RE: Players and prospects III

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SoMnFan -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 7:24:22 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: TJSweens He is definitely positioning himself for at least call up in September if not sooner. Probably as excited to see him, as anyone. Dudes been a numbers machine for awhile now. Very intriguing.

Mr. Ed -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 8:15:09 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: SoMnFan quote: ORIGINAL: TJSweens He is definitely positioning himself for at least call up in September if not sooner. Probably as excited to see him, as anyone. Dudes been a numbers machine for awhile now. Very intriguing. Per Twins daily, 2 notes The win clinched a spot for the Lookouts in the Southern League Playoffs. *With three hits on Thursday (following four-hit games on Tuesday and Wednesday), Max Kepler is now 11-14 in his last three games, and 16-25 (.640) in his last seven games.

Mr. Ed -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 8:19:08 AM)
More Max from Mient The Lookouts faced tremendous pressure, heading into the season as one of the more loaded teams in the Minor Leagues. They did not crumble under the burden. Red-hot Max Kepler had three hits and scored twice to help Double-A Chattanooga defeat Jacksonville, 8-6, to clinch the Southern League North Division first-half title. The Twins' No. 15 prospect tripled twice and also drove in a run as the Lookouts jumped out to an 8-1 lead after the third inning. Adam Walker II slugged his Southern League-leading 18th homer, a two-run shot, and Stephen Wickens went yard as well. On the mound, David Hurlbut (3-2) limited the Suns to three runs -- two earned -- on five hits while striking out four and walking one over seven innings. The quartet helped the Lookouts claim their second straight division title. "We got back to what we normally do well, which is swing the bats well," manager Doug Mientkiewicz said. "We got a great pitching performance from David Hurlbut, and the back end of our bullpen, they finished the job. It's something we expect from this group. Everybody expected us to win, but to go out and do it is a different thing. I'm proud of my guys." Kepler has helped keep the Lookouts rolling even after the promotion of MLB.com's top prospect Byron Buxton on June 13. The German native is batting .356 with 11 RBIs and a 1.044 OPS in 17 June contests. "He's been huge," Mientkiewicz said. "Ever since he got here, we're finally starting to see what we expect out of Max. The first half this year, he missed some Spring Training and started the season late, but ever since he's gotten here, [hitting coach] Chad Allen has worked extensively with him to use the pull side of the field. "He's as good as it gets right now. He's driving the ball to all fields. He's tasting success for the first time in his career. He's learning how to deal with that and the sky's the limit for this kid. He's got uber tools and he's putting them together right now." The Lookouts have been loaded with prospects this season. In addition to Buxton, who was batting .283 at the time of his promotion, the team has had Miguel Sano, Jose Berrios, Walker, Travis Harrison, Jorge Polanco and Tyler Duffey put on the uniform. "They know the expectations of what I put on them and what we put on them as an organization and they find a way to get it done," Mientkiewicz said. "I knew what we had, but I knew it was a new level. Double-A is a different animal. We knew we had prospects, but the word 'prospect' means absolutely nothing. Prospects are great and all, but learning how to win at any level helps you every step of the way. "We're trying to create winners. You can have all the prospects and all the tools you want, but that doesn't mean squat. You go out there and win games and you learn how to win together and that supersedes any talent or tool you can write down on paper." Chattanooga bounced back after a tough loss Wednesday, falling 8-3 after taking a 3-0 lead into the seventh. Despite the loss, Mientkiewicz knew his squad didn't need a pep talk to go out and take care of business on Thursday. "They know," he said. "They understand. I think a couple of guys tried to do too much and it cost us. If you start to freak out and panic, the guys can sense that. We just went about our business like we normally do. This group is pretty resilient. They knew what was at stake and they finished the job." Zach Jones followed Hurlbut, giving up two runs on two hits in the eighth, and J.T. Chargois earned his fourth save, allowing a run on two hits in the ninth.

djskillz -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 8:35:08 AM)
Really tough not to get too excited about the Twins outfield, starting in 2016. Rosario/Buxton/Kepler. What a group that could be. Tools all over the place, each a little different, but each a great athlete with few weaknesses. Power, speed, baserunning, contact skills, and defense from all 3. Kepler alone is reason enough not to re-sign Hunter IMO. I'll admit I was wrong on him so far, and he's brought a lot to the club this year. But there's simply no spot for him next year. We have 3 young, talented DH options. We have 4 young OF'ers with talent (throw Hicks in the mix as the 4th), and 1b/2b/3b are covered. Unless Torii's going to accept a limited bench role (no way he would) or convert to SS or C, there's simply no room. IMO.

Trekgeekscott -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 8:45:25 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: djskillz Really tough not to get too excited about the Twins outfield, starting in 2016. Rosario/Buxton/Kepler. What a group that could be. Tools all over the place, each a little different, but each a great athlete with few weaknesses. Power, speed, baserunning, contact skills, and defense from all 3. Kepler alone is reason enough not to re-sign Hunter IMO. I'll admit I was wrong on him so far, and he's brought a lot to the club this year. But there's simply no spot for him next year. We have 3 young, talented DH options. We have 4 young OF'ers with talent (throw Hicks in the mix as the 4th), and 1b/2b/3b are covered. Unless Torii's going to accept a limited bench role (no way he would) or convert to SS or C, there's simply no room. IMO. Torii should retire and begin his coaching career in the Twins Dugout.

CPAMAN -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 8:50:29 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Mr. Ed quote: ORIGINAL: SoMnFan quote: ORIGINAL: TJSweens He is definitely positioning himself for at least call up in September if not sooner. Probably as excited to see him, as anyone. Dudes been a numbers machine for awhile now. Very intriguing. Per Twins daily, 2 notes The win clinched a spot for the Lookouts in the Southern League Playoffs. *With three hits on Thursday (following four-hit games on Tuesday and Wednesday), Max Kepler is now 11-14 in his last three games, and 16-25 (.640) in his last seven games. Southern League playoffs in mid-June?

Mr. Ed -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 8:52:01 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: CPAMAN quote: ORIGINAL: Mr. Ed quote: ORIGINAL: SoMnFan quote: ORIGINAL: TJSweens He is definitely positioning himself for at least call up in September if not sooner. Probably as excited to see him, as anyone. Dudes been a numbers machine for awhile now. Very intriguing. Per Twins daily, 2 notes The win clinched a spot for the Lookouts in the Southern League Playoffs. *With three hits on Thursday (following four-hit games on Tuesday and Wednesday), Max Kepler is now 11-14 in his last three games, and 16-25 (.640) in his last seven games. Southern League playoffs in mid-June? First half champs, auto-qualify for the Playoffs at the end of the season.

CPAMAN -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 8:52:19 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: djskillz Really tough not to get too excited about the Twins outfield, starting in 2016. Rosario/Buxton/Kepler. What a group that could be. Tools all over the place, each a little different, but each a great athlete with few weaknesses. Power, speed, baserunning, contact skills, and defense from all 3. Kepler alone is reason enough not to re-sign Hunter IMO. I'll admit I was wrong on him so far, and he's brought a lot to the club this year. But there's simply no spot for him next year. We have 3 young, talented DH options. We have 4 young OF'ers with talent (throw Hicks in the mix as the 4th), and 1b/2b/3b are covered. Unless Torii's going to accept a limited bench role (no way he would) or convert to SS or C, there's simply no room. IMO. It would be nice to see a little more offense from Rosario and a lot more from Buxton. I realize they are both rookies and just getting settled in. But Buxton, moreso, looks over-matched at this point.

CPAMAN -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 8:53:33 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Mr. Ed quote: ORIGINAL: CPAMAN quote: ORIGINAL: Mr. Ed quote: ORIGINAL: SoMnFan quote: ORIGINAL: TJSweens He is definitely positioning himself for at least call up in September if not sooner. Probably as excited to see him, as anyone. Dudes been a numbers machine for awhile now. Very intriguing. Per Twins daily, 2 notes The win clinched a spot for the Lookouts in the Southern League Playoffs. *With three hits on Thursday (following four-hit games on Tuesday and Wednesday), Max Kepler is now 11-14 in his last three games, and 16-25 (.640) in his last seven games. Southern League playoffs in mid-June? First half champs, auto-qualify for the Playoffs at the end of the season. That is what I assumed Ed, but I didn't realize they were already halfway through their season.

djskillz -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 9:01:19 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: CPAMAN quote: ORIGINAL: djskillz Really tough not to get too excited about the Twins outfield, starting in 2016. Rosario/Buxton/Kepler. What a group that could be. Tools all over the place, each a little different, but each a great athlete with few weaknesses. Power, speed, baserunning, contact skills, and defense from all 3. Kepler alone is reason enough not to re-sign Hunter IMO. I'll admit I was wrong on him so far, and he's brought a lot to the club this year. But there's simply no spot for him next year. We have 3 young, talented DH options. We have 4 young OF'ers with talent (throw Hicks in the mix as the 4th), and 1b/2b/3b are covered. Unless Torii's going to accept a limited bench role (no way he would) or convert to SS or C, there's simply no room. IMO. It would be nice to see a little more offense from Rosario and a lot more from Buxton. I realize they are both rookies and just getting settled in. But Buxton, moreso, looks over-matched at this point. It's very early on Buxton, and again, he's faced some of the very best pitchers in the majors in his first week. Very tough matchups. If he can even hit at Hicks' level in his rookie year, he'll provide value with his defense/baserunning. As for Rosario, he can do better (and will) but he is more than holding his own. .725 OPS so far and an OPS+ of 99, which is basically average. He's also been very good baserunning and provided a major upgrade defensively over our other options. "Average" for a 23 year old getting his first taste of the majors is pretty awesome. I don't think there's anything to complain about with Rosario IMO.

Mr. Ed -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 9:12:00 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: CPAMAN quote: ORIGINAL: Mr. Ed quote: ORIGINAL: CPAMAN quote: ORIGINAL: Mr. Ed quote: ORIGINAL: SoMnFan quote: ORIGINAL: TJSweens He is definitely positioning himself for at least call up in September if not sooner. Probably as excited to see him, as anyone. Dudes been a numbers machine for awhile now. Very intriguing. Per Twins daily, 2 notes The win clinched a spot for the Lookouts in the Southern League Playoffs. *With three hits on Thursday (following four-hit games on Tuesday and Wednesday), Max Kepler is now 11-14 in his last three games, and 16-25 (.640) in his last seven games. Southern League playoffs in mid-June? First half champs, auto-qualify for the Playoffs at the end of the season. That is what I assumed Ed, but I didn't realize they were already halfway through their season. All Star break starts Monday.

TJSweens -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 10:07:08 AM)
I'm confused about something ... well actually a lot of things ... We keep talking about Kepler in the context of an OF, but I thought he had been moved to 1B.

Mr. Ed -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 10:08:36 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: TJSweens I'm confused about something ... well actually a lot of things ... We keep talking about Kepler in the context of an OF, but I thought he had been moved to 1B. They played him some at first in the fall league, and again this year a little in Chattanooga,with Buxton/Harrison/Walker, with Dh rotations involved. But of late, now with Buxton gone,he's the CF.

djskillz -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 10:11:06 AM)
As Ed said, it's very strange they've played him at 1b. He's certainly got OF tools and athleticism. I think it was just a logjam thing with Walker/Harrison/Buxton. Kepler was a better 1b than all of those guys because of his length. He's listed at 6'4", but I wouldn't be shocked if he's 6'6" from what I've seen. But he's still a much better OF'er than Harrison or Walker. As Ed notes, he's playing CF now that Buxton is up (hopefully for good).

Mr. Ed -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 1:05:31 PM)
June 5-11 Released: RHP Zach Hayden, C Gabriel Ojeda, 2B Dubal Baez, 2B Jonatan Hinojosa, 3B Tyler Mautner, OF Frank Encarnacion Recalled: RHP Michael Tonkin, 1B Kennys Vargas, SS Jorge Polanco Optioned to Triple-A: SS Jorge Polanco, SS Danny Santana Placed on 7-day DL: RHP Michael Cederoth, SS Blake Schmit Righthander Michael Cederoth, a third-round pick from San Diego State in 2014, went on the disabled list at low Class A Cedar Rapids with an “illness,” according to the Twins. all but Hinojosa were released from XST. Hinojosa missed a pile of time last year with Roids suspension, which likely didn't help his cause.

Mr. Ed -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 1:14:52 PM)
http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/prospect-hot-sheet-june-19/ 1. Max Kepler, 1b/rf, Twins Team: Double-A Chattanooga (Southern) Age: 22 Why He’s Here: .667/.731/1.095 (14-for-21), 6 R, 3 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 5 BB, 3 SO, 1-for-2 SB The Scoop: Even with Byron Buxton gone, it’s hard to feel bad for Chattanooga fans. They still have a roster that features Miguel Sano, Jose Berrios, Adam Brett Walker and Kepler, who laid waste to the Southern League this week. Already blessed with athleticism and a smooth lefthanded stroke, Kepler looks much stronger this year, and it’s shown in his output. With this week—which included a 12-for-14 stretch—in the books, he leads the league in average (.341) and ranks among the top five in on-base percentage (.400) and slugging (.557). 8. Adam Brett Walker, rf, Twins Team: Double-A Chattanooga (Southern) Age: 23 Why He’s Here: .375/.423/.708 (9-for-24), 4 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBIs, 2 BB, 9 SO The Scoop: Walker plays to his strengths about as well as any player in the minors. The righthanded-hitting bruiser leads the Southern League with 18 home runs, 57 RBIs, a .588 slugging percentage, 37 extra-base hits and 45 runs scored. He doesn’t get cheated on any swing, so he also leads the SL with 94 strikeouts in 63 games, and that’s one obvious area where improvement would help him in his climb up the ladder.

SoMnFan -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 1:22:58 PM)
Wow. Nice.

djskillz -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 4:41:08 PM)
Keith Law has Sano 5th on his "current" top prospect list: 5. Miguel Sano, 3B Minnesota Twins Current level: Double-A (Chattanooga) Sano started a little slow this year after losing 2014 to Tommy John surgery, but since late April, he has been back on track, even better than he was in Double-A in late 2013. Over his past 40 games, he's hitting .293/.376/.558 with nine homers.

Stacey King -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 4:53:23 PM)
A Fort Myers Miracle pitcher is making quite a name for himself in minor league baseball this season. Who? Chih-Wei Hu, that's who. Hu, 21 and a native of Taiwan, will lead a contingent of two more Fort Myers Miracle players, plus the entire coaching and training staff, to the Florida State League All-Star game. The game is slated to start at 7 p.m. Saturday in Port St. Lucie, spring training home of the New York Mets and regular season home of the St. Lucie Mets. "I'm very happy," said Hu, who was pitching so well earlier this season that the Twins sent him to Triple-A Rochester for a spot start May 19 before returning him to Fort Myers. "I was very nervous, being it was the first time," Hu said of that game, in which he struck out six, walked four and gave up one run and two hits in six innings of work. He earned the win during a 4-3 victory against the Durham Bulls, Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. "It was a good experience," Hu said. Hu has had quite a few good experiences this season. In nine games with the Miracle, he has posted a 4-1 record and a 2.17 ERA with 45 strikeouts and 12 walks in 49 2/3 innings. "He's pitched very well," Miracle manager Jeff Smith said. "He went up to Triple-A and then came back. He's going to pitch in the All-Star game, and we're looking for him to have a big second half." The Twins gave Hu a signing bonus of about $200,000 when he was a 19-year-old, undrafted free agent out of Taiwan. Hu will be joined at the All-Star game by fellow starting pitcher Ryan Eades (4-1 record, 3.09 ERA) and catcher/outfielder/first baseman Alex Swim. Relief pitchers J.T. Chargois and Brandon Peterson also had been named to the game, but they were promoted to Double-A Chattanooga, Tenn. Smith and his staff will manage the South Division team as the Miracle won the league championship last season under former manager Doug Mientkiewicz. Smith said he was honored to manage an All-Star game for the sixth time in 10 years. Having Hu on the hill would make it even more special, Smith said. Swim, among the league leaders in hitting (.320), said Hu has improved each year over the three seasons they have been teammates. They were roommates two years ago while playing in the Gulf Coast League. When Hu arrived, he spoke no English. "He's very confident on the mound," Swim said. "He just has better command of all of his pitches. He has dedicated himself to his craft. He works hard in the weight room. He works hard in the training, too. He's very, very focused on getting better." Hu is 6-foot-1 and weighs 228 pounds. In 2013 in the Gulf Coast League, he had a 2-0 record and a 2.45 ERA. Last season, he had a 7-2 record and 2.29 ERA in 10 games, nine starts, for the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Kernels, one level below the Miracle. "He's always had the stuff," Swim said. "He's adapted very well moving up. And I can't imagine trying to do what he has done while trying to learn another language."

Mr. Ed -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 7:57:52 PM)
Levi Michael off the DL and to the Chatt to/order, 2-2 with a walk and 2 steals tonight Kepler 0-2

Mr. Ed -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 7:58:37 PM)
Santana 2-2 double and walk so far at AAA tonight.

Mr. Ed -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 9:31:27 PM)
Friday night Roch 5 run 7th made them a 7-3 winner Beresford 3-5/R/3RBI, Santana 3-4/double/BB/2R, Ortiz 1-4/triple/R/3RBI, Bernier 1-1/3BB/2R Rogers 6.1IP 7H/3R/2ER/3Bb/4K Darnell (BS) 0IP 2H/2-2 IRS Hamburger 2-1 1.2IP 0-2 IRS Achter IP K Chattanooga won 3-2 Michael 2-4/BB/R/RBI/2SB(5), Sano 2-4/double(13)/R, Kepler 1-3/triple(8)/RBI(at first base), Goodrum 0-2/2Bb/R/SB(2) (centerfield) Wimmers 5-1 7IP 3H/2Bb/11K Boer 2IP 3H/2R/K/Save(2) CRapids lost 4-1 Doe 2-3/BB, Valera 1-2/R, Larson 1-4/RBI Tillery 4-2 5IP 3H/2R/3BB/5K Velez 2IP 4H/2R/2K Bard IP BB/K FTM Off, FSL all-star break. Miracle finished 35-32 in the first half,second place, 9 games out of first.

djskillz -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 9:35:21 PM)
Do not understand that Kepler plan at all. Why have him play 1b? Why? Levi has a real opportunity at SS that he could take advantage of, if he could ever stay healthy. He's not good defensively either, but may be the best of the 3 (him/Santana/Polanco) defensively.

Mr. Ed -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/19/2015 9:41:38 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: djskillz Do not understand that Kepler plan at all. Why have him play 1b? Why? Levi has a real opportunity at SS that he could take advantage of, if he could ever stay healthy. He's not good defensively either, but may be the best of the 3 (him/Santana/Polanco) defensively. Would be a good time for Sano to get some first base in. Kepler is there by default. Hicks is out, and Kepler gets the work when Gonzales sits. Will have to follow Michael closely, he was at 2nd tonight. See if they play him at SS.

TJSweens -> RE: Players and prospects III (6/20/2015 9:18:35 AM)
Is Alex Wimmers on the verge of resurrecting his career? He had 4 real stinkers earlier this year, but he is on a roll now. Hasn't given up a run in his last 3 starts covering 21.2 IP. He is also striking almost a batter per inning this year.

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