Category: Twins Minor League Player of the Week

Twins minor league player of the week

Dean, PatRochester (AAA) right-handed left-handed pitcher Pat Dean is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. Dean, 26, tossed a complete shutout allowing just six hits while striking out six in his only start last week versus Buffalo. He has tossed 15.1 consecutive scoreless innings for the Red Wings and has recorded four complete games on the season.

The Twins drafted Dean in the third round (102 overall) of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of Boston College and Dean signed for a reported $319,500. The Connecticut native is in his sixth season with Minnesota and has had a nice season as his 10-10 record with a 2.92 ERA indicates. Dean has started  24 games and he has completed 4 of his starts. Dean is not a strikeout pitcher as 92 KO’s in 152 innings indicates but he has great control (only 33 walks) and he keeps the ball in the ballpark as he has allowed only 10 round-trippers. The 26 year-old Dean is running out of time and it will be interesting to see if the Twins call him up in September.

Dean back on course

Twins Minor League Report 08232015

Twins minor league player of the week

Kennys Vargas 2015Rochester (AAA) first baseman/designated hitter Kennys Vargas is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. Vargas played in eight games for the Red Wings, hitting .391 (9-for-23) with two doubles, one home run, eight RBI, nine walks and a .563 on-base percentage. Vargas has hit .274 (96-for-350) with 11 doubles, 15 home runs and 50 RBI in 105 games this season at three levels (Minnesota, Rochester and Chattanooga).

Twins Minor League Report 081615

Twins minor league player of the week

Chris Paul 2Elizabethton (Rookie Level) outfielder Chris Paul is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. Paul, 22, who hits and throws from the right side played in six games for the E-Twins, hitting .357 (10-for-28) with three doubles, two home runs, 12 RBI and four runs scored. The 6’3″ 200 lbs. Paul was drafted by the Twins in the sixth round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of UC Berkeley and has seen action in left field, first base and third base this season.

Chris Paul promoted to Cedar Rapids

Chris Paul drafted by Minnesota Twins

Former Cal baseball player Chris Paul drafted by Twins in sixth round

Chris Paul Bio

Former ROX MVP waiting it out with the Twins

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Twins Minor League Report 08082015

Twins minor league player of the week

Stuart TurnerChattanooga (AA) catcher Stuart Turner is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. The 23 year-old Turner who bats from the right side played in five games for the Lookouts, hitting .471 (8-for-17) with two doubles, one home run, four RBI, six runs scored and six walks with a .609 on-base percentage In 73 games for the Lookouts this season, Turner stands 6’2″ and goes about 230 has hit .220 (55-for-250) with 10 doubles, one triple, four home runs and 25 RBI.

Twins catching prospect Turner not letting diabetes divert career

 

At Eunice (La.) High School Randy Stuart Turner was a three-time All-State and All-District selection in baseball from 2008-10 and was named a 2009 Louisville Slugger All-America. Turner also lettered three years in football and was a 2009 All-District selection.The Louisiana native was drafted by the Twins in the third round (78th overall) of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft from the University of Mississippi and signed with Minnesota for $550,000.

Twins Minor League Report August 2, 2015

Twins minor league player of the week

Felix Jorge Cedar Rapids (Low A) right-handed pitcher Felix Jorge is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. The 6’2″ 170 pound Jorge made one start for the Kernels on Tuesday, allowing two runs on five hits in 7.0 innings pitched with one walk and seven strikeouts. Jorge has gone 5-3, 2.10 ERA (103.0 IP, 24 ER) with 23 walks and 82 strikeouts in 16 starts for the Kernels this season.

Jorge has a fastball that touches 95, a slider and a change-up. Now in his fifth professional season, Jorge has struck out 301 batters in 330.2 innings and has a 3.24 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. Jorge was originally signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent in February of 2011 as a seventeen year old for a reported $250,000.

Twins Minor League Report July 26, 2015

Twins minor league player of the week

Matt Batts
Matt Batts

Ft. Myers (High A)  left-handed pitcher Mat Batts (Harrison Mathis Batts) is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. Batts made one start for the Miracle on Friday at Brevard County, allowing one run on five hits in 7.0 innings pitched with no walks and five strikeouts, earning the win. Batts combined to go 7-4, 1.89 ERA (95.0 IP, 20 ER) with 19 walks and 93 strikeouts in 16 starts between Cedar Rapids (Low A) and Ft. Myers.

The Winston-Salem, North Carolina native was drafted by the Twins in the 17th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of North Carolina-Wilmington where he was named Colonial Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year in 2013 and 2014. At Mount Tabor High School, Batts was named first-team All-State as a senior and set a school record by throwing a perfect game and a no-hitter in consecutive games.

Twins Minor League Report July 19, 2015

Twins minor league player of the week

Oswaldo Arcia 2015Rochester (AAA) outfielder Oswaldo Arcia is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. Arcia appeared in eight games for the Red Wings, hitting .296 (8-for-27) with one double, five home runs, 11 RBI, seven runs scored and four walks. Arcia started the 2015 season in Minnesota but after an injury in early May the Twins sent the 24-year-old Arcia to rehab in Rochester and he has played there since that time. In 40 games for the Red Wings, Arcia has hit .274 (40-for-146) with 10 doubles, eight home runs and 29 RBI.

Arcia signed with Minnesota in 2007 at the age of 16 and made his major league debut with the Twins on April 15, 2013. Arcia hit 20 home runs last season for the Twins but has not shown enough consistency to stay with the big league this year and as we all know, Arcia can certainly use some improvement in his outfield play. Oswaldo has a brother, Orlando Arcia who is an infielder in the Brewers organization.

Twins Minor League Report July 12, 2015

Twins minor league player of the week

Achter, A.J. 2015Rochester (AAA)  right-handed pitcher A.J. Achter is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. Achter appeared in three games for the Red Wings, tossing 5.0 shutout innings with two hits, four walks and seven strikeouts. Achter has gone 3-2, 2.15 ERA (37.2 IP, 9 ER) with 13 saves in 33 games for the Red Wings this season. Earlier this week he was named an International League All-Star for the second straight season.

Achter was a September call-up last year and appeared in 7 games throwing 11 innings and posting a 3.27 ERA with a 1-0 record.

A.J. Achter-overcomes-long-odds-as-46th-round-pick

The 6’5″ 26-year-old Achter was originally acquired by the Twins in the 46th round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft from Michigan State University for a reported $50,000 signing bonus.

Twins Minor League Report July 3, 2015

Twins minor league player of the week

Engelb Vielma 2015 springFt. Myers (High A) infielder Engelb Vielma is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. Vielma played four games for the Miracle, hitting .467 (7-for-15) with one double, two RBI, two walks and two runs scored. Vielma who just turned 21 was signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent from Venezuela on September 8, 2011. The 5’11” 150 pound Vielma was named the 22nd best prospect and best defensive infielder in the Twins system by Baseball America entering 2015.

In his fourth season of pro ball Vielma has appeared in a total  of 270 games and has hit .253  with 2 home runs and has stolen 51 bases in 1,086 PA’s. Vielma has a slick glove but it will be his bat that determines if he gets to put on a big league uniform but keep in mind he just turned 21.

Previous winners of Twins POW this season are right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffey, left-handed pitcher Stephen Gonsalves, outfielder Byron Buxton, infielder Trey Vavra, infielder Miguel Sano, first baseman/outfielder Max Kepler, right-handed pitcher Aaron Slegers, left-handed pitcher David Hurlbut and right-handed pitcher Alex Wimmers.

Twins Minor League Report June 28, 2015

Twins minor league player of the week

Alex Wimmers - (Credit: Roger Hoover/Tennessee Smokies)
Alex Wimmers – (Credit: Roger Hoover/Tennessee Smokies)

Chattanooga (AA) right-handed pitcher Alex Wimmers is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. Wimmers made two starts for the Lookouts, going 2-0, 0.00 ERA (14.2 IP) with five hits allowed, four walks and 20 strikeouts. Wimmers, 26,  struck out nine in 7.2 innings June 13 vs. Birmingham and 11 in 7.0 innings June 19 vs. Jacksonville. The Twins first round pick (21st overall) in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft has made 12 starts for the Lookouts, going 5-1, 4.31 ERA (64.2 IP, 31 ER), with 24 walks and 62 strikeouts.

Lookouts’ Wimmers silences Suns

Previous winners of Twins POW this season are right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffey, left-handed pitcher Stephen Gonsalves, outfielder Byron Buxton, infielder Trey Vavra, infielder Miguel Sano, first baseman/outfielder Max Kepler, right-handed pitcher Aaron Slegers and left-handed pitcher David Hurlbut.

Max Kepler
Max Kepler

Another player that probably was a finalist for POW honors again this week is Chattanooga 1B/OF Max Kepler. Kepler, 22, who was the Twins minor league player of the week a few weeks ago has been on an absolute tear lately and in his last 10 games he is 19 for 34 with 9 walks and is hitting at a .559 clip with 8 runs scored, 6 RBI, 1 home run, one double and 4 triples.  In 52 games for Chattanooga Max is hitting .346 with a .977 OPS.

 

Twins Minor League Report June 21, 2015

It has taken awhile but this is Twins Trivia post number 1,000.