality outing. He went the first six innings, scattering five hits and three walks and allowing just one run. He struck out three and was effectively wild, as just 51 of his 91 pitches went for strikes (56%). Tyler Duffey went the next two frames, allowing one run on three hits along with striking out three. Austin Adams finished the game, allowing two hits but no runs. BLUE WAHOOS BITES Scheduled Day Off Pensacola took a series on the road against the Jackson Generals 3-2 and got the day off on Tuesday as they head home for a series against the Biloxi Shuckers. The Blue Wahoos finished the month of April with their best record in team history at 17-8. They have won all five series they’ve played thus far and look to continue that trend with righthander Sean Poppen on the hill on Wednesday. MIRACLE MATTERS Clearwater 3, Fort Myers 0 Box Score The story heading into this game was the start of a rehab assignment for the Twins Miguel Sano. With his lacerated foot finally healed, he slotted in at third in the Miracle batting order, playing third base. In is first at-bat of the night, he was hit by pitch with the count at 2-0, and in his second drew a four-pitch walk where no pitch was close to the zone. With him scheduled to play just five innings he’d need some help from teammates to get another plate appearance, and luckily Royce Lewis did so with a two-out single. The first pitch Sano saw was definitely in his wheelhouse but ended up as just a towering infield flyout. Lewin Diaz then entered the game for him at first base, with Ryan Costello sliding over to third. On the mound for the Miracle was lefty Bryan Sammons, who carried a 0.42 ERA into this start. Although he managed to improve that mark to 0.40 on the game, he was only able to finish one inning as the Threshers lineup worked him for several long at-bats resulting in 37 total pitches. He gave up two hits, walked two, and struck out two but escaped with the bases loaded. Anthony Vizcaya came out from the bullpen for the second inning and finished the next three. He allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk while striking out four. Johan Quezada went the next two after that, allowing one run on one hit and three walks. He struck out three. Tom Hackimer then added two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. His ERA on the year in 13 1/3 innings now stands at 0.68. Calvin Faucher finished the game for the Miracle with a scoreless ninth, walking two but allowing no hits and striking out one. There wasn’t much offense to talk about for Fort Myers, as they managed just three hits on the game. Lewis raised his average back above .200 with a 2-for-4 night. Ben Rortvedt had the only extra-base hit with a double and drew a walk four plate appearances. KERNELS NUGGETS Bowling Green @ Cedar Rapids - PPD: Rain The Kernels were unable to get their game in at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Tuesday as persistent rain kept the field too wet. They’ll make it up with a doubleheader on Wednesday, with right-hander Luis Rijo taking the mound for Cedar Rapids in game one at 5:00PM CST. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Pitcher of the Day – Tom Hackimer, Fort Myers Miracle (2.0 IP, H, 3 K) Twins Daily Hitter of the Day – Zander Wiel, Rochester Red Wings (3-for-4, 3 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB) PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: #1 - Royce Lewis (Ft. Myers) - 2-for-4 #2 - Alex Kirilloff (Pensacola) - Injured List #3 - Brusdar Graterol (Pensacola) - No game #4 - Trevor Larnach (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4, 2 K #5 - Wander Javier (EST) - No Game #6 - Brent Rooker (Rochester) - Did not play #7 - Jhoan Duran (Ft. Myers) - Did not pitch #8 - Lewis Thorpe (Rochester) - Did not pitch #9 - Blayne Enlow (Cedar Rapids) - Did not pitch #10 - Akil Baddoo (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4, 3 K #11 - Nick Gordon (Rochester) - Injured list #12 - Stephen Gonsalves (Rochester) - Injured list #13 - Ryan Jeffers (Ft. Myers) - Did not play #14 - Ben Rortvedt (Ft. Myers) - 1-for-3, 2B, BB, K #15 - Yunior Severino (Cedar Rapids) - Injured List #16 - Gilberto Celestino (Cedar Rapids) - Game PPD #17 - Zack Littell (Rochester) - Did not pitch #18 - LaMonte Wade (Rochester) - 1-for-3, 2 R, BB, K #19 - Jorge Alcala (Pensacola) - No game #20 - Jose Miranda (Ft. Myers) - 0-for-4 WEDNESDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS Rochester @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (5:35PM CST) – RHP Zack Littell (1-2, 4.50 ERA) Biloxi @ Pensacola (6:35PM CST) - RHP Sean Poppen (2-0, 0.75 ERA) Clearwater @ Fort Myers (12:00PM CST) – RHP Jhoan Duran (0-3, 3.63 ERA) Bowling Green @ Cedar Rapids, Game 1 (5:00PM CST) – RHP Luis Rijo (0-2, 4.20 ERA) Bowling Green @ Cedar Rapids, Game 2 - RHP Austin Schulfur (3-1, 2.45 ERA) Please feel free to ask questions and discuss Tuesday’s games! Click here to view the article