Category: Twins Minor League Player of the Week

Twins minor league player of the week – Zach Granite

Zach Granite

Rochester Red Wings (AAA) outfielder Zach Granite has been named has been named Twins minor league Player of the Week. Granite, 24,  appeared in five games for the Red Wings, hitting .526 (10-for-19) with five doubles, three RBI, five runs scored and six walks. Additionally, the left-handed hitting Zach Granite has hit in 16 straight games, batting .508 (33-for-65) with nine doubles, three triples, five RBI, 16 runs scored and seven stolen bases since June 1 while collecting multiple hits in 13 of the last 15 games. Granite now qualifies for league leaderboard, pacing the International League in batting average (.348) and on-base percentage (.401). Since June 2, he leads all minor leaguers in batting average (.525), hits (32) and OBP (.586). He also leads the league in runs scored (15), extra-base hits (11), total bases (46), stolen bases (7) and OPS (1.340) over that same period.

Zach Granite was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 14th round of the 2013 MLB June Amateur Draft from Seton Hall University. The Twins organization selected Zach Granite as the 2016 Minor League Player of the Year. Here is what manager Paul Molitor has to say about Granite:

“He’s aggressive, got a little moxie,” Molitor said of the Sherry Robertson Award winner. “Likes to get dirty, run the bases. Almost every day, the (reports) are fairly complimentary on how he gets after it. He’s finding a way to use what he can do in a game to make an impact. I know we don’t like facing those kind of guys.”

Mining the Minors: Is Zack Granite ready for a call-up to the Twins?

Twins Minor League Report 06172017

Twins Minor League Player of the Week – Nik Turley

Nik Turley

This weeks Twins Minor League Player of the Week is also today’s Minnesota Twins starting pitcher against the San Francisco Giants, left-hander Nik Turley. The 6’5″ Turley will be the fourth Twins pitcher to make major league debut this season following Randy Rosario, Jason Wheeler and Justin Haley. 

Turley tied a Southern League record with the  Chattanooga Lookouts (AA) by striking out eight straight batters on April 25 vs. Tennessee and also set a Frontier Field record by striking out 15 batters in just 6.0 innings in his last start on June 6 for the Rochester Red Wings (AAA) while allowing just 4 hits. The 15 strikeouts were the most by a Red Wings pitcher since 1988.

Between Chattanooga and Rochester, Turley struck out 84 of 204 total batters faced (41.2%). He struck out 45 of 86 total batters faced (52.3%) with the Lookouts.

The now 27-year old Turley was a 50th round selection (1,502 overall) by the Yankees in 2008 and has played in the minor league systems of the Yankees, Giants, Red Sox and the Twins as well as an independent league team. Turley is the first 50th round draft pick to reach the majors since Efren Navarro in 2011, and one of just three 50th round selections
to reach the major leagues since 2000 (also: Jarrod Dyson in 2010). 

In his 10th minor league season Turley has a 48-45 record with a 3.50 ERA. Turley changed the grip on some of his pitches this spring and seemingly has turned his career around. Nik has stated that former Yankee pitcher Bob Turley is a distant relative.

Red Wings pitcher Nik Turley called up to Twins after 15-strikeout game

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Twins Minor League Player of the Week – Sean Poppen

Sean Poppen Credit:
(Stephen Mally-The Gazette)

Cedar Rapids Kernels (Low A) right-handed pitcher Sean Poppen has been named Twins minor league Player of the Week. The 6’4″ Poppen made two starts for the Kernels, going 2-0, with one unearned run allowed on eight hits, one walk and 11 strikeouts in 13.1 innings pitched; he beat Kane County on Saturday and Quad Cities on Thursday. Poppen has been used exclusively as a starter in 2017 and is 4-1 with a 2.12 ERA and a nice 1.03 WHIP. In the 63+ innings he has pitched he has allowed only 54 hits and struck out 60 batters. In his 10 starts he has allowed as many as 3 earned runs just twice and has pitched at least 5 innings in each start.

Poppen

The 23-year old Virginia native was drafted by the Twins in the 19th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Harvard University. Sean Poppen looks like a prospect to watch regardless what round he was selected in.

 Sean is not your normal baseball player – Chesapeake’s Sean Poppen – from Harvard to minor-league baseball

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Twins Minor League Player of the Week – John Curtiss

John Curtiss

Chattanooga Lookouts (AA) right-handed pitcher John Curtiss has been named Twins minor league Player of the Week. Curtiss saved three games for the Lookouts, pitching 3.0 scoreless innings with one walk and six strikeouts in three games. The Dallas native was drafted by the Twins in the sixth round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Texas and signed for a reported $266,900 signing bonus.

Here is what one scouting report has to say about John Curtiss:

The former Texas Longhorns closer put together 61 strong innings in 2016, primarily at High A Fort Myers, and followed-up his regular season campaign with a solid AFL performance that saw him strike out almost two batters per innings pitched. Curtiss can work 95-to-97 mph with good life down in the zone and will also show a mid- to upper-80s slider that will flash. The arm generally works well and our looks in the AFL prompted a Joe Nathan (RHP, Giants) comp on the strapping righty. While control has been an issue in the past, Curtiss tightened up his execution in 2016. If he can maintain that his momentum heading into 2017 he could emerge as a quality late-inning arm for the Twins, logging innings in Minneapolis as early as this upcoming summer.

In 2017 the 6’4″ Curtiss has pitched 17+ innings and allowed just one run (unearned), allowed 10 hits and struck out 25 batters. The downside about Curtiss is that he has walked 10 batters. Unless he falls apart or gets hurt, you have to figure on seeing John Curtiss at Target Field this year, at least for a cup of coffee in September.

Medi-facts –  Underwent Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2012 and sat out the entire 2013 season while at Texas. Missed much of the 2015 season with a concussion.

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An interesting read about Rochester manager Mike Quade and batting orders today in the Democrat & Chronicle: Baseball managers use Sabermetrics to construct batting order

Twins Minor League Player of the Week – Chris Paul

Chris Paul

Ft. Myers Miracle (High A) 3B/1B/OF Chris Paul was named Twins minor league Player of the Week. In six games for the Miracle, he hit .500 (11-for-22) with four doubles, one home run, six RBI, three walks, seven runs, a .577 on-base percentage and a .818 slugging percentage. In 42 games for the Miracle this season, he is hitting .341 (57-for-167) with 13 doubles, three home runs, 23 RBI and 24 runs scored.

The Irvine, California native was drafted by the Twins in the sixth round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft from the University of Cal-Berkeley and signed for a $50,000 bonus on July 17, 2015.

Minor league players earn less than minimum wage (published by News-Press in June 2016)

Twins Minor League Report 05222017

Twins minor league player of the week – Lewin Diaz

Lewin Diaz

Cedar Rapids Kernels (Low A) first baseman Lewin Diaz (bats and throws left-handed) is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. In five games for the Kernels, he hit .474 (9-for-19) with four doubles, two home runs, eight RBI, one walk and four runs scored. Diaz has played in 27 games for the Kernels this season, hitting .282 (29-for-103) with 11 doubles, three home runs and 17 RBI. The 6’3″ , 180 pound 20-year-old was signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent in July of 2013. Diaz was signed by Minnesota for $1.4 million and some scouts say that Diaz reminds them of Ryan Howard.

Lewin Diaz named Midwest League and Minnesota Twins Player of the Week

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Twins minor league player of the week – Jermaine Palacios

Cedar Rapids Kernels (Low A) infielder Jermaine Palacios is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. In seven games for the Kernels, the 20-year-old from Venezuela hit .387 (12-for-31) with three doubles, one home run, eight RBI and seven runs scored. Last week he was also designated as the Midwest League Player of the Week.

Playing primarily at short for the Kernels this season, Palacios is tearing the cover off the ball this season. In his fourth season of pro ball Palacios is hitting .395 with 34 hits in 86 at bats with three doubles, five triples and a home run pushing his OPS up to 1.016. The MLB Pipeline currently has Palacios as the Twins 24th best prospect.

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Twins minor league player of the week – Lachlan Wells

Ft. Myers Miracle (High A) pitcher Lachlan Wells is the Twins minor league player of the week. Wells made one start for the Miracle, pitching 7.0 shutout innings against the Florida Fire Frogs on Monday, with no walks, three hits allowed and eight strikeouts. The left-handed pitcher has made three appearances (2 starts) for the Miracle this season, going 1-1, 0.64 ERA (14.0 IP, 1 ER) with one walk and 17 strikeouts. The Newcastle, Australia native was signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent in August of 2014.

Lachlan has a twin brother Alex who is in Baltimore Orioles organization and is also a left-handed pitcher with Delmarva in A ball. According to reports, each of the Wells twins received a $300,000 signing bonus.

Lachlan Wells signs with Minnesota Twins: video

Australian twins bring competitive spirit to pro ball

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Twins minor league player of the week – Travis Blankenhorn

Travis Blankenhorn

Cedar Rapids Kernels (A) infielder Travis Blankenhorn is the Twins first minor league player of the week in 2017. Blankenhorn played in seven games for the Kernels, hitting .379 (11-for-29) with two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI and five runs scored.

The 20-year-old was drafted by the Twins in the third round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Pottsville (PA) High School and signed with the club for a $650,000 signing bonus. Blankenhorn is projected to be a third baseman.

Blankenhorn decides to go pro, signs with Twins

Twins minor league player of the week – Aaron Slegers

Aaron Slegers went six innings giving up two runs in Sunday's loss. - photo by Tim Evearitt
Aaron Slegers went six innings giving up two runs in Sunday’s loss.
– photo by Tim Evearitt

Chattanooga Lookouts (AA) right-handed pitcher Aaron Slegers is the Twins minor league player of the week. Slegers made two starts for the Lookouts, going 1-0, 1.29 ERA (14.0 IP, 2 ER) with three walks and 13 strikeouts. Slegers, who turns 24-years-old today, has made 25 starts for the Lookouts this season, going 10-7, 3.78 ERA (145.1 IP, 55 ER) with 46 walks and 104 strikeouts.

In four seasons in the Twins system, he has gone 28-25, 3.54 ERA (452.1 IP, 178 ER with four complete games, 105 walks and 328 strikeouts.

The 6′ 10″ 245 pound Slegers was drafted by the Twins in the fifth round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Indiana University and signed for $380,000. Prior to signing with Minnesota Slegers was limited to 10 innings from 2010 (his senior year of high school) to 2012 (his red shirt sophomore year of college) with forearm pain, a broken right wrist and a stress fracture in his right tibia.

Minnesota nabs tall Indiana hurler Slegers

Twins Minor League Report Sept 4 2016