Category: Twins Minor League Player of the Week

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

Twins minor league player of the week – Zach Granite

Zach Granite 2016Chattanooga Lookouts (AA) outfielder Zach Granite is the Twins minor league player of the week. Granite played seven games for the Lookouts, hitting .357 (10-for-28) with two doubles, six runs scored, two RBI and six stolen bases. Granite has played in 118 games, mostly in center field for the Lookouts this season, hitting .300 (146-for-487) with 16 doubles, eight triples, four home runs 49 RBI, 81 runs scored and 50 stolen bases. He leads the Southern League in batting average and stolen bases and ranks second in runs scored.The 23-year-old was drafted by the Twins in the 14th round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Seton Hall University where he was a four-year starter.

Twins minor league player of the week – Tanner English

Tanner English - 2016Ft. Myers Miracle (High A) outfielder Tanner English is the Twins minor league player of the week. English played six games for the Miracle, hitting .391 (9-for-23) with two triples, three home runs, four walks and eight runs scored. The 23-year-old English is hitting .233 (20-for-86) with three doubles, three triples, four home runs and eight RBI in 24 games for the Miracle this season. English is about 5’10” and goes about 160 and plays primarily center field and has stolen 51 bases in 59 attempts in his three seasons in the Twins system.

English was originally a 13th round selection in the 2011 MLB Draft out of high school by the Tampa Bay Rays but decided to go to college. English was drafted in the 11th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of South Carolina and signed by Minnesota for a reported bonus of $105,000.

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Twins Minor League Player of the Week – Fernando Romero

Fernando Romero 2016Ft. Myers Miracle (High A) right-handed pitcher Fernando Romero is the Twins minor league player of the week. Romero made one start for the Miracle, on Friday versus Charlotte, pitching 7.0 shutout innings with six hits allowed, no walks and 11 strikeouts. The 21-year-old has made nine starts for the Miracle this season, going 3-2, 2.39 ERA (49.0 IP, 13 ER) with eight walks and 48 strikeouts.

He was signed by the Twins out of the Dominican Republic on November 4, 2011 as a 16 year-old for a reported $260,000. Romero has TJ surgery in June 2014 and missed the entire 2015 season. Romero has a career minor league record of 10-7, 2.56 ERA (165.0 IP, 47 ER) with 45 walks and 157 strikeouts.

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