Tag: Elizabethton Twins

Twins Minor League POW are Matt Wallner & Matt Canterino

Pioneer Press East Metro baseball player of the year, Matt Wallner of Forest Lake is photographed Monday, June 13, 2016. (Pioneer Press: Jace Fredrick)

In week three the Twins minor league position player of the week is outfielder Matt Wallner. Wallner a Minnesota native born in Forest Lake was first drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 32nd round of the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft from Forest Lake HS (Forest Lake, MN) but chose not to sign. The 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Wallner was the Pioneer Press’ 2016 East Metro Player of the Year. The Minnesota Twins upped the ante and drafted him again, this time in the 1st round (39th) of the 2019 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg, MS). Wallner, a left-handed batter grew up a Twins fans and did some pitching in college but always wanted to be on the hitting side of the ball. The Twins took Wallner with a pick in Competitive Balance Round A by virtue of being in either one of the 10 smallest markets or 10 smallest revenue pools, which thereby gave them an additional pick at the end of the first round. According to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, Wallner received a signing bonus of $1.8 million just under the $1.9 million slot value.

In his first season in pro ball Wallner played at rookie league Elizabethton and briefly at Low A ball with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. With no MiLB in 2020, Wallner started 2021 with Cedar Rapids again but this time as a High-A ball Kernel. This past week Wallner played in six games hitting .400 (10-for-25) with one double, one triple, two home runs and four RBI, including a four-hit game on Thursday versus Beloit. Wallner is off to a nice start hitting .333 with four home runs and 14 RBI over 17 games this season.

The Twins minor league pitcher of the week is Texas native right-handed pitcher Matt Canterino.  Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 2nd round of the 2019 MLB June Amateur Draft from Rice University (Houston, TX). Canterino started his pro career with the rookie Twins Gulf team in 2019 before jumping up to the Low-A Cedar Rapids Kernels. 2021 finds him with the High-A Cedar Raids team.

Canterino, 23, made two starts for Cedar Rapids this past week, going 1-0, 1.64 ERA (11.0 IP, 2 ER) with one walk and 19 strikeouts, including a 10-strikeout game on Friday versus Beloit.

Twins minor league players of the week – Wiel & Laweryson

The Twins have named AAA Rochester Red Wings 1B/OF Zander Wiel and Rookie-Elizabethton right-handed pitcher Cody Laweryson Twins minor league Player and Pitcher of the Week.

Zander Wiel

In seven games for the Red Wings, Wiel hit .370 (10-for-27) with four doubles, three home runs, seven RBI, three walks and a 1.271 OPS. The right-handed hitting Wiel plays primarily first base but spends some time in the outfield too. In 518 PA’s this season in Rochester Wiel hit 24 home runs, knocked in 78 and had a .255 batting average. On the down side Wiel struck out 158 times. The 26-year old Tennessee native was the Twins 12th round selection in 2015 and signed for a reported $140,000. 

 

Cody Laweryson

Laweryson made the start on Monday vs. Greeneville, pitching 6.0 shutout innings with three hits allowed, no walks and 15 strikeouts. The Twins drafted the 6’4″ right-handed Laweryson in the 14th round just last season and gave him a $80,000 signing bonus. Not many big leaguers from Maine, let’s see if Cody can be the exception.

Twins Minor League Report, 9-1-19

Twins minor league players of the week – Rooker and Widell

Sorry for the delay in getting these Twins minor league player of the week updates out here on the site. My wife and I were on vacation for a couple of weeks taking a cruise to Alaska on the NCL Jewel out of Vancouver and then we spent a week touring the interior of Alaska. What a beautiful state even it it doesn’t have a big league baseball team. We were there for two weeks and we never saw darkness, it takes a bit of getting used to. Then again if you went in December it would always be dark.

I have missed baseball since you get no news on a cruise ship and the one newspaper I saw in Anchorage on our last day in Alaska has little to no MLB baseball coverage. So let’s see what we missed.

Two weeks ago the Twins named AAA Rochester Red Wings outfielder/first baseman Brent Rooker and Rookie-Elizabethton left-handed pitcher Ryley Widell as the organization’s minor league player and pitcher of the week.

Brent Rooker

Rooker, who was drafted 35th overall by the Twins in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft, played seven games for the Red Wings this week, hitting .429 (9-for-21) with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, four walks and a 1.488 OPS.

The 24 year old Rooker is in a rush to the big leagues having split his 2017 season in Rookie Elizabethton and A+ Fort Myers, 2018 in AA Chattanooga, and 2019 in AAA Rochester. In 55 games in Rochester this year Rooker is hitting .290 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI. This season Rooker has spent his time in LF/DH but he has some played first base in 2017-2018. Might see a cup of coffee at Target Field in September.

Ryley Widell

Ryley Widell, who was drafted by the Twins in the seventh round of the 2017 Draft, pitched in one game this week, Wednesday against Bluefield, allowing just two runs (1 earned) on two hits, with no walks and six strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched.

Widell, a 6’3″ lefty pitched in 8 games for Elizabethton in 2017 and missed 2018 due to injury and started this season in Elizabethton again this season.

 

Twins Minor League Report, 6-23-19

Twins Minor League Player of the Week – Leonardo Reginatto

Leonardo Reginatto

This weeks Twins Minor League Player of the Week is Rochester Red Wings (AAA) third baseman Leonardo Reginatto. In 7 games the 27 year-old Reginatto hit .391 (9 for 23), with 3 doubles and scored 4 runs. Reginatto has played 81 games for Rochester this season appearing at third base and second base and has hit .296 in 260 at bats with 3 home runs and 36 RBI. Reginatto was a non-roster Twins spring training invitee this year.

Reginatto, a Brazilian native was originally signed by the Tampa Rays as a non-drafted free agent in February 2009 and signed with the Twins as a minor league free agent in  December 2015. 

Twins Minor League Report 082917

 

Minor Matters

Double-A Chattanooga Manager Jake Mauer has been named the Southern League Manager of the Year. Mauer is the first Lookouts manager to win this award since Jayhawk Owens in 2004.

Southern League Postseason All-Stars have been announced and the Twins will be represented by four players from Double-A Chattanooga: infielder Nick Gordon, outfielder Edgar Corcino, designated hitter Jonathan Rodriguez and relief pitcher Gabriel Moya.

Rookie-Level Elizabethton recently clinched their Division Title and will open the playoffs on Saturday against Greenville or Johnson City. Elizabethton currently has a record of 41-26. This marks their 12th time in postseason play since 2003.

GCL Twins also recently clinched a playoff berth and will open their postseason play on Sunday (opponent TBD).

Twins Minor League Player of the Week -Trey Cabbage

Trey Cabbage (Courtesy Minnesota Twins)

Elizabethton Twins (Rookie League) outfielder/3B Trey Cabbage has been named Twins minor league Player of the Week. In seven games, the left-handed swinging Cabbage hit .333 (9-for-27) with two doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, eight walks and had a .486 on-base percentage. Cabbage was headed for the University of Tennessee before the Twins persuaded him to sign a professional contract for $760,000 and nice bump over the $517,900 slot amount.

Twins Minor League Report 070217

Twins minor league pitcher Cam Booser suspended for 50 games

Twins minor leaguer pitcher Cameron Booser will miss 50 games due to violations of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Minnesota Twins left-hander Cam Booser has been suspended 50 games after testing positive for a drug of abuse for the second time.

Cam Booser

Cam Booser was signed by the Minnesota Twins as a non-drafted free agent on Aug. 12, 2013. Booser, a 25-year-old on the Rookie-level Elizabethton Twins, had pitched 2 2/3 innings this season for Class A Advanced Fort Myers, allowing one run while walking seven and hitting two batters over three relief appearances. He went 0-4 with an 8.53 ERA, 34 strikeouts and 31 walks over 25 1/3 innings for Class A Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers in 2016.

Booser’s ban will begin with Elizabethtown’s season opener Thursday against Danville. These suspensions are the 43rd and 44th handed down for violations of the Minor League drug program in 2017.

It would be fun to take in a game at Elizabethton

Courtest of littleparks.com
Courtesy of littleparks.com

Elizabethton and the Minnesota Twins have been associated since 1974 when the Twins first fielded a rookie team there that was managed by some guy by the name of Robert Butler. The team was known as the Elizabethton Twins and played at Joe O’Brien Field as part of the Appalachian League and they finished second in their division with a 41-27 record. The only player from that team that ever went on to wear a Twins uniform was catcher Butch Wynegar. Other Twins notables such as Kent Hrbek, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, A.J. Pierzynski, and Kirby Puckett all started their careers there.

This morning I ran across a story on MiLB.com called “On the Road: Elizabethton’s timeless appeal.” It is a fun read on how different life is at a “rookie” league ballpark that was built in 1974 and has a capacity of 1,500. For more info/images on Joe O’Brien Park please go here. It is also worth noting that the field is also the home park of the local high school baseball team.

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

E-Twins Dereck Rodriguez named APPY League Pitcher of the Year

Rodriguez, Dereck 2015 2Dereck Rodriguez, 23, was named the Appalachian League’s Pitcher of the Year after going 5-2 with a 2.65 ERA in 10 starts for Elizabethton. Rodriguez was selected by the Minnesota Twins as an outfielder in the sixth round (208 overall) of the 2011 First Year Player Draft out of Pace High School in Miami Gardens, Florida. Rodriguez, a right-hander played for Class A Cedar Rapids and Class A Advanced Fort Myers as an outfielder from 2011-2013. The 6-foot-1 starter was drafted by the Twins as an outfielder but made the career change to pitching after the 2013 season. . Rodriguez has 45 strikeouts and just 10 walks in 54 1/3 innings with the E-Twins this year. Dereck is the son of Major League All-Star catcher Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez who spent 21 years in the Major Leagues, won 13 Gold Gloves and was a 14-time All-Star.

E-Twins outfielder LaMonte Wade and reliever Kuo Hua Lo joined Rodrigez on the 2015 Appalachian League All-Star team.