Tag: Chattanooga Lookouts

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 – 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 (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 – Daniel Palka

Daniel Palka
Daniel Palka

Chattanooga Lookouts (AA) outfielder Daniel Palka is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. Palka played six games for the Lookouts, hitting .619 (13-for-21) with four doubles, two home runs, eight RBI, six runs scored and six walks. In 20 games for Chattanooga this season, the left-handed hitting Palka has hit .338 (27-for-80) with seven doubles, three home runs and 15 RBI.

The 24-year-old Palka was acquired by the Twins via trade with Arizona on November 10, 2015, in exchange for catcher/outfielder Chris Herrmann. Palka was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Georgia Tech where he was named first team All-American by Baseball America and NCBWA in 2013. Palka led the ACC with a career-high 17 homers while batting .342 with 13 doubles, three triples and 66 RBIs in 2013.  Palka also pitched and was 2-1 with a 0.69 ERA in eight games. Daniel Palka signed with Arizona for $550,000.

Daniel Palka happy to have fresh start with the Lookouts

 Twins Minor League Report 05012016

Max Kepler deserves call-up in 2015

Max Kepler
Max Kepler

Twins 1B/OF Max Kepler deserves to be called up by the Minnesota Twins as soon as the Chattanooga Lookouts playoff run is completed. The 22 year-old Kepler is having a huge breakout season in his sixth year of pro ball. Kepler started the season playing a handful of games at Ft. Myers due to an injury but quickly was sent to Chattanooga where he has been a hitting machine and was selected as the Southern League MVP which is a league loaded with top prospects.

I know the Twins are in the chase for a wildcard spot but they need to call Kepler up to Minnesota where he can get a taste of big league life and be rewarded for his play this season. I know that first base and the outfield are crowded at Target Field but Kepler has earned his shot at putting on a Twins uniform and showing fans here in Minnesota another of their highly regarded prospects. Don’t let me down Mr. Ryan!

Kepler homers twice to even SL Final

Chattanooga Lookouts Even Southern League Championship Series

Twins minor league player of the week

Brett Lee 2015Chattanooga (AA) left-handed pitcher Brett Lee is the Twins minor league Player of the Week. The 6’4″ 200 pound Lee made one start for the week, that coming last Sunday at Birmingham, pitching a 7.0-inning complete game shutout with two hits allowed, two walks and eight strikeouts, earning the win. Lee has made 21 starts between Chattanooga and Single-A Ft. Myers this season, going 7-7, 3.64 ERA (128.2 IP, 43 ER) with 40 walks and 64 strikeouts.

The soon to be 25 year-old Lee was the Pirates 40th round pick in 2009 and the Dodgers 33rd round selection in 2010 but chose not to sign. The Pensacola, Florida native then was drafted by the Twins in the 10th round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of St. Petersburg College and signed for $150,000.

Twins Minor League Report 09062015

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

Kepler and Berrios to play for Futures World Team

Rosters were recently announced for the SiriusXM Futures Game to be played on Sunday, July 12 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati during the All-Star break and the Twins will be sending two players, who will both play for the World Team, outfielder/1B Max Kepler and right-handed pitcher Jose Berrios.

Max Kepler
Max Kepler

The 22-year-old Kepler was born in Berlin, Germany has played 55 games for Double-A Chattanooga this season, hitting .342 (69-for-202) with 18 doubles, eight triples, three home runs, 29 RBI and 11 stolen bases. He was originally signed by the Twins on July 11, 2009.

Jose Berrios
Jose Berrios

The 21-year-old Jose Berrios, was born in Baymon, Puerto Rico, has made 14 starts for Double-A Chattanooga, posting a record of 7-3, 3.23 ERA (83.2 IP, 30 ER) with 23 walks and 86 strikeouts.Berrios, who was drafted in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, started for the World Team in 2014 at Target Field, tossing a perfect inning.

Barring injury I think there is at least a 50/50 chance both of these young players will make their big league debut with the Twins this season. Congratulations to both Max and Jose. Source Twins Notes

2015 Futures Game Rosters