Category: Twins Minor League Player of the Week

Twins minor league player of the week – Lachlan Wells

Wells, Lachlan 2016Cedar Rapids Kernels (Low A) left-handed pitcher Lachlan Wells is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. Wells started for the Kernels on Monday against Dayton, pitching 8.0 shutout innings with two hits allowed, one walk and nine strikeouts and earned the win. The 19-year-old 5’8″ Wells has made six starts for the Kernels, going 3-2, 1.57 ERA (34.1 IP, 6 ER) with six walks and 29 strikeouts. Wells was signed as an undrafted free agent August 11, 2014 out of Newcastle, Australia for $300,000.

Wells twinsLachlan has a twin brother Alexander who is also a pitcher in the Orioles organization.

Australian twins bring competitive spirit to pro ball

Newcastle twins make pitch for baseball history

Twins Minor League Report July 31, 2016

Twins Minor League Player of the Week – Andrew Albers

Andrew Albers 2016Rochester Red Wings (AAA) left-handed pitcher Andrew Albers is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. Albers made two starts for the Red Wings, pitching 15.0 shutout innings, allowing 14 hits, two walks and seven strikeouts, he earned the win last Saturday over Norfolk and again with a 9 inning complete game on Thursday vs. Syracuse.

The 30-year Canadian pitched for the Twins in 2014 and was released when that season ended and he then signed with Toronto. Albers became a free agent after the 2015 season and signed with Minnesota again. Albers has made 16 starts for the Red Wings this season, going 9-3, 3.14 ERA (97.1 IP, 34 ER) with two complete games, 23 walks and 63 strikeouts.  Albers is one of those “crafty lefties” with good control and whose fastball tops out at only 86 mph and is complemented by a slow curveball that he throws around 67 mph.

Twins Minor League Report July 24, 2016

Twins Minor League Player of the Week – Zander Wiel

Zander WielSingle-A Cedar Rapids 1B Zander Wiel is the Twins minor league Player of the
Week. Wiel appeared in five games for the Kernels, hitting .444 (8-for-18) with one double, three home runs, 12 RBI, four walks and six runs scored. In 83 games for the Kernels this season, he is hitting .246 (80-for-325) with 18 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs, 51 RBI and 43 runs scored. The 23-year-old Tennessee native was drafted by the Twins in the 12th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Vanderbilt University.

Zander Wiel ready to start pro career

Twins Minor League Report July 17 2016

Twins minor league player of the week – Mitch Garver

Mitch Garver 2016Chattanooga Lookouts (AA) catcher Mitch Garver is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. Garver appeared in six games for the Lookouts, hitting .455 (10-for-22) with four doubles, one home run, five RBI and six walks. Garver has played 68 games for Chattanooga this season, hitting .282 (71-for-252) with 18 doubles, eight home runs, 48 RBI and 35 walks.

In his senior year at New Mexico Garver hit .390 with 68 RBI in 59 games and stole 12 bases. The Albuquerque, NM native was drafted by the Twins in the ninth round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of New Mexico and signed for a reported $40,000. Garver was one of four catchers drafted and signed in 2013 by the Twins, the others were Stuart Turner (3rd round), Brian Navarreto (6th round) and Alex Swim (22nd round).

Twins Minor League Report July 10 2016

Twins Minor League Player of the Week – Jaylin Davis

Jaylin Davis is second in the Appalachian League with 11 RBIs in nine games. (Bryan Green/MiLB.com)
Jaylin Davis is second in the Appalachian League with 11 RBIs in nine games. (Bryan Green/MiLB.com)

Elizabethton Twins (Rookie ball) outfielder Jaylin Davis is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. Davis appeared in seven games for the E-Twins, hitting .320 (8-for-25) with five home runs, nine RBI, eight runs scored and three walks. The Greensboro, North Carolina native, who turned 22 on Friday, is in his first season in the Twins system after being drafted in the 24th round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of Appalachian State University.

Birthday is a piece of cake for Twins’ Davis

Twins Minor League Report July 3 2016

Twins Minor League Player of the Week – Jose Berrios

Jose Berrios 2015 2Rochester Red Wings (AAA) right-handed pitcher Jose Berrios is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. Berrios made one start for the Red Wings on Thursday at Columbus, pitching 8.0 scoreless innings, with three hits allowed,two walks and nine strikeouts, earning the win. In his last four starts for the Red Wings, Berrios has gone 3-1, 2.51 ERA (28.2 IP, 8 ER) with eight walks and 32 strikeouts. In 10 starts for the Red Wings this season, he is 6-3, 2.92 ERA (61.2 IP, 20 ER) with 25 walks and 67 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .199 batting average.

Berrios had a brief stint with the Twins earlier this year when he made his major league debut on April 27 but he was not particularly effective so he was sent back to Rochester. His next call-up by the Twins which should be soon could be the one where Berrios comes up to stay for a long time. What have the Twins got to lose, let him come up and polish his skills at Target Field.

Twins minor league player of the week – Felix Jorge

TWINS MINOR LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Felix JorgeFt. Myers Miracle (High A) right-handed pitcher Felix Jorge is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. Jorge made one start for the Miracle, allowing one run on six hits in 7.2 innings pitched, with no walks and six strikeouts against Lakeland on Wednesday.

The 22 year-old Jorge has made 11 starts for the Miracle this season, going 6-3, 1.59 ERA (73.2 IP, 13 ER) with 10 walks and 61 strikeouts.

Jorge has described by a Twins source as a poor man’s Ervin Santana. He has a thin body and doesn’t throw hard, but he has a good mix of pitches and throws strikes, lending hope that he can stick as a starter. Signed by the Minnesota Twins as a non-drafted free agent on Feb. 21, 2011 for $250,000.

Twins sign Dominican right-hander Felix Jorge

Twins Minor League Report June 19, 2016

Twins minor league player of the week (again) – Daniel Palka

Daniel Palka
Daniel Palka

Chattanooga Lookouts (AA) outfielder Daniel Palka is the Twins minor league Player of the Week for the second time this season. Palka played in seven games for the Lookouts, hitting .320 (8-for-25) with two triples, four home runs, 11 RBI, six walks and eight runs scored. Palka was acquired this off-season from Arizona, in exchange for catcher/outfielder Chris Herrmann. Palka has played in 58 games this season, hitting .273 (60-for-220) with nine doubles, three triples, 15 home runs and 48 RBI.

The write-up for the first time he won the award in 2016 can be seen here.

Twins Minor League Report June 12, 2016

Twins minor league player of the week – Trevor Hildenberger

Trevor Hildenberger
Trevor Hildenberger

Chattanooga Lookouts (AA) right-handed pitcher Trevor Hildenberger is this weeks Twins minor league Player of the Week. The 6’2″ Hildenberger appeared in three games for the Lookouts, pitching 3.0 scoreless innings, with no hits allowed, no walks, two strikeouts and two saves. In 2016 Trevor has appeared in 20 games between Chattanooga and Ft. Myers Twins (High A) this season, posting a 1.32 ERA (27.1 IP, 3 ER) with three walks, 25 strikeouts and 10 saves.

The 25-year-old Hildenberger is in his third season of pro ball and has never finished a season with an ERA higher than 3.32 and has been used strictly as a reliever. Trevor has exceptional control and has a career WHIP of 0.856 and a SO/9  rate of 10.2.

He was drafted by the Twins in the 22nd round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Cal-Berkeley.

Twins minor league player of the week – Byron Buxton

Byron Buxton 2015Rochester Red Wings (AAA) outfielder Byron Buxton is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. Buxton played in six games for the Red Wings hitting .478 (11-for-23) with three doubles, three home runs, five RBI, eight runs scored and three walks with a 1.087 OPS. Buxton has played in 27 games for the Red Wings this season, hitting .345 (38-for-110) with nine doubles, two triples, six home runs and 13 RBI. The Twins recalled Buxton to Minnesota on May 31.

Previous 2016 winners of this award: infielder Nick Gordon, left-handed pitcher Stephen
Gonsalves, outfielder Daniel Palka, right-handed pitcher Yorman Landa, catcher A.J. Murray and infielder Kennys Vargas.

Twins Minor League Report May 29, 2016