Tag: Cedar Rapids Kernels

Twins Minor League Players of the Week & Month

Andrew Albers
Andrew Albers

Rochester (AAA-International League) left-handed pitcher Andrew Albers is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. In two starts for the Red Wings, Albers went 2-0, pitching 15.0 innings allowing just four earned runs (2.40 ERA), with 11 strikeouts and just two walks. The 6’1″ and 195 lbs. 27 year-old Albers was signed by the Twins as a minor league free agent in 2011 but was originally selected by the Padres in the 10th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft from the University of Kentucky. In 12 starts with Rochester this season Albers has thrown 67.2 innings allowing 71 hits, striking out 60 and posting a 3.06 ERA. Previous winners this season include (in order): pitcher Tyler Duffey, infielder Miguel Sano, outfielder Adam Walker, infielder Jorge Polanco, pitcher Kyle Gibson, infielder Chris Colabello, pitcher Logan Darnell and pitcher Taylor Rogers.

MINOR LEAGUERS OF THE MONTH: Rochester (AAA – International League) infielder Chris Colabello is the Twins Minor League Player of the Month for May. In 20 games for the Red Wings, Colabello batted .425 (34-for-80) with 12 doubles, six home runs, 20 RBI while scoring 15 times. Colabello, who was signed as a minor league free agent in 2012, was added to the Twins roster today as the 26th man in time for today’s DH. Fridays Twins /Nats game was rained out and is being made up today. Major league rule allow teams to add an extra player for a doubleheader. The rule’s intent is to allow teams to add pitching, but the Twins are already carrying 13 pitchers and have an off day on Monday, so Gardenhire chose to add an extra pinch hitter

Rochester (AAA – International League) left-handed pitcher Aaron Thompson is the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May. Over a combined 11 appearances between Rochester and Double-A New Britain, he posted a 1.26 ERA in 14.1 innings and allowed 2 earned runs while holding opponents to a .143 batting average with a a 0.70 WHIP. Thompson, 22, was signed by the Twins as a minor league free agent in 2011 after being originally drafted in the first round by the Miami Marlins in 2005. Albers is in his 5th year of minor league ball after missing all of 2009 due TJ surgery. During his minor league career Albers has been primarily a starter going 21-7 with a 2.64 ERA and has averaged 7.7 KO/9.

MINOR LEAGUE GAME TELEVISED: FOX Sports North announced plans to televise the Cedar Rapids Kernels vs. the Kane County Cougars minor league game live at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, June 10. Coverage will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a live version of “Spotlight: Next Generation,” an in-depth look at the Minnesota Twins farm system with an emphasis on the Class A team in Cedar Rapids. The telecast is designed to educate fans about up-and-coming Twins players, FOX Sports North will profile some of baseball’s top prospects, including Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. Anthony Lapanta and Roy Smalley will anchor the telecast from the FOX Sports North studio with Marney Gellner reporting from Cedar Rapids. Key members of the Twins front office, including Paul Molitor and Dave St. Peter will also join the telecast to help showcase the Cedar Rapids Affiliation.

Twins Minor League Player of the Week

Rogers, TaylorFt. Myers (A – Florida State League) left-handed pitcher Taylor Rogers is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. In one start for the Miracle, the 22 year-old Rogers pitched 7.0 shutout innings, with seven hits allowed, no walks and seven strikeouts. Rogers was selected by the Twins in the 11th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft from the University of Kentucky. The Twins gave Rogers a $100,000 signing bonus and that is not bad for a player drafted 340th over all. Rogers was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2009 in round 37 but chose to attend the University of Kentucky.

The 6’3″ 175 lb. Rogers started the season in Cedar Rapids where he did not seem to be particularly effective starting 3 games (0-1) and pitching a total of 10 innings allowing 14 hits with 10 strikeouts along with a 7.20 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP but for whatever reason the Twins promoted him to Ft. Myers where he has started 6 games going 4-1 with a 1.32 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Go figure….

Previous winners this season include: pitcher Tyler Duffey, infielder Miguel Sano, outfielder Adam Walker, infielder Jorge Polanco, pitcher Kyle Gibson, infielder Chris Colabello, and pitcher Logan Darnell.

Twins Minor League player of the Week – Jorge Polanco

Jorge Polanco
Jorge Polanco

Cedar Rapids Kernels shortstop Jorge Polanco is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. In seven games, Polanco batted .429 (12-for-28) with three doubles and 10 RBI. The switch-hitting 5-foot-11, 190-pound infielder was signed by the Twins as a non-drafted free agent in July of 2009 and is in his fourth season of pro ball even though he is only 19 years of age. This season in Cedar Rapids in 26 games (15 at 2B, 3 at SS and 8 as DH), Polanco is hitting .352 with 16 runs scored, one home run and 24 RBI’s. Polanco was named to the MiLB.com Twins organizational All-Star team in 2012.

Previous Twins minor league player of the week winners this season include right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffey, 3B Miguel Sano and outfielder Adam Walker.

Twins Minor League Players of the Month – April

Brian Buxton
Brian Buxton

Cedar Rapids Kernels outfielder Byron Buxton is the Twins Minor League Player of the Month for April. In 22 games for the Kernels, the 19-year-old batted .392 (31-for-79) with five doubles, four home runs, 25 RBI while scoring 25 times. Buxton reached base in every game last month, recorded 17 walks and posted a .510 on-base percentage. Buxton was drafted by the Twins in the first round (2nd overall) in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Appling County (Georgia) High School.

 

DJ Baxendale
DJ Baxendale

Ft. Myers Miracle right-handed pitcher D.J. Baxendale is the Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April. Over a span of five starts for the Miracle, he went 4-0 with a 1.84 ERA (29.1 IP, 6 ER). Baxendale struck out 25 and walked just six batters while posting a 0.92 WHIP. Baxendale, 22, was drafted by the Twins in the 10th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Arkansas.

Twins Minor League Player of the Week

Adam Walker
Adam Walker

Cedar Rapids Kernels (Single-A) outfielder Adam Walker is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. In five games, Walker, 21, batted .455 (10-for-22) with one double, one triple, four home runs and 13 RBI’s. In 2013, Walker, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin native who is playing for his first full season team is hitting .310 with 14 runs scored, six home runs and 25 RBI’s in 19 games.

After he was drafted by the Twins in the third round of the 2012 Draft from Jacksonville University, the 6’4″, 225 pound right-handed hitting outfielder shared the Appalachian League lead with 15 homers for Rookie-level Elizabethton. He hit three more in the postseason, none more important than a game-tying three-run blast in the bottom of the ninth inning of the decisive Game 3 of the Championship Series against Burlington, a contest the Twins won on Dalton Hicks‘ walk-off grand slam. Previous winners this season include right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffey in week 1 and infielder Miguel Sano in week 2.

By the way – Each of the Twins four minor league affiliates have won their last three games.

 

Aaron Hicks
Aaron Hicks

According to Elias – Aaron Hicks finally stroked his first major-league extra-base hit, a two-run double in the eighth inning of the Twins’ 7-2 home win over the Rangers yesterday. Hicks thus ended a streak of 64 straight at-bats without an XBH to start his career, the second-longest by any Twins position-player since the team relocated from Washington in 1961. Catcher Tom Tischinski didn’t record more than a single in any of his first 90 big-league at-bats in 1969 and 1970.

Starting tomorrow, the Twins will begin their longest road trip of 2013, playing 10 games in 11 days with stops in Detroit (April 29-May 1), Cleveland (May 3-5) and Boston (May 6-9). So far in 2013 the Twins are 6-6 at home and 4-4 on the road.

Max Kepler update – Star prospect Max Kepler remains on the shelf in Ft. Myers with a left elbow strain and remains shutdown for another month. Kepler, who has never suffered any serious injuries in his short career is reported to be chomping at the bit to start playing some baseball but the Twins are not going to put a young prospect like Kepler at risk of long-term injury. Having said that, there is discussion about sending Kepler to Cedar Rapids and have him DH even if he can’t play in the field.

This might be fun to watch!

Twins Minor League Player of the Week

RHP Tyler Duffey
RHP Tyler Duffey

This weeks Twins minor league player of the week is Cedar Rapids (A ball) right-handed pitcher Tyler Duffey. Duffey, 22, made one start during the week on April 7 versus Beloit earning the win. Tyler pitched 7.0 no-hit innings with seven strikeouts as Josue Montanez and Tim Atherton finished off the no-hitter for the Kernels.

Duffey is a 6’3″ and 210 lbs Houston, Texas native that was drafted by the Twins in the fifth round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Rice University. Duffey was 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in 12 games, all in relief in Elizabethton last season. Duffey struck out 27 batters in 19 innings for the E-Twins. This season as a starter in Cedar Rapids, Duffey is 1-1 with a 2.13 ERA and has 11 KO’s in 12.2 innings.

One of Twins top prospects hurt

Max Kepler
Max Kepler

One of the Minnesota Twins top prospects, Max Kepler hurt his elbow during pre-game warm-ups on March 16th in Sarasota and was shut down for a week to allow the swelling to recede. An MRI performed a week after the injury fortunately only showed a muscle strain. Kepler has been rehabbing since and faced live pitching yesterday for the first time since the injury but again experienced pain and has been shut down for 3 additional weeks. The injury and rehab is a huge disappointment and frustration to Kepler who had participted in an intense workout program this past off-season in San Francisco and was in great shape. Max was expected to be assigned to the Cedar Rapids Kernels “A” ball team and play in his first full season league this year. Instead, Max will stay in Ft. Myers for the next 3 weeks and rehab. The Twins aren’t going to let Kepler go anywhere until they are sure that Kepler is 100% again.  Kepler is one of my favorite Twins prospects and I hope that Max is able to recover quickly and resume his climb up the big league ladder.

Twins brass to meet with Cedar Rapids Kernels management today

According to an article in the Cedar Rapids Gazette a representative from the Minnesota Twins and management from the Cedar Rapids Kernels will meet today to discuss a possible player development  contract starting in 2013. The Kernels have been affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for the last 20 years but are said to be interested in a partner that is more closely geographically aligned. A deal could be announced this week. You can read the full Gazette story here. Ballparkdigest.com also did a piece about possible new Twins affilaition that you can read here.